United Episcopal Church of North America
The United Episcopal Church of North America (UECNA) is part of the Continuing Anglican Movement with parishes and mission projects in the United States of America. It came out of the American arm of the Anglican Communion (the Episcopal Church in the United States of America). The church describes itself as catholic and evangelical in scope, "embracing the broad base of ceremonial practice inherent in the Historic Anglican Communion -- The Anglican Catholic Episcopal Tradition." The United Episcopal Church of North America uses the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.
The church had its beginnings in the historic consecrations held in Denver, Colorado in January 1978 at which ECUSA Archdeacon Dale Doren was consecrated a bishop by Bishop Albert Chambers of ECUSA. They then consecrated Bishops James Mote, Robert Morse and Francis Watterson in Apostolic Succession from the Anglican Communion to the Continuing Anglican church.
The new church did not, however, remain united. Bishop Watterson left to became a Roman Catholic priest; Bishop Mote was elected to lead the Anglican Catholic Church; Bishop Morse headed the Anglican Province of Christ the King; and Bishop Doren in 1981 left the Anglican Catholic Church, along with with three of its parishes, to found the United Episcopal Church of North America.
The ACC and the APCK have always considered the consecrations in Denver to represent the continuing line of authentic Anglicanism in North America, ECUSA being considered by them to have apostacized when it approved the ordination of women to the priesthood. By an intercommunion agreement with the ACC signed in 2007, the UECNA reasserted its own affirmation of that view. [1]
The UECNA has effected intercommunion agreements with a number of other Continuing Anglican churches. Included are the Anglican Province of America, the Diocese of the Holy Cross, and the Diocese of the Great Lakes.
Doctrine
According to the Most Rev. Stephen C. Reber, the UECNA's Archbishop,
"As Anglicans, we then accept the components of the faith revealed; the Scriptures, Creeds, Councils, Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, and Tradition. We believe that all of the components are like strands of a rope; a unity which holds the church together. In this belief we share a Catholic ideal way of faith. The Reformation of the 16th century was the most comprehensive and far reaching effect to return the Christian faith to its legitimate roots of faith and practice. We accept the English Reformation as that which diligently sought the true sources of faith and discredited the many corruptions and distortions of the Middle Ages. Actually, the Articles of Religion found in the Prayer Book were written not as a statement of faith, but to deal with the above mentioned distortions and corruptions of the medieval church. We do not, however, accept the theology of the Continental Reformation or its uncatholic effort which tried to discard the fundamental principles of the historic faith along with the abuses. We do not accept private innovations intruding into the Church’s teachings. We honor Luther, Calvin, Knox and others for their efforts to explain the faith, but do not accept them as having prophetic abilities to speak for God."
Explaining the UECNA's view of itself and its mission, the statement continues,
"We do believe God has given us a special position as a “bridge church” — a bridge between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. We proclaim a living way of faith and worship that believes in every persons right to life, honor traditional marriage between a man a woman and practice financial policies that allow local ownership of local property (Church, parish house, etc). The United Episcopal Church of North America, while coming from the American arm of the Anglican Communion and having our apostolic succession from these bodies, does not belong to either of these organizations nor shares their extreme liberal views on morals and their abandonment of orthodoxy. We are a church truly catholic and evangelical in scope and embrace a broad base of ceremonial practice inherent in the Historic Anglican Tradition." [2]
Leadership
At present, the UECNA has two bishops: Archbishop and Presiding Bishop the Most Rev. Stephen C. Reber of
Statesville, North Carolina and his
Presiding Bishops of UECNA
- Bishop C. David Dale Doren — First Bishop of the UECNA
- Bishop Albion Knight
- Bishop John C. Gramley
- Archbishop Stephen C. Reber [3]
References
External Links
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