EGN NEWS DESK
On Tuesday night time in Manchester, a whole bunch gathered on the Church of Restoration in Wythenshawe for the inauguration of the third diocese of the Anglican Network in Europe and the consecration of their first diocesan bishop, Rt Rev Dr Gideon Illechukwu.
The Anglican Missionary Congregations (Europe) (AMC) has grown from a single Nigerian diaspora congregation in Manchester to 39 congregations everywhere in the UK and in some elements of Europe. After two years of negotiations, the AMC joined the Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE) and the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) of their mission to proclaim Christ faithfully to the individuals of Europe.
It was a historic second, because the Most Rev Henry Ndkuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, defined: “The Anglican Missionary Congregation has been half and parcel of the chaplaincy and mission of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion within the United Kingdom.
“And by way of a number of session and requests we’ve got at the present time launched AMC to the Anglican Network in Europe to be a part of the Anglican Network in Europe and to serve God’s individuals within the proclamation of the gospel within the growth of the dominion of God and standing for the reality of the phrase of God on this technology.
“And on behalf of the Church of Nigeria at this level my brother Bishop Andy Lines, the presiding Bishop of ANiE, we, the Church of Nigeria, hand over AMC to be a part of the Network. Amen.”
It was additionally a gorgeous expression of the Lord gathering individuals from each tribe, language, individuals and nation as a way to attain this needy continent. In a service with a vibrant Nigerian flavour, individuals from everywhere in the community celebrated their unity within the world Anglican household of Gafcon.
As Most Rev Laurent Mbanda, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and Chair of the Gafcon Primates mentioned after the service, “This is what Gafcon has completed and can proceed to do; not solely contending for the gospel however offering an ecclesial residence for these decided to proclaim God’s unchanging fact in a altering world.”
“The Anglican Network in Europe remains to be small, however it’s a rising Province-in-Formation. It is probably going that there can be at the least 100 congregations and pioneer church buildings within the community by the tip of this yr.”
Bishop Paul Donison, General Secretarty of Gafcon recommended why the Anglican Network in Europe was so engaging: “In the West I feel we’re seeing a renewal of curiosity inside liturgical, sacramental traditions as a result of I feel because the West continues to break down below secularism [ … ] there is a craving for one thing sacred, for one thing totally different.
“Our Anglican expression has a possibility to supply the Bible, provide a type of discipleship that’s really rooted in a way more sacramental liturgical custom that I feel can attain into a lot of our paganized Western area. I feel that what is occurring within the reformation of Anglicanism at present is of us, who’ve been solidly for the Bible for generations inside Anglicanism at the moment are below Gafcon, recommitting to some our historic patterns.
“They’re really leaning into our Anglicanism, they’re leaning into the Prayer ebook. They’re leaning into ‘what does it imply to have bishops at present?’.
“I imply for many people, possibly, we did not notably know what to do with bishops for generations. Well, below Gafcon, for those who can have godly bishops who’re preaching the phrase, individuals merely lean into that function of bishops. So, I feel all of that’s going to succeed in the world, particularly within the West, in a robust manner within the generations to come back.”
The Church of Restoration, the place the service befell is named AMC (Europe) HQ. It was initially commissioned within the Fifties by the Church of England to service the brand new post-war housing property at Newall Green. The constructing was consecrated as St Francis Church in 1961, by the then Bishop of Manchester, William Greer. By 2012, the congregation had dwindled to 2, and the church was closed. It was used as Community Centre earlier than the AMC moved in.
The Church of Restoration may subsequently be seen as a logo of a lot of what Gafcon and the Anglican Network of Europe search to attain below God. The restoration of confessional Anglican worship, to a continent the place church buildings have been emptied by false instructing, that gives each the devoted and the misplaced with hope for the longer term.
