ONE HUNDRED AND SIX NEW CONGREGATIONS IN NINE MONTHS

Anglican Church in North America
April 13, 2010

New Anglican congregations are springing up all over North America. Since the church's founding in June of 2009 with 703 congregations, an additional 106 new churches have either joined or have been planted by the Anglican Church, bringing the church's total number of congregations to 809.

"When we began in June of 2010, I issued a challenge that we plant 1,000 new churches in the five years of my service as your Archbishop. It is wonderful to see how much progress has already been made," said Archbishop Robert Duncan.

One of those new church plants is Restoration Anglican Church in Addison, Texas. The congregation, which began meeting last fall, hosts between 100 and 120 people for Sunday services.

"We just want to do church for the sake of others. We really feel we have a calling for those who are broken, those who are lost and those who are looking for a place where they can walk through life together and grow in faith with other believers," said the Rev. Jed Roseberry, Resurrection's founding priest.

Restoration has made that vision concrete by taking on projects such as working with another ministry to provide a Thanksgiving meal for 438 members of their community last November. They also have focused on introducing people to Jesus through an Alpha Course and other intentional efforts.

In everything Restoration has done, from finding a place to meet, to organizing their first worship service, Roseberry emphasized that God has made impossible things possible. "I have come to see and realize that God loves working in the realm of the impossible, because when he does, he gets all of the glory," he explained.

Church of the Epiphany in Hamilton, Ontario, is another new Anglican church. According to the Rev. Vicky Hedelius, the church began meeting on January 31. The congregation's initial membership stepped out of an Anglican Church in Canada parish. "We left everything behind, and we started fresh," said Hedelius.

A local congregation of another denomination agreed to let Church of the Epiphany use their chapel as worship space, and congregation members, led by their deacon, the Rev. St. Clair Cleveland, constructed new furnishings for the space.

Like Restoration, the people of Epiphany have learned a great deal about God's love and faithfulness to them, said Hedelius. "We stepped out naked, and he has clothed us…All you have to do is take the first step, and He guides you on to the next," she explained.

Being part of the Anglican Church in North America is important for the people of Church of the Epiphany. "To be part of this movement of God's Spirit in our church is exciting, It's humbling, it's such a blessing" said Hedelius.

The Anglican Church in North America unites more than 100,000 Anglican Christians in 28 dioceses and 809 congregations. For more information about the Anglican Church, please visit http://www.anglicanchurch.net.