New Anglican Parish Birthed Outside of ECUSA

An interdenominational church in Richmond, Virginia, started a new Anglican congregation under the oversight of an offshore bishop. The church plant is one of a number of new congregations external to the Episcopal Church.

Eternity Anglican Church had its first official worship service earlier this month with more than 75 people representing over 25 nations. Its vision is "Many Nations, One Communion" and is now part of the Anglican Communion Network's International Conference under the Anglican Diocese of Luweero in the Province of Uganda.

The daughter church of Eternity Church, the new Anglican parish is one of some 20 to 30 new church plants that the conservative Network has made in the last 18 months.

"We have a lot of church plants that have left ECUSA," said Anglican Communion Network spokesperson Jenny Noyes, who added that the church plants have been reformed as Anglican parishes with oversight from bishops in the worldwide Anglican Communion. "This plant (Eternity Anglican) never was a part of ECUSA."

Although the Anglican Communion Network - now comprised of over 900 parishes apart from the ECUSA - was established early 2004, church plants did not start until the issue of Episcopal oversight was resolved. Once Anglican bishops from overseas such as Uganda began offering oversight, the Network started the work of carrying on their mission and extending God's kingdom.