Reflections on the ACNA

Well, it's now official. The Anglican Church of North America, with it's inaugural assembly is officially launched.

One of the guest speakers at this event is Metropolitan Jonah of the OCA. It is my hope that he will generate interest in Holy Orthodoxy among many.

There is much that is admirable about this new Anglican province, but it differs from Holy Orthodoxy in important respects.

While Orthodoxy unreservedly acknowledges the Seven Ecumenical Councils in their entirety, the ACNA accepts the first four, and the Christological statements of the fifth, sixth and seven Councils. One would guess that this would allow ACNA Anglicans to be favorable towards the use of Icons and Images, because they are aspects of the Christology of the Seventh Ecumenical Council.

The Orthodox Church holds Scripture and Holy Tradition to be part of the one revelation of Jesus Christ, while the ACNA puts Holy Scripture alone as the final authority on matters of faith and doctrine.

The ACNA limits the office of Bishop to those who are male, like Holy Orthodoxy. Unlike Holy Orthodoxy, there is limited acceptance of female priests and deacons permitted in some quarters of the province. In other quarters of the province, this practice is not allowed.

The standards for worship will differ between the ACNA and Western Rite Orthodoxy, not to mention with the wider Orthodox world. My guess is that the majority of ACNA Anglicans will worship in a more contemporary manner than what would be acceptable in Holy Orthodoxy.

One area where I expect the ACNA to continue to outdo us in Holy Orthodoxy is in the area of Evangelism and Church Planting. I hope we can gain ground in this area.

I have some unique feelings about this new Anglican endeavor, since I was once a member of one of the sub-groups that make up this new province, the Anglican Mission in the Americas.

I wonder what my life would be like right now if I had stayed in the AMIA.

I think I would have been constantly frustrated by the lack of interest in traditional Anglican worship. Thankfully, I'm not faced with this issue in the Antiochian Archdiocese.

It is unavoidable that there will be ties and frequent interaction with ACNA Anglicans and Western Rite Orthodox Christians. Those in the ACNA are "our country cousins" of a sort and many of them experienced similar battles with the Episcopal Church. But those of us who converted to Holy Orthodoxy went down a different path.

I still believe our Holy Orthodox faith is THE TRUTH and anything else, even if very close, is less than the truth.

So it's good that my family and I are where we are.

This being said, I firmly believe a large percentage of ACNA Anglicans have a closeness to the same God I worship.

Christ is in our midst,

Columba Silouan