About The Gulf Atlantic Diocese
History and Mission of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese
The Anglican Alliance
The Anglican Alliance, predecessor to the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, had its origin in the third diocesan chapter of the American Anglican Council (AAC) in November 2001 at the urging of then Bishop Stephen Jecko. At that time, most of the clergy and laity in the Diocese of Florida were supportive of the traditional orthodox beliefs of the church while watching as the leadership of the Episcopal Church USA turned its back on many of the doctrines that are central to that belief. Our mission was to try to turn the tide of theological revisionism back to the solid foundation of the traditional faith once delivered to the saints.
By the end of 2003, it became evident that the Episcopal Church would not heed the cries of dissent from within the American church or from the world-wide leadership of the Anglican Communion to turn back from its trajectory toward theological innovation. When the House of Bishops, at General Convention, approved of the election of a divorced man openly engaged in homosexual behavior to the office of Bishop of New Hampshire and only narrowly missed passage of a resolution that would have allowed for the creation of liturgical expression for same sex unions within the church, it became tragically evident that biblical truth would no longer be the foundation of the Episcopal Church.
In 2004, our beloved leader, Bishop Jecko, stepped down as Diocesan soon after the consecration of Samuel Johnson Howard as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Florida. One of the final acts of Bishop Jecko as diocesan was to join with Bishop Robert Duncan and ten other orthodox bishops to form the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. Bishop Jecko honorably left it to his successor to formalize that relationship, an action which Bishop Howard ultimately rejected. While Bishop Howard professed traditional orthodox Anglican beliefs, his actions became increasingly at odds with the clergy and laity who championed those values and supported the Network.
In the fall of 2005, the Rev. Eric Dudley led most of his flock out of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida to form a new church, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, under the Province of Uganda. Bishop Jecko helped coordinate this new provincial relationship. This followed a similar move by a small parish in High Springs, FL several months earlier.
While preparing for that departure, Father Dudley brought together other key clergy leaders in the Diocese of Florida for retreat, prayer and planning. That retreat group formed a bond for mutual support and fellowship known as the Anglican Alliance of North Florida, which included both Episcopal and Anglican parishes.
Six of the clergy had already become known in the church media as the “Florida Six,” as they led parishes that refused to make diocesan pledges because of diocesan giving to the national Episcopal Church. The parishes, however, had still supported diocesan ministries directly. Several of their congregations eventually left the diocese, some as early as December 2005.
While church buildings and property were not the primary concern of any of these leaders, several of them attempted to maintain their property rights as it was their parishioners through history that had (in most cases) bought, paid for and built those churches. In a test case, the diocese sued the Church of the Redeemer to regain possession of its property as legal title resides in the name of the diocese.
This and similar actions in other parts of the country were of sufficient concern to the Primates of the Anglican Communion, that the Archbishop of Canterbury formed a group known as the Panel of Reference to whom he could refer specific issues for deliberation and arbitration. One of the very few issues to actually be referred to the panel was the ownership of the Church of the Redeemer property in Jacksonville, FL. Following a very long and in depth study of all of the related issues, the Panel of Reference proposed a resolution that would have allowed the Redeemer congregation to remain in its facilities while the issues of the world wide communion status were resolved. The Redeemer leadership agreed to follow the recommendations of the Panel of Reference, but Bishop Howard would only agree to the plan if the Redeemer congregation would submit to remaining in communion with him, his diocese, and the Episcopal Church, a condition not proposed by the Panel. In the process, Bishop Howard ignored a personal letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury supporting the Panel’s proposal. Redeemer soon left the property after the secular court determined that Florida law supported the claims of the diocese.
The Gulf Atlantic Diocese
The Gulf Atlantic Diocese is now twenty two member congregations in North Florida and South Georgia ranging in size from about six hundred congregants to fewer than twenty five congregants. There are over fifty clergy members, both active and retired, and a combined average Sunday attendance of over three thousand. The twenty two churches were each submitted to the hierarchical structure of the world wide Anglican Communion through various ecclesial bodies such as the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) under the authority of the Archbishop of Rwanda; the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) under the Archbishop of Nigeria; and the Network under a variety of bishops and Archbishops in Kenya, Uganda, and the Southern Cone of South America. As those provinces continue to release our respective congregations into the Diocese in Formation under the authority of our Vicar General, it is precisely this joint association of churches that is now seen as a model of hope that is the biblically based and mission minded Anglican Church in North America.
Our newly ratified Constitution and Canons speak boldly to build unity among these varying ecclesial structures and to tear down the institutional walls that separate us.
Canon III
Of Clergy and Laity in Other Jurisdictions
Those Clergy and Laity within the boundaries of The Gulf Atlantic Diocese who are in canonical relationship with the Anglican Church in North America but are under other jurisdictional relationships (e.g. Anglican Mission in America, Reformed Episcopal Church) are welcomed into partnership with this Diocese upon request to the Bishop or Ecclesiastical authority. They shall be accorded full participation in the shared life and ministry of this Diocese with the exceptions of serving on the Standing Committee or electing members of Standing Committee. They may determine their representation to the Synod up to the limits as prescribed by the Canons.
The Gulf Atlantic Diocese is now governed by Bishop Elect Neil Lebhar; an elected Standing Committee of three clergy and three lay members; and a Diocesan Council with a total of thirteen appointed and elected members. The new Constitution & Canons envision a model focused on ministry imperatives identified at the local level. Currently we have identified four Deaneries with clergy and lay oversight for each. Each Deanery will represent a cluster of geographically contiguous churches with the primary goal to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to change the hearts of a hurting world.
All Gulf Atlantic Diocese clergy meet together on a bi-monthly schedule, excluding the summer months, for prayer, fellowship, and continuing education.
The Gulf Atlantic Diocese has developed and sponsors three primary ministry initiatives each with lay leadership and clergy support.
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Anglican 4th Day is an adult renewal weekend experience similar in scope and structure to Cursillo.
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Dynamos is a renewal weekend experience geared to high school students and is similar in scope and structure to Happening.
- Camp Araminta is a week long summer camp for rising 4th – 8th grade children with all of the typical camp activities and a Christian education component.
On May 30th, 2009 the Diocese in Formation hosted its fourth annual Pentecost Celebration. This annual celebration draws clergy and laity from all of the member churches for fellowship and recognition of our interdependence on scripture and the traditions of the Anglican Communion as we pursue our faith in Christ.
The Inaugural Synod
On Saturday August 29th, 2009, the Anglican Alliance of North Florida and South Georgia met at Advent Christian Village in Dowling Park Florida to take the specific steps necessary to transition from a “Diocese in Formation” to full status as a new diocese in the Anglican Church in North America. Forty seven clergy delegates and thirty nine lay delegates were certified representing twenty churches from Jacksonville to Tallahassee in Florida and from Thomasville to Savannah in Georgia.
The Inaugural Synod was opened with prayer and teaching by The Rev. David Pileggi, Rector of Christ Church, Jerusalem. His message centered on unity and grace and he encouraged the delegates to recognize that revival comes in the context of the unity exhibited in humble service.
From the necessary procedures of ratifying a Constitution and Canons to the election of our first bishop and the governing bodies of the new diocese, the new diocese was then formed under an “umbrella of mercy” toward one another. Throughout the day, every conversation was bathed in prayer and grace even when differing opinions emerged on the details; each voice was heard and consensus formed. A specific canon was passed that gave voice and vote to delegates of parishes of other Anglican jurisdictions such as the Anglican Mission and Reformed Episcopal Church who are partnering in the ministry and mission of the new diocese. The only limitation was that such parish representatives could not elect or serve on the diocesan Standing Committee which serves as the Ecclesiastical Authority of the diocese in a bishop's absence. These parishes are already under their own ecclesiastical authorities.
Following a section by section review and vote on the Constitution and Canons led by The Rev. Eric Dudley, Chair of the Committee on Constitutions and Canons, the Synod excused the two nominees for Bishop, The Rev. Jim Hobby and The Rev. Neil Lebhar and their wives. The period of discernment prior to the vote for bishop was facilitated by acting chancellor Mr. Tom Crapps and the Rev. Marc Robertson who began it with a teaching from Acts 1:15-26.
After about forty minutes of conversation about the merits of each nominee and the complementary nature of their ministry styles, Marc Robertson called for a time of silent prayer and reflection on each nominee and a request for an open heart to hear the leading of the Holy Spirit in the election of our first bishop. The two nominees and their families were brought back into the room for additional prayer and the casting of ballots.
The ballots were collected by non-voting tellers to count and certify the results of the election. Within a few minutes, Mr. Crapps returned and reported to Synod that we have an election with votes in excess of the two thirds requirement and that The Rev. Neil G. Lebhar would be presented to the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America for confirmation.
Following a brief recess for lunch, Vicar General Neil Lebhar chaired the rest of the meeting. The Rev. Travis Boline was elected for a term of two years as Secretary of the Synod. Following that election, two slates were offered to Synod for Standing Committee and Diocesan Council respectively. Following one of the canons, members of the previous Anglican Alliance Steering Committee and others were elected to serve.
Members of the first Standing Committee are The Rev. David Allert, The Rev. Bob Coon, The Rev. Jim McCaslin, Mr. Bob Ashmead, Mr. Rick Groves, and Ms. Joan Malley.
Members of the first Diocesan Council are The Rev. Neil Lebhar, The Rev. Travis Boline, Mr. Harris Willman, The Rev. Alex Farmer (Dean of Gainesville),The Rev. Marc Robertson (Dean of Savannah), The Rev. John Eason, The Rev. Mark Eldredge, The Rev. Sally Lufburrow, Ms. Beth Kirby, Mr. Neal Ford, and Mr. Jim Barnidge. Deans for Jacksonville and Tallahassee will be appointed to the Council soon.
The final order of business was to decide on the name of the diocese. The initial name for Diocese in Formation was "The Anglican Diocese in the Southeast." However there was already a diocese within the Reformed Episcopal Church with a similar name.
On Friday evening in the final meeting of the Anglican Alliance Steering Committee, the name "The Gulf Atlantic Diocese" was suggested. It seemed to meet the goals of being geographically specific while not creating boundaries that might limit embracing all Anglicans who might seek to join in the diocesan mission and ministry.
The two names brought to Synod for consideration were "The Gulf Atlantic Diocese" and "The Suwannee Diocese." The Suwannee name was suggested because the river of that name bisects the diocesan geography. Following a brief time of discussion, "The Gulf Atlantic Diocese of the Anglican Church in North America" was embraced by all as the name for the new diocese.
The Diocesan Inaugural Synod was closed in prayer led by The Rev. Alex Farmer.
ACNA Recognition
On December 11, 2009, the Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) held its first annual meeting in Toronto, Canada. During that meeting the Council welcomed the new Diocese of the Gulf Atlantic and consented to the election of the Reverend Neil G. Lebhar as its first diocesan bishop. The Provincial Council is the governing body of the Anglican Church in North America and consists of bishops, clergy and laity representing each of the twenty-eight constituent dioceses, clusters or networks.