COPY FOR ANGLICAN COMMUNION INSTITUTE—A HISTORY
The Anglican Communion Institute (ACI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution incorporated under the laws of the state of Texas for religious, educational and charitable purposes.
The ACI grew out of the organization known as SEAD (Scholarly Engagement with Anglican Doctrine), which had been formed under the leadership of Dr. David Scott of Virginia Theological Seminary in 1989. SEAD conducted a series of significant theological conferences in the years thereafter, moving its headquarters eventually to Charleston, SC. Books produced from these conferences include ________________
In the late 1990’s leadership of the group passed to Professor Christopher Seitz, who has served as President of ACI since it was organized at Charleston in 2004. At that time SEAD was disbanded and joined with elements of the former Anglican Institute. Conferences and Houses of Study were conducted in Charleston, Colorado Springs, Albany and San Antonio.
Collegial Theologians of the Institute were Professor Christopher Seitz, president, Dean Philip W. Turner III, vice president, senior fellow Dr. Ephraim Radner and fellows Dr. Andrew Goddard and Dr. Peter Walker. The Rev. Don Armstrong served as Executive Director. The Board of Advisors included Archbishop George Carey, Archbishop Drexel Gomez, Bishops Daniel Herzog , Alpha Mohamed, Edward L. Salmon, and James M. Stanton, Deans Paul Zahl and George Sumner, Professors Edith Humphrey and Russell Reno, and Mrs. Elizabeth Cooper.
The Rev. Don Armstrong of Grace and St. Stephen’s Church, Colorado Springs, severed ties with the Episcopal Church in April, 2007, and ceased at that time to be executive director of ACI. The Institute was incorporated and a board of directors was elected at that time.
From Bishop Howe: At today’s meeting of the Board (6/19) the Finance Committee unanimously recommended, and the Board unanimously approved the redirection of our support from the Anglican Communion Network to a similarly named organization, the Anglican Communion Institute.
I want to tell you a little about the Institute. Its president is a priest of this Diocese, Dr. Chris Seitz, professor of Old Testament at Wycliffe College in Toronto. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, was the initial Chairman of the Board. The Institute’s current Chairman is Archbishop Drexel Gomez of the West Indies, and I sit on its Board.
The Anglican Communion Institute “is a resource for the furtherance of the Anglican Communion, through consultation, theological education, and international collaboration. Its Board is comprised of Primates, Bishops, theological educators, Rectors, and dedicated lay leaders.”
In my opinion, the Anglican Communion Institute has inherited the original vision of the Network: to work to promote orthodoxy within The Episcopal Church, and to maintain our relationships with the broader Anglican Communion.
The Institute sponsored the several meetings of “Camp Allen Bishops” which produced the “Camp Allen Principles” that were referred to in the Primates’ Communique from Dar es Salam in February 2007.
The ACI has sponsored and produced the “Communion Partners Scheme” that has been reported in The Living Church and elsewhere.
And I want to share with you the “promo” for the Institute’s Conference Series:
“The Anglican Communion Institute is sponsoring a series of conferences on the theme 'Anglicanism -- A Gift in Christ'. The first will be held at St. Paul's Bloor Street, Toronto, November 25 - 27. The conferences will serve as a context for producing a 14-speaker DVD series, on various topics of theological, Biblical, liturgical, and missionary significance, for adult education in Anglican congregations. The Toronto conference will look at New Testament, Old Testament, Hymnody, Christian Witness in the Muslim world, and the Parish as the Centre of Christian renewal. Our speakers are the Rt. Rev. N.T. Wright (Durham, UK), the Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells (Duke University), Dr. Edith Humphrey (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary), the Rt. Rev. Josiah Iduwo-Fearon (Province of Nigeria), and Principal George Sumner (Wycliffe College). The conference will begin with a buffet supper at 6 PM Tuesday evening, to be followed by Bishop Tom Wright's discussion of the New Testament in Anglican contexts. He is also to speak briefly on his own work on Wednesday morning, and field general questions related to New Testament studies and his contribution to the field. The other speakers will address their topics Wednesday, with the conference concluding Thursday at noon. Lunches will be served and coffee and light breakfast and refreshments will be offered. A regular schedule of worship services will also be held at St. Paul's Anglican Church. We will also use the occasion to speak more generally about our life in the Anglican Communion at present.”
