Forward in Africa Missionary Visits St. John’s
This past weekend (June 3-5) St John the Apostle Anglican Church (Clinton Township, MI) welcomed Nathan Dunlap, his wife Julie, and three of his children into their parish activities. Nathan came to SJA to share with us the vision of his work with Forward in Africa. He met past supporters of Fr Francis and OFM to thank them for making Forward in Africa possible through their continued prayers and monies. The weekend was a success for all involved.
On Saturday, while Br Nathan trained with Deacon Bob Chalmers, the people of St John and the rest of the Dunlap family enjoyed a day at the Detroit Zoo. That evening many gathered over at the Moore house for a time of greeting, telling stories, and getting to know one another. From the children playing in the tree house, to the lively conversation, fellowship, and great food, the bonds of affections increased and were multiplied.
On Sunday Br Nathan spoke at both the 8 and 10 AM services. He reminded us of Africa’s great tradition and role in Christian history and the Church. He also illustrated how influential our Anglican heritage has been in spreading the gospel and how it is still bearing fruit in the furthering of the Kingdom. He told us of the needs and challenges to provide capable well-trained priests for the rapidly growing churches. He shared that the vision of Forward in Africa was to teach the teachers, encouraging us with the word that while all cannot go, all can participate in the work.
Bishop Ilgenfritz to Lead Tour of Holy Land
Bishop Bill and his wife Loisjean will be leading a tour to the Holy Land which includes a visit to Jordan. This 2012 tour begins February 21 and concludes March 2. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the places and culture that you have read about, enrich your knowledge and reading of Holy Scripture and deepen your walk with Christ.
More details can be found in the travel brochure.
Diocesan Synod Meets in Ocean City
The inaugural Synod of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints was held on April 27-28 in Ocean City, Maryland. Clergy and Laity from Oregon to Florida and New York to Arizona gathered in worship, fellowship and the endeavors of the Synod. In addition, we were blessed with the presence of a number of guests, including Bishop Paul Hewett of the Diocese of the Holy Cross and Bishop Alexander Barroso of the Iglesia Anglicana Carismatica in Venezuela.
Wednesday evening, Bishop Ilgenfritz celebrated Holy Eucharist to begin the Synod and our Suffragan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Richard Lipka, delivered the homily focusing on our call to mission.
Following the Eucharist Bishop Ilgenfritz gave his opening address, which can be read in full here. He reported to us that we currently have thirty-one congregations and several more that are in the process of application for reception in the Diocese; and, he reminded us that as One People we have One Mission and One Message.
During his address Bishop Ilgenfritz appointed a number of officers to assist in the work 
of the diocese. Mr. William Smith of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Berlin MD was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese; Mrs. Christine Hutchison of Christ Our Redeemer, Lynchburg, VA was appointed as the diocesan Treasurer; Mrs. Loisjean Ilgenfritz of St. Mary’s, Charleroi, PA was appointed as the Bookkeeper; and, Fr. Larry Hill of Holy Trinity was appointed as Canon to the Ordinary.
The Synod then proceeded to the business of approving the proposed Constitution and Canons. During the discussion, some questions and suggestions arose, but most importantly we were blessed with a spirit of unity. With only a couple minor changes in wording the proposed Constitution and Canons were adopted unanimously by the Synod.
On the second day of the Synod we proceeded to the election of members of the Bishop’s Council (Standing Committee), the Provincial Assembly, the Provincial Council and the Ecclesiastical Court of Trial. Again we were blessed with clergy and laity willing to sacrifice time and personal expense in order to assist in the mission and ministry of the diocese. The list of those elected can be seen here.
We give thanks to God for all those who worked so hard preparing for our Inaugural Synod, including the Women of Trinity who prepared the welcome gift bags, Susan Lipka who did the art work and prepared the folders for each member of the Synod, and Nancy Drazga who led the music for the services of the Synod and Retreat.
There are two women in particular to whom we need to give special thanks, Karen Graulich and Gloria Dzambo. Both of them worked many many hours in preparing materials, taking care of registration and coordinating with the hotel. Thank you so very very much.
To God be the glory!
Holy Week Message from Bishop Ilgrenfritz
Beloved in Christ:
We remember His death,
We proclaim His Resurrection,
We await His coming in glory.
The final three days of Holy Week are the most solemn days of the Christian calendar. The Sacred Tridiuum begins on Maundy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This is the remembrance of the final meal which our Lord Jesus ate with His disciples and during which He instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Every time we “Do this” Jesus is present to us under the forms of bread and wine. In the washing of feet we are not just remembering an event in the upper room but that each one of us is called to serve.
On Good Friday we will gather at the Cross and we will remember His Suffering and Death not just as an historical event, but as the Church assembled we remember that Jesus loves us as much as He loved the people then.
At the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday we will celebrate as we remember not just His Resurrection but that each one of us has new life in Him. We are a people called to a new way of living because we follow the One who is not dead but is alive. The One who calls us to follow Him in the Way of the Cross, for this is the way that leads to eternal life.
I wish all of you a Blessed Holy Week.
Report from Mwanza, Tanzania
Dear Friends and family,
Greetings in the Name of Christ. We have made it through our first full week of classes for Bishop Kwangu. We have completed two courses so far. “The Beliefs, Teachings, and Practices of the Historic Christian Church”, What has been believed by all Christians, everywhere, for all time. And, “Introduction to Apostolic Ordained Ministry”, a course that examines the qualifications and duties of ordained ministry along with the Ethos and Ethics of Christian Ministry. I am averaging about 25 students in class each day.
The Reverend Deacon Kenneth Dimmitt (1931-2011)
The Rev. Deacon Kenneth Dimmitt passed from this life into eternal light at this afternoon. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace.
Funeral arrangements are still pending.
Deacon Ken was born at home in Wapello County, Iowa on January 8, 1931 and raised on a working farm. He graduated from Agency High School and attended Iowa Success Business College. He was subsequently drafted into the U. S. Army, where he served two years active duty and six years in the reserves. He farmed for one year and attended Iowa State College, extension course, for vocational agriculture and worked at John Deere Ottumwa Works in office services.
Deacon Ken moved to California in 1959 and worked at Lockheed Aircraft until June of 1986, as a Liaison Engineer. He has the equivalent of a Bachelors Degree in Engineering. He retired and went to work for Boeing Aircraft in Seattle for a total of 6-1/2 years.
Deacon Ken was ordained to the deaconate in January 2000, in Seattle and attended St. Michaels Seminary.
He met and married Linda Grable in 1962. Linda is a retired Medical Transcriber and they have two grown children and two precious grandchildren. He has served as a deacon since 2000. They moved to Texas in 2006 and joined Holy Trinity, Hurst, where Ken served for the last 5 years. Linda has played the keyboard, cello, and has sung in the choir at Holy Trinity and is active in the Intercessory Prayer Ministry.
Please remember the Dimmitt family in your prayers.
A NEW CHURCH…?
One of the great mission scholars of modern times, Dr. Peter Wagner, said, “the best way to do evangelism is to plant new churches.” It not only opens another door into the family of Christ, it also creates possibilities for those who might find it difficult to be received into the long established circles of fellowship and friendship in an existing church.
The Anglican Church in North America has given a high priority to establishing new works throughout the U.S. and Canada. The goal is to establish 1000 new churches within a five year period to help the many unbelievers and un-churched with the Good News of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Missionary Diocese of All Saints has several new works in the early stages of development as part of this effort.
If you are in the Delaware, Maryland or Virginia region and maybe interested in helping plant a new church in your community, we encourage you to contact the office of Bishop Richard Lipka: 410-641-4882 or cecdelmarva@mac.com.
MDAS TO HOLD FIRST SYNOD
The first Synod of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints will take place in Ocean City, Maryland at the Dunes Manor Hotel. The Synod will begin on Wednesday evening, April 27, 2011 
with the Holy Eucharist at 6:30 PM and conclude on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at Noon, unless an afternoon session proves necessary.
The main business of the synod will be the the approval and adoption of our Constitution and Canons and the selection of the Bishop’s Council (Standing Committee).
Immediately following the Synod, the MDAS Clergy and Wives Retreat will take place, beginning on Thursday afternoon, April 28, 2011 at 4:00 PM and continuing through Noon on Saturday, April 30, 2011. The theme for this year’s Retreat is “Doing the Mission of Christ in the 21st Century. This will be an excellent opportunity for all of us to unite in worship, teaching and fellowship.
ST. STEPHEN’S ATHENS TEXAS NOW IN COMMUNION WITH MILLIONS OF ANGLICANS WORLDWIDE
Twenty years ago on Advent Sunday, December 2, 1990 a few Episcopalians led by Father Vernon Grosvenor founded St. Stephens Anglican Church in Athens, Texas. Meeting first at the Cain Center they soon acquired from the Church of the Nazarene a building on Rocky Ridge Road where they worshipped until they built and occupied their current facilities on East College Street. Their numbers grew quickly from seven to over fifty.
They affiliated themselves with the Anglican Church in America (ACA), a small group of similar parishes in what was known as the Anglican Continuum. Concerns over ordination practices and departures from traditional beliefs in the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the Anglican Communion, united these parishes in a common doctrinal orthodoxy. Following the 2003 consecration of a bishop living in a committed same-gender partnership and other significant doctrinal changes, well over 100,000 Anglicans left the Episcopal Church. Individuals, parishes and four major Dioceses, including the nearby Diocese of Ft. Worth, left and ultimately formed the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) as a separate province for orthodox Anglicans in the United States and Canada.
On July 5, 2009 St. Stephen’s voted to leave the ACA for several reasons and became an independent parish. Father Jerry Pardue, a Nashotah House Seminary graduate, continued as the Rector of the parish. Anglicanism is hierarchical and a parish, although not preferred, can survive as an independent organization but a priest must have a Bishop. After much prayer and discernment Father Pardue sought membership and was received by the Missionary Society of St. John the Evangelist (MSJ) coming under the care and supervision of the Rt. Rev. Frederick Fick, Father-General of the order.
The parish remained independent continuing to discern where the Holy Spirit might lead it. After much investigation, discussion and prayer the members of the congregation unanimously decided to follow their Rector into full membership in the society. MSJ is a convocation of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints with the Rt. Rev. William Ilgenfritz, Diocesan Bishop. The diocese is in the Anglican Church in North America. St. Stephen’s was in communion with a few hundred when first joined to the ACA, then in communion with no one as an independent, is now in communion with over 100,000 fellow Anglicans in 750 plus congregations. In fact they are now in communion with millions as the ACNA is affirmed by the majority of the world wide Anglican Communion.
Sunday, December 5, Bishop Fick came to St. Stephen’s to accept the parish into the MSJ at a Pontifical High Mass at 10 am assisted by Father Bob Tomlinson, Dean of the Texas chapter. At 4 pm the parish presented its annual Lessons and Carols for Advent for the many friends of St. Stephen’s who worship at other churches in the morning to celebrate the new affiliation.