It is clear that many readers of TLC have a number of strong convictions concerning the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), of which I am one of the bishops. I've noticed in recent issues that there are some misconceptions about AMiA. Because I plan on retiring from congregational oversight at the end of this month, I thought I might shed some light on things before I go.

AMiA came into existence because of crises in faith, leadership and mission in the Episcopal Church. Many Episcopalians are quite orthodox in their faith. However, many laity and clergy and even bishops and seminary professors are not. Some pick and choose in the faith. Others openly deny it and are not rebuked.

If we allow the contradiction of the gospel to go undisciplined, then we teach that the gospel really does not matter. We imply that there is no authoritative revelation on which all may rely and to which the teachers of the church may be held accountable. This is a condition foreign to historic Anglicanism and to the ethos of the entire Anglican Communion. Some congregations and clergy, wanting to remain Anglican, felt it necessary to leave the Episcopal Church, but they wanted to remain in the Anglican Communion. They appealed to the orthodox primates for help.

There is also a crisis in mission. While the U.S.A. has been growing, the Episcopal Church has been shrinking and rather dramatically so. Many a congregation would rather die than evangelize. It is a recipe for suicide as well as disobedience to the Lord's great commission. A crisis in faith leads to a crisis in mission, for if Christ is not the unique and only Savior of the world, why bother? Many don't.

Ultimately we need to face the terrible truth that there is a crisis of leadership. The failure of our leaders and theologians to strongly uphold the saving uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the authoritative validity of the holy scriptures has led to a shattering of the spiritual unity within the Episcopal Church. When the leaders will not lead, then an intervention is called for.

We in AMiA do not believe we are the only ones concerned with the gospel. We do, however, believe we are focused on the central matters, on the saving uniqueness of Jesus Christ, faithfulness to the scriptures, effective leadership and on the mission to the lost. To this end we seek to help congregations so minded to remain in the Anglican Communion, to plant new congregations, and to help the formation of an orthodox Anglican province take place in North America under the sponsorship of orthodox primates in the Anglican Communion. Our focus is not on the Episcopal Church, for whom we pray, but on the Lord and the mission to which we are all called.

(The Rt. Rev.) John Rodgers

Ambridge, Pa.