Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand
The Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand (CCAANZ) is an evangelical Anglican denomination in New Zealand. It is not a member of the Anglican Communion as recognised by the current Archbishop of Canterbury, but it is recognised as such by the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). The church consists of 17 parishes, some of which consist of clergy and church members who left the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia after it allowed bishops to authorise blessings of same-sex marriages, and some of which were newly established at the time of the formation of the church.[1]
| Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Anglican |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Bishop | Jay Behan |
| Region | New Zealand |
| Headquarters | St Albans, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Origin | 2019 |
| Separated from | Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia |
| Parishes | 17 |
| Official website | confessinganglicans.nz |
History
The Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand grew out of the New Zealand branch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and was established on 17 May 2019. This followed the decision by the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia to allow the blessing of same-sex marriages and civil unions.[2]
Leadership
Jay Behan is the inaugural bishop.[3] Behan's episcopal consecration took place on 19 October 2019, led by Archbishop Foley Beach of the Anglican Church in North America, the chairman of GAFCON. The consecration service was attended by several representatives of GAFCON, including Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and Archbishop Glenn Davies of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney (among nine bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia), Bishop Andy Lines of the Anglican Mission in England and the retired Bishop Derek Eaton of the Anglican Diocese of Nelson in New Zealand.[4]
Structure
CCAANZ is an autonomous, extra-provincial Anglican diocese governed by a synod comprising representatives from all member parishes. The synod elects a standing committee with delegated authority when synod is out of session.
As of November 2020 CCAANZ has 17 member parishes.[5]
Beliefs
CCAANZ describes its core beliefs as:[6]
- Rejection of homosexuality.
- Faith is in one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Hope is in the only Saviour, Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for us.
- Final authority and unchangeable standard for Christian faith and life is the Bible.
- Doctrine is expressed in the Apostles, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, the Book of Common Prayer (1662), the 39 Articles of Religion, and the Ordinal.
- Acceptance of the Jerusalem Declaration as a contemporary expression of Anglican doctrine and practice, which explicity states that only men and women can marry. The Church has been accused of creating a schism over one issue, while ignoring the larger theological issues.
Ordination
CCAANZ states that it ordains both men and women as priests and deacons, but will discriminate on the basis of sexuality, or gender identity. [6]
References
- Sandeman, John (14 October 2019). ""Please leave us" Sydney's Anglican Archbishop tells progressive Christians". Eternity News. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- "New Anglican diocese created in New Zealand as wider Province moves towards same-sex blessings". www.christiantoday.com. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "A New Diocese & Bishop for the Church of Confessing Anglicans in New Zealand". Global Anglican Future Conference. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- "Christchurch: GAFCON Consecrates New Evangelical Diocesan Bishop", Virtue Online, 19 October 2019.
- "CCAANZ - Church of Confessing Anglicans: Find a Church". confessinganglicans.nz.
- "CCAANZ - Church of Confessing Anglicans: About". confessinganglicans.nz.