Communion Partner Rectors Meeting
The Communion Partner Rectors met at St Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston 5-7 November. Forty Rectors were able to be present. We were supported by the Bishops of Texas, Western Louisiana, Western Kansas and Central Florida, who were able to be present as representatives of the fifteen Bishops involved with Communion Partners.
The spirit of our gathering was high and encouraging. We are aware of the latitude that is afforded to us to differentiate from trends in the Episcopal Church we do not share and will not accept or fund. We rejoice in the mission linkages we have nurtured in the past and that we will work to forge in our present season. Our main concern is building up these mission links, reinforcing our Anglican theological identity, and identifying ways to build up the next generation of theological leadership.
We have begun to map out visitations from Communion Partner Archbishops and Bishops from regions outside the United States. Our Rector base includes parishes outside the CP Dioceses, including Minnesota, West Virginia, Virginia, San Joaquin, Pittsburgh, Southern Virginia, among others. Our next meeting will include Primates of the Communion, CP Bishops, Rectors and Theologians, in the context of the Anglicanism Conference at St Martin’s Episcopal Church in April. Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, will be Chaplain for the event.
The Dioceses associated with Communion Partners include Rhode Island, Albany, Tennessee, South Carolina, Central Florida, Western Louisiana, Dallas, Texas, West Texas, Northern Indiana, North Dakota, and Fond du Lac. Active baptized membership in these regions stands at more than 300,000. We count in our Partnership the Primates of West Indies, Tanzania, Burundi, in association the Presiding Bishop of the Middle East and colleagues in the Church of England.
If you would like more information about Communion Partners or wish to associate with this initiative, contactXXXX.
