Two new AMiE churches have two newly ordained ministers.
One of the congregations is in Wolverhampton, and began in summer 2020, while the other is on the Isle of Wight, and started in 2023.
Hope City Church, Wolverhampton began in the summer of 2020 as an independent church with no denominational affiliation, but was signed up to the Evangelical Alliance. In December 2022 they began exploring the possibility of joining the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE), a growing diocese of non-CofE Anglican churches that comes under the auspices of the Anglican Network in Europe and which is linked to the global orthodox movement GAFCON.
In January 2024, the congregation became the latest church to join AMiE, and on 25 January, Graham Phillips was ordained and licensed as Senior Minister at Hope City Church, Wolverhampton by Bishop Andy Lines.
This is the second ordination that Bishop Andy Lines had led in as many weeks, the first being the ordination of James Pontin on the Isle of Wight. Pontin was recently at St James’s Church, Ryde but is now a licensed AMiE Church Planter, leading a new pioneer church on the Isle of Wight – Hope Church, East Cowes.
Originally meeting fortnightly from Easter 2023, and seeking to establish connections in the local community, Hope Church has, from September, been meeting on a weekly basis at the Pavilion community building in East Cowes.
Pontin said: ‘This gathering has developed into a core group of about 20 children and adults – from St James’s Church, Ryde and elsewhere – who are committed to serving Jesus and growing His church in East Cowes.’
