The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) took another step forward on Saturday when they announced the appointment of the Rt Rev Tim Davies as the new diocesan bishop of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).
This is a story of courageous and faithful episcopal leadership spanning generations and continents.
Tim was born and brought up in East Africa, where his father served as a missionary bishop. He has always been a pioneer, after ordination and curacy in the Church of England, he planted one of the first ‘independent’ Anglican churches in England, back in 2003.
Yet, he always longed for godly, relational, episcopal oversight. Tim helped create the structures of AMiE, first as a mission agency and then as a diocese of ANiE and has served as the Minister of Christ Church Central, since its launch.
It is a church which describes itself as ‘a church for people who don’t go to church’ and meets in a former nightclub. Like Bishop Tim, it is deeply rooted in its Anglican heritage and committed to global mission as an inter-cultural church family.
Bishop Tim was consecrated in 2022 and has been serving as an assistant bishop alongside his responsibilities in Sheffield. He will now take on this episcopal role full-time as AMiE has over thirty congregations, with more in the pipeline.
Dr Jan Draper, who was a member of the AMiE Bishops’ Selection Committee said they “were impressed by Tim’s pastor’s heart – for both the gospel and God’s people".
"Under Tim’s leadership and guidance we look forward to God continuing his work in and through AMiE as it seeks to uphold faithful biblical teaching and proclamation across England," said Dr Draper.
His appointment was met with greetings from far and wide. Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Network in Europe, Bishop Andy Lines, described Tim Davies as his “brother, friend and colleague,” and said he looked forward to working alongside him “as we seek to proclaim Christ faithfully to the many who need to know him in England.”
The Rt Rev Paul Donison, General Secretary of the Global Anglican Futures conference (Gafcon) wrote, “Tim is a faithful and wise servant leader, and I am confident he will build upon the pioneering work of Bishop Andy Lines as he shepherds his diocese into its next season of gospel growth.”
The Anglican Network in Europe, of which AMiE is a part, began as a handful of churches seeking alternative episcopal oversight, when first the Scottish Episcopal Church, and then other Canterbury-aligned provinces in Europe, failed to uphold the teaching of God’s word.
There are now more than a hundred congregations across the three dioceses, AMiE, ACE (Anglican Convocation in Europe) and AMC (Anglican Missionary Congregations).
Although the names of these dioceses may lead to some complicated acronyms, the message they send is simple: the Anglican Network in Europe has, under the guidance and authority of the wider global church, gathered faithful Anglicans together, who long for others to come to know Jesus for themselves.
Bishop Tim wrote a letter to the diocese, in which he said “Jesus is building his church".
"He isn’t wringing his hands in heaven. He isn’t puzzled by the chaos of our culture or the fragmentation of the church in the UK. He is reigning. He is loving. He is shepherding," he said.
"And he still says: ‘Come to me; follow me; and abide in me.’
"I am content because of the sufficiency of our Saviour. I’m not stepping into this calling because I believe in myself but because I believe in Jesus.”
Susie Leafe is director of Anglican Futures, an organisation that provides pastoral and practical support to orthodox Anglicans.
