All Saints, Attleboro, Leaves Episcopal Church, Joins AMiA
Source: All Saints Anglican (AMiA)

The Rev. Dr. Lance Giuffrida, Rector
October 1, 2006

Dear Parish Family,

The Rector, Wardens, Vestry and People of All Saints have historically and presently maintained the apostolic and biblical truths, values and beliefs of the Christian faith. Two of the highest and most cherished of those beliefs and values are that:

-Salvation comes through Christ alone
-The Bible has always been and is now at the centre of Christian belief and life, it is the Church's supreme authority, and as such is a focus and means of unity

This is the clear and unequivocal teaching of the Christian church, historically and presently.

This is the clear and unequivocal teaching of the Anglican Communion, historically and presently.

These are, and remain the foundational truths upon which the Christian faith stands, and without which, there is no true Christianity.

The vast majority of the Bishops of The Episcopal Church, and the Bishops of the Diocese of Massachusetts, do not believe salvation comes through Christ alone.

The vast majority ofthe Bishops of The Episcopal Church, and Bishops of the Diocese of Massachusetts, do not believe the Bible is the supreme authority of the church.

The vast majority of the Bishops of the Episcopal Church, and the Bishops of the Diocese of Massachusetts, believe they have received new revelation from the Holy Spirit to establish a new and prophetic religion, similar to and built upon Christianity, but which is neither historic nor Orthodox Anglican Christianity.

In a recent letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, outlining the current and immediate crisis, seven of our orthodox Bishops from seven dioceses appealing to the Archbishop of Canterbury to provide immediate Alternative Primatial Oversight; have this to say: .

AN APPEAL TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

By the Bishops of Central Florida, Dallas, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, San Joaquin, South Carolina, and Springfield (20 July, A.D. 2006)

The Situation

There are effectively two churches under one roof. The common roof is called the (Protestant) Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Separation of the two churches became all but inevitable and irreversible at the General Convention of 2006.

For Network churches in non-Network dioceses (All Saints, for example) the conclusion is that it is time to negotiate separation from ECUSA. With no new options introduced, this separation invariably takes the form of affiliation with a diocese of the Global South, whether Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Central Africa or Southern Cone.

My friends, in order to remain faithful to what we have always been as a church, historically and presently, maintaining the historic and traditional truths, values and beliefs of the Anglican Christian faith, and holding onto the highest and most cherished of our beliefs and values, on September 18th. 2006. the Rector. Wardens and Vestry of All Saints have taken these actions, thereby joining the Anglican Mission in America:

-Unanimously voted to request from Bishop Shaw a transfer of Letters Dimissory for Father Lance to the Province of Rwanda, allowing us to maintain our Anglican Orthodox identity, to be effective November 1,2006

-Unanimously voted to request that Bishop Shaw and the Standing Committee of the Diocese negotiate with the Vestry's Property Discernment Committee for the acquisition of property and assets of All Saints.

-Unanimously voted and agreed to the Solemn Declaration of Principles as required by the Anglican Mission in America

-Unanimously voted and agreed to the Stewardship Principles of the Anglican Mission in America

-Unanimously voted and agreed to uphold the Sexual Harassment and Abuse Policies of the Anglican Mission in America

My friends, I am certain many of you are still wondering what all of this will mean. I can only encourage you in the strongest terms to do some homework on your own:-read the September Almanac-go to the following website: www.anglicanmissioninamerica.org

the rest-AAC blog