New Anglican Church Meeting in Livonia

A new Anglican church has formed in Livonia, Michigan. The congregation is biblically orthodox and meets in the Laurel Park Holiday Inn on Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Livonia, MI (PRWEB) January 20, 2006 -- What does a parish do when its parent denomination no longer follows the teachings of the faith? That was the dilemma faced by more than 200 members of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Livonia. Ultimately their orthodox beliefs led to their separation from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan and launch the Anglican Church of Livonia earlier this month.

“We are excited to continue as a biblically-orthodox Anglican church in Livonia,” said Rev. C. Allen Kannapell, pastor of the church. “Now we can focus on our mission of sharing the love of Jesus Christ with our neighbors again.”

Anglicans are part of a worldwide body of believers founded by the Church of England. The 77 million-member church is growing in Africa, Asia and South America, while its Western provinces such as the Episcopal Church USA are in sharp decline. After being implored by the Anglican Communion not to depart from biblical faith, it did by consecrating a practicing homosexual as bishop and persisting in its preaching of pluralism. It has now been declared in broken or impaired communion with 22 provinces, representing more than 90% percent of worshipping Anglicans.

“We didn’t leave the Episcopal Church, it left us,” Kannapell continued. “It has embraced a new gospel that is not recognizably Christian. We believe that we are broken and need to be fixed. Jesus transformed my life. Why would I want to deny his love and power to anyone else?”

In an all-church vote held October 2, 2005, the congregation asked Diocese of Michigan Bishop Wendell N. Gibbs, Jr. to transfer them to the jurisdiction of another Anglican bishop because of his endorsement of the unbiblical actions of the Episcopal Church. Bishop Gibbs said that he would not and could not do that, and ultimately he removed Rev. Kannapell and the local church Vestry from their offices.

The church has been meeting at the Holiday Inn hotel on Laurel Park Drive since January 8. The service begins at 10:30 a.m. For additional information on service times, go to www.standrewsministry.org.

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