2008

As we begin a new year, there are numerous challenges that face the Anglican world; the Lambeth Conference will be a major focus; firstly because it will be Rowan Williams first in his role as Archbishop and Canterbury, and secondly because of the absence of some Bishops and Primates from around the world.
As many parishes throughout the United States will be seeing 2008 as the year the "go it alone", for others it will be the year that they will at least be considering this same direction. Additionally more parishes will be taking the decision, to only leave their Diocese within the ECUSA system, but will align themselves with a "continuing Anglican" group outside the world of the Anglican Communion; therefore seeing further fragmentation of Historic Anglicanism, as well as the whole Body of Christ.
While the all Denominations are constantly battling with Church Attendance, there has been a majority decline in the Dioceses of the Anglican church in North America and England. ECUSA dioceses have downsized their church services with may parishes no longer offer evening services of any format on a Sunday. Some have gone as far as only offering one morning service on a Sunday rather than the traditional two. Mid-week communion is slowly being reduced as those attending get less and less. In previous decades, practically all churches would have an army of servers and a very large choir, many no longer have either; therefore forcing a change in "Churchmanship" to accommodate this new reduced liturgical approach.
Within the Church of England there are new ideas to be considered. Traditionally, theological training for all ordinands have been paid by the Church of England or those within its system; now this is up for serious change; making it difficult for all except the minority Intellectual Elite who are heading towards the direction of becoming a Theological Educators.
The bottom line of all this is funding and financial availability, which is simply due to small congregations that are getting smaller. While many Bishops see the answer in making parish priests responsible for anything from three to six parishes; the result is that the pastoral care of each congregation is being neglected.