Inspiring commitment to the greater unity of the church of Christ
Bishop Florenza welcomed into full membership of House of Bishops
[Report form the House of Bishops, Anglican Church in America - TAC]
BISHOP Rocco A. Florenza, formerly of the Anglican Province of Christ the King, was warmly received and welcomed into full membership in the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America (ACA) at its just-concluded meeting in Orlando, Florida. Bishop Florenza’s courageous action, in which he was joined by an overwhelming majority of the clergy and parishes under his care, was described by the House of Bishops as reflecting “an inspiring commitment to the greater unity of the church of Christ.”
“In the eyes of the world,” writes Bishop Florenza, “cooperation among Christians is a form of common Christian witness and represents a means of evangelization commanded by Christ. Such cooperation based on our common faith, our common origin, and our common sacraments is nothing less than a manifestation of Christ himself.”
Bishop Florenza, whose commitment to unity is in keeping with the frequently stated goal of the Anglican Church in America, was an active clergyman in his prior jurisdiction for twenty-two years, the last four as a Diocesan Bishop. He will serve the church as Missionary Bishop of the United States, and will be attending the worldwide gathering of the College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion meeting October 1-5 2007 in Portsmouth, England, along with Bishops and other representatives from the 41 countries in which the Traditional Anglican Communion has a presence. The greater unity of the Church of Christ is the central topic on the agenda of the international gathering.
The new Bishop was greeted with a standing ovation by the ACA’s Executive Council, which met immediately after the House of Bishops. The latter meeting included discussions on mission work both within and outside the USA, looking at the current situation in the Christian world, and specifically in the Anglican portion of it, exploring ways to use this unsettled time as a growth opportunity for the church, both in terms of bringing fragmented portions of the church together and carrying the Christian Gospel to those outside the church.
The council was encouraged to hear that, in the past year, the number of military chaplains endorsed by the ACA has grown rapidly, including many men from outside the Anglican tradition. This announcement was against a background of widespread growth among the church’s six dioceses in the US and Latin America.
