Anglican Network in Canada NEWS RELEASE

BC Court of Appeal dismisses appeal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 15 November 2010

Vancouver, BC – In a decision released today, the BC Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by four Anglican Network in Canada churches in the Vancouver area. The four parishes – St John’s (Vancouver), St Matthews (Abbotsford), Good Shepherd (Vancouver), and St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver) – had appealed a November 25, 2009 decision of Mr Justice Stephen Kelleher awarding beneficial ownership of church properties to the Diocese of New Westminster in the case involving the split in the Anglican Church. The Diocese of New Westminster’s counter appeal of Mr Justice Kelleher’s decision granting a sizeable bequest to the ANiC congregation of the Church of the Good Shepherd was also dismissed.

The appeals were heard in the B.C. Court of Appeal September 13-16, 2010, before Madam Justice Nicole Garson, Mr Justice P D Lowry and Madam Justice Mary Newbury.

“Obviously, we are deeply disappointed by this decision which is currently being reviewed by our legal counsel,” said Cheryl Chang, Special Counsel for the Anglican Network in Canada. “We are awaiting their advice before any discussion about an appeal can take place. The congregations have always said that if they are forced to choose between their buildings and their faith, they will choose their faith. That position remains unchanged.”

About the Anglican Network in Canada

The Anglican Network in Canada now numbers 39 parishes and nine forming congregations in North America – primarily in Canada – with more than 3500 in church on an average Sunday. 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 fellowship with their Anglican brothers and sisters outside North America.

ANiC is under the Episcopal authority of Bishop Donald Harvey and is one of 20 dioceses in the Anglican Church in North America which unites over 80,000 faithful Anglicans in over 600 churches across this continent. ANiC is also affiliated with South America’s Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, one of the 38 Anglican Churches in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The Anglican Church in North America has been growing rapidly since its inception and has set itself the goal of planting 1000 new churches in five years – primarily through reaching unchurched North Americans with the life-transforming good news of Jesus Christ.

Contact:

Marilyn Jacobson

Anglican Network in Canada communication

1-866-351-2642 ext 4020

mjacobson@anglicannetwork.ca