DALLAS, TX [DOS Communications] – His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah will be among those addressing the Assembly of the Anglican Church in North America scheduled for June 22-24 at St Vincent Cathedral in nearby Bedford, Texas. His Beatitude will speak on Wednesday, June 24 to the assembled convention. Click here to view a live webcast of His Beatitude’s address.
The Anglican Church in North America’s recent press release states that it is setting out to “heal many years of division and unite Anglicans committed to Scripture and traditional Anglican beliefs.” According to the ACNA preamble they are “grieved by the current state of brokenness within the Anglican Communion (Anglicans’ worldwide church) prompted by those who have embraced erroneous teaching and who have rejected a repeated call to repentance.”
According to The Anglican Church in North America website, the Church, “unites some 700 Anglican parishes in 12 Anglican jurisdictions in North America into a single church. Jurisdictions coming together in the Anglican Church in North America are the Anglican Coalition in Canada, the dioceses of Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy and San Joaquin (of the Anglican Communion Network), the Anglican Mission in the
Americas, the Anglican Network in Canada, the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, the Reformed Episcopal Church, and the missionary initiatives of Kenya, Uganda, and South America’s Southern Cone. Additionally, the American Anglican Council and Forward in Faith North America are founding organizations.”
In introducing His Beatitude to its faithful, the Anglican Church in North America recently reported that, “His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, the Archbishop of Washington and New York and the Metropolitan of All America and Canada for the Orthodox Church in America [OCA], will speak on June 24. Elected primate of the OCA in November of 2008, Metropolitan Jonah was tonsured a monk in the late 1980’s at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania after spending time at the Valaam Monastery in Russia. An Episcopalian before joining the Orthodox Church in 1978, he attended St. Vladimir’s Seminary, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1985 and a Master of Theology in Dogmatics in 1988.”
The ANCA press release went on to say that, “Before his consecration to the episcopacy in October 2008, as a priestmonk Metropolitan Jonah served as abbot of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco Monastery, now located in Manton, California. Metropolitan Jonah’s writings on Eastern Orthodox spirituality have been published in numerous Orthodox Christian publications, including “Divine Ascent,” the journal of the Monastery of St. John. He is well known for his insights, offered both in public presentations and through private spiritual dialogue, on the convergence of the ancient Christian ascetic practices and the challenges of living an authentic Christian life in the modern world.”
In addition to His Beatitude, Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback Church, will speak on June 23. The Rev. Todd Hunter will also address the organizing Assembly of the Anglican Church in North America. Reverend Hunter is the Director of West Coast Church Planting for The Anglican Mission in the Americas.
The ANCA is not without its problematic elements for Orthodox Christians in that some members of the ANCA support the ordination of women to their priesthood. Nonetheless, in the spirit of preaching the “truth in love,” His Beatitude will speak to the ANCA and offer a “good defense of the faith” without compromise.
