The Continental Congress of American Anglicans, a consortium of orthodox Anglican groups and organizations in the United States, has received a letter from a group of international primates and archbishops who met in Singapore after Easter to consider a request from the groups for a new Anglican province in the United States.

"Let us tell you straight away that we hear your cry, and are committed to action ..." the Anglican leaders said in their April 15 letter. "We have studied your particular proposal for intervention and with other relevant questions want this to be considered more widely by the primates in the Anglican Communion."

Expressing concern that "vulnerable parishes" receive the episcopal visitations they need, the archbishops and primates expressed their intention to write to the Most Rev. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Most Rev. Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and to the primates of the Anglican Communion. Those letters were expected to be released at the end of April.

The Rev. Chuck Murphy, rector of All Saints' Church, Pawleys Island, S.C., and founder of the First Promise organization, said the letter is "extremely encouraging." The First Promise Round Table continues to hope for a new province before the end of 1999, though Fr. Murphy allows that it may take longer.

Signers of the April 15 letter pledged to request that compliance with the Lambeth Conference resolution on sexuality and the resolution requiring respect for bishops unwilling to ordain or license women be included on the agenda of the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council, which meets in September, and the primates' meeting next March. The archbishops will meet again in November to monitor progress.