CONTINUING ANGLICAN CHURCHES ESTABLISH FULL COMMUNION
In an epic event forty years after orthodox Anglicans first rejected departures from biblical foundations and historic Church Tradition, four of the largest traditional Anglican Church jurisdictions have come into full communion with each other. The historic agreement was signed in the presence of over 550 clergy and lay delegates by the leaders of the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC), the Anglican Church in America (ACA), the Anglican Province of America (APA) and the Diocese of the Holy Cross (DHC) on October 6th 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, some forty years after orthodox Church representatives signed the Affirmation of Saint Louis, which called for the creation of the Continuing Anglican Church. In his address to the assembled delegates and bishops of the Anglican Joint Synods from around the world, Bishop Walter Grundorf noted at the closing Pontifical Mass that the "hopes of those who sought to maintain the Faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church in the Anglican Tradition have finally found the unity God intended." The Anglican Joint Synods concordat establishes full communion among the Churches, known as “communio in sacris.” The signed Agreement states that each Church acknowledges the others to be orthodox and catholic Anglicans holding to the faith of the Undivided Catholic Church and the Seven Ecumenical Councils. Each Church recognizes in the other the same faith, sacraments, moral teaching, worship, and Apostolic Ministry of bishops, priests and deacons in Apostolic Succession. All members of the respective Churches are welcome to Holy Communion and parochial life within parishes of the Synods. The Churches pledge to pursue full institutional and organic union with each other in fulfillment of the Lord’s will that His Church be united, and pledge to seek unity with other Christians, including other Anglicans, insofar as such unity is consistent with the essentials of Catholic faith, order, and moral teaching. Signing for the Churches were the Most Reverend Brian R. Marsh (ACA), the Most Reverend Mark D. Haverland (ACC), the Most Reverend Walter H. Grundorf (APA), and the Right Reverend Paul C. Hewett (DHC). The signing was met with a standing ovation by the assembled delegates. The action brings together the four largest Continuing Anglican Churches, each with numerous parishes throughout the United States and in many international locations. Anglicans are the third largest Christian community in the world after Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. The Continuing Church maintains apostolic, orthodox, sacramental, and evangelical Church practice and professes the three historic Creeds of Christendom. The Church holds to Holy Scripture as the inspired word of God and affirms that both the Word of God and His Holy Sacraments are necessary for our saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Credit: ACA http://anglicanchurchinamerica.org/JointSynods.shtml
