Bishop Charlie Masters talks about the Diocese of Niagara
“At GAFCON 2, Bishop Charlie Masters discussed how ANiC [Anglican Network in Canada] priests were treated by their former church. …”
– Anglican TV via Anglican Samizdat.
(Context: earlier posts mentioning Charlie Masters and St. George’s Lowville.)
The great Anglican divide
While about 20 parishioners pray under the old wooden beams of the church, most of the congregation is farther south…
Last February, most of the St. George’s congregation broke away from the umbrella of the Niagara Diocese, citing creeping liberalism in the Anglican Church of Canada… This weekend, the congregations of two more churches – one in Ottawa and one in Hamilton – voted to join the Anglican Network in Canada.
– Report from The Hamilton Spectator in Ontario. (Photo: St. George’s Lowville.)
Ontario churches to meet elsewhere
Members of two Anglican churches are choosing not to worship in their buildings tomorrow in the wake of a court order that they share the facilities with the diocese they have left.
A Superior Court ruling on Monday required three breakaway churches to share the property Sunday mornings until ownership is decided…
– Report from The Hamilton Spectator.
See also St. George’s Lowville and St. Hilda’s Oakville. (Photo: Rev. Charlie Masters, St. George’s Lowville)
Ontario churches disappointed by decision
A press release from the Anglican Network in Canada –
A judge in the Ontario Superior Court in Hamilton, Madam Justice Milanetti, has ordered three southern Ontario Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) parishes to share their building facilities with a diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada pending the resolution of a trial over who is legally entitled to exclusive possession.
Read more
Anglican Church of Canada chooses litigation over negotiation
News Release from the Anglican Network in Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada’s House of Bishops has rejected an overture from the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) to seek negotiated settlements of property disputes rather than pursue litigation.
Bishop Donald Harvey, moderator of ANiC, expressed his disappointment, and said that, while he was fully aware of the sensitivities of “diocesan autonomy” and wasn’t surprised at this response, “I had hoped the Primate would have attempted to facilitate negotiations between the dioceses and the Anglican Network parishes.” Read more
‘Dissident’ Anglicans retain church use
Parishioners at three Anglican churches, who voted to break away from the national church, will celebrate Easter in their buildings after an Ontario Superior Court judge held off yesterday on deciding who gets the keys to the properties. …
Reverend Charlie Masters, who voted with his parishioners at St. George’s to break away from the Anglican Church of Canada and align themselves with the more conservative group, said he was delighted to have his church building to celebrate the holiest weekend in the Christian calendar. …
Story from Globe and Mail. (Photo: Rev. Charlie Masters, St. George’s Lowville)
Parishes Grateful for Interim Court Order
A judge in the Ontario Superior Court in Hamilton, Mr. Justice James Ramsay, has ruled today that, for the next couple of weeks, the Anglican Network in Canada parishes of St George’s Lowville and St Hilda’s Oakville can retain exclusive use of their church facilities. …
– from a press release from Anglican Essentials Canada.
Diocese of Niagara: ‘Negotiations in vain’
“The Diocese of Niagara and two breakaway parishes represented by The Network entered into good faith negotiations Tuesday to reach an agreement on temporarily sharing two local Churches, St. Hilda’s in Oakville and St. George’s in Lowville, however, no agreement could be reached specifically on the issue of shared services.
The matter will now be resolved in a court hearing tomorrow…”
– Press release from the Diocese of Niagara. (Photo: Bishop Ralph Spence of Niagara.)
Clergy at two Ontario churches suspended
The clergy of two Anglican churches in Ontario have been suspended with pay in the wake of several congregations voting last weekend to put themselves under the authority of a South American archbishop over theological issues that include the blessing of same-sex unions.
The diocese of Niagara yesterday informed St. Hilda’s Anglican Church in Oakville and St. George’s Anglican Church in Lowville that it was appointing new administrators to the parishes. …
Rev. Paul Charbonneau, the rector at St. Hilda’s, said in an interview yesterday that he intends to stay with his flock, perhaps at another venue, despite receiving a letter stating he is under discipline for “breaking the canons,” he said. …
Story from The Globe and Mail (Toronto).
See also Diocese of Niagara; St. Hilda’s Oakville and St. George’s Lowville.
(Photo of the Rev. Paul Charbonneau courtesy St. Hilda’s Oakville.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…