Frequently Asked Questions

AMiA’s relationships with denominations and organizations

As a Mission Society, we enjoy serving all like-minded people and organizations wherever there is potential to help them introduce people to Jesus, make disciples, develop leaders and plant three-stream churches.

What does it mean to be Anglican?

The Anglican Communion is the fourth largest denomination in the world. Founded during the Reformation, Anglicans emphasize Protestant faith and theology while embracing many of the apostolic traditions passed down from the early church. Anglicans uphold the historic Faith of the ancient Church: built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone; revealed in the Scriptures; empowered by the Holy Spirit; promoted through the historic three-fold offices of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; passed down through the early church; preserved in the Creeds; reformed for purity while preserving catholicity; expressed in the Book of Common Prayer and the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles; and continued through Great Commission boldness with Great Commandment love. The Anglican Mission Society enjoys a unique connection to a global family of some 77 million followers of Jesus Christ in 164 countries around the world.

How are you connected to the Anglican Communion?

We are passionate about being followers of Jesus who are also Anglicans. At a time when the Instruments of Unity in the Anglican Communion (the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates Meeting, and the Anglican Consultative Council) are unable to sustain our common life and unity worldwide, we are moving forward in the mission of God. We are doing so according to the origin and meaning of being Anglican (as described above). We believe that the necessary revival and reform of our Communion must follow its primary purpose, which is the mission of God. We remain dedicated to this hope. Therefore, we are focused on mission, not creating new structures for Anglicanism. We believe the appropriate structures for Anglicanism will follow healthy mission.

What is the Anglican Mission Society’s relationship with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)?

The Anglican Mission is grateful for the opportunity to have helped start the ACNA. We continue to thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We appreciate their vision for a new province in North America, support their ministry, and bless their people. It is our desire and privilege to come alongside any person, church, or diocese in the ACNA and serve them in introducing people to Jesus, making disciples, developing leaders, and starting new three-stream churches.

What resources does AMiA use for Scriptures, Lectionary, Daily Office, etc.?

The English Standard Version (ESV) is the preferred Bible version for Scriptures. The AMiA references ESV for all official documents, website and communications content.

The AMiA uses a combination of Book of Common Prayer 1979 and 1928, Common Worship; Services and Prayers for the Church of England and the Revised Common Lectionary for lectionary and daily office readings.

Suggested resources:

  • eCP app for tracking readings and collects
  • bcp online
  • bible.com
  • Bible in One Year, by Nicky Gumbel for Daily Scripture readings

AMiA’s Structure and Operations

Why is the Anglican Mission in America a mission society?

The Anglican Mission in America was created as a mission society, a sodality. The AMiA is not a denomination, a province or a diocese; all forms of modalities. AMiA has built a missionary society model that allows our clergy to have full, complete and valid Anglican orders with licenses issued and held by dioceses who are recognized constituents of the Anglican Communion, our Global Partners.

Being a sodality or mission society:

  • gives our clergy and churches the freedom to do the work to which we are called; introducing people to Jesus, making disciples and developing leaders who plant three-stream Anglican churches. We exist to raise, release and support leaders and communities of faith to reach the lost for Jesus Christ in America.
  • allows AMiA to have a kingdom-based, working relationship with all Anglican entities, and our clergy and churches are free to associate with the provincial/diocesan/societal group that is best suited to their calling; just as we accept clergy and churches from other entities who feel called to Anglican, Three Stream ministry in a mission society.
  • affords the AMiA to operate with lightweight minimalistic structures under our Lead Bishop who, in agreement with the Council of Bishops and the Leadership Team, recognizes most effective missionary strategies are through evangelism by indigenous leadership who raise up entrepreneurial leaders desiring historic Anglican connections.

What is your relationship with the College of Consultors?

The College of Consultors serves the Anglican Mission by providing wise counsel, prayer, encouragement, and a relational connection with our global Anglican family. The College and our Partners are committed to bless, encourage, and support the Anglican Mission to do the work of evangelism; make disciples, develop leaders, and plant three-stream Anglican churches to extend the Kingdom of God in America.

What is a Mission Partnership?

While we are unapologetically Anglican, we embrace a “societal model” of being the Church rather than a “diocesan model.” Because we function within the Anglican Communion, we enjoy partnering with like-minded Anglican bishops and their dioceses around the world through a mutually supportive agreement called a Mission Partnership. In a Mission Partnership, the Bishop of a Diocese signs an agreement to license and release our clergy for ministry in accordance with the Theological Vision and under the spiritual oversight of the Lead Bishop of the Anglican Mission in America. We value the global friendships and kingdom perspective these partnerships provide and the opportunities for mutual service and support that follow our Christ-centered bonds.

What is the Anglican Mission Ministry Plan?

The annual Ministry Plan represents the conviction that God desires to do more ministry among us and expand His mission further through us each year. It helps us faithfully engage and fruitfully live out our Theological Vision. It consists of goals and the strategies needed to meet those goals that are collectively discerned, clearly communicated, and easily understood by everyone. It organizes and aligns everyone in the Society around our yearly priorities and commitments, helping us say “yes” to the best things and “no” to those things we have not agreed upon or divert us from our mission. We also use the Ministry plan to set our budget, determine appropriate staffing, etc.

Members of the Society collaboratively brainstorm goals and strategies for the coming year. The Leadership Team assimilates, prioritizes, and approves the goals and strategies. Then, everyone in the Society is asked to pray, discern their part, and fully engage. Finally, based on the generosity of financial giving, the Board approves and attaches a budget to the Ministry Plan for the coming year.

 Does the Anglican Mission offer financial support?

Through the generosity of churches and individuals, the Anglican Mission in America created the Living the Mission Fund—a fund designated to come alongside apostolic leaders and support their missional behavior in accordance with our Theological Vision. The Anglican Mission accepts applications for financial support from members and member churches in the form of matching grants for:

  • church planters assessed and qualified through the mission assessment process;
  • churches with a church planter, staff or a resident who has been assessed and qualified through the mission assessment process;
  • churches who seek funding for missional infrastructure (for example, a church planting residency program).

Belonging to AMiA

What type of leaders are a good fit with the Anglican Mission?

We recruit leaders dedicated to the work of evangelism that leads to discipleship and results in new expressions of the local church. We assess and develop leaders based on the core characteristics and competencies necessary to start and grow healthy church-planting churches. We release and encourage leaders called to plant or lead church-planting churches through coaching, training, and support.

What if I am not an “Anglican,” can I still join the Anglican Mission as clergy?

Yes. We recruit, raise up, and release a variety of apostolic leaders moving towards an Anglican way of life and mission. We are unapologetically Anglican in our beliefs, values, and practices— and yet we give thanks for the opportunity to welcome others on the journey.

How do clergy become members or friends of AMiA?

Begin by applying to become a member of the Anglican Mission in America. For an overview of our membership application, church planting assessment, and ordination process, and church affiliation process please visit the Mission Assessment website.

What does the Anglican Mission believe about women in ministry?

Men and women are together created in the image of God and are therefore equal before God as persons, possessing the same moral dignity and value, and have equal access to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we encourage, equip, and empower both men and women to utilize their gifting in ministry to build up the Body of Christ and extend the Kingdom of God. We also adhere to the principle of male headship, taught in the Scriptures and upheld in the practice of the historic Church. This should not be confused with, nor give any hint of, domineering or misogyny. Rather, it is to be the loving, tender and nurturing care of a godly man who is Himself under the kind and gentle authority of Jesus Christ. We affirm the ordination of men to the office of Bishop and Presbyter and affirm their role as the Rectors (Senior Pastors) of local congregations. We affirm the ordination of women to the office of Deacon. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18, Acts 18:24-26, 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:18-19, 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7, Titus 2:3-5, 1 Peter 3:1-7). Read more on this topic.