In order to help you understand the church we are working with we have sent out some information in our support letters about who they are and what they do, which we are also presenting here. We want our family and friends to be able to feel well-informed as to the logistics of our trip.
Julianna and I have been attending Church of the Apostles in Columbia SC for a few years. We have found a loving, God-honoring, deep-rooted, missional, theologically solid, and intellectually stimulating leadership and congregation.
If you would like to learn more you can visit the AMIA website.
What is the Anglican Mission in America, and how is it distinct from the Anglican Church?
In response to an ever-deepening crisis of faith and leadership in both the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, more than 10 years ago the Rev. Chuck Murphy and the Rev. Dr. John Rodgers decided to take action in order to maintain correct doctrine. They did not want to leave the Anglican tradition, but also did not want to sacrifice core Evangelical theology to stay within it. After the two men sent a cry for help to the 27 Anglican archbishops around the world, the Rwandan archbishop, Emmanuel Kolini, Province of Rwanda, intervened in January 2000 by consecrating these two men as “missionary bishops.” In this way, they would be able to have their own churches in the Anglican tradition without having to submit to the swaying doctrine of the larger church. Kolini said that he responded, specifically, because after the horrific genocide he and his people suffered, he had made a promise to himself and to God, saying that he would never turn down a person asking for help. Just as his people had undergone a physical genocide, he saw America as suffering from a “spiritual genocide.”
How are the AMIA churches connected with Rwanda?
After the original ordination of these two men, there are now approximately 250 Anglican Mission churches thriving in the US. These churches operate under the authority of the Rwandan and Ugandan church, and have strong relational connections with them. One of these churches is where Drew and I have been attending, and we are excited to stay under their umbrella of support and authority as we go to minister to, and learn from, our sister churches overseas.
How is the Rwandan Anglican Church Active in its Own Land?
The Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda is rooted in the East African Revival of the early 1930s that began in Gahini, Rwanda, and quickly spread to Uganda and Kenya. The movement was marked by dramatic experiences of repentance, forgiveness and restoration, and the Anglican Church in Rwanda today is committed to extending the Kingdom of God.
Further, as many of the Rwandan people lost faith in the Catholic Church following the genocide, the Province has played a key role in rebuilding Rwanda following the devastating genocide of 1994, serving as a pillar of hope and reconciliation to the millions of Rwandans who were affected. The Church is still recovering from the wounds of genocide, but Anglican leaders of Rwanda have been instrumental in promoting and implementing forgiveness, reconciliation and unity among the people. The Anglican leadership in the country is not only involved with addressing the spiritual needs of the nation, but is also involved with socio-economic development focused on building a strong, self-sufficient country.
