The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) is a small Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition with churches in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

(primarily in England). Formed as part of the worldwide

Anglican realignment The Anglican realignment is a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church in the United States ...

, it is a member jurisdiction of the

Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (branded as GAFCON or Gafcon) is a global network of conservative Anglican churches that formed in 2008 in response to an ongoing theological crisis in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Conservative ...

(GAFCON) and is under the primatial oversight of the chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council. GAFCON recognizes ANiE as a "proto-

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

" operating separately from the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

, the

Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...

, the

Church in Wales The Church in Wales ( cy, Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The pos ...

and other

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and oth ...

jurisdictions in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and the European continent. ANiE is the body hierarchically above the preexisting

Anglican Mission in England The Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) is an Anglican convocation affiliated to the Anglican Network in Europe that seeks to establish Anglican churches in England outside the Church of England. It seeks to support Anglican churches and individuals ...

; the former is the equivalent of a province whilst the latter is a

convocation A convocation (from the Latin '' convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Greek ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose, mostly ecclesiastical or academic. In ac ...

, the equivalent of a diocese.

History

ANiE's origins date to 2013, when Anglican bishops at the second

Global Anglican Future Conference The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) is a series of conferences of conservative Anglican bishops and leaders, the first of which was held in Jerusalem from 22 to 29 June 2008 to address the growing controversy of the divisions in the An ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city prope ...

endorsed the provision of episcopal oversight for Anglicans who could not in good conscience remain in their local dioceses or provinces. "We commit ourselves to the support and defence of those who in standing for apostolic truth are marginalized or excluded from formal communion with other Anglicans in their dioceses. We have therefore recognized the

(AMiE) as an expression of authentic Anglicanism both for those within and outside the Church of England," the 2013 GAFCON communique said. AMiE was initially "authorised by the GAFCON Primates to work within and, where necessary, outside the structures of the Church of England as a missionary society." Anglican priest

Andy Lines Andrew John Lines (born 1960) is a British Anglican bishop. Since June 2017, he has been the Missionary Bishop to Europe of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a province outside the Anglican Communion. In 2020, he became the first pre ...

was designated general secretary for AMiE, for which episcopal oversight was provided by a panel of bishops led by

John Ellison John Ellison (born 11 August 1941) is an American/Canadian musician, best known for writing the song " Some Kind of Wonderful." He was born in Montgomery, West Virginia, and was raised in Landgraff, West Virginia, a small, poverty-stricken coa ...

, a retired Bishop of Paraguay. In 2015, Ellison was investigated by the

Diocese of Salisbury The Diocese of Salisbury is a Church of England diocese in the south of England, within the ecclesiastical Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of Dorset (excepting the deaneries of Bournemouth and Christchurch, which fall within the ...

due to his service as an overseer for AMiE's Christ Church Salisbury. In 2016, AMiE unveiled a plan to

plant Plants are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all curr ...

25 churches by 2025 and 250 churches by 2050. In 2017, in anticipation of the

becoming the first Anglican church in the British isles to approve

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

, the GAFCON Primates Council meeting in

Lagos Lagos ( Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 f ...

authorized the consecration of a missionary bishop for Europe to support Anglican clergy and churches in Great Britain that could no longer in good conscience remain within the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

-aligned church structures:

During our meeting, we considered how best to respond to the voice of faithful Anglicans in some parts of the Global North who are in need of biblically faithful episcopal leadership. Of immediate concern is the reality that on 8th June 2017 the Scottish Episcopal Church is likely to formalize their rejection of Jesus' teaching on marriage. If this were to happen, faithful Anglicans in Scotland will need appropriate pastoral care. In addition, within England there are churches that have, for reasons of conscience, been planted outside of the Church of England by the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE). These churches are growing, and are in need of episcopal leadership. Therefore, we have decided to consecrate a missionary bishop who will be tasked with providing episcopal leadership for those who are outside the structures of any Anglican province, especially in Europe.

On June 30, 2017,

Anglican Church in North America The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition in the United States and Canada. It also includes ten congregations in Mexico, two mission churches in Guatemala, and a missionary diocese in Cu ...

Primate

Foley Beach Foley Thomas Beach (born October 31, 1958) is an American bishop. He is the second primate and archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, a church associated with the Anglican realignment movement. Foley was elected as the church's prim ...

consecrated Lines as missionary bishop to Europe on behalf of GAFCON. The consecration was attended by 1,400 Anglican representatives from all over the world, including 11 primates, 3 archbishops, and 13 bishops. The Primates who attended were

Nicholas Okoh Nicholas Dikeriehi Orogodo Okoh (born 10 November 1952, at Owa-Alero in the Delta State) is the former archbishop of Abuja Province and primate of the Church of Nigeria in the Anglican Communion. He retired on 25 March 2020. He has been mar ...

(

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...

Stanley Ntagali Stanley Ntagali (born 1 March 1955) is a Ugandan Bishop of the Anglican Church who served as Former Chancellor of Uganda Christian University and former Archbishop of Kampala from 2012 to 2020.He also served as Bishop of Masindi-Kitara from 20 ...

(

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The south ...

Daniel Deng Bul Daniel Deng Bul Yak (born Tuic-Gebiet, in Bor, 2 January 1950) is a South Sudanese Episcopalian bishop. He was the fourth Archbishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, now called Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, since ...

( Sudan and South Sudan),

Jacob Chimeledya Jacob Erasto Chimeledya (born Zoisa, Kongwa, 28 August 1957) is a Tanzanian Anglican bishop. He was elected archbishop and primate of the Anglican Church of Tanzania on 21 February 2013 in a vote against the incumbent, Valentino Mokiwa, in a c ...

(

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

Jackson Ole Sapit Jackson Nasoore Ole Sapit (born 12 June 1964) is a Kenyan Anglican bishop.He was elected as the sixth archbishop and primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya on 20 May 2016 and was installed on 3 July 2016 at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. Ear ...

(

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Onesphore Rwaje Onesphore Rwaje (born June 6, 1953, in the Sector of Kinyababa, Burera District, Northern Province of Rwanda) is a Rwandan Anglican bishop. He was the Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda from 2011 to 2018. He is married and has five childre ...

( Rwanda),

Masimango Katanda Zacharie Masimango Katanda () is a Democratic Republic of the Congo Anglican bishop. He was consecrated as the 4th Primate and Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo on 11 September 2016. He has been bishop of the Diocese of ...

(

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

Daniel Sarfo Daniel Yinkah Sarfo is a Ghanaian Anglican bishop. He has been a metropolitan archbishop since September 2012, and was Archbishop Primate of the Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA), since 13 March 2014 until 3 March 2019. Education He st ...

(

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mau ...

Gregory Venables Gregory James Venables (born 6 December 1949) is an English Anglican bishop. He has served as the Primate of the Southern Cone in South America from 2001 until 2010, and once again since 2016 until 2020. He is the former diocesan bishop of Arge ...

(

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

Ng Moon Hing The Most Reverend Datuk Ng Moon Hing, Orders, decorations, and medals of Malaysia, P.J.N. (; born 12 November 1955) is the Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia, Bishop of Diocese of West Malaysia, West Malaysia. Until February 2020 he also served a ...

(

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

), and

Mouneer Anis Mouneer Hanna Anis (born 8 April 1950) is an Egyptian Anglican bishop. He was Bishop of Egypt from 2000 to 2021, and the first Anglican Archbishop of Alexandria from 2020 to 2021. He was the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem ...

( Jerusalem and the Middle East). Lines ordained the first clergy specifically called to AMiE in December 2017 and provided oversight in Scotland through the Scottish Anglican Network under the auspices of ACNA member diocese the

Anglican Network in Canada The Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) is a group of Anglican churches in Canada and the United States established in 2005 under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, a province of the Anglican Communion. It was a found ...

. In 2020, the GAFCON Primates Council voted to establish the Anglican Network in Europe as a "proto-province" with a presiding bishop and two convocations: the AMiE and the newly formed Anglican Convocation Europe (ACE). In 2022, four new assistant bishops were appointed to assist Lines in AMiE and ACE.

Beliefs

In its canons and constitution, ANiE "receives and accepts as its Doctrinal Basis the Canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the

inspired Inspiration, inspire, or inspired often refers to: * Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production * Biblical inspiration, the doctrine in Judeo-Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible * Creative inspir ...

Word of God, containing all things necessary for salvation, and the final authority and unchangeable standard for Christian faith and life." As "faithful expressions of this doctrine," ANiE accepts the faith as summarized in the

Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...

, the

Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is ...

and the

Athanasian Creed The Athanasian Creed, also called the Pseudo-Athanasian Creed and sometimes known as ''Quicunque Vult'' (or ''Quicumque Vult''), which is both its Latin name and its opening words, meaning "Whosoever wishes", is a Christian statement of belief ...

; the 1662

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 ...

and the Ordinal; the

Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (commonly abbreviated as the Thirty-nine Articles or the XXXIX Articles) are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the ...

agreed in 1562 and finalized upon incorporation into the BCP in 1571; and GAFCON's Jerusalem Statement and Declaration of 2008. These doctrinal commitments cannot be amended by future ANiE synods.

Structure

ANiE encompasses two

convocations A convocation (from the Latin '' convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Greek ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose, mostly ecclesiastical or academic. In ac ...

that function as dioceses, each with its own own character; field of operation; and its own constitution, canons and

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mea ...

. The network is governed by a presiding bishop and a synod including representatives, clergy and lay, from the member convocations. The basic level of organization is the

local congregation A church (or local church) is a religious organization or congregation that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by clergy or lay leaders, and, in nations wh ...

. Each congregation is part of a

led by

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

. The two convocations, AMiE and ACE, may have overlapping jurisdictions, with at least one ACE congregation located in England. ANiE's operations remain provisional, and according to the network's canons, "ANiE looks forward to the day, when under God, this provincial framework becomes a fully operational Province where the Presiding Bishop and the Province take their place in the councils of the Church."

Convocations

Churchmanship

ANiE's structure and canons allow for a range of Anglican churchmanship and doctrinal distinctives within the framework of the doctrinal commitments summarized above. For example, AMiE represents the

conservative evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual expe ...

thread in Anglicanism often represented by Reform in the Church of England or the

Anglican Diocese of Sydney The Diocese of Sydney is a diocese in Sydney, within the Province of New South Wales of the Anglican Church of Australia. The majority of the diocese is evangelical and low church in tradition. The diocese goes as far as Lithgow in the w ...

. AMiE's canons forbid Anglo-Catholic vesture, take a strict approach to

remarriage after divorce Remarriage is a marriage that takes place after a previous marital union has ended, as through divorce or widowhood. Some individuals are more likely to remarry than others; the likelihood can differ based on previous relationship status (e.g. div ...

, and require doctrinal subscription for church membership. The ACE canons are looser and encompass the

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglica ...

and

charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...

traditions within Anglicanism. In alignment with the Anglican Church in North America, ANiE also encompasses diverse views on the

ordination of women The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordin ...

. AMiE holds

complementarian Complementarianism is a theological view in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, that men and women have different but ''complementary'' roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, and religious leadership. The word "complementary" and its ...

views, forbidding the ordination of women as

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

or bishops and debating the ordination of female deacons. "It offers a theological defence of this position, affirming the equality of men and women as 'created image bearers of God,' and the ministry of men and women as 'equally valid, valuable and necessary in God's eyes,' and yet 'only godly and gifted male candidates' will be admitted by AMiE to the presbyterate," says

Justin Welby Justin Portal Welby (born 6 January 1956) is a British bishop who is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He has served in that role since 2013. Welby was previously the vicar of Southam, Warwickshire, and then Bishop of Durham, serving for ...

biographer Andrew Atherstone. By contract, ACE permits the ordination of women as deacons and priests but not as bishops "out of respect for the diversity of views within global Anglicanism, and for the sake of unity."

Ecumenical relations

ANiE is in full communion with GAFCON member provinces representing approximately 40 million of the 85 million worldwide Anglicans, including the

Anglican Church in Brazil The Anglican Church in Brazil ( pt, Igreja Anglicana no Brasil) is an evangelical Anglican denomination in Brazil. It is not a member of the Anglican Communion, but is in full communion with other provinces of the Global Fellowship of Confessing ...

Anglican Church of Chile The Anglican Church of Chile ( es, Iglesia Anglicana de Chile) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion that covers four dioceses in Chile. Formed in 2018, the province is the 40th and the newest in the Anglican Communion. The pro ...

Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo The Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo (French: Province de l'Église anglicane du Congo) is a province of the Anglican Communion, stretching over the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. History Formal Anglic ...

Anglican Church of Kenya The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) is a province of the Anglican Communion, and it is composed by 41 dioceses. The current Primate and Archbishop of Kenya is Jackson Ole Sapit. The Anglican Church of Kenya claims 5 million total members. Accordin ...

Church of the Province of Myanmar The Church of the Province of Myanmar in Asia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. The province comprises the entire country of Myanmar. The current archbishop of Myanmar and bishop of Yangon is Stephen Than Myint Oo. Official name Th ...

Church of Nigeria The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptised membership (not by attendance), after the Church of England. it gives its membership as "over 18 ...

Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda The Anglican Church of Rwanda (French: ''Église anglicane du Rwanda'') is a province of the Anglican Communion, covering 11 dioceses in Rwanda. The primate of the province is Laurent Mbanda, consecrated on 10 June 2018. Official names The Provin ...

Anglican Church of South America The Anglican Church of South America ( es, Iglesia Anglicana de Sudamérica) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion that covers six dioceses in the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Formed i ...

Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan The Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, formerly known as Episcopal Church of Sudan, is a province of the Anglican Communion located in South Sudan. The province consists of eight Internal Provinces (each led by an archbishop) and 61 ...

, and the

Church of Uganda The Church of Uganda is a member province of the Anglican Communion. Currently there are 37 dioceses which make up the Church of Uganda, each headed by a bishop. Each diocese is divided into archdeaconries, each headed by a senior priest known a ...

. ANiE also has communion with other Anglican jurisdictions that are GAFCON affiliates in Europe and worldwide, including the

Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA), known until 2013 as the Church of England in South Africa (CESA), is a Christian denomination in South Africa. It was constituted in 1938 as a federation of churches. It app ...

Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

Free Church of England The Free Church of England (FCE) is an episcopal church based in England. The church was founded when a number of congregations separated from the established Church of England in the middle of the 19th century. The doctrinal basis of the FC ...

Reformed Episcopal Church The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican church of evangelical Episcopalian heritage. It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins, a former bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The REC is a founding member o ...

Diocese of the Southern Cross The Diocese of the Southern Cross is a new Anglican diocese in Australia unaffiliated with the Anglican Church of Australia. It is to be led by a former Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies. The diocese was formed by GAFCON Australia in August 2022 ...

and several GAFCON-affiliated dioceses of the Anglican churches of Australia,

and

. ANiE is not in communion with the Church of England nor a member of the Canterbury-recognized Anglican Communion but according to Jonathan Baker, the

Bishop of Fulham The Bishop of Fulham is a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of London in the Church of England. The bishopric is named after Fulham, an area of south-west London; the see was erected under the Suffragans Nomination Act 1888 by Order in Council date ...

, "There are various contacts at a personal level, both locally and at church leadership level, between clergy as well as laity of the Church of England and AMiE, and as far as it is possible to work constructively alongside AMiE, the Church of England seeks to do so."

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.anglicannetwork.org/ Anglicanism in Europe Anglican realignment denominations Christian organizations established in 2020 Anglican denominations established in the 21st century