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Western Anglicans "Kingdom Conference" Draws 500 in Evangelism Outreach Endeavor
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
April 20, 2011
In an interview with VOL, Bishop Thompson said the conference was the first event of its kind that he hopes will be repeated each year from now on. "Our theme was evangelism and taking 'Church' out into our communities.
The conference was an unqualified success with the Rev. Canon Michael Green Oxford trained evangelical, apologist and author as our keynote speaker. Other diocesan clergy talked on evangelism as well. There were also wonderful workshops all pointing toward expanding the Kingdom of the God. It is our hope that this will be an annual time for the majority of members of the diocese to be trained and empowered to grow the Kingdom of God in our diocese.
"The theme for our conference is from Acts 1:8, 'You Will Be My Witnesses . . .'" Thompson told VOL. "Our purpose was to have all those who attended to be inspired to reach out and make disciples. This would include such things as church planting, evangelism, and equipping the saints."
"My wife and I found it healing," said one couple. "After leaving our former Episcopal church several years ago, we felt God was telling us this is where you belong."
"I was overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit on the first night. I was so proud that the speakers were all priests from our Diocese. They were awesome," said another.
"The workshop on the Holy Spirit with Fr. Jose Poch of St. David's Anglican Church was amazing. It was truly a life changing experience."
"I wish we were going to the Kingdom Conference today," said a teenager on the way to church a week later.
"I am very blessed about what God did in our Kingdom Conference" said Thompson. "The Lord's presence was palpable. I believe that this first Kingdom Conference has greatly increased our unity in Christ. We are ready to reach out for the sake of the Gospel in the Western United States. God is great."
The Diocese of Western Anglicans first came into being during the fallout from the Primates' Dar Es Salaam Communique of February, 2007, and its primatial vicar proposal," Thompson related. "We called ourselves the Association of Western Anglican Congregations at that time. We were encouraged to come together to produce the organizational structure of a fellowship of orthodox Anglican congregations in the Western United States. Its purpose was to lead congregations into a servant community of mutual respect, support, cooperation and shared values, under guidance from its bishops and archbishops."
In May 2007, sixty delegates from fourteen orthodox Anglican congregations in Southern California and Arizona met to begin the process. The founding congregations disassociated from the Episcopal Church, USA, and placed themselves under bishops in Argentina, Bolivia and Uganda, representing two Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
They adopted the Theological Statement of the Common Cause Partners and elected an Executive Committee of six clergy members and six lay members, tasked to form the needed standing committees ad hoc and task groups, and to manage their progress. In early October 2007, the House of Delegates, augmented by delegates from new member congregations in Arizona, met and approved an organizational structure and plans for the future.
In 2008 they connected with the Common Cause Partnership -- forerunner of the Anglican Church in North America -- asking for and receiving the appointment of a Collegiate Vicar to serve as an ambassadorial link between their organizations. The Diocese of Western Anglicans had the honor of being the first diocese voted into the Anglican Church in North America under Archbishop Robert Duncan. Bishop William A. (Bill) Thompson, their bishop, was consecrated in October 2009.
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