Joining Together - Parishes Crossing Lines for Ministry
“Clusters” are creating grassroots unity in California, Florida
Divisions in The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion get all of the headlines, but a grassroots movement that is bringing Anglicans together again is beginning to quietly gain momentum.
From California to Florida, Anglicans from many jurisdictions are starting to formally work together in their local areas, creating “clusters” of congregations that are committed to carrying out concrete ministry and outreach as one body.
In northern Florida, a group of seven congregations formed the Anglican Alliance of North Florida in October, 2005. Membership has now expanded to include 21 congregations representing at least five different overseas Anglican jurisdictions. The Alliance is developed enough to jointly sponsor the Fourth Day discipleship program and summer camps for all of its member churches. Its clergy meet together regularly. A leadership structure of clergy and laity helps the body articulate common goals and offer mutual support. This year, for instance, the entire body is focused on church planting.
“It is just the notion of Common Cause churches getting together and working together at the local level,” said Anglican Communion Network Convocational Dean Jim McCaslin, who was one of the early leaders of the cluster movement.
The story is similar in California. According to Convocational Dean Bill Thompson, the Association of Western Anglican Congregations, a group of 14 congregations and five fellowships, which represent three different jurisdictions, began to form in March of 2007 during a meeting of California clergy. “The talk around the table was that we really need to organize. Bishop Schofield [who was the retreat speaker] jumped on the idea and really encouraged us to move forward,” said Thompson.
Since then, the group has put a leadership structure in place, and launched cross-jurisdictional task forces to deal with issues around communication, discernment of calls to ordination, clergy deployment, and discipleship. “We may be Kenyan, Ugandan, Anglican Mission in the Americas, whoever, but here we are in the same area. Lets get together to do mission and ministry,” said Thompson.
Both Network leaders are working hard, along with many others in the Network and in other jurisdictions and organizations, to advance the creation of clusters in other areas of the country. Some groups are already beginning to coalesce as orthodox Anglicans refocus on mission and ministry in the aftermath of exiting The Episcopal Church.
“More and more, everywhere I go, I am encouraging people to look around and find the other orthodox Anglican churches… build those bridges, start meeting and ministering together,” said McCaslin.
Bishop Robert Duncan, moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, encouraged the effort. “From the very beginning, the Network has been committed to building a Biblical, Missionary and United Anglicanism in North America. At times, it has not been an easy or even particularly hopeful journey. I cannot adequately express how good it is to see God drawing orthodox Anglicans together in this new way. We at the Network will do all we can to participate in and support this movement of the Spirit in His Church,” he said.