Updated Friday afternoon (? added to headline, see below)
From a report in the Vanguard CANA no longer a Nigeria mission, says Archbishop Okoh.
The Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the Primate of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), says the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), is no longer under the jurisdiction of Nigeria.
Speaking during his recent visit to London , Okoh said: “CANA is now part of the Anglican Province of North America (ACNA).
ACNA is a breakaway province from the Episcopal Church headed by Archbishop Robert Duncan.
“We are not interested in territorial ambition; our main reason for going to America was to provide for those who were no longer finding it possible to worship in the Episcopal church.
“A new structure has been put up in the U.S. which is ACNA.
“CANA now belongs to ACNA even though they still relate to us;but essentially it now belongs to Anglican province of North America,” he said.
Archbishop Okoh visit to London was reported by George Conger in the Church of England Newspaper as Nigerian archbishop in Lambeth meeting with Dr Williams.
The head of the Anglican Communion’s largest province will meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury this week at Lambeth Palace.
Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria is scheduled to meet with Dr. Williams on Feb 17, and will also meet with officials from the Nigerian High Commission and Nigerian expatriates during a three day pastoral visit to the UK.
A spokesman for Archbishop Okoh said this week’s visit will be his first to London since his election as primate. A trip set for December 2010 was postponed due to inclement weather. The trip will also provide an opportunity for Dr. Rowan Williams to mend fences with the Nigerian Church, which along with a majority of the African church has become estranged from Lambeth over the past three years.
(As an aside, this report also contains information about the reason for the absence from the recent Dublin primates meeting of the Kenyan primate.)
And Archbishop Okoh was also quoted recently in a Nigerian Observer report Nigeria Anglicans Re-Affirm Stand On Gay Marriages.
Episcopal Café has commented on the status of ACNA in Abp Okoh says CANA belongs to ACNA, not CoN.
…Okoh’s statement illustrates the ability to redefine the relationship between CANA and the Church of Nigeria to meet the circumstances. The Province of the Southern Cone has been sanctioned by the Anglican Communion Office for crossing provincial boundaries into the United States. The question has lingered, why did the Church of Nigeria escape the same sanctions on the same grounds?
The question remains whether CANA and the Church of Nigeria will be allowed have it both ways as suit the circumstances. See CANA’s self definition on its website…
…and Frequently Asked Questions about Dual Citizenship in CANA & ACNA, updated 2010-12-16.
And the Church of Nigeria’s own website contains this on its FAQ page:
Q5. What is CANA?
CANA is the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. Initially started to provide worship centres for Nigerians in North America, it is now a Missionary diocese of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion catering for many who feel alienated as their former church walks away from the faith once delivered…
Update Friday afternoon
There are developments in this story. Anglican Mainstream reports: Clarification of CANA under the jurisdiction of Nigeria.
A recent article in Vanguard Online states that CANA is no longer a Nigeria Mission. This is incorrect. Bishop Martyn Minns’ Archdeacon, The Ven Julian Dobbs, writes:
CANA’s Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns (who is currently in Singapore en route to Nigeria for the Church of Nigeria’s House of Bishops’ meeting, which is to be followed by a meeting of the Church of Nigeria’s Standing Committee) has asked me to pass along this information to you:
Earlier this morning Bishop Minns heard from both Archbishop Nicholas Okoh and Registrar Abraham Yisa who were surprised to see a recent statement in the media that suggests that CANA is no longer part of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
Both Archbishop Okoh as well as Registrar Yisa told Bishop Minns that such reports are erroneous. They assured him that there has been no change in the status that exists between CANA and the Church of Nigeria, that Bishop Minns and CANA’s suffragan bishops continue to serve as members of the House of Bishops in the Church of Nigeria, and that the Church of Nigeria at the same time continues to promote the full recognition of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) as a province in the Anglican Communion.
Information regarding the relationship that exists between CANA, the Church of Nigeria, and the ACNA can be found on the CANA website.
On the other hand, Timothy Fountain has posted the following email from an unnamed CANA Canon at TitusOneNine: “Earlier this morning Bishop Minns heard from both Archbishop Nicholas Okoh and Registrar Abraham Yisa who were surprised to see a recent statement in the media that suggests that CANA is no longer part of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). Both Archbishop Okoh as well as Registrar Yisa told Bishop Minns that such reports are erroneous. They assured him that there has been no change in the status that exists between CANA and the Church of Nigeria, that Bishop Minns and… Read more »
…..”let your yes be yes and let your no be no””… or something to that effect.
Or does this group correspond with Bill Clinton and agree with his infamous quote that goes something like ” it depends on what is is “
..or does everyone just get to speak out of both sides of their mouth at the same time?
The final disposition of the Dio of Va’s legal battle with the CANA churches now occupying property held by the diocese in trust for TEC is scheduled in a few months – can’t remember exact date. I wonder if this little identity dance is somehow in aid of CANA’s attempted thefts?
Over on Episcopal Cafe there is more recent news on this.
Shell Game.
In the US, to avoid lawsuits, “We’re Part of the Church of Nigeria.”
At Lambeth Palace, to avoid AC sanctions (for breach of moratoria), “They’re not part of the Church of Nigeria.”
Bad Faith!
ACNA’s legal status is apparently whatever is most advantageous to ACNA at any given moment.
Archbishop Okoh’s cynical bid to lend legitimacy to ACNA’s plea for recognition as a Province within the Anglican Communion ought to be seen for what it is – a blatant attempt to excuse the GAFCON Provinces’ attempt to oveturn the culture of traditional Anglican independence of TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada by their *missionary* incursions into North America. One wonders how many more of the piratical GAFCON Provinces will seek to divest themselves of their ‘missionary’ churches – perhaps in a belated attempt to represent themselves as only temporary upholders of ‘orthodoxy’ en route to the establishment of… Read more »
“CANA is … now a Missionary diocese of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion catering for many who feel alienated as their former church walks away from the faith once delivered…”
They must be speaking of the “no gay cooties” faith. Yes, we’re walking away from that one. About time.
Ooops. I mean CANA above, not ACNA.
It’s hard to keep up with the whole alphabet soup of “orthodoxy”, especially since they all consist of the same people
Perhaps this whiole situation – vis a vis the relationship between the Anglican Church in Nigeria and CANA, it’s step-child in the USA – is being misrepresented because ‘Bishop’ Minns is no longer in charge of the information flow from Nigeria (ever since the ascension of Abp. Okoh).
This must have a rather depressing effect on the US and Canadian hierarchs raised up by GAFCON to represent them in what has become the ‘waiting in the wings’ quasi-Province of ACNA. Sinking ships are very vulnerable in the gathering storms.
Minns was not invited to Lambert Conference I agreed. But now ++Beach is invited to Primates Gathering. We don’t need to go through Canterbury to see Christ.