The Anglican Communion Network (officially the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes) is a theologically conservative network of dioceses and parishes that are currently a part of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA). It was officially formed in January 2004 at a conference in Plano, Texas attended by several hundred priests and lay leaders, including 12 Episcopal bishops. Its main intent is to provide a system to supply theologically conservative leadership and church oversight to Anglicans in the United States and Canada. While the group is not seeking to split from ECUSA or the Anglican Church of Canada, there is a chance that this group may eventually become the officially recognized Anglican Communion province for the United States and Canada.
The ACN was formed at the suggestion of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. Rowan Williams, in the wake of the controversy regarding Anglican views of homosexuality. In the United States, the flashpoint for the controversy was the consecration of the openly homosexual Gene Robinson as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire . In Canada, the main trigger was the approval of same-sex unions by the Diocese of New Westminster. Most of the work in establishing the ACN was performed by the American Anglican Council , a group of theologically conservative congregations within the Episcopal Church. The current ACN President is Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh.
Fourteen Anglican primates from the developing world, representing over half of the world's Anglicans, have officially endorsed the creation of the ACN. Many of these primates have expressed concern over the recent actions of ECUSA, and some have taken initial steps toward breaking communion with ECUSA.
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