Bishop Ilgenfritz invites all to the Missionary Diocese

I’m an “All American” Christian, so it might not surprise you that I think baseball. Not the ministry baseball diamond paradigm, but the true “Field of Dreams.” “If you build My Church they will come.” Nearly everyone thought the enterprise was doomed to fail, but here we are today. This is Jesus’ Church and we have a dream, a vision—ground has been broken, and construction is underway!

For the past twenty or thirty years Anglo-Catholics have been looking to being part of a Church which “upholds the faith and order of the undivided Church.” We have today a starting place, a province and a missionary diocese, and we are beginning to build. We have other dioceses working
along side us to build this dream. Forward in Faith North America (FIFNA) has worked faithfully for many years. Many gave their time, talent, treasure, and steadfast prayer working and keeping focused on the vision.

Through several decades of false starts and disappointments, failings and repentance, the vision remained. In June 2009, the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) elected the FIFNA nominee put forward by its members years before and then reaffirmed the nomination
of one of its leaders. Of note, I serve as the first bishop of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints - for we have a mission; we have a dream.

We started this Missionary Diocese with nothing but the grace of God: no congregations, no church planters, and no money. We started exactly where God wanted us - totally dependent on His Providing. And the providing has begun; FIFNA supporting the bishop’s travel expenses, individuals and parishes contributing to our necessities, and volunteers sprinting out onto the field.

Just four months later our missionary diocese has 13 congregations in Florida, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois, and a team is planting a congregation in North Carolina. Headlights can be seen as congregations begin to make their way to be part of this dream. They are coming.

As a missionary diocese, bishop and people, we invite all to join us. As part of Forward in Faith NA we “uphold the faith and order of the undivided Church” and our theological integrity is valued and protected by the ACNA Constitution (Article VIII, Section 2), especially with regards Holy Order, “The Province shall make no canon abridging the authority of any member dioceses, clusters or networks (whether regional or affinity based) and those dioceses bonded together as jurisdictions with respect to its practice regarding the ordination of women to the diaconate or presbyterate.”

FIFNA and our missionary diocese remain committed to Apostolic Orders as recognized by the whole Church of God. As outlined in the ACNA Constitution (Article 4) we will band together with those who hold to the biblical and theological conviction of the Church’s ministry of Holy Orders is male. This convergence around a common understanding of Apostolic Order is ocurring, but it will require time and patience. In the meanwhile we are committed to growth and witness; to personal growth as vibrant Christians, to growing vibrant congregations and dioceses, and we are ready to witness to the hope of our call, in gentleness and love for one another.

As we do this we recognize that the Missionary Diocese of All Saints is only one ministry home for orthodox Anglicans. We are encouraged by the clergy and congregations finding a home in other dioceses closely affiliated with FIFNA and those associated in communion agreements with FIFNA. FIFNA spans many jurisdictions, and is a connection for Anglicans of our common faith and order. Likewise, we are encouraged by invitations from our Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic brothers and sisters to enter into dialogue.

The words of Metropolitan Jonah at the opening Assembly of ACNA, were most gracious and warmly received by the leadership of FIFNA and myself as then bishop-elect. We take to heart the challenges posed and look toward to the opportunity for greater communion between Anglicanism and the Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy.

Most recently, Pope Benedict XVI graciously offered an Ordinariate for Anglicans, hoping to heal the wounds of division in the body catholic. I heartily agree, “Every division among the baptized in Jesus Christ wounds that which the Church is and that for which the Church exists; in fact ‘such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature.’”

Those Anglicans able to accept the off er in the Apostolic Constitution and its doctrinal requirements, go with our blessing and friendship. However, as practiced by FIFNA, we believe that Anglican Orders are valid, that the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church allows married ministerial priesthood, and that Church authority does not reside exclusively in Chair of Peter.

The Missionary Diocese and FiFNA are part of the renewal that we see beginning in the West. We believe that this renewal if it is to be truly Anglican must embody the “faith and order of the undivided Church.” Our Catholic mission and evangelical zeal is for the benefit of others who may not yet recognize its essential character in Anglicanism and in the wider Church.

Reporting to FIFNA Council in November, 2009, the Rev’d Michael Heidt, SSC, editor of Forward in Christ magazine, expressed our hope as a movement:

“... providence has given us the opportunity to act as a unitive witness and rallying point for orthodox Anglicans in North America. To realize this we must have absolute confidence in our catholicity as Anglicans, while avoiding the pitfalls of ‘surrender mentality’, whether to Rome, the East, or any other thing. More positively, it means working for the highest degree of sacramental communion possible within God’s Church and being open to alliances accordingly.

Forward in Faith NA is building those alliances. The Missionary Diocese of All Saints is providing one place in which to live the fullness of Anglican identity. I pray for this fullness and we are blessed to have many others praying for our new diocese. Construction is underway. We ask God’s blessing on all who seek to do God’s will in God’s way. It is His Church we build, by our bringing souls to Christ, in a fellowship of Word and Sacrament; and they are coming.

This article is from Forward In Christ magazine, a bi-monthly subscription magazine providing in-depth commentary and perspectives on Anglicanism today. Subscription Information Link

Bishop Ilgnenfritz is a Vice-President of FiFNA and the bishop of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints (FiFNA & ACNA).