Method for building a sub-network (400) for a distributed Voice Messaging System that can be initiated from any of the nodes (401-404) in the sub-network. For the distributed application to work, all the nodes in the network being created must be identified, numbered, and a map of the network distributed to all Voice Messaging System nodes. Advantageously, the inventive method enables logically independent sub-networks of Voice Messaging Systems to co-exist in the same physical LAN. An embodiment of the present invention is a method for building a sub-network of nodes in a communication network, the method including the steps of: (a) identifying nodes to be included in the sub-network; (b) gathering node configuration information from the nodes identified; (c) resolving node configuration information conflicts among the nodes in the sub-network; (d) create a sub-network map; (e) distributing the sub-network map to the nodes in the sub-network; and (f) synchronizing the nodes in the sub-network.