But first and foremost, I am a Christian and don’t normally feel inclined to harp on about something that is peripheral to the kingdom of heaven, salvation, eternity and the forgiveness of sins.

I am going to make an exception for the moment, though. I belong to an ANiC parish that is a part of ACNA, the Anglican Church of North America. ACNA has not yet been recognised by Lambeth as an official Anglican body but, on February 10, 2010, the Church of England Synod passed a resolution that recognized the desire of ACNA to remain within the “Anglican Family.” This was not all ACNA hoped for, but it paves the way for full communion with Lambeth at some point.

While the Anglican Church withers in the West, it flourishes in Africa and most African Anglicans have declared full communion with ACNA: ACNA is in communion with 70% of the world’s Anglicans.

Does any of this really matter? As I remarked above, it is not of lasting significance, but I decided to make the point, nevertheless, because an Anglican priest from the Diocese of Niagara – who will remain nameless for the moment – on noting that the Niagara ANiC parishes intend to hang on to their prayer books, intoned: “you don’t need those, you are not Anglican”.

Contrary to the wish-fulfillment wet-dreams of this priest, ACNA is Anglican; ANiC is Anglican; I am Anglican.

The more important question is: “is the Diocese of Niagara Christian?”