Network newsletter – 04 November 2007

 

 

More on Network’s pivotal November 22-23 meeting

The agenda for November 22-23 is now set.  You’ll find the conference information and schedule, on our website at: www.anglicannetwork.ca/pivotal_conference_info_112207.htm .  Highlights will include a theological presentation by Dr J.I. Packer and a Bible study by the Rev David Short.

 

 

Anglican Church of Canada House of Bishops’ letter

Following their meeting, House of Bishops wrote a letter, October 30^th, which states only that they discussed the same-sex blessing motions passed by the Ottawa and Montreal synods and that the bishops’ agreed that their “April 2007 statement continues to have the same status as it did originally”.  See: www2.anglican.ca/about/hob/message-2007-10-30.pdf   And to see the House of Bishops’ April 2007 statement, see: www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2007-05-01_hob.news  

 

The Anglican Church of Canada mission
Have you noticed this sentence in the Anglican Church of Canada’s mission statement? Is this new?

We acknowledge that God is calling us to greater diversity of membership, wider participation in ministry and leadership, better stewardship in God’s creation and a stronger resolve in challenging attitudes and structures that cause injustice.

See full mission statement: www2.anglican.ca/about/mission-statement.htm

Canadian news stories…

The Ottawa chapter meeting of Anglican Essentials Canada created a bit of a stir when the Ottawa Citizen reported “A group representing orthodox Anglicans in Ottawa is proposing the formation of a new branch of the church in Canada that is more "biblically faithful" than the current incarnation of the church.”  See: www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=c37095af-bc68-401f-baa3-3df4a7d0873a&k=92781

 

The Ottawa Citizen published Tony Copple’s letter in which he commented on the Ottawa diocesan synod’s endorsement of same-sex blessings.  Tony is president of the Ottawa chapter of Anglican Essentials Canada.  See: www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/views/story.html?id=0eda65b5-8f90-4fa2-b315-62bc4ca855d3&k=36358

 

The Kitchener Record reports the Bishop of Huron, the Rt Rev Bruce Howe, saying he expects a vote on same-sex blessings at diocese’s next synod and anticipates the motion will pass.  See: http://news.therecord.com/article/261965.

 

The Anglican Journal reports that Bishop George Bruce of the Diocese of Ontario has disciplined a priest for officiating at the wedding of a same-gender couple.  The Rev. Michael Bury, rector of St. John the Evangelist has had his licence to perform marriages cancelled and was “ordered not to attend the church” until January 2008.  Rev Bury is reportedly on sick leave.  See:  www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/ontario-priest-disciplined-for-marrying-same-sex-couple/

 

The Journal also reports that a group wrote the House of Bishops urged them to “…proceed to (the) full inclusion (of gay and lesbian people) by providing access to all sacraments and sacramental rites of the church”, including marriage.  Group members also reportedly opposed the proposed Communion Covenant, feeling it would create “…a confessional church that sets out comprehensive sets of belief, practice and doctrine.”  See: www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/progressive-anglicans-urge-bishops-to-allow-gay-marriage/

 

The Diocese of New Westminster website reports they will be discussing the future relationship between four Network parishes and the diocese.  Part of the discussion will centre on the issue of whether the clergy of those parishes will be permitted to continue under the Anglican Church of Canada benefits and pension plan. The report states that “The Rev. David Short, rector of St. Johns [Shaughnessy], in a letter to Bishop Michael Ingham, agreed with a proposal from the bishop that a small working group meet with the intention of seeking clarity with regard to our relationship with the diocese. He asked for the extension of the payroll arrangements until next spring, which will be after annual Vestry meetings have taken place.”  See: www.vancouver.anglican.ca/News/tabid/27/ctl/ViewArticle/ArticleId/569/mid/486/Default.aspx

US Episcopal Church news

The Diocese of Pittsburgh convention is meeting this weekend and has already passed, by more than a two-to-one margin, a motion to amend its constitution to allow it to separate from the Episcopal Church (TEC).  This amendment, known as Resolution One, must be ratified at a second convention next year. Pittsburgh is one of at least four US dioceses known to be considering separating from TEC to affiliate with another Province in the Communion. See: www.pgh.anglican.org/news/local/resonepasses110207 and www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/03episcopal.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin  

 

Immediately prior to Pittsburgh’s convention, TEC Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori wrote Pittsburgh’s Bishop Bob Duncan a threatening letter, saying “If your course does not change, I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church -- by actions and substantive statements, however they may be phrased -- and whether you have committed canonical offences that warrant disciplinary action.”  The same article that reports the presiding bishop’s letter also provides a lengthy and detailed accounting of the legal warfare TEC is waging against faithful parishes throughout the US.  See: www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_91480_ENG_HTM.htm

 

Bishop Duncan responded to Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, saying “Here I stand.  I can do no other.  I will neither compromise the Faith once delivered to the saints, nor will I abandon the sheep who elected me to protect them.”  See: www.pgh.anglican.org/news/local/pbresponse110207

 

The same day she threatened Bishop Duncan, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori inhibited the liberal bishop of Pennsylvania, Charles Bennison, while accusations are investigated that he knowingly concealed his brother’s sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl. Bishop Bennison is to cease all episcopal, ministerial and canonical acts following diocesan synod on November 3.  See: www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/7273/

 

Two weeks ago, the Diocese of Quincy synod, while not voting on motions to immediately secede, did make changes to its constitution that “would allow the synod to realign provincial membership by a single concurrent vote at a single synod” if carried on second reading at a future synod.  See: www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=3891

 

Global Communion news…

The Telegraph reports that controversial proposals have been drawn up by the Church of England House of Bishop’s Theological Group, chaired by the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, as its response to the Anglican Covenant.  The Telegraph reporter claims to have seen confidential documents which call for the Archbishop of Canterbury to approve, in “extraordinary circumstances”, parish requests for interventions by bishops from other jurisdictions.  The documents reportedly also call for discipline of erring provinces in order to bring them “to repentance, healing and restoration”.  See:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/28/nchurch128.xml

 

Anglican Mainstream reports that Archbishop Drexel Gomez (West Indies) told his synod recently that indecision and foot dragging in responding to the current crisis could destroy the Communion.  “…there can be no doubt that the future shape of Anglicanism will have to undergo significant adjustments if the Communion is to remain intact,” he reportedly said.  Not surprisingly, Archbishop Gomez, who is chairman of the Anglican Covenant Design Group, suggested that adoption of the proposed Covenant would help restore trust and accountability within the Communion.  He also said the Communion must resolve the plight of the biblically-faithful in the US and Canadian.  See: www.anglican-mainstream.net/index.php/2007/11/01/delay-could-wreck-the-communion-gomez/

 

Common Cause Partner profile: The Anglican Province of America

The Anglican Province of America (APA) is lead by Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Walter Grundorf.  It considers itself “the oldest of the modern Continuing Church bodies” and traces its roots back to 1968.  Despite a rather tumultuous history, APA comprises three dioceses, about 77 parishes and 6000 members (in 2004).  APA is theologically conservative, uses the 1928 American edition of the Book of Common Prayer as the official liturgy, and does not allow female ordination.  See: www.anglicanprovince.org

 

Parish profile: Holy Cross Anglican Church, Abbotsford, BC

Holy Cross was one of the first casualties of the same-sex blessing dispute and became the original Network parish. Days before Christmas 2003, the mission parish was effectively expunged by the Diocese of New Westminster when Bishop Michael Ingham notified its Rector, the Rev James Wagner, that he was implementing a decision by the diocesan council to “terminate” the mission.

 

Today, James reports the little community of around 50 meets each Sunday in the local recreation centre. They express their “outward, evangelism orientation” in ways unique to their congregation’s giftedness by offering art camps for kids, outreach “Ultimate Fitness” Bible studies which combine physical and spiritual fitness, monthly potlucks, caroling of local business establishments, and distributing practical gifts to community members, such as recreation centre passes to pedestrians or cookies to hospital patients. See: www.anglicannetwork.ca/holy_cross_ab.htm