The 17th Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) opened Wednesday evening, June 17, at Cornerstone Anglican Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bishops, clergy, and lay delegates from across the Province gathered for the Opening Eucharist, beginning three days of worship, fellowship, prayer, and legislative work that will continue through Friday, June 19, 2026.
The service was well attended, filling the church with delegates representing dioceses from across North America. Among those processing into the service were bishops, clergy, and provincial leaders, including Canon Mark Eldredge, President of the American Anglican Council (AAC). There was a noticeable sense of gravity and purpose as the Council began. While the opening hymns reflected both the richness of Anglican tradition and the breadth of Christian worship through the centuries, including “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” and “How Great Is Our God,” the Scripture readings and sermon focused delegates on the challenges and responsibilities before the Church.
The readings appointed for the evening included Jeremiah 20:7-13, Psalm 68:1-18, Colossians 2:6-10, and Matthew 10:16-33. Together they presented a sobering picture of Christian discipleship. Jeremiah’s willingness to endure suffering for proclaiming God’s word, Christ’s warning that His followers would face opposition and persecution, and St. Paul’s exhortation to remain rooted in Christ all pointed delegates toward the costly faithfulness required of those entrusted with leadership in the Church.
The Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs served as both celebrant and preacher for the evening Eucharist. Drawing particularly from Colossians 2, Bishop Dobbs centered his message on the theme of Christ’s sufficiency for the life and mission of the Church, no matter the season she finds herself in. “In every age,” he said, “she, the Church, has gathered in seasons of plenty and seasons of want, in days of growth and in days of grief, around one thing that does not alter: the living Word of the living Lord Jesus Christ. And to this Word we are summoned again as we gather as a Council, for it is Christ who builds His Church, and it is the Word of Christ that keeps her firm to the end.”
His sermon returned repeatedly to the conviction that Christ Himself must remain the center of the Church’s confidence, identity, and mission. He reminded delegates that while circumstances may change, the foundation upon which the Church stands does not. “The ground of our confidence is fixed,” Bishop Dobbs reiterated. “Our confidence does not and must never reside in what we possess. It rests in Christ and Christ alone. He is, quite simply, enough.”
Reflecting on St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, Bishop Dobbs noted that the Church in Colossae faced teachings that threatened the sufficiency of Christ by encouraging believers to look elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment and security. While the challenges confronting Christians today may appear different, he observed that the underlying temptation remains remarkably similar. “Our temptations wear a modern dress, but the pattern is old and familiar,” he said. “The moment we forget Him and His sufficiency, we have lost our way.” St. Paul called the Colossians back to Christ alone, and he does so to us today, a church in the midst of many struggles but with no less of a resource than had the Colossians: Christ Himself.
This emphasis on Christ’s sufficiency extended beyond doctrine and into the practical life of the Church. Bishop Dobbs pointed out that Anglican worship itself continually directs believers back to Christ. Week after week, the Church gathers around Scripture, prayer, Word, and Sacrament, proclaiming again that Christ is enough. The Book of Common Prayer, the liturgy, and the Church’s worship all serve to orient God’s people toward Him. This is why the theme of this year’s Council, on walking in Christ, is so important at this juncture of our history. The theme is drawn from Colossians 2:6-7 and reflects this same call to remain firmly rooted in the one who is sufficient for our journey.
Bishop Dobbs encouraged delegates to remember in the coming days that the faith once delivered to the saints is ultimately centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ Himself. “Christ remains the foundation of the Anglican Church in North America,” he preached. “Walk in the One you have received.” He then concluded by reminding delegates that the future strength of the Province will not be determined by innovation, programs, or institutional success, but by faithfulness to the Gospel entrusted to the Church. “If we teach the faith we received, we will build a Church that will stand.”
Provincial Council serves as one of the principal governing bodies of the ACNA and is designed to ensure that every diocese has an equal voice in provincial governance, regardless of size. Each diocese is represented by its bishop, one member of the clergy and two lay delegates, reflecting the Anglican commitment to shared leadership among bishops, clergy, and laity. The Council is constitutionally required to meet annually and serves as a primary venue for shaping the common life and mission of the Province.
This year, delegates will consider several significant matters affecting the future of the Church. Among them are the FY27 provincial budget, elections for new members of the ACNA Executive Committee, and an application by the Anglican Diocese of the Mid-South to become a recognized diocese of the Province. Delegates will also review proposed revisions to Title IV, which governs disciplinary matters within the Church, and proposed amendments to Title I concerning Temporary Ecclesiastical Authority. Additionally, delegates will receive the results of the new ACNA Mission Index, welcome new affiliated ministries, and discuss matters related to mission, unity, and the health of Anglican churches throughout North America. Two resolutions submitted by the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina will also come before the Council. The first calls upon the Court for the Trial of a Bishop to release a full transcript of its actions in the Ruch matter, while the second calls upon the Executive Committee to release the final written report of its investigation into the same matter.
As delegates prepare for the work ahead, the opening service served as a reminder that Provincial Council is more than a legislative gathering. While budgets, elections, constitutional questions, and resolutions are all important aspects of the Council’s work, they exist within the larger mission of the Church. The purpose of the Council is not merely to conduct business but to seek the mind of Christ together and to discern how best to advance the mission entrusted to the Province. The opening Eucharist set that tone clearly, calling delegates to remember that the Church’s confidence, unity, and mission are found not in itself, but in Christ alone.
Please join us in praying for the bishops, clergy, and lay delegates gathered in Tulsa this week, that the Lord would guide their deliberations, strengthen the bonds of our common life, and help the Anglican Church in North America continue walking faithfully in Him.