May 15th 2015
The National Council of the UECNA met in St Louis, MO. The Treasurer’s Report for the 2014 financial year was received and approved, and will be forwarded to the parishes shortly. The Bishops of the three missionary dioceses reported on the events of the last year. The South and Ozarks reported some encouraging events, and some progress in terms of spiritual development. The Missionary Diocese of the East held its first Convocation for many years, and elected both a board of examining chaplains, and also a Council of Advice to assist the Bishop in the running of the diocese. An ordination is scheduled there for May 16th, and a new Mission is being established in central Florida. The West has had a complex year, with the not unexpected loss of St Alban’s, Peoria to another jurisdiction, and the addition of a new Mission in the Fremont area of California. The Archbishop also outlined plans for an Anglican Studies programme for future candidates for the ministry. The National Council meeting wrapped up just before 1.00pm.
This was followed by a brief House of Bishops meeting in which Bishops David Hustwick, Diocese of the Great Lakes, and Bishop George Conner, Anglican Episcopal Church, US, were welcome into the UECNA, and gave brief reports on the work going on in their dioceses. There was also a brief discussion of UECNA marriage policy, which focused on the fact that clergy need to follow the Canons of the Church in performing marriages, particularly in regard to the requirement that couples to be married must sign a declaration giving their assent to the Church’s teaching on marriage before the ceremony takes place. The House of Bishops meeting was cut short at 2:45pm due to the worsening weather.