Diocese of the Great Lakes
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of the Great Lakes (DGL) is a Continuing Anglican church body in the United States and Canada. Although all of its worship centers and clergy are currently located in the American Great Lakes states and the Canadian Province of Ontario, the diocese is non-geographical in structure and open to Continuing Anglicans from outside the Great Lakes region.
The DGL uses the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer or the 1962 Canadian book, accepts the Holy Scriptures as the inerrant Word of God, adheres to the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, and ordains only men to the orders of deacon, priest, and bishop. An active work is conducted in nursing homes by DGL clergy and lay reader
s.
In 1998, the DGL was admitted to membership in the Anglican Church, Inc, a federation of Continuing Anglican churches, but withdrew in 2001. Most of the ACI's constituent dioceses reorganized thereafter as the Anglican Church International Communion.
The Diocese of the Great Lakes maintains friendly relations with other Continuing Anglican churches. In 2008, the Anglican Episcopal Church
joined with the Diocese of the Great Lakes in founding the North American Anglican Conference
. The two Continuing churches consider themselves to be in the Evangelical Anglican, Low Church
tradition. The Thirty-nine Articles are affirmed in their original sense and it is declared that Scripture contains all that is necessary to salvation. Cooperation on the training of clergy is one objective of the conference.
Note: The Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes should not be confused with the diocese of the same name that was created in the "Anglican Church in North America" in 2010. See Anglican realignment
for information on Anglican bodies that are not part of the Continuing Anglican movement.
The DGL uses the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer or the 1962 Canadian book, accepts the Holy Scriptures as the inerrant Word of God, adheres to the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, and ordains only men to the orders of deacon, priest, and bishop. An active work is conducted in nursing homes by DGL clergy and lay reader
Lay Reader
A lay reader is a layperson authorized by a bishop of the Anglican Church to read some parts of a service of worship. They are members of the congregation called to preach or lead services, but not called to full-time ministry.Anglican lay readers are licensed by the bishop to a particular parish...
s.
History
The Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes was formed in 1998 by the bishops of the Independent Anglican Diocese of Ontario and the Missionary District of the USA, along with priests and deacons formerly belonging to the Independent Anglican Church (Canada Synod). Parishes and missions of the Diocese of the Great Lakes were located in Etobicoke, Niagara Falls, Windsor, Guelph, and Kitchener, Ontario, and in Battle Creek, Michigan. More recently, the diocese has added parishes in Hastings, Middleville, and Stanton, Michigan and clergy in Ontario and Pennsylvania.In 1998, the DGL was admitted to membership in the Anglican Church, Inc, a federation of Continuing Anglican churches, but withdrew in 2001. Most of the ACI's constituent dioceses reorganized thereafter as the Anglican Church International Communion.
The Diocese of the Great Lakes maintains friendly relations with other Continuing Anglican churches. In 2008, the Anglican Episcopal Church
Anglican Episcopal Church
The Anglican Episcopal Church is a Continuing Anglican church consisting of parishes in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida served by two bishops and 18 other clergy. The AEC was founded at St...
joined with the Diocese of the Great Lakes in founding the North American Anglican Conference
North American Anglican Conference
The North American Anglican Conference is a federation of Continuing Anglican church bodies in the United States and Canada. The NAAC was founded on August 15, 2008 by an assembly of bishops, clergy, and laity gathered in Romulus, Michigan for the purpose of ratifying the association's proposed...
. The two Continuing churches consider themselves to be in the Evangelical Anglican, Low Church
Low church
Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
tradition. The Thirty-nine Articles are affirmed in their original sense and it is declared that Scripture contains all that is necessary to salvation. Cooperation on the training of clergy is one objective of the conference.
Note: The Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes should not be confused with the diocese of the same name that was created in the "Anglican Church in North America" in 2010. See Anglican realignment
Anglican realignment
The term Anglican realignment refers to 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...
for information on Anglican bodies that are not part of the Continuing Anglican movement.