The point is hardly moot. While there are some 130 million non-church going Americans (many of whom are Christians who have just dropped out of organized religion), the new American-based African controlled bishops are depending on their initial existence by picking off thriving Episcopal parishes, most of whom will not be permitted to stay in their present buildings if they leave The Episcopal Church.

The new American evangelical Anglican bishops are not exactly in the mega church business even though they are evangelical in ethos and theology. Most congregations are between 70 and 300. A handful are larger.

The bigger question is this: Is there a general plan into which all the new bishops sent from African provinces fit? Common Cause might bring them together and offer an umbrella for them all to be under, but that does not answer the immediate question of their survival and growth.

No one should doubt the honesty and veracity of these men. Their intentions are honorable - they want to provide a safe space and cover for fleeing orthodox parishes that no longer want to stay in an apostate denomination that is spreading a new religion that bears little relationship to Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer.

One man who is sounding alarm bells at this growing proliferation of bishops is the Rev. Dr. Peter Toon, president of the Prayer Book Society USA.

In a widely circulated reflection, "Episcopoi, Episcopoi & Episcopoi: Bishops, Bishops and more Bishop' http://tinyurl.com/34h6jd Toon writes, "Who would have thought that this planting of new networks, dioceses and convocations by different Provinces actually in practice sets supposed 'brother' against 'brother' in the competition for sheep and converts in North America, for there is no agreed areas for mission by the sending Provinces and it appears to be a free for all? Once more, amazing and profoundly troubling, that the ancient principle of territoriality has been ditched so quickly without agreement on what replaces it."

Words to observe.

Toon went on to write: "Who would have thought that in America, the land of the free and the brave,' where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in a republic with democracy is the name of the game, Anglicans would allow their pastoral and spiritual oversight to be decided by secret meetings of bishops assembled as hierarchies in foreign lands?"

Drawing on the history of the Episcopal Church break and formation from the mother church - the Church of England - Toon notes that the 13 colonies were under the Bishop of London until Independence. There were no local bishops at all in America only commissaries (who were priests). "Let us also remember that when eventually the new Protestant Episcopal Church of the USA got its own bishops it was by a slow and painful process for the American Episcopate was established only through tribulation. Let us also hold in mind that during and after the Civil War PECUSA stayed together despite many occasions for separation and schism."

Toon goes on to ask, "Who is deciding the number, the names and the mission of the growing number of bishops being consecrated by overseas provinces to serve North American Anglicans? Is it American Anglicans assembled in due order and voting in a godly and orderly manner as they did in 1789 and following? No! Secret meetings of the whole or parts of the Houses of Bishops in Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda are deciding who shall be bishops for the groups of seceders from TEC and ACC in North America. Further, there appears to be little or no consultation or godly cooperation between these separate House of Bishops as to specific strategy and plans. The result is-at least the impression of-chaos and dysfunctionality in the Anglican Way of those in North America who protest against the infidelity of TEC and ACC and have become seceders or extra-mural Anglicans."

Writes Toon: "How can such a beginning lead to a genuine united, biblically-based truly Anglican Province in North America to replace ACC & TEC? The answer is, of course, the gracious providence of God and major changes of heart, mind and activity by the new seceders and their sponsors."

Responding to Toon's questions, recently consecrated Kenyan Bishop Bill Atwood said this: "I don't know how one could ask for more coordination than was exhibited in the period leading up to the Nairobi and Mbarara (Uganda) consecrations."

Atwood noted that "on any given Sunday there are about 52 million Anglicans in church. The leaders of 40 million of them were present (or in a couple of cases officially represented) in Nairobi and many went on to Uganda. Before the announcement was made in June by Kenya about the consecrations, Archbishop Nzimbi consulted with key Global South Primates and would not have proceeded without their agreement. Archbishop Orombi also coordinated for months with other Primates before proceeding."

Atwood said he also consulted with AMIA leader Bishop Chuck Murphy and CANA leader Bishop Martyn Minns. "Our competition is the devil, not each other. For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear there is a new spirit of collaboration. The Global South Primates have modeled unity and mandated unity. It is now up to us to Manifest Unity in North America."

Toon responded by saying that he saw massive problems arising and looming in this new ecclesial enterprise.

"It is one thing to say that there is collaboration now while the operations are just beginning, but remember that original sin is still present in bishops, clergy and laity. Once jurisdictions are up and running then the tendency is present to support and defend one's own and be loyal to it. One may predict that it will be extremely difficult to bring together into one united province these different jurisdictions not only because of human personalities present, but also because the dynamics of American culture favor centrifugal not centripetal religious forces.

"We may find in a small town a church of the Province of Nigeria and one of the Province of Kenya, and so on", writes Toon. "These bishops are forming networks or dioceses and there is no plan-as far as we know-to divide the country into areas so that one Province works here and another Province there. They appear to be free to go wherever seceders invite them or where they choose to create a congregation."

And all this before the Archbishop of Canterbury has had the chance on Sept 20th to try to bring a new spirit into the TEC House of Bishops and create new possibilities. We may think he will fail, but to act so decisively before his visit is perhaps not wise.

Said Toon: "Could not the missionary work have been left to Rwanda which was here first? Why could not the AMiA have been assisted by the other African Provinces rather than the others setting up their own dioceses which in effect will compete with Rwanda-though the noun, 'competition' will probably not be used?"

The choices of the American supermarket now include the varieties of African Anglicanism (along with the varieties of other forms of Anglicanism - Continuing, Reformed Episcopal and so on.), says Toon.

"Perhaps even now it is too late to halt this march into Anglican variety and competition. Perhaps what we are seeing as coming into existence is a new set of Anglican churches which have loyalties to African Provinces and which on paper cooperate but in reality do their own thing. The divisions of Anglicanism in North America, which are already multiplying, will be substantially increased. Maybe that is all we can expect bearing in mind all the circumstances and factors. If so the protest against the infidelity of TEC and the claims of biblical orthodoxy in response will sound and seem as hot air."

END