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July 27, 2012

Dear Parish Family,

In December of last year, the churches of the Anglican Mission in America, of which All Saints is a part,stepped into a season of reorganization as the majority of our Bishops decided to come out from under theoversight of Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, thus stepping away from the Anglican Church of Rwanda, whichhad been our church home within the Anglican Communion since we left the Episcopal Church. The

Anglican Mission had decided to explore the concept ofa Missionary Society as a vehicle for continuing itsimportant work of planting churches and furthering the Kingdom of Christ in North America.

As the Missionary Society began to evolve, it became clear that there would be other Anglican options foraffiliation to consider. Two former Anglican Mission Bishops, Terrell Glenn and Thad Barnum, who hadelected to remain Bishops in Rwanda, agreed toArchbishop Rwajes request to tend the affected clergy andcongregations. It was soon announced by Archbishop Rwaje that a new Missionary Jurisdiction mirroringthe efforts of the Anglican Mission in her first decade, would be established out of Rwanda. A third optionalso came into play as Archbishop Rwaje and other GAFCON and Global South Primates we respect somuch continued to point us toward the Anglican Church of North America, ACNA, under the leadership of

Archbishop Bob Duncan.

I called All Saints to wait on the Lord, to keep our hearts soft, and to give ourselves to a season of prayer anddiscernment. I called us to stay focused on the mission and ministry that was ever before us, that nothing waspreventing us from being the Church. The various options for affiliation within the Anglican Church werestill taking shape, and any decision we would have made then, short of receiving some special revelation,

would have been based on loyalty to personalities, blind assumptions, or wishful thinking. This sort ofanxious rushing to structure is at best short-sighted and at worst idolatrous. I reminded the church family, weserve a God of divine revelation not vain speculation. I encouraged us all to avoid taking sides, refrain fromdemonizing, and to wait on details to surface regarding the various options. Until we were presented withsome details which we could prayerfully consider, we would be content to remain both a part of the AnglicanMission and under the oversight of Archbishop Rwaje.

In May, as details began to surface regarding the three potential options for affiliation, I called together aCommunications Team, and charged them to wade through the information in an effort to inform the Parishand help highlight the distinctives of the various groups: the Missionary Society of the Anglican Mission, theMissionary Jursidiction of PEAR-USA, and the ACNA. My thanks goes out to David Scott and theCommunications Team for their hard work. I encourage you all to continue to look for the Communications

Team Reports atwww.allsaintspawleys.org.

As we pray and process the information before us, as we prepare as a congregation to place our vote onwhere we will affiliate within the Anglican Communion, I want you to know where I stand as your Rector. Ibelieve with all my heart that this is a time of coming together! At our Annual Meeting last March, I shared

with you how the Lord had drawn me to Deuteronomy 2-4 in dramatic fashion. The Lord had me focus on

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the two and a half tribes who fought under Moses, who won their battles in the Lord and who received theirinheritance on the eastern side of the Jordan. They were not allowed to rest, however, until the battles were

won on the western side (see Joshua 22:1-6). In fact, one could argue that there would be no victory on thewestern side without unity in the Lord among the twelve tribes crossing the Jordan together.

It is clear to me that the victories won under Moses in the land of the two kings, Sihon and Og, were meant

to encourage and unite the people of God and not divide them.

And I commanded Joshua at that time, Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your Godhas done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you arecrossing. You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.Deuteronomy 3:21-22 ESV

I speak to the faithful warriors at All Saints Parish who fought under Moses and I say, the battles continueand we need each other! We stand on your shoulders and we drink from your wells. We must cross the

Jordan together. I speak to my Anglican brothers and sisters in America who fought the early battles underMoses and I say, the battles continue and we need each other! Let us no longer be defined by what we standagainst, or even by what we stand for. Let us be defined by with whom it is we stand. We stand with Jesus

and we stand united. This is a time of coming together.

I believe the Anglican Church of North America is that faithful place of coming together; a unified Anglicanwitness in North America through which we can continue to walk out our new life in Jesus Christ and serveHim as His Church. I believe All Saints Parish is called to affiliate with the Anglican Church of North

America under the oversight of Archbishop Bob Duncan, in communion with the GAFCON and GlobalSouth Primates. I see this as the faithful next step. We continue to stand for His truth, and we stand for Histruth in unity.

Regarding the Anglican Mission and the developing Society for Mission and Apostolic Works, I wouldencourage an ongoing partnership where All Saints would be free to share in ministry and give financially. Ican foresee the day when the Society for Mission and Apostolic Works is operating with us out of the ACNA,and until that day occurs I would encourage that we treat her as if she already is.

I have asked Archbishop Rwaje for a three month extension for All Saints to make a decision regardingaffiliation. You will be hearing more about a Special Parish Meeting I am calling for All Saints Day,November 1, where we would consider an amendment to our By-laws and where we would vote about how

we will affiliate within the Anglican Communion.

Going forward, I encourage us all to continue to pay close attention to our Relational Covenant and how weare treating one another. Pray for those with whom you disagree. Practice forbearance! Participate in the lifeof the church and refuse to withdraw. There will be special Wednesday night gatherings this fall to processinformation together, consider the decision before us, and allow the Holy Spirit to heal us. We will continueto gather and pray for the church on Sunday nights at 6:00. Do not be afraid. Jesus is Lord of His Churchand this is a time of coming together.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Robert L. Grafe, Jr.Rector