May 26, 2009 / 22:14 pm
A group of Anglicans who have broken from the Episcopal Church have formed a new diocese in the western U.S. to “carry the banner of Anglican orthodoxy.”
The new Diocese of Western Anglicans includes California, Arizona, Montana, Idaho and Washington. Its 21 parishes claim an average Sunday attendance of 2,000 people. According to the California Catholic Daily, the parishes include former Episcopal parishes and some newly formed Anglican parishes.
The parishes formally asked for recognition by the Anglican Church of North America. A new bishop for the diocese will be elected by the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church of North America on June 20 and 21.
Rev. Bill Thompson, rector of All Saints’ Church in Long Beach, California told the Anglican website Virtue Online that his parish’s joining the new province was “a natural move for us.”
“We have moved from a fellowship to a diocese and this will give us a real identity," he said.