The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) took one other step forward on Saturday after they announced the appointment of the Rt Rev Tim Davies as the brand new diocesan bishop of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).
This is a story of courageous and faithful episcopal leadership spanning generations and continents.
Tim was born and brought up in East Africa, where his father served as a missionary bishop. He has all the time been a pioneer, after ordination and curacy within the Church of England, he planted one in all the primary ‘independent’ Anglican churches in England, back in 2003.
Yet, he all the time longed for godly, relational, episcopal oversight. Tim helped create the structures of AMiE, first as a mission agency after which as a diocese of ANiE and has served because the Minister of Christ Church Central, since its launch.
It is a church which describes itself as ‘a church for individuals who don’t go to church’ and meets in a former nightclub. Like Bishop Tim, it’s deeply rooted in its Anglican heritage and committed to global mission as an inter-cultural church family.
Bishop Tim was consecrated in 2022 and has been serving as an assistant bishop alongside his responsibilities in Sheffield. He will now tackle this episcopal role full-time as AMiE has over thirty congregations, with more within the pipeline.
Dr Jan Draper, who was a member of the AMiE Bishops’ Selection Committee said they “were impressed by Tim’s pastor’s heart – for each the gospel and God’s people”.
“Under Tim’s leadership and guidance we sit up for God continuing his work in and thru AMiE because it seeks to uphold faithful biblical teaching and proclamation across England,” said Dr Draper.
His appointment was met with greetings from far and wide. Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Network in Europe, Bishop Andy Lines, described Tim Davies as his “brother, friend and colleague,” and said he looked forward to working alongside him “as we seek to proclaim Christ faithfully to the numerous who have to know him in England.”
The Rt Rev Paul Donison, General Secretary of the Global Anglican Futures conference (Gafcon) wrote, “Tim is a faithful and clever servant leader, and I’m confident he’ll construct upon the pioneering work of Bishop Andy Lines as he shepherds his diocese into its next season of gospel growth.”
The Anglican Network in Europe, of which AMiE is a component, began as a handful of churches in search of alternative episcopal oversight, when first the Scottish Episcopal Church, after which other Canterbury-aligned provinces in Europe, didn’t uphold the teaching of God’s word.
There are actually greater than 100 congregations across the three dioceses, AMiE, ACE (Anglican Convocation in Europe) and AMC (Anglican Missionary Congregations).
Although the names of those dioceses may result in some complicated acronyms, the message they send is easy: the Anglican Network in Europe has, under the guidance and authority of the broader global church, gathered faithful Anglicans together, who long for others to return to know Jesus for themselves.
Bishop Tim wrote a letter to the diocese, wherein he said “Jesus is constructing his church”.
“He isn’t wringing his hands in heaven. He isn’t puzzled by the chaos of our culture or the fragmentation of the church within the UK. He is reigning. He is loving. He is shepherding,” he said.
“And he still says: ‘Come to me; follow me; and abide in me.’
“I’m content due to sufficiency of our Saviour. I’m not moving into this calling because I feel in myself but because I feel in Jesus.”
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