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The Anglican Mission in America (AMIA) Splits for a Second Time
By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
January 26, 2019
The Anglican Mission in America (AMIA) has split for a second time.
The movement which began under Charles (Chuck) Murphy when he declared independence from The Episcopal Church over its apostasies in faith and morals, has once again broken in two.
The Anglican Union For The Propagation Of The Gospel: A Confraternity Of Oratories--the AUPG has now formed and separated itself from The Anglican Mission in America, led by Bishop Philip Jones, heir to Chuck Murphy.
The AUPG has one parish based in Longmont, Colorado, Epiphany Anglican Fellowship, led by Bishop Gerry Schnackenberg, the sole rector of the church.
Schnackenberg was once an emissary bishop to Tanzania when he was an AMiA bishop.
In Denver in 2008, the then Episcopal priest said he had reached the end of the theological road with The Episcopal Church and his bishop, Jerry Winterrowd. With 150 members, Schnackenberg set up "The Light of Christ Anglican Church".
The priest said his bishop's ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth on pressing matters of theology and morality was more than he could deal with and he walked away from St. Philip & St. James, Denver.
The Epiphany Anglican Fellowship website claims to be a member congregation of The Anglican Union for the Propagation of the Gospel: A confraternity of Oratories.
From the Anglican Union website comes this: AUPG is rooted in the Anglican Tradition, an ancient-future faith that dates back to the first century church and developed in the English Reformation. The Anglican Union is distinctly nourished by three streams.
The leaders of the new movement also include Kevin Donlon, a canon lawyer, the and Carl Buffington, along with some others who have left in what looks to be a Texas/Pawleys Island split.
The Abbey at Pawleys Island, the late Chuck Murphy's parish created by splitting All Saints Church, now makes no mention of AMiA on its website.
Virtueonline reached out to Bishop Jones and Donlon, but got no responses.
Something called The Living Text was a source for this story.
UPDATE: "The AMiA is a mission society that has been releasing clergy to follow their calling and the Spirit’s leading for 20 years, this is no different." - Philip Jones
From Kevin Donlon of the AUPG comes this: "If you look at the AMIA website the Society leaders have reformulated themselves with different chapters . The leadership has been reformulated. and I know that the College re framed its leadership and fine tuned the partnership relationships. Bishop Jones has forged a renewed vision which was begun at last years Winter Conference ( https://theamia.org/theological-vision)"
