The Church of England gave formal recognition to the new province earlier this year but it stopped short of declaring full communion with the ACNA.

The Anglican Church in North America has now grown to comprise 809 congregations, some of which were newly planted and many of which severed ties with The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada over scriptural authority and homosexuality…

“When we began in June of 2009, I issued a challenge that we plant 1,000 new churches in the five years of my service as your Archbishop. It is wonderful to see how much progress has already been made,” said ACNA Archbishop Robert Duncan in a statement.

Among the newest churches in the ACNA is the Church of the Epiphany in Hamilton, Ontario, which started meeting in January. The church began with members who left the Anglican Church of Canada.

“We left everything behind, and we started fresh,” said the Rev. Vicky Hedelius. “We stepped out naked, and he has clothed us … All you have to do is take the first step, and He guides you on to the next.”

Duncan launched a vision for 1,000 new church plants last summer when breakaway congregations constituted the ACNA. Though there were existing Anglican provinces in the United States and Canada, the discontent parishes established their own North American province as they sought to create a traditionally Anglican and biblically-centered body (that would still be tied to the worldwide Anglican Communion).

READ MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100417/breakaway-anglican-flock-adds-over-100-churches/