ACNA isn’t merely the structure of The Episcopal Church recast as a believing, orthodox entity. God has given us a special vision, instead. New wine demands new wineskins. This was Jesus’ meaning in Matthew 9:17. The forms and traditions of the religious leaders of his time couldn’t possibly contain the New Covenant. And so it is with the new Church and our new Diocese.
We no longer belong to a Church that is authoritarian from the top-down, bishops are no longer monarchical princes, dioceses are no longer fiefdoms. Ours is a servant Bishop, a spiritual leader who continues to be the rector of one of our congregations.
The Congregation, not the Diocese, is the fundamental agency of mission in the new Church.
The Diocese exists to serve the congregations.
Our Bishop protects the authority of the Bible, ministers to the clergy, and plants churches.
The Laity participates equally with the clergy in governing the new Church and our Diocese.
These and other governance principles were identified at Western Anglicans and implemented in our organizational structure and found their way without important changes into the governance structure of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The essence is a House of Delegates as the governing body, consisting equally of lay and clergy of delegates from the congregations. The House of Delegates elects a 12 member Executive Committee of six lay and six clergy members, with the Bishop as ex-officio Chairman/CEO. A lay person is elected President/Chief Administrative Officer. Periodically, our Diocese will schedule an All Congregations Gathering concerned with strengthening our ministry.
Further information:
Anglican Church in North America – Constitution and Canons
Diocese of Western Anglicans – Bylaws