DALLAS: AMIA Conference Draws Record Crowd to Hear Call to Grow Church

Opening Celebration Service Rings with Joy & Praise. Rwandan HOB Present

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
1/24/2008

Announcing that this was the largest turnout ever in the history of the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMIA), a jubilant Bishop Chuck Murphy stood before nearly 1,700 evangelical Anglicans at their winter conference, to announce a broad plan to reach 130 million unchurched Americans.

"God has given us a vision he has given us a dream to think big. Don't think in small categories, dream real big. We must continue to think, don't relax or step back God has given us the dream to dream big. We are called to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God and that requires us to think big," he told an expectant audience.

"God is pulling together His people from the US, Canada and across the world. This is our eighth winter conference. We have people from 37 states and the District of Columbia. We have representatives from 13 different countries - from Canada in the north to South America, from Europe, Africa and Asia, God's people are celebrating what God is doing in and through the AMIA."

Acknowledging that the AMIA was formed and birthed from very fragile beginnings with many folks not understanding what they were about and with many not embracing the initial vision, Murphy said that because of the mission's growth, AMiA now stood for the Anglican Mission in the Americas, expanding its name as its vision expanded.

"God has led us step by step. In 2000, we had 11 congregations; in 2001 we grew to 38, then 52 and then 58 till 2004 we had 70. We then met some resistance. In 2006, we had 108 and by the end of 2007 we had 133. Last year we planted 25 new congregations - one every two weeks - with 62 in the pipeline served by six new networks. It is truly phenomenal. We have moved into Mexico, Bogotá and Puerto Rico...the former things have come and new things are in the pipeline."

Citing the conference theme found in Isaiah "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. Sing to the LORD a new song..." Murphy said "We are claiming this for this conference and the former things have unfolded and we are seeing the new things He is about to do. The new things are going to spring forth in this conference and into the New Year. The first seven years was only just the beginning."

The AMiA leader said the conference has drawn three Anglican archbishops, three retired archbishops, 19 Anglican bishops from Canada, the US, England, Africa and the entire House of Bishops of the Province of Rwanda. A representative from the Province of Uganda was also present, with 80 international guests and 16 representatives from major Anglican missions and seminaries and Common Cause bishops from nine jurisdictions that included bishops from the Reformed Episcopal Church. Also present was the leader of orthodoxy in the Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh. Representative from orthodox seminaries TESM, Nashotah House and St. Augustine seminary in Peru were also on hand. A number of retired Episcopal bishops were present including the Rt. Rev. C. FitzSimons Allison and Bishop Alex Dickson.

"God has brought us here for an appointment time. God is doing a new thing, and these leaders present affirm that," said Murphy.

Recalling the history of what was then the Anglican Mission in America, Murphy said that the initial group traveled to Africa, visiting Kampala and Rwanda and then Singapore. "We wanted to bear a bold witness to God's work with the anointing of God's Spirit. Our faith was built and strengthened over time. Our missionary bishops made the cover of TIME magazine. Now we are in Dallas where people think big and where we will explore a bold new vision.

"We are spreading out in different provinces in Canada and in 38 states in the U.S. How does this keep happening? We are not that clever, we are not that creative or slick. We are a group of people saying yes Lord here am I send me. We are establishing clusters of congregations in missions in places like central Florida, the Gulf Coast, the heart of America, throughout Canada with a growing Hispanic initiative. We have six more networks planned. God is on the move and we see it. We now have two canon missionaries." Murphy mentioned the Rev. Doc Loomis and the Rev. Mike Murphy who were breaking new territory.

Three new bishops will be consecrated for service in the AMiA as part of the conference agenda with a special service scheduled for 9:00am on Saturday in the Lone Start Ballroom of the Dallas Adams Mark hotel. They include the Rev. Terrell Glenn, rector of All Saints Church, Pawleys Island, SC; the Rev. Philip Jones, rector of St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Little Rock, Arkansas; and the Rev. John Miller, rector of Prince of Peace Anglican Church, Melbourne, Florida. "I believe they will bring additional strength to the Anglican Mission's Council of Bishops as we seek to break into new territory and reach out to the 130 million unchurched in North America," said Murphy. The AMIA will now have seven missionary bishops serving more than 133 parishes with 62 in the pipeline.

Hands will be laid on them by the entire House of Bishops of the Province of Rwanda which has written a new constitution that includes the AMIA as an intrinsic part of the province that can never be eliminated.

Following their consecration, the new bishops will continue to serve as rectors (senior pastors) of their respective congregations while assuming the added responsibilities of a missionary bishop. They will join Bishops Murphy, Thad Barnum, Sandy Greene and T.J. Johnston as members of the Anglican Mission Council of Bishops.

Among the featured conference speakers are theologian Dr. J.I. Packer, newly consecrated London Bishop Sandy Millar, Reformed theologian Rev. Dr. John H. Armstrong and Mrs. Judith MacNutt.

Murphy said AMIA has produced the 1662 Book of Common Prayer in contemporary English with a first printing in the works. This was the work of two theologians the Rev. Dr. John H. Rodgers Interim Dean at TESM in Ambridge and US Prayer Book President the Rev. Dr. Peter Toon.

Murphy said that AMIA had launched a capital campaign with some $5 million raised. "Money allows mission to move beyond the present budget. Money is the muscle that makes things happen."

Some things are constant in 2008, said Murphy. "Our calling, our missionary order. We are a mission nothing less. Our values have not changed we are committed to Jesus Christ. We remain evangelistic. Our authentic worship is not going to change, or our commitment to prayer. We are investing beyond our own agenda. We won't change our unity and diversity. We have three streams - Evangelical, Catholic and Charismatic. We are going to focus on the 130 million unchurched on this continent, we anticipate a huge harvest.

"We are not creating a new wineskin; we are not creating a new church or new province. Our call is specific. We are called by God to move out and bring those who don't know Jesus Christ and to bring them into a relationship with him."

END