HOUSTON, TX – October 27, 2022 – The Anglican Diocese of the West (ADOTW), a diocese of 40 churches located in 24 states and four Canadian territories, and formerly part of the Church of Nigeria’s North American Mission (CONNAM), voted October 23 to officially end its affiliation with CONNAM and become a diocese within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
The announcement was made by The Rt. Rev. Dr. Felix Orji, OSB, who was consecrated as Bishop of ADOTW in 2011. Bishop Orji also served as the Missionary Bishop and later the Coordinating Bishop of CONNAM after his appointment by the Church of Nigeria from May 2019 to October 2022. Bishop Orji will continue his role as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the West within ACNA. He was licensed and received by the Anglican Church in North America.
“We are excited about our move to ACNA and feel that this is the not only the right time, but also the right direction for our churches within the Anglican Diocese of the West,” said Bishop Orji.
The Bishop stated that not every church within the Diocese is expected to make the move to ACNA, but because the Diocesan Board vote was 16-1 in favor of the transition, he feels many churches will leave CONNAM and become part of the Anglican Church of North America. The Rt. Revd. Dr Scott Seely, Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of the West, will also transition to ACNA.
Bishop Orji said, “These decisions are always emotional and unsettling, but in the end, we are confident that God has guided our Diocese to a convocation of Anglicans who believe firmly in in the gospel, Anglican polity, and Jesus’s command that we ‘all may be one’. We feel this move will help all the churches within our diocese and the other dioceses in ACNA, individually and collectively, to be stronger and more effective in our witness as a united orthodox voice in North America. It is important for us to fellowship and work together instead of separating ourselves from our brothers in ACNA”.
The Most Rev. Dr Foley Beach, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America and Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the South, said, “We wholeheartedly welcome our brothers and sisters in Christ within the churches of the Anglican Diocese of the West to the Anglican Church in North America. We have long respected ADOTW’s diversity and its mission in the U.S. Together, we will be a stronger church in serving faithful Anglicans from all walks of life.” The Archbishop continued, “I have enjoyed a personal friendship with Bishop Felix Orji for many years. He is a man of tremendous character and commitment to the word of Christ. It is a privilege for me to accept him and his diocese to ACNA.”
