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DENVER, CO: PEARUSA Holds Inaugural Sacred Assembly. New Bishop Consecrated
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 13, 2012
Some 200 lay delegates and clergy representing more than sixty churches and missions of PEARUSA gathered at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Denver to hold their Inaugural Assembly that also saw the consecration of their first bishop.
PEARUSA is the House of Bishops under the Anglican Province of Rwanda recognized and united to the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). They met October 29 -31.
In attendance were nine of eleven Rwandan bishops attending including Rwandan Archbishop Onesiphore Rwaje. "We come as brothers to stand with those we have been in relationship with for many years. We also come in celebration to consecrate the Rev. Steve Breedlove of Chapel Hill, North Carolina as a bishop and leader of the PEARUSA mission." He was former rector of all Saints in chapel Hill. He will be the Presider bishop nationwide of PEARUSA.
Some 225 were registered to attend, however only 195 were present owing to Hurricane Sandy.
Also present at PEARUSA was ACNA Archbishop Robert Duncan who preached at the consecration service. Also attending were five bishops from the Anglican Church in North America; Bill Atwood, John Guernsey, Todd Hunter, Neil Lebhar, and Bill Thompson, as well as Anglican priest Clark Lowenfield and Canon Jack Lumanog.
PEARUSA met for worship, fellowship, prayer and meetings as three networks formed in the West, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast along with the East Coast as a Network in formation since last summer. PEARUSA celebrates being under the Anglican Province of Rwanda and being united to the Anglican Church in North America.
"We are under the authority of the Anglican Province of Rwanda. We are united to ACNA. We come as brothers," said Archbishop Rwaje, "to stand with those we have been in relationship with for many years and to encourage the mission of reaching North America with the gospel of Jesus Christ."
The PEARUSA relationship with Rwanda began in 1997 with the focus of making disciples of Christ in mission providing extraordinary opportunities to work together in ministry in both countries said a PEARUSA spokesperson.
PEARUSA came into focus following the breakup of the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMIA) with several bishops leaving the AMIA and wanting to stay under the Anglican province of Rwanda. Several chose to ally themselves directly with the ACNA. The two groups now work together in partnership. www.pearusa.org
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