Anglican Diocese of All Nations

The Anglican Diocese of All Nations (formerly known as the Missionary Diocese of CANA West and the Anglican Diocese of the West) is a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America and formerly of the Church of Nigeria North American Mission.[1] It was one of the four missionary dioceses of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, which was founded in 2005.[2] As such, it had a dual church body of the ACNA and the Church of Nigeria in the United States, until May 2019. It comprises 35 parishes in 11 American states, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington and in 3 Canadian provinces, Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. The state with most parishes is Texas, with 14.

Anglican Diocese of All Nations
Location
Ecclesiastical provinceAnglican Church in North America
Statistics
Parishes35
Information
RiteAnglican
CathedralSt. Francis Cathedral, El Paso
Current leadership
BishopFelix Orji (diocesan)
Scott Seely (suffragan)
Website
www.adoan.org

The diocesan office and the Anglican Cathedral Church of St. Francis are both located in El Paso, Texas. The first bishop is Nigerian-born Felix Orji. Scott Seely is the suffragan bishop.[3]

History

CANA West was launched as a diocese-in-formation of the ACNA in June 2012 and achieved full diocesan status at the 5th Provincial Council held at Nashotah House, Nashotah, Wisconsin, from 16–18 June 2013.[4] The first diocesan synod was held from 15–17 August 2013 in San Antonio, Texas.[5] The diocese is widespread across a large part of the United States and one of its main purposes is church planting.

The ACNA and the Church of Nigeria signed an agreement that stated that the three dioceses that have resulted from the Convocation of Anglicans in North America activity in the United States could decide their own filiation in any of both churches, on 12 March 2019. This agreement was the result of the election of four suffragan bishops for the Missionary Diocese of the Trinity, composed mostly of Nigerian expatriates in the United States, by the Church of Nigeria, without the consultation of the ACNA College of Bishops. Until then all the three dioceses were members of both churches.[6] The Missionary Diocese of CANA East announced on 21 May 2019 their decision to withdraw membership in the Church of Nigeria to become solely a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America, with the name of Anglican Diocese of the Living Word.[7] The Missionary Diocese of CANA West also announced its withdrawal from ACNA to become a diocese of the Church of Nigeria on 23 May 2019, followed by the Missionary Diocese of the Trinity on the same day. Both dioceses remained as ministry partners of ACNA.[8][9]

In October 2022, new CONNAM bylaws were released, signaling the permanent establishment of CONNAM as an alternative Anglican jurisdiction in the United States and Canada.[10] In response, Orji announced his departure from CONNAM. In leaving, he said “I’m no longer able to be part of a mission that violates my conscience and understanding of Godly Christian ministry and mission in North America" and added that "CoN made a promise to relinquish its mission to a new orthodox Anglican body when it emerges."[11] CON Primate Henry Ndukuba suspended Orji from ministry, stating that he "deeply regrets the recent public utterances and actions of Bishop Orji against the authority of the Church of Nigeria."[12]

ACNA received Orji and Seely into the college of bishops, and the Diocese of the West voted to affiliate with ACNA, although some congregations elected to remain in CONNAM.[1] Ndukuba appointed the Diocese of the West's other suffragan, Celestine Ironna, to oversee congregations remaining with CONNAM on an interim basis.[12] In 2023, the diocese changed its name to the Anglican Diocese of All Nations.[13]

References
  1. "ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF THE WEST RETURNING". Anglican Church in North America. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  2. Miller, Duane Alexander (March 2014). "The Bricolage of Global Anglicanism". Anglican and Episcopal History. 83 (1): 68. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  3. "Missions | Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)". Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  4. Archbishop Duncan Addresses the 5th Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America, ACNA Official Website, 18 June 2013
  5. Diocesan Synod of CANA West, Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church official website Archived 2015-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Church of Nigeria, Anglican Church in North America Reach Agreement on CANA Dioceses, ACNA Official Website
  7. CANA East withdraws from the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Ink, 21 May 2019
  8. CANA West leaves ACNA, Anglican Ink, 23 May 2019
  9. CANA Diocese of the Trinity withdraws from ACNA, Anglican Ink, 24 May 2019
  10. Virtue, David (18 October 2022). "IS THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA TRYING TO BECOME THEIR OWN INTERNATIONAL CHURCH MOVEMENT?". Virtue Online. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  11. "Why I Left the Church of Nigeria for ACNA – Bishop Orji". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  12. "Church of Nigeria Suspends Bishop Felix Orji as He Abandons CONNAM For ACNA". Anglican Ink. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  13. "Anglican Diocese of The West becomes the Diocese of All Nations upon its entry into the ACNA". Anglican Ink. January 31, 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
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