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Frequently
Asked Questions About St. Peters and CANA |
Why is
the cross upside down on the shield of St. Peter?
The cross of St. Peter is upside down
because it is believed that when St. Peter heard he was to be
crucified he asked that his cross be upside down because he felt
unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.
As
for the keys: “And I tell you, you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers
of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven."
(Matthew 16:18-19)
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What is CANA?
CANA is the “Convocation of Anglicans in North America.” CANA is
a growing group of Anglican churches and missions throughout the
USA with a bishop resident in the United States. It has a
governance structure with clergy and lay representation, and
provision for subdividing itself into “regions or districts” and
obtaining additional bishops as it grows. It is a missionary
initiative of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). |
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What does CANA believe?
CANA holds to the traditional formularies of Anglican
Christianity. It adheres to “the Historic Faith, Doctrine,
Sacrament and Discipline of the one Holy, Catholic, and
Apostolic Church as the Lord has commanded in his holy word and
as the same are received as taught in the Book of Common Prayer
and the ordinal of 1662 and in the Thirty-Nine Articles of
Religion” (quotation from the Constitution of the Church of
Nigeria). The Articles of Religion are a statement of faith
first adopted by the Church of England during the Reformation
and containing strong affirmations of the authority of
Scripture. You can find them at page 867 of the 1979 Book of
Common Prayer.
CANA also,
with the Church of Nigeria, “believes that Marriage, by Divine
institution is a lifelong and exclusive union and partnership
between one man and one woman.” CANA therefore strongly
supports the traditional views on human sexuality as expressed
by the Anglican Communion in Lambeth Resolution 1.10. It also
supports the Windsor Report as received and accepted by the
Primates of the Anglican Communion in their Dromantine
Communiqué. |
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What are CANA’s core values?
CANA is Christ-centered and outwardly focused, mission driven
with an emphasis on evangelism and discipleship, church
planting, and a passion for reaching and serving the least, the
last and the lost.
CANA’s
structures are simple and flexible so that it might creatively
adjust to rapidly changing conditions. The administration serves
the mission. |
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How does CANA worship?
Worship in CANA reflects a lively expectation of God’s presence
and a commitment to our historic biblical faith. CANA’s worship
life draws on the diversity of worldwide Anglican worship. The
worship preferences of different CANA congregations vary
considerably and include more traditional ones as well as
informal non-liturgical services with contemporary music. The
1979 and 1928 Books of Common Prayer and the Church of Nigeria
Prayer Book are all authorized for use in CANA. |
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What is CANA’s relation to the
Anglican Communion?
CANA is a duly constituted convocation within the Church of
Nigeria, which, in terms of active membership, is the largest
Province of the Anglican Communion. It was regularly
established by Church of Nigeria’s governing bodies pursuant to
the Church of Nigeria’s constitution, which expressly provides
for creation of convocations outside Nigeria, and its bishop was
regularly elected and publicly consecrated just as is any other
bishop of the Church of Nigeria. Thus, CANA, its bishop, and
its constituent churches and missions are members of the
Anglican Communion just as any other Church of Nigeria diocese,
bishop, church, and mission.
At their meeting in September 2006, the Global South Primates of
the Anglican Communion, who represent more than 70% of the
active membership of the Communion, stated their conviction that
“the time has now come to take initial steps towards the
formation of what will be recognized as a separate
ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA.”
They are in close consultation with the Archbishop of
Canterbury. The intention of the Primate of the Church of
Nigeria and of the Missionary Bishop and other leadership of
CANA is that it will serve as a transitional entity that may by
God’s grace be a building block for this new ecclesiastical
structure. |
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How is CANA organized and governed
within the United States?
CANA is a non-profit corporation under the laws of Texas, and
headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. It has a board of directors
known as a Board of Trustees to manage its corporate affairs as
required by state law. The Primate of the Church of Nigeria
appoints the trustees upon recommendation from the Missionary
Bishop (and has authority to remove them) and to date there are
three trustees, residing in Illinois, Maryland, and Nigeria.
Efforts are underway to identify additional trustees to
represent the growing diversity of CANA.
Following the model of Nigerian missionary districts, and much
like the diocesan structure with which American Anglicans are
familiar, there will be Convocational Council to govern CANA’s
ecclesiastical affairs. The Missionary Bishop will be the
president of this Council. The Council also will include
additional bishops, regional and district deans, clergy and lay
representatives from each of the congregations, and will have an
annual meeting at which it will elect a nine-member Executive
Committee of clergy and laity. |
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How does CANA relate to the ACN
(Anglican Communion Network)?
CANA enjoys a very good working relationship with the Network
and operates in close coordination. CANA’s Bishop Martyn Minns
is a member of the ACN’s Cabinet, and he and the Network’s
Moderator, Bishop Robert Duncan of the Episcopal Church’s
Diocese of Pittsburgh, are very close friends who have been
working together for many years. Unlike the ACN dioceses and
parishes, CANA is not under the authority of TEC. |
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How is CANA working to reduce the
fragmentation of Anglicanism in the USA?
CANA is a member of Common Cause (along with other bodies,
including the Anglican Communion Network, the Anglican Mission
in America, the Reformed Episcopal Church, and the Anglican
Province in America), established to bring together many of the
separate members of the continuing Anglican family. In 2006,
Common Cause has taken steps to become a more formal federation
with a covenant declaration of common purpose and an agreed
theological statement. The proposals are available on the
Network’s website
www.acn-us.org.
In addition, CANA and the Church of Nigeria in November 2005
entered into a concordat with the Reformed Episcopal Church and
the Anglican Province in America, pledging close cooperation. |
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How does ecclesiastical discipline
operate in CANA? Are CANA clergy subject to discipline by the
Church of Nigeria?
CANA acknowledges the importance of moral and doctrinal
discipline in the life of the church and seeks to exercise it
with humility and grace.
Ecclesiastical discipline will operate principally within CANA
with provision for appeal to the Primate of the Church of
Nigeria in the case of an unresolved dispute. |
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How are clergy for CANA congregations
called and who will have the final approval authority?
CANA congregations will call their own clergy following a
prayerful process of analysis and discernment in consultation
with the CANA Bishop. Candidates would be considered ineligible
if they held theological and personal convictions at odds with
the core beliefs of CANA (Q3)
Individual congregations will be responsible for appropriate
financial and benefits provision for their clergy. |
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How will additional CANA bishops be
chosen? If CANA gets up to three bishops will they have
authority to elect and consecrate additional ones?
Additional bishops for CANA will be identified by the CANA
Missionary Bishop and, with the recommendation of the CANA
trustees, proposed to the Primate of the Church of Nigeria for
election by the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria. This
will continue until the new ecclesiastical structure is fully
matured and a provincial recognition established.
It is anticipated that future consecrations will likely take
place in the USA. |
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What is CANA’s position on women’s
ordination?
CANA recognizes that there are differing theological positions
in the Anglican Communion about women in ordained ministry. CANA
acknowledges the integrity of those who understand the Holy
Scriptures to permit the ordination of women to the priesthood
and those who believe the Scriptures prohibit women’s
ordination. Archbishop Peter Akinola has stated that there needs
to be freedom for CANA to include both perspectives because of
its North American character. CANA believes that for the health
and well being of the church the particular gifts of women must
be freely expressed.
CANA will welcome applications from congregations and female
clergy on the same basis as other applications with the
expectation that women clergy will be licensed to continue their
ministry. Because of the differing positions regarding the
ordination of women to the priesthood CANA policies regarding
the ordination of new female aspirants will be developed from a
biblical and pastoral perspective. This is a matter that is
being actively pursued by the CANA clergy and elected lay
leadership. |
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What is CANA’s position on divorced
clergy?
CANA embraces and celebrates traditional biblical teaching on
marriage. Healthy clergy marriages and families are an important
testimony in the life of the church. There will not be an
automatic bar for divorced and remarried clergy who apply for
transfer into CANA. There will, however, be a review of the
particular circumstances that lead to the breakup of the
marriage prior to acceptance.
If any CANA clergy marriages are terminated in divorce the
situation will be handled with pastoral sensitivity. Where it is
considered necessary the clergy involved may be asked to resign
their post, at least temporarily, for a time of pastoral care
and healing. While there is grace and forgiveness for everyone,
the biblical standards for ordained leaders are clear and are
intended to be God’s gift to his Church. |
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What is CANA’s position on divorced
lay leadership?
The issue of divorce and remarriage for lay leaders will be
considered as a pastoral matter to be handled within the local
congregation. It is expected that each congregation will seek to
balance the importance of holding to a high view of Holy
Matrimony with the recognition that we all fall short of the
glory of God and that the Church is intended to demonstrate the
grace and mercy that is characteristic of its founder. Divorce
is not the “unforgivable sin” and those who have divorced are
not to be treated as second-class citizens in the church. |
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What about church property—who will own
a congregation’s property?
Each local congregation will hold title to its own property.
CANA will not have a “Dennis Canon” (a national canon
purportedly passed in 1979 by which The Episcopal Church asserts
an ownership interest in the property of all constituent member
dioceses and congregations, subject to state law).
Specific guidelines regarding the stewardship of local church
property will be developed in such a way as to express biblical
principles of justice and mutual accountability. |
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How will CANA be supported
financially?
CANA will be
supported financially by its member churches and others who
share CANA’s vision for Anglican mission and orthodoxy. There
will be no mandatory assessments. It is expected that each
constituent congregation will give a portion of its operating
income to the CANA operating fund to build up its mission and
ministry within North America. There are no expectations or
requirements for funds to be transferred either to or from the
Church of Nigeria either now or in the future. |
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What are the rules for disaffiliation
from CANA?
Congregations and clergy may choose to separate from CANA
without penalty. There are no specific rules in place at this
time. |
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How does CANA relate and compare to
AMiA (Anglican Mission in America)?
CANA and AMiA are both members of “Common
Cause” which is an organization dedicated to strengthening the
highest degree of unity among the various orthodox Anglican
bodies in North America. Both are dedicated to offering a fresh
expression of Anglican orthodoxy in the USA and reaching the
unchurched through planting new congregations.
There are several distinctives that
set CANA apart:
a)
The vision for CANA, and the election of
its
bishop, had broad-based support in the largest province in the
Anglican Communion (i.e., the Church of Nigeria) and from the
Global South Primates.
b)
The organization of CANA, with a defined church
governance structure, was established through a constitutional
and canonical process with a clear connection to the Anglican
Communion.
c)
CANA was established after The Episcopal Church had
rejected the Anglican Communion's recommendations in
“The
Windsor Report”.
d)
CANA is an independent American financial structure; CANA
is not required to provide financial support to its founding
province.
e)
CANA anticipates adding additional missionary bishops to
ensure that episcopal care is readily accessible and
strategically located for rapid growth. |
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How does CANA relate to The Episcopal
Church USA (TEC)?
CANA has no intention of interfering with the ministry and work
of TEC but will provide an alternative way to live and function
as Anglicans in the USA. While CANA recognizes that there are
faithful Christians serving and worshipping in TEC, CANA
acknowledges that the current direction of The Episcopal Church
is in contradiction to the orthodox foundations of the Anglican
Communion. |
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May a priest presently in TEC join
CANA?
Yes. Episcopal clergy are welcome to apply for canonical
transfer and license in CANA. The Reception Committee considers
each application on a case-by-case basis. |
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How many clergy and congregations
have joined CANA to date?
As of November 2006, around twenty clergy and a dozen
congregations have joined CANA. A number of these are mission
churches of the Church of Nigeria, who have been adrift since
2003. In addition, several former Episcopal congregations which
have left TEC in recent months have applied for membership in
CANA, and a growing number of other churches still in TEC have
inquired about membership. |
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Is CANA in violation of the Anglican
Communion Primates’ Communiqué of February 2005 where Primates
agreed to not “initiate cross-boundary interventions”?
No. The Church of Nigeria’s mission was already in existence in
early 2004. During their meeting in Dromantine the Primates
specifically discussed and recognized this mission initiative of
the Church of Nigeria as fully legitimate.
The Church of Nigeria, while establishing the canonical and
legal structure for CANA in 2005, prayerfully delayed electing
and consecrating a bishop until after TEC’s 2006 General
Convention, in the hope that TEC would repent. Only after TEC’s
unambiguous decision to walk apart from the Communion, did the
Church of Nigeria proceed with this critical step. |
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Does CANA have plans for church
planting?
Yes. Given both its American and Nigerian roots, CANA is a very
mission-minded and entrepreneurial body. Many of the current
CANA congregations are new and emerging fellowships around the
USA. CANA welcomes leaders and congregations who have a vision
for church planting. |
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A number of issues are still to be
decided about CANA. Who will make those decisions?
CANA was deliberately formed to be as flexible as possible to
meet the needs of orthodox Anglicans in North America. The CANA
Board of Trustees and the Convocation Council within the basic
framework of traditional Anglican Christianity will prayerfully
make decisions about its future direction, organization,
policies, and structure. |
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