Property at issue as nine churches quit ECUSA
by Douglas LeBlanc
22 December, 2006

THE Archbishop of Nigeria, the Most Revd Peter Akinola, said in 2005 that non-Nigerians would be welcome in what is now the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. Now he has just over 7000 new members, mostly non-Nigerians, after nine churches in the diocese of Virginia announced that they had voted to leave the Episcopal Church in the United States and align with CANA instead.

Another two churches will vote in January. Four others left the diocese earlier this year and aligned themselves with other Anglican provinces. The 15 churches account for 11 per cent of baptised members and 18 per cent of average Sunday attendance, the diocese said.

Most of the nine congregations have fewer than 300 members, but three of them have megachurch numbers by Episcopalian standards: The Apostles, Fairfax (1050 members); Truro, Fairfax (2500); and The Falls Church (2800), which meets in a city of the same name.

The nine voted on two proposals: to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church, and to contend with the diocese for property rights. Truro and The Falls Church, both founded in the colonial era, are worth a combined $25 million. the rest