Anglican realignment

The Anglican realignment is a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada. Two of the major events that contributed to the movement were the 2002 decision of the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada to authorise a rite of blessing for same-sex unions, and the nomination of two openly gay priests in 2003 to become bishops. Jeffrey John, an openly gay priest with a long-time partner, was appointed to be the next Bishop of Reading in the Church of England and the General Convention of the Episcopal Church ratified the election of Gene Robinson, an openly gay non-celibate^{[note 1]} man,^[2] as Bishop of New Hampshire. Jeffrey John ultimately declined the appointment due to pressure.^[3]

The current realignment movement differs from previous ones in that some Anglicans are seeking to establish different ecclesiastical arrangements within the Anglican Communion rather than separating themselves from it; and other Anglicans that had previously separated are being gathered into the new realignment structures along with those who were never Anglican/Episcopalian before. Some Anglican provinces, particularly in Nigeria, Kenya, West Africa, and South America, are seeking to accommodate them.^[4] A number of parishes that are part of the realignment have severed ties with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada and associated themselves with bishops from these other national Anglican provinces.

The conventions of four dioceses of the Episcopal Church voted in 2007 and 2008 to leave that church and to join the Anglican Church of South America. Twelve other jurisdictions, serving an estimated 100,000 persons at that time, formed on December 3–4, 2008 a Confessing Anglican body, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The ACNA is seeking official recognition as a province within the Anglican Communion.^[5] The Church of Nigeria declared itself in communion with the new church in March 2009 and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans has recognized it as well.^[6][7] In June 2009, the Anglican Church of Uganda also declared itself in full communion with the ACNA, and the Anglican Church of Sudan followed suit in December 2011.^[8][9]

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