Low profile visit

(updates below)

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington's Blog of Daniel notes the very un-publicized nature of Archbishop Peter Akinola's recent visit to Fort Worth, Texas. I'm not sure about the blog's conclusion that conservative Anglicans are starting to hide their association with Akinola, but the timing of the visit (March 28) is interesting. Not only did the Archbishop miss his own two-day period of national mourning in Nigeria, but he appears to have been in the US at the same time as President Olusegun "I Want a Third Term" Obasanjo. Did they travel together?

(update)

David Virtue at VirtueOnline posts on Akinola's US visit -- it was far more extensive than I had realized, including visits to Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles, and while in Chicago, meeting with members of the Convocation for Anglicans in North America (CANA), an organization of the Anglican Church of Nigeria established, in Akinola's words, to "provide pastoral care for those Anglicans who are unable to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church during these difficult times."

Virtue goes on:

The African Primate also met with Quincy Bishop Keith L. Ackerman. Akinola is accompanied by his U.S. escort the Rev. Martyn Minns of Truro Episcopal Church. His entourage includes Bishop Kattey of Niger Delta North diocese and Mr. Abraham Yisa the Chairman of CANA board of trustees and Registrar of the Church of Anglican Communion. Abraham N. Yisa, Esq., Registrar of the Church of Nigeria serves as chairman of the board of trustees, Chief Gboyega Delano of Chicago serves as secretary and Mrs. Patience Oruh of Maryland serves as treasurer. Mrs. Oruh was the only one not present for the visit.

Akinola gave no timetable for the consecration of CANA Bishops, but he has hinted that they would be elected soon. The Rev. Minns is thought to be on the short list. [emphasis mine]

I never cease to be amazed at the accuracy of Bishop Chane's Washington Post op-ed. Chane's oppononts called the op-ed a "personal attack." The IRD's Faith McDonnell called it a "conspiracy theory." But when Chane said that "the archbishop and his allies have talked of forming their own purified communion -- possibly with Archbishop Akinola at its head," how far off was he?

The Rev. Martyn Minns, in his March 4 letter posted on TitusOneNine, wrote:

[Chane] concludes his editorial by demanding to know the mind of the "archbishop's many high-profile supporters in this country" with regard to this situation. While I am not sure that I would qualify for such a list I am more than willing to share my views. [emphasis mine]

Indeed. And Indeed.

(update II)

As usual, Rev. Mark Harris at Preludium provides the church-political angle on the visit that I cannot. His is a very important blog post.