News release
Anglican Network in Canada NEWS RELEASE
Windsor
Ontario parish votes to join Anglican Network in Canada
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 28 September 2008
The congregation of St Aidan’s in Windsor, Ontario voted
decisively today to come under the episcopal oversight of Bishop Donald Harvey,
Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) and under the Primatial
authority of Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Anglican Province of the
Southern Cone.
By a unanimous vote, St Aidan’s became the 19th
ANiC parish and the 11th former Anglican Church of Canada parish to
vote to join ANiC this year. All 109 votes cast were in favour of aligning with
ANiC.
“We are delighted to welcome the people of St Aidan’s into a
faithfully Anglican and unabashedly Christian organization,” said the Venerable
Charlie Masters, Executive Archdeacon of the Anglican Network in Canada.
“They join a growing movement of North American Anglicans seeking to remain in
full communion with the global Anglican Church.”
St Aidan’s has about 250 members eligible to vote and an
average Sunday attendance of 125. It was established in 1924 and the
present church building was completed in 1951. A large church hall was
added in 1997, built and paid for by the members.
Parishioners offer a variety of ministries in the community,
from youth, children’s and adult programs to refugee and hospitality
ministries. In addition, the church finances and staffs a breakfast club
program in a local public school, provides pastoral care in hospitals and
nursing homes, and provides meeting facilities to various community groups.
(See: www.staidans.on.ca)
The people of St Aidan’s acted because they are determined to remain biblically
faithful, true to historic Christian orthodoxy and long-standing Anglican
teaching. Unfortunately, the Anglican Church of Canada continues to abandon mainstream
Anglican teaching and doctrine, particularly in relation to the authority of
the Bible, breaking with the vast majority of global Anglicans.
While orthodox Anglicans are in a minority in Canada, they are the overwhelming
majority worldwide.
What is happening in Canada is part
of a much bigger controversy in Anglican churches globally. Since 2003, the Primates of the
Anglican Communion have repeatedly asked the Anglican Church of Canada to
return to biblically faithful Anglican practice and teaching and to provide
adequate episcopal oversight for dissenting parishes, but to no avail. In
2002, the communion-breaking actions of the New Westminster diocese in the
Anglican Church of Canada first sparked the current global crisis and
realignment now taking place in Anglicanism. Other dioceses have since
voted to follow New Westminster’s lead, including the Diocese of Huron, the
former diocese of the St Aidan’s congregation.
Archbishop Gregory Venables, Primate
of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, has responded to the need of
biblically faithful Canadian Anglicans for spiritual protection and care on an
emergency and interim basis – pending a resolution to the crises in the worldwide
Anglican Communion.
The Anglican Province of the
Southern Cone is one of 38 Provinces that make up the global Anglican
Communion. It encompasses much of South America and includes Bolivia,
Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay and Argentina.
Members of the Anglican Network in
Canada are committed to remaining faithful to Holy Scripture and established
Anglican doctrine and to ensuring that orthodox Canadian Anglicans are able to
remain in full communion with their Anglican brothers and sisters around the
world.
Contact:
Marilyn Jacobson
Communications, Anglican Network in Canada
604 788-4222 cell
Backgrounder
About
the parish: St Aidan’s, Windsor
Website: www.staidans.on.ca
St Aidan’s building location:
Church membership
·
Total 2008 membership – about 450
·
Members eligible to vote – 214
·
Average weekly attendance – about 125
Clergy
Rector
– The Rev Tom Carman
Deacons – The Rev Paul Almond, the Rev
Harold Dolman
History
The first service held in St. Aidan’s Parish
took place 3 August 1924, with a service of dedication on St. Aidan’s Day, 31
August 1924. Parishioners from what was then Ford City and Riverside
actively participated in the construction of the small frame church building,
even digging out the basement by hand.
The cornerstone of the present church building,
at a new location, was laid 20 September 1950. The first service in the
current building took place 2 December 1951, with a service of dedication on 25
January 1952. A large church hall was completed in 1997, with members
contributing considerable “sweat equity” and paying the full $925,000 cost for
this addition.
In September 2005, the
congregation and leadership of St. Aidan's ascribed to the statement of faith
found in the Montreal Declaration of Anglican
Essentials Canada. In February 2008, the
congregation and leadership voted to become an Anglican Essentials Network
parish.
Ministries in the Community and Beyond
Hospitality – Volunteers prepare
and serve fellowship meals and funeral luncheons – and a myriad other acts of
welcome and kindness
Missions – Offers financial and
prayer support for missionaries serving in other countries
Youth and Children’s Ministries – offers a variety of
programs and activities designed to nurture the spiritual development of
children and young people. (These include Uth for Jesus, Kidz for Him, Prayer
Pals and Vacation Bible School.)
Fellowship/Social Ministry – organizes special
social events for fellowship amongst the parishioners.
Refugee Ministry – For decades St.
Aidan’s has assisted individuals and families from other countries to become
permanent legal residents of Canada by acting as a liaison between the
refugee(s) and relevant government agencies. The parish organizes and
collects donations of furniture, clothing, etc., for these refugees, as needed.
Adult Christian Education – A variety of programs
are offered, including Alpha, Christianity Explored and Discipleship
Explored. In addition, the Brotherhood of Anglican Churchmen, Potter’s
Daughters, Good Times Seniors (for all seniors in the community), B-Group,
Parish Bible Studies and Cell Groups provide social and spiritual support for
adults.
Additional community ministries:
·
Funding and staffing a “Breakfast Club” programme in a local
public school.
·
A team of Eucharistic ministers provides pastoral care in
hospitals, nursing/rest homes and residences throughout the county.
·
Providing meeting facilities for community organizations,
including Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeater’s Anonymous and Square Dancing.
·
Collecting canned goods and clothing to assist the needy.
About the Anglican Network in
Since the Anglican Network in Canada
launched its ecclesial (Church) structure last November under the jurisdiction
of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, it has received two bishops (the
Rt. Rev. Donald Harvey and the Rt. Rev. Malcolm Harding) and 18 parishes. These
parishes have elected to seek episcopal oversight from Bishop Harvey and ANiC
because they are determined to stay biblically faithful and true to historic
Anglican doctrine and teaching and within mainstream Anglicanism.
About the Anglican Province of the
Southern Cone
Archbishop Gregory Venables, Primate
(or leader) of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, has responded to the
needs of biblically faithful Canadian Anglicans for spiritual protection and
care on an emergency and interim basis – pending a resolution to the crisis in
the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Archbishop Venables is well
respected as an orthodox leader in the global Anglican Communion. He leads the
Anglican Province of the Southern Cone which is one of 38 Provinces that make
up the global Anglican Communion. It encompasses much of South America
and includes Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay and Argentina.
Archbishop Venables recently attended both the Global Anglican Future
Conference (GAFCon), which represented the global biblically faithful majority
of global Anglicans, as well as the Lambeth Conference at which the most
participants represented the smaller liberal western provinces.
By accepting the Primatial oversight
of Archbishop Venables, these Canadian Anglicans, who are in the mainstream of
global Anglicanism, were able to re-establish full communion status with the
global church by being aligned with a Province which is in “full communion with
the Church of England throughout the world”, unlike the Anglican Church of
Canada, which is currently in a broken relationship with many of the largest
Anglican Provinces.
About Anglicanism in Canada and around
the world
While
orthodox Anglicans are in a minority in Canada, they are in the majority
worldwide. ANiC parishes stand firmly in the mainstream of global and
historic Anglican teaching and orthodoxy. Our beliefs are shared by
roughly two-thirds of the 80 million Anglicans worldwide.
Since 2003, the Primates of the
Anglican Communion have repeatedly asked the Anglican Church of Canada to
return to biblically faithful Anglican practice and teaching and to its own
founding principles. They have also called upon the Anglican Church of Canada
(ACoC) to provide adequate episcopal oversight to dissenting parishes while the
Communion addresses the resulting division, but to no avail. This forced
a number of parishes in Canada to seek protection and Communion connection
through ANiC.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he is in full
communion with members of ANiC and many international leaders have acknowledged
their support and fellowship with the ANiC. This was evidenced by the
recent inclusion of ANiC representatives at GAFCon.
We stand for
historic Christian and Anglican teaching and want to faithfully preserve what
has been entrusted to us by our forebears so we can pass it on, intact and unaltered,
to future generations. We are determined to stay true to the
fundamental and historic tenets of Anglican Christianity and stay in full
communion with the global Anglican Church.
About the crisis in the Anglican Church
of Canada
Because the Anglican Church of Canada has departed from the
faith of, and is “walking apart” from, the global Anglican Communion, parishes
have felt compelled to align with ANiC and the Anglican Province of the
Southern Cone in order to uphold the trusts and founding principles upon which
the churches were established and built.
Parishioners in Vancouver-area ANiC churches voted
overwhelmingly to request the care and protection of a biblically faithful
Anglican bishop, Bishop Donald Harvey, and the orthodox Anglican Province of
the Southern Cone in order to realign with orthodox Communion-committed
Anglicans worldwide.
Why parishes realigned under the
Anglican Province of the Southern Cone
The people
of these parishes took the decision to realign:
§
To
be faithful to historic Christian and global Anglican teaching.
§
To
have the freedom to “further the mission of Christ in the Anglican tradition”
§
To
be recognized as in “full communion with the Church of England throughout the
world” per the Solemn Declaration 1983 - the founding statement of the ACoC.
§
To
keep faith with their spiritual forebears who built the parishes on established
Christian convictions and historic Anglican practices.
§
Because they value
their Anglican heritage and want to stay true to global and historic Anglican
teaching and orthodoxy
This is fundamentally about staying
true to historic Christian teaching that the Bible is the inspired Word of God
and that there is only one way to God through faith in Jesus Christ. The
issue of the Bible’s teaching on sexual practice is merely the tip of the
iceberg. The realignment of ANiC parishes with an orthodox Anglican Province
was an act of conscience.
Why must the Diocese react so
harshly? Why will they not negotiate?
We see no reason why the Diocese and
the ACoC cannot accept this alternative arrangement gracefully and in good
faith while the global Communion deals with the crisis which extends well
beyond Canada. There are examples of parallel jurisdictions existing in
the Anglican Church of Canada and elsewhere in the Anglican Communion.
More information can be found at: www.anglicannetwork.ca/our_genesis.htm