Vancouver Magazine on St. John’s Shaughnessy
“On a Sunday morning earlier this year, hundreds of Anglicans pour through the doors of St. John’s Shaughnessy Church. The stately grey building at the corner of Granville and Nanton is home to a well-heeled and diverse congregation: parents with a clutch of teenage sons, elderly women in wheelchairs, youthful couples.
Sitting near the front with her husband is soft-spoken, 72-year-old Gail Stevenson, who has attended the church her whole life. Closer to the back, sitting all by himself, is 46-year-old Steve Schuh. Many of the parishioners sit in the same pew week after week—pews that may soon be pulled out from under them. …”
– Jonathan Graham at Vancouver Magazine reports on the challenges facing St. John’s Shaughnessy and like-minded churches in that city. (Hat tip: Ed Hird.)
Evangelical – by Phillip Jensen
What is an “evangelical”? There is a series of similar words that are commonly confused such as “evangelical”, “evangelism”, “evangelistic”, “evangelise”, “evangelist” and “evangelicalism”. These words carry so much meaning to the initiated but are quite confusing to others.
They all start with “evangel” for they are all about the gospel. “Evangel” is the anglicised version of the Greek word for gospel. These different English words are just different grammatical forms of the word gospel. …
– Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, Phillip Jensen, unpacks the meaning of “evangelical” in the Cathedral’s weekly newsletter for August 10.
California clergy receive ultimatum
The Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, based in Stockton, California, has written to clergy affiliated with the breakaway Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, based in Fresno, California, asking that they affirm their loyalty to him or be deposed from the ordained ministry. …
– George Conger reports for Religious Intelligence. (Photo: Bishop Jerry Lamb greets TEC Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori – Episcopal Life Online.)
Standing against the culture of death
Back in May, Al Mohler spoke of the family of Trig Paxson Van Palin, a little boy born with Down Syndrome.
“…Trig Palin is now in a very rare group of very special children, because it is now believed that the vast majority of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth are being aborted.”
Trig’s mum, Sarah Palin, is the Governor of Alaska, and was yesterday announced as the running mate for Senator John McCain for the US Presidency.
– Read Albert Mohler’s article here. He also spoke of it on his radio programme. (Hat tip: Justin Taylor.)
See also this page about Trig from the Governor’s Office.
GAFCON Communiqué on establishment of the Primates Council and Fellowship
The first meeting of the GAFCON Primates Council took place in London from Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd August 2008.
“Given that some esteemed colleagues from the Global South have strongly commended the Windsor Process to us, we are reluctant to say that it cannot work. But there is nothing new here such as to make us hesitate from the course we are taking, given the urgency of the situations with which we are dealing and the realities already on the ground.”
The full Communiqué is reproduced below. Read more
Bishops write to GAFCON Primates Council
This letter was sent to Archbishop Peter Akinola, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council, by five bishops from North America. It is referred to in the GAFCON Primates Council communique.
“As requested we have carefully studied the Reflections of the Windsor Continuation Group – in particular the section that refers to our ministry within North America. We offer these comments…”
New Westminister letters to parishioners
The Diocese of New Westminister has released the letters sent to members of St. Matthias and St. Luke Vancouver, and St. Matthew’s Abbotsford.
There are links from this page on the New Westminster website.
St. John’s Shaughnessy responds to New Westminster
From St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver –
The Diocese of New Westminster (DNW) initiated action against St. Matthew’s Abbotsford and St. Matthias – St. Luke Vancouver on August 26th and is seeking to take over governance of the parishes. We are deeply disappointed by this action as it fails to recognize:
- repeated attempts by the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) parishes to seek dialogue before litigation;
- repeated statements from the Primate of Canada that any such action will damage the public witness of the church;
- repeated calls from the Anglican Communion to refrain from such hostile action
It is a sad irony that the Diocese invoked Canon 15 on the same day that the Archbishop of Canterbury released his Pastoral Letter to all Bishops of the Anglican Communion reflecting on the recent Lambeth conference saying: Read more
Ian Cox new Archdeacon
It’s been announced that Ian Cox, currently the Rector of Brighton/Rockdale, will become the new Archdeacon of Liverpool in the Georges River region of Sydney Diocese from December 1st.
Please pray for Ian as he prepares to take on this new role.
SydneyAnglicans.net has the story.
John Piper on abortion
An 8 minute video clip – “Abortion is about God”.
From Desiring God – at YouTube. (Hat tip to Justin Taylor.)
New Westminster moves to seize control of ANiC parishes
From the Anglican Network in Canada
On August 26, 2008, the Anglican diocese of New Westminster informed St. Matthew’s in Abbotsford and St Matthias and St Luke’s in Vancouver that the bishop had dismissed the parish Wardens and other officers (Trustees) that were duly elected by the congregation and appointed new Wardens who are more “loyal” to the bishop. According to their press release, these actions were taken to regain “control of the parishes”, which includes control of the properties and buildings. Read more
Thinking about the Thirty Nine Articles
“The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal…”
– Thus the Jerusalem Declaration at the conclusion of GAFCON called Anglicans back to the Thirty Nine Articles. But who is familiar with the Articles these days?
At his blog Thirty-Nine, Michael Jensen is writing a response to and commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. He’s has begun working through the Articles and is currently up to number 4. Check it out – you may like to start with the Introduction.
New Westminster takes steps against Southern Cone clergy
“The Diocese [of New Westminster] has taken steps under Canon 15 towards removing clergy who have left the Anglican Church of Canada rather than accepting the decisions of the Diocesan Synod and General Synod.
The Diocese has invoked the provision that returns control of the parishes to the Diocese, an action that was approved by Diocesan Council.
The parishes are St. Matthew’s Abbotsford and St. Matthias and St. Luke, Vancouver…
No steps have been taken at present at Good Shepherd, and at St. John’s Shaughnessy, Vancouver, two other parishes where former diocesan clergy remain who have left the Anglican Church of Canada…”
– from the Diocese of New Westminster. A press release (pdf format) may be found here.
Mark Dever interviews Os Guinness
Mark Dever interviewed Os Guinness earlier this year – the audio is now online at Nine Marks.
He speaks on his life and shares fascinating insights on his time with Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri.
Direct link to 28MB / 62 minute mp3 file.
Archbishop of Canterbury writes on Lambeth
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today sent a letter to the bishops of the Anglican Communion, setting out his personal reflections on the Lambeth Conference.
“The Conference was not a time for making new laws or for binding decisions… The Conference Design Group believed strongly that the chief need of our Communion at the moment was the rebuilding of relationships – the rebuilding of trust in one another – and of confidence in our Anglican identity. …”
– from the Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. (Photo: Lambeth Conference media.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…