from Stand Firm by Greg Griffith:
Dear Little Rock network clergy:
As many of you know by now, Susan Freeman, a deacon at Christ Church in Plano, Texas, will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests within the Anglican Mission in the Americas on May 15th at Christ Church in Plano, Texas. Bishop John Gurensey of ACNA will be the ordaining Bishop. I would like to give you some background.
First, within the AMiA there has been a provision for the ordaining of women to the priesthood at ++Kolini’s request. The Anglican diocese of Rwanda as well as other African provinces ( Uganda and Kenya) has been ordaining women to the priesthood for several years. A few years ago he requested that there be a provision for this in the AMiA. Under the umbrella of the Anglican Mission in the Americas, there is the Anglican Mission in America which does not allow for the ordination of women to the priesthood. Per ++Kolini’s request there is a separate group under the Anglican Mission in the Americas called the Anglican coalition in America. (ACiA). Under that group there is a provision for the ordination of women to the priesthood. This has been in place for several years and has been used at Christ Church in Overland Park, Kansas where recently a woman was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Kolini.
Second, the ordination scheduled for May 15 would then be the second ordination to the priesthood under the Anglican Mission in the Americas through the ACiA. Father David Roseberry and I have been in discussion about this for almost a year along with +Chuck Murphy. I have asked Bishop John Guernsey to officiate at the ordination of Susan. I know Susan and she is a very qualified person but I did not feel comfortable in ordaining her as a female priest. Some AMiA bishops may feel differently but I asked Bishop John Guernsey to preside. This was agreeable with Father Roseberry and with the Council of bishops of the AMiA. Father Roseberry has communicated this to his parish over the past several months with the clarity that this ordination would take place under the authority of the AMiA as provided for in the charter.
Third, I understand that some people have valid opinions on both sides of the women's ordination issue. I also understand that this has only happened once before within the AMiA at Christ Church in Overland Park, Kansas and therefore may have been a surprise to many of you. I want to set the record straight that this ordination is taking place pursuant to the charter of the AMiA. Susan Freeman will be a priest in the Little Rock network and I will be her Bishop. She will attend our meetings as she always has but would not be celebrating Holy Communion services at our network meetings. Father Roseberry will have the authority to use her services as an ordained priest however he sees fit as Rector and senior pastor of Christ Church in Plano.
Fourth, the Anglican Communion as a whole is in a period of reception about the women's ordination issue. As we say on the Anglican Mission website, we respect two integrities and two positions on this issue. There is not a common mind about women's ordination in the Anglican Communion. Good Bible -- believing, Christ honoring men and women, pastors and lay, Anglican and otherwise, can come to different conclusions about this issue.
Finally, for some of you this may be a non-issue. For others it may be a very important issue. I am glad to make myself available to talk about this if you so desire. We can, of course, have further discussions about this within the Little Rock network at one of our next meetings. I remind you that our next meeting is scheduled for August 4th-6th in Little Rock. Our scheduled speaker is ++Chuck Murphy who will be speaking on stewardship but I am sure will be glad to address this issue as well in terms of where we are in the AMiA.
I hope this is been helpful. May God continue to be glorified in our mission to the unchurched of America and bless you during this Easter season.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Philip H. Jones
Missionary Bishop
The Anglican Mission in the Americas
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