News Analysis
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
2/26/2009
A new North American Anglican province in waiting shows remarkable strength even before it makes its official debut in June, according to figures leaders revealed by its leaders.
According to a report released by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, some 81,311 people worship at the 693 congregations of the Anglican Church in North America each Sunday. These parishioners and parishes are outside of The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Church in Canada. The vast majority are temporarily under the ecclesiastical oversight of six separate orthodox Anglican provinces.
While each jurisdiction is small, as a united body, the Anglican Church in North America, which includes both the U.S. and Canada, has significantly more members than 12 of the Anglican Communion's 38 provinces including Bangladesh, Brazil, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, Indian Ocean, Japan, Jerusalem & Middle East, Korea, Mexico, Myanmar, Scotland, Southern Cone, and Wales.
The following jurisdictions make up The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA):
* The Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMIA) (Rwanda) reports an average Sunday attendance of 21,600 in 180 congregations (40 of which are churches in formation called "networks").
* The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) (Nigeria) has 69 congregations with an average Sunday attendance of 9,828.
* The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) has 150 parishes and 13,000 communicant members.
* There are 51 parishes under the temporary oversight of Uganda with an average Sunday attendance of 7,000.
* There are 55 parishes in The United States under the temporary oversight of the provinces of Kenya and the Southern Cone with an average Sunday attendance of 10,000.
* Four entire dioceses have separated from The Episcopal Church, and have a combined 163 parishes with an average Sunday attendance of 16,483. (Those congregations and members who have decided to remain in The Episcopal Church congregations have not been included.) They are temporarily dioceses of the province of the Southern Cone.
* The Anglican Network in Canada (Southern Cone) is composed of 24 congregations with an average Sunday attendance of 3,400.
* One congregation is under the temporary oversight of West Africa.
Based on a firm Sunday attendance average of 81,311 people, it is conservatively projected that more than 100,000 Anglicans in North America are active members of a congregation of the proposed province. In many cases, total membership often runs at two to three times average Sunday attendance.
The Episcopal Church reported an average Sunday attendance of 768,476 in 2007 and an active baptized membership of 2,116,749. In 2008 the attendance figure was 727,000.
The following is a list of the relative membership of the Provinces of the Anglican Communion compared to the proposed Anglican Church in North America:
The Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East - 10,000 (2005)
The Church of Bangladesh - 12,500 (2005)
Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America - 13,409 (2005)
The Anglican Church of Korea- 14,558 (2005)
La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico - 21,000 (2005)
Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America - 22,490 (2005)
Hong Kong Shen Rung Hui - 29,000 (2005)
Igreja Episcopal Anglican do Brasil - 40,000 (2005)
The Church of the Province of Myanmar - 49,257 (2005)
The Scottish Episcopal Church - 53,553 (2005)
The Nippon Sei Ko Kai - 57,273 (2005)
The Church in Wales - 70,353 (province website)
*The Anglican Church in North America -100,000 (Average Weekly Attendance 81,311)
The Episcopal Church in the Philippines - 118, 187
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean - 120,000
The Church of the Province of Melanesia - 163,884 (2005) The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea - 166,046 Church of the Province of Southeast Asia - 168,079 (2005) The Church in the Province of Central Africa - 600,000 (AC website) Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo - 300,000 (2005) The Church of Ireland - 410,000 (2005)
The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia - 584,793 (AC website)
The Anglican Church of Burundi - 625,000 (AC website)
The Anglican Church of Canada - 641,845 (AC website)
The Church in the Province of the West Indies - 770,000 (2005)
The Church of Pakistan (United) - 800,000 (2005)
L'Eglise Episcopal au Rwanda - 1,000,000 (2005)
The Church of North India (United) - 1,250,000 (2005)
The Anglican Church of Tanzania - 1,379,366 (AC website)
The Church of South India (United) - 2,000,000 (2005)
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa - 2,000,000 (2005)
The Episcopal Church of the Sudan - 2,000,000 (2005)
The Episcopal Church - 2,116,749 (province website)
The Anglican Church of Australia - 3,903,324 (AC website)
The Church of the Province of West Africa- 1,000,000 (2005)
The Anglican Church of Kenya - 2,500,000 (2005)
The Church of the Province of Uganda - 9,200,000 (2005)
Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) - 25,000,000 (2005)
The Church of England - 26,000,000 (2005) ASA 1,163,000)
END
No comments:
Post a Comment