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Bishop Murphy Establishes "Mission Pawleys" Parish following vote by All Saints to leave AMIA
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
December 5, 2012
.jpg "Bishop Chuck Murphy")
The chairman of the Anglican Mission in the Americas Bishop Chuck Murphy is set to form a new church plant following a vote by the parish of All Saints Pawleys Island to leave the AMIA and join with the ACNA.
In an inaugural newsletter, dated December 1, (the Feast of Nicholas Ferrar), Murphy wrote supporters saying it was now time to "set sail" and launch a new church that might also become a "celebrated Christian community."
In a recent vote by the 551 members of the All Saints parish, 322 voted to join ACNA and 229 voted in favor of joining the Anglican Mission in the Americas Society for Mission and Apostolic Works.
Murphy said he hoped that Mission Pawleys would become more than simply another local church.
"We have begun to envision a church that will have a far reaching impact on a world that is crying out for the gospel, and for a real and intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. This dream had begun to emerge and take shape as a result of two meetings this week," said Murphy.
The controversial bishop said that a unanimous secret ballot (29 to 0) extended a formal call to him to serve as the leader of this new church plant.
"I have now accepted this "call" to lead this new church plant, while also continuing to serve as the Chair of the Anglican Mission." He said he had asked the Rev. Stu Boehmig to help him with this new work.
Murphy said that property for the new venture was available and would become the future site for the new church plant. On hearing the news a former AMIA bishop said the divisions go on and on and on. "The fruit in AMiA today verses a year ago is that All Saints has been ripped in half. These things deeply grieve me."
A former AMIA employee wrote and said that an AMiA congregation exists already in Pawley's Island --- Grace Church Anglican -- Waccamaw. "So why the new church plant if those who preferred to remain with AMiA rather than go into ACNA. They could have gone over to Grace."
Fr. Robert L. Grafe of All Saints had "no comment" to make on the new start-up.
All Saints, Pawleys Island, SC, went through a fallout after their recent vote to leave the AMIA for the ACNA. The Vestry announced the resignations of Martha Lachicotte, Sr. Warden, and Vestry members Angie Bunn, Russ Campbell and Keith Kephart.
In a previous story Grafe said that "It's a new chapter in the long history of All Saints Church, Waccamaw. The work before us, as we see it, is that we all need to look to the Lord. He is in control, and He has a plan that is far beyond what we can imagine."
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