American Anglican Council

Infobox_Organization
name = American Anglican Council
image_border =
type = Episcopalian Orthodox Conservatism group
membership = 80,000 congregants in affiliated parishes
location=40 U.S. states
headquarters = Atlanta, Georgia
formation = 1996
website =

http://www.americananglican.org

The American Anglican Council is an organization which exists to allow theologically conservative members of the Episcopal Church in the United States to network with one another. It was incorporated in 1996 and is one of several key organizations in the movement for Anglican realignment.

Mission

The American Anglican Council is a network of individuals (laity,deacons, priests and bishops), parishes and specialized ministries whoaffirm Biblical authority and Christian orthodoxy within the AnglicanCommunion. They are committed to proclaiming the Good News to all, andto reforming and renewing the Church of Jesus Christ within greaterAnglicanism. They are united in fulfilling the apostolic mission andministry, working to build a faithful Anglican witness in the Americas.

Positions

The AAC believes that "Christian mission is rooted in unchanging biblical revelation." Presently it sees "specific challenges to authentic faith and holiness [...] which require thoughtful and vigorous response." These challenges include moral relativism, a lack of "Christian ethical principles" in "the public life of the nation", "abortion, unwanted pregnancy, and end-of-life illness", and questions of sexual ethics.

Controversies

The American Anglican Council is not an ecclesial body, but rather claims to be anorthodox Anglican advocacy organization with ministry involvingeducation, communication, strategic planning, diplomacy, counsel andresource networking with other Anglican bodies domestically andinternationally. It works directly with orthodox Episcopal Churches andEpiscopalians who are committed to remaining in the Episcopal Church forthe foreseeable future, and those orthodox Anglican Churches andindividuals who are in the process of leaving the Episcopal Church, andthose orthodox Anglican Churches and individuals who are outside ornever affiliated with the Episcopal Church. This ministry to all threeareas will continue into the anticipated future. As a freestandingorthodox Anglican advocacy organization the AAC is neither in nor out ofTEC, but entirely separate from it. Some have charged that the AAC seesitself as forming the nucleus of a replacement Anglican jurisdiction.Any future restructuring of the provincial status of North AmericanAnglican churches will not involve the AAC being a nucleus of thereplacement, since the AAC is not an ecclesial body itself.

Leadership

The AAC is governed by a Board of Trustees. The current members are:

*The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, President and CEO
*The Rt. Rev. Peter H. Beckwith, Bishop of Springfield, Vice President
*Mr. R. Wicks Stephens II
*Mr. Lyman D. Aldrich
*The Rev. Roger C. Ames, Rector, St. Luke's, Akron, OH
*The Rev. Foley Beach
*The Rt. Rev. David Bena
*The Rev. Travis Boline
*Mr. Mark F. C. Berner, Esq.
*Mr. David R. Bickel
*The Rev. Shawn Denney
*The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh
*The Rev. William Gandenberger
*Dr. Michael Howell
*The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth
*The Rev. Matthew Kennedy
*The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, Missionary Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America
*Mrs. Betty Lee Payne
*The Very Rev. Ryan Reed
*Mrs. Carol Rogers Smith
*The Rev. William A. Thompson, Rector, All Saints' Anglican Church, Long Beach, CA
*The Honourable Samuel B. Thomsen
*Mr. Frank H. Trane
*The Rt. Rev. William Wantland

Common Cause Partners

Common Cause Partners, founded in June 2004, is an alliance of several churches and ministries within the Anglican Communion, including the AAC. The initial meeting was followed by a gathering in February 2005 where the [http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2005/02/common-cause-partners-meet.html/ Statement of Common Cause Partners in North America] was signed by the following organizations:

*Anglican Communion Network (ACN)
*Anglican Coalition in Canada
*Anglican Essentials Canada
*Anglican Mission in America
*Anglican Network in Canada
*Anglican Province of America
*Convocation of Anglicans in North America
*Forward in Faith North America
*Reformed Episcopal Church

References

ee also

*Anglican realignment
*Anglican Communion
*Anglican views of homosexuality
*Confessing Movement
*Continuing Anglican Movement

External links

* [http://www.americananglican.org/ American Anglican Council]
*
* [http://ird-renew.org/ Institute on Religion and Democracy]