In a service marked by pageantry, prayers and celebratory bagpipes, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) received its new Archbishop and Primate this week. Hosted at the Mount Pleasant, South Carolina campus of Seacoast, a nondenominational megachurch, the gathering drew together clergy, bishops and laity from across the denomination as well as global Anglican and ecumenical visitors.
The Most Rev. Steve Wood, elected to a five-year term in office by the denomination’s College of Bishops on June 22, became archbishop at the conclusion of the ACNA Provincial Assembly later that week in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Wood is the third Archbishop to lead the ACNA since it was formed in 2009 from several groups of former Episcopalians and other Anglican groups including the Reformed Episcopal Church. Wood is himself a former Episcopalian, who began his ministry in the Diocese of Ohio. The denomination in 2023 counted a membership of 128,114 and an attendance of 84,794 spread across 1,013 congregations. Wood will remain diocesan bishop for the South Carolina-based Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas.
The October 30 investiture functioned as a commissioning ceremony, with Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) Chairman and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda Archbishop Laurent Mbanda anointing the new archbishop with oil.
Continue reading at The Living Church here.
Comment by Nick Thomas on November 1, 2024 at 10:19 am
It was an “enthronement.” And please stop capitalizing things like “archbishop” when they are not proper nouns or part of a title.
Comment by Jeffrey Walton on November 1, 2024 at 10:23 am
The service was characterized as an investiture, so that is what I am conveying to readers. This piece was published in The Living Church so I defer to their editorial style.
Comment by Dixie Hall on November 3, 2024 at 9:08 am
My husband and I traveled from Idaho to be present at this next step in the life of the ACNA. It was a long but glorious service. We met people from disparate parts of the US and the world. And.Seacost Church showed such kind hospitality. Thank you to all who spent hours organizing this investiture. It was an honor to be present.
To Him belongs the glory forever.
Comment by Colin Ross on November 3, 2024 at 3:35 pm
Aww that’s cute. A new head witch doctor
Comment by orter.t on November 11, 2024 at 10:53 am
Nick Thomas and Colin Ross: Why do you get such pleasure out of demeaning something you obviously do not understand? Why waste your time in this way?
Comment by Colin Ross on November 14, 2024 at 11:52 pm
What don’t I understand? How is your head priest different than any other shaman, witch doctor, high priest or whatever. It’s called faith because it’s not a fact. Personally I do it because it’s funny and the Anglican Church destroyed my family. Plus there are so many people leaving Christianity (because it’s a ridiculous cult) that it helps when others see people openly mocking it.
Comment by Colin Ross on November 14, 2024 at 11:54 pm
Nick because it’s a silly cult. Please, please tell me how the head bishop is different than any other shaman, witch doctor, fortune teller etc. besides being funny to me I think it helps as people are seen openly criticizing this religion and it’s important at this time as more people are leaving this religion forever.