Amateur Anglican

Catechesis, Discipleship, and Encouragement

PART 4 OF 4: ANALYSIS, CONCLUSIONS & DECISION FRAMEWORK

ORTHODOX ANGLICAN OPTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES: A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY

Part 4 of 4: Analysis, Conclusions & Decision Framework

Compiled with assistance from Claude AI (Anthropic) – October 2025

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SUMMARY COMPARISON TABLE

JurisdictionSize (Members)TraditionFoundedVitalityGeographic AccessWebsite
ACNA130,000Mixed2009Growing (13% ASA)Excellentanglicanchurch.net
ACC~30,000 globalAnglo-Catholic1977/1983StableLimited (U.S.)anglicancatholic.org
REC7,600Reformed Protestant1873Growing (10%)Moderaterechurch.org
ACA5,200Anglo-Catholic1991DecliningVery Limitedanglicanchurchinamerica.org
APA4,000Anglo-Catholic1995StableVery Limitedanglicanprovince.org
APCKUnknown (40+ parishes)Anglo-Catholic1977StableLimitedanglicanpck.org
EMC~27 parishesCentral Church1992StableVery Limitedemchome.org
UECNAUnknown (26 parishes)Reformed Protestant1981Stable/DecliningVery Limitedunitedepiscopal.org
AMiA15-17 churchesFormer ACNA2000CollapsedVery Limitedtheamia.org
OAC1M claimed(11 parishes)Reformed Protestant1963/2005UnverifiedVery Limitedorthodoxanglican.us
AOCUnknownReformed Protestant1963UnverifiedVery Limitedaocinternational.org
CEC/ICCEC1,000+ churches claimedCentral/Convergence1992UnverifiedLimitediccec.org
CONNAMUnknownMixed/Evangelical2005/2020UncertainLimitedconnam.church

Note: Italicized membership numbers indicate unverified claims that appear inconsistent with observable presence. See individual jurisdiction entries for detailed analysis.

DECISION FACTORS FOR ANGLICANS CONSIDERING OPTIONS

Decision Matrix by Priority

If You Prioritize: Size and Resources

Only Realistic Option: ACNA (130,000 members, 1,027 congregations)

  • Only orthodox Anglican body with substantial institutional capacity
  • Full-time diocesan staff, professional communications, seminary support
  • Church planting resources, pension systems, safeguarding infrastructure
  • Trade-off: Constitutional dysfunction and theological incoherence on women’s ordination

Distant Second: REC (7,600 members, 114 parishes)

  • Benefits from ACNA membership while maintaining independent identity
  • Much smaller but growing rather than declining

All Other Anglican Bodies: Too small for robust institutional operations

  • EMC’s full communion with ACNA provides some resource access
  • CEC’s claimed size unverifiable from observable presence

If You Prioritize: Theological Clarity – Anglo-Catholic

Best Options:

  • ACC – Clearest, most systematically developed; international scope; consolidating through mergers
  • APA – Strong second choice; G-3 communion; intercommunion with both Anglo-Catholic and Reformed bodies
  • APCK – California-focused; very traditional (1928 BCP exclusively, Shakespearean English)

Trade-off: All very small, aging, limited geographic access

If You Prioritize: Theological Clarity – Reformed Protestant

Best Options:

  • REC – Clearest Reformed Protestant Anglican identity; 152-year history; growing; ACNA membership provides resources
  • UECNA – Reformed Protestant within Continuing movement but very small, recent loss of ACC intercommunion
  • AOC – Very low church (rejects “Father” title, vestments, saint veneration); U.S. parish count unknown
  • OAC – 1928 BCP tradition; only 11 verifiable U.S. parishes despite membership claims

Trade-off: All except REC very small; UECNA facing institutional challenges; OAC/AOC minimal geographic accessibility

If You Prioritize: Theological Clarity – Central Church/Mixed Tradition

Best Options:

  • EMC – Explicitly embraces liturgical diversity (evangelical to Anglo-Catholic); full communion with ACNA provides stability
  • CEC/ICCEC – Unique “Three Streams” convergence (liturgical, evangelical, charismatic); membership claims unverified

Trade-off: Both very small; CEC apostolic succession questions; EMC functions essentially as ACNA-adjacent

If You Prioritize: Growth and Vitality

Clear Winners:

  • ACNA – 13.4% annual attendance growth (2024); three consecutive years double-digit growth
  • REC – 9.7% membership growth 2016-2022; reversing earlier decline

All Other Bodies: Stable at best, declining at worst

  • AMiA – Catastrophic collapse (268 churches → 15-17); institutional failure
  • OAC/AOC/CEC – Growth claims unverifiable

If You Prioritize: Geographic Accessibility

Excellent Access:

  • ACNA – 1,027 parishes nationwide; most Americans within reasonable distance

Moderate Access:

  • REC – 114 parishes in four dioceses; better than Continuing bodies but still limited

Very Limited Access:

  • All Continuing Anglican bodies – Scattered parishes with many regions having no coverage
  • EMC – 27 parishes scattered across U.S.
  • OAC – 11 parishes concentrated in Southeast
  • AOC – Parish locations not publicly accessible
  • CEC – Parish count unclear despite size claims
  • AMiA – Only 15-17 churches nationally
  • CONNAM – Unknown parish count, limited accessibility

If You Prioritize: International Anglican Connection

Best Options:

  • ACNA – GAFCON member, recognized by Global South, full communion with Church of Nigeria
  • CONNAM – Direct connection to Church of Nigeria (18-22 million members)
  • ACC – International presence six continents, 24+ countries
  • OAC/AOC – Claim international presence but unverifiable

Poor Options:

  • AMiA – Severed from Rwanda (2011); no Anglican Communion province oversight; assessed as “former Anglicans” by ACNA Archbishop

Trade-off: ACNA’s GAFCON membership most significant; CONNAM’s Church of Nigeria connection complicated by institutional turmoil

If You Prioritize: Historical Continuity

Best Options:

  • REC – 152 years continuous existence (1873), oldest orthodox Anglican body outside TEC
  • OAC/AOC – 62 years from 1963 founding (though organizationally distinct from each other)
  • ACC – 48 years continuous from 1977 Congress of St. Louis

Newest Bodies:

  • ACNA – 2009, but largest and most institutionally significant
  • EMC – 1992
  • CEC – 1992
  • AMiA – 2000 (effectively defunct post-2011)

If You Prioritize: Clear Governance

Best Options:

  • REC – Reformed episcopal structure with defined authority
  • ACC – Catholic conciliar structure with synodical governance

Uncertain:

  • EMC – Small but functioning governance; ACNA concordat provides framework
  • CEC – Patriarch’s Council and consensus model; 2006 crisis demonstrated governance challenges
  • OAC/AOC – Too small to assess governance effectiveness

Worst Option:

  • ACNA – Constitutional dysfunction; “Power Concentration Paradox”; weak discipline mechanisms

Collapsed:

  • AMiA – Governance failure led to Rwanda severance and institutional collapse

If You Require: Absolute Clarity Against Women’s Ordination

No Ambiguity:

  • All Continuing bodies: ACC, ACA, APA, APCK, UECNA – absolute opposition
  • REC – absolute opposition
  • OAC/AOC – Traditional 1928 BCP position; absolute opposition
  • EMC – Absolute opposition (founding principle)
  • CEC – Forbids women’s ordination explicitly
  • CONNAM – Church of Nigeria position: absolute opposition

Ambiguous:

  • ACNA – “Dual integrities” creates diocesan option; some ordain women priests; ongoing crisis; dioceses declaring “impaired communion”

Former Option (Collapsed):

  • AMiA – No longer viable option; originally permitted women’s ordination

ANALYTICAL CONCLUSION

The Fundamental Fragmentation Problem

The orthodox Anglican landscape in United States exhibits severe institutional fragmentation preventing any single jurisdiction from achieving optimal characteristics. Analysis reveals systematic trade-offs:

Large Size with Resources (ACNA):

  • ✓ Institutional capacity, geographic accessibility, growth
  • ✗ Constitutional dysfunction, theological incoherence, governance paralysis

Theological Clarity (Continuing Bodies):

  • ✓ Clear doctrinal positions, consistent teaching, no compromise
  • ✗ Extremely small, aging demographics, limited resources, geographic inaccessibility

Historical Continuity (REC, OAC/AOC):

  • ✓ Long institutional history, stable governance (REC), modest growth (REC)
  • ✗ Small size, sub-jurisdiction complexity within ACNA (REC); minimal presence (OAC/AOC)

International Legitimacy (ACNA, CONNAM):

  • ✓ GAFCON membership, Global South recognition
  • ✗ ACNA: governance dysfunction; CONNAM: institutional chaos

ACNA-Adjacent Options (EMC):

  • ✓ Full communion provides resource access while maintaining independence
  • ✗ Very small (27 parishes), limited accessibility

Convergence Vision (CEC):

  • ✓ Unique three-streams approach for liturgical charismatics
  • ✗ Membership claims unverifiable, apostolic succession questions, 2006 crisis impact unclear

Institutional Collapse (AMiA):

  • ✗ Cautionary tale: 94% attrition, loss of Anglican Communion connection, “former Anglicans” assessment

Why Fragmentation Persists

Multiple small bodies compete for same orthodox Anglican constituency, preventing any from achieving critical mass for long-term sustainability. Historical pattern:

  • 1963: OAC/AOC founding creates early alternative to Episcopal Church
  • 1977: Congress of St. Louis creates Continuing Anglican movement
  • 1977-1991: Fragmentation into ACC, APCK, ACA, UECNA, others over governance, theology, personality
  • 1992: EMC and CEC emerge from different streams (ECUSA reform effort and Convergence Movement)
  • 2000: AMiA founded as Rwanda missionary work
  • 2009: ACNA formation attempts to unite streams but compromises on women’s ordination create new problems
  • 2011: AMiA collapse following Rwanda severance
  • 2020: EMC-ACNA concordat creates new relationship model
  • 2025: ACNA facing constitutional crisis may produce further fragmentation OR force constitutional reform

Three Possible Futures

Scenario 1: ACNA Reform

  • ACNA addresses constitutional dysfunction through amendment process
  • Resolves women’s ordination through decisive Provincial Assembly action
  • Becomes viable long-term orthodox Anglican jurisdiction
  • Probability: Low (amendment process controlled by those benefiting from status quo)

Scenario 2: ACNA Fragmentation

  • Women’s ordination crisis leads to split
  • Anglo-Catholic dioceses depart or align with Continuing bodies
  • Reformed Protestant dioceses possibly consolidate around REC
  • EMC model (independent but in full communion) becomes template for others
  • Returns to pre-2009 fragmentation but with decade of wasted effort
  • Probability: Moderate to High

Scenario 3: Continuing Body Consolidation

  • ACC-ACA merger (2025) succeeds and inspires further consolidation
  • APA potentially joins ACC creating larger Anglo-Catholic body
  • Still far too small for institutional viability but better than current fragmentation
  • REC continues as Reformed Protestant option within or alongside ACNA
  • Very small bodies (OAC, AOC, UECNA) face existential sustainability questions
  • Probability: Moderate (ACC-ACA merger suggests willingness, but APCK/UECNA less likely to join)

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS

For Those Currently in ACNA:

Monitor constitutional reform efforts closely. If your diocese is involved in “impaired communion” declarations or women’s ordination disputes, develop contingency plans. REC sub-jurisdiction provides some insulation; parishes in women-ordaining dioceses should assess long-term viability of ACNA membership. EMC model (full communion but independent) offers alternative for parishes seeking both connection and independence.

For Those in Continuing Bodies:

Recognize that institutional sustainability requires growth or consolidation. Support ACC-ACA merger efforts and explore whether your jurisdiction should participate in broader consolidation. Very small bodies (sub-50 parishes) face existential viability questions. Bodies with unverifiable membership claims (OAC, CEC) should pursue transparency for institutional credibility.

For Those in Very Small Jurisdictions (OAC, AOC, EMC):

OAC/AOC: Extremely limited U.S. presence (11 verifiable parishes for OAC, unknown for AOC) means most Americans lack geographic accessibility. International mission claims require verification. Consider whether larger Reformed Protestant options (REC, UECNA) provide better institutional sustainability.

EMC: Full communion with ACNA provides significant strategic advantage despite small size (27 parishes). Model demonstrates viability of independence-with-connection approach. Geographic accessibility remains major limitation.

For Those Considering AMiA:

DO NOT consider AMiA as viable ongoing option. With 94% attrition (268 → 15-17 churches), loss of Rwanda oversight, and ACNA Archbishop’s “former Anglicans” assessment, AMiA represents institutional failure. Exception: St. Andrew’s Little Rock remains large, viable congregation but functions essentially independently. Most of what AMiA built now exists within ACNA (particularly C4SO diocese).

For Those Attracted to Convergence Movement (CEC):

CEC offers unique three-streams vision unmatched elsewhere, but:

  • Membership claims (1,000+ churches, 300,000+ members) lack verification
  • 2006 crisis impact (30% clergy/congregation loss) difficult to assess
  • Apostolic succession through Carlos Duarte Costa raises validity questions
  • Parish-level experience likely varies significantly

Best fit for charismatics seeking liturgical worship or evangelicals seeking charismatic freedom within Anglican framework.

For Those Seeking Anglican Home:

Prioritize based on personal needs:

Need size/resources/accessibility: ACNA is only option despite governance problems

Need theological clarity:

  • Anglo-Catholic: ACC, APA, APCK
  • Reformed Protestant: REC, UECNA, OAC, AOC (note accessibility limitations)
  • Central/Mixed: EMC (ACNA-connected), CEC (convergence)

Need growth environment: ACNA or REC only bodies showing actual growth

Need historic continuity: REC (152 years), OAC/AOC (62 years), or ACC (48 years from founding)

Need ACNA connection without membership: EMC provides model through full communion concordat

Geographic constraints: Check actual parish locations rather than jurisdictional claims

  • OAC: 11 parishes (Southeast concentration)
  • AOC: Parish locations not publicly accessible
  • EMC: 27 parishes scattered
  • CEC: Parish count unclear
  • AMiA: Only 15-17 nationally (avoid)

For Those Concluding No Anglican Option Viable:

“Abandon Ship” options (Rome, Orthodoxy, conservative Protestant) represent real choices when Anglican institutional dysfunction appears irreparable. These choices involve surrendering Anglican identity but provide institutional stability and theological clarity unavailable in fragmented Anglican landscape.

FINAL ASSESSMENT

Orthodox Anglicanism in North America exists in crisis state as of October 2025. ACNA’s constitutional problems threaten its viability as unifying structure. Continuing bodies remain too small and fragmented for institutional sustainability. Recent additions to survey (OAC, AOC, EMC, CEC, AMiA) demonstrate continued fragmentation pattern:

  • OAC/AOC: Historical bodies from 1963 remain very small with unverifiable claims
  • EMC: Demonstrates viability of ACNA-adjacent model through full communion
  • CEC: Convergence vision fills unique niche but membership claims questionable
  • AMiA: Cautionary tale of institutional collapse following governance failure

No jurisdiction currently offers combination of size, theological clarity, governance functionality, and geographic accessibility necessary for long-term flourishing.

The question facing orthodox Anglicans is not “which jurisdiction is ideal?” but rather “which imperfect option best serves faithful Christian discipleship given unavoidable institutional compromises?”

This survey provides data for that decision but cannot make it for individuals. Ecclesiology matters, but so does practical reality of available options in one’s geographic location, life circumstances, and theological priorities.

APPENDIX: KEY RESOURCES

Primary Documents

Church Finder Tools

Analytical Resources

Statistical and Demographic Analysis

Document Compiled: October 2025

Compilation Method: Systematic interrogative process using Claude AI (Anthropic)

Purpose: Comprehensive mapping of orthodox Anglican options in United States for analysis of ACNA constitutional governance issues

Limitations:

  • Membership statistics for some smaller bodies unavailable or unverified
  • Italicized numbers in comparison table indicate unverified claims inconsistent with observable presence
  • Institutional relationships evolving (ACC-ACA merger pending, CONNAM restructuring ongoing)
  • Geographic accessibility varies significantly within jurisdictions
  • Parish-level theological culture may differ substantially from jurisdictional norms
  • Data current as of October 2025; rapid changes possible

Recommended Use: This document provides framework for understanding orthodox Anglican landscape but cannot substitute for:

  • Direct contact with specific parishes and jurisdictions
  • Personal visits to worship services to assess theological and liturgical compatibility
  • Consultation with clergy regarding specific questions
  • Prayer and discernment regarding ecclesial commitment

Acknowledgment: Document developed through collaborative interrogative process with Claude AI, incorporating systematic analysis of publicly available data, historical documentation, and current institutional developments. AI assistance included research methodology, taxonomic organization, comparative analysis, and comprehensive synthesis of complex institutional landscape.

For questions, corrections, or additional information, this document represents compilation of publicly available information as of October 2025. Institutional developments may render portions of this analysis outdated. Readers should verify current status with specific jurisdictions directly.

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Jump to whichever part addresses your immediate questions:

Part 1: Anglo-Catholic Jurisdictions →
ACC, ACA, APA, APCK – the high church options

  • Methodology and scope
  • Anglican Catholic Church (ACC)
  • Anglican Church in America (ACA)
  • Anglican Province of America (APA)
  • Anglican Province of Christ the King (APCK)

Part 2: Reformed Protestant & Central Church →
REC, UECNA, ACNA, CONNAM – low church and mixed

  • Reformed Episcopal Church (REC)
  • United Episcopal Church of North America (UECNA)
  • Orthodox Anglican Church (OAC)
  • Anglican Orthodox Church (AOC)
  • Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
  • Episcopal Missionary Church (EMC)
  • Church of Nigeria North American Mission (CONNAM)

Part 3: “Abandon Ship” Options →
TEC, Rome, Orthodoxy, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist

  • The Episcopal Church (TEC)
  • Personal Ordinariates (Roman Catholic)
  • Eastern Orthodoxy
  • Conservative Presbyterian Churches
  • Conservative Lutheran Churches
  • Other Protestant Options

Part 4: Analysis & Decision Framework →
Comparison tables, decision matrices, future scenarios

  • Summary comparison table
  • Decision matrices by priority
  • Analytical conclusion on fragmentation
  • Three possible future scenarios
  • Practical guidance for individuals
  • Final assessment
  • Resource appendix