Kirk orders ban on gay minister debate
“The Church of Scotland last night effectively gagged its members from public discussion of gay ministers and postponed a potentially divisive vote on the issue for two years in a desperate bid to avoid a schism. …”
– Report from The Scotsman.
New Westminster court case begins
“The trial before BC Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kelleher over the lawsuit brought by members of four dissident congregations against the Diocese of New Westminster began today (May 25) in Vancouver.
Those bringing the suit, 22 leaders in the four congregations, including three former diocesan priests, have left the Anglican Church of Canada, but want to keep their parish buildings, which the Diocese of New Westminster says it owns. …”
– A report from the Diocese of New Westminster. (Photo: St. John’s Shaughnessy building.)
William Philip on the Scottish vote: we shall not be moved
On Sunday, Dr William Philip at St. George’s – Tron in Glasgow, spoke pastorally to his congregation about the ruling in the Church of Scotland General Assembly on Saturday.
Hear his clear message at the St. George’s – Tron website. 18 minutes / 2.1MB. (h/t Stand Firm.) See also this written statement.
Related link: Fellowship of Confessing Churches.
Financial probe baffles rector
The rector of an Anglican church is “surprised and baffled” by a judge’s decision that a regional diocese investigate whether a local parish mishandled money after it withdrew from the Episcopal denomination. …
– From PressConnects.com. Matt Kennedy is a regular contributor at Stand Firm. (See this earlier report.)
Letter of support for St John’s Shaughnessy
To Canon David Short, Rev Dr Jim Packer, the wardens and the Church Council of St John’s Church Shaughnessy and other churches in the Anglican Network in Canada in Vancouver, Canada.
May 24 2009
Dear friends in Christ,
We greet you warmly as members of the Church of Christ and of the Church of England. Our Anglican Mainstream steering committee, which includes church leaders from all parts of the British Isles as well as a number of members of the Church of England’s general synod, met together on 21st May and resolved unanimously to assure you that we stand together in fellowship with you as brothers and sisters in the Christian faith and we recognize in you the marks of authentic Anglican identity, faith and practice.
We therefore send you this message of solidarity, encouragement and support in prayer as you enter a judicial process on Monday 25th June to enable you to continue to use the property and resources that God has entrusted to you in the service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the good of all the people of Vancouver.
Yours in Christ
Dr Philip Giddings, Convenor of Anglican Mainstream
Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Executive Secretary
Bishop Wallace Benn, Trustee
on behalf of Anglican Mainstream’s Steering Committee.
– from Anglican Mainstream. See also this related letter.
Church of Scotland General Assembly upholds homosexual minister
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has voted in support of the appointment of a gay priest. Reverend Scott Rennie was appointed to a congregation in Aberdeen despite thousands of church-goers signing a petition opposing the move.
– Story from ABC News. More from Ekklesia.
(Photo: Church of Scotland.) Earlier story here.
Be Faithful! FCA launch in UK
“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) is being officially launched in the UK and Ireland in London on Monday, July 6th 2009.
Be Faithful! aims to encourage and envision Anglicans committed to the orthodox teachings of the Anglican Church and passionate about global and local mission.”
– Download the brochure (PDF file – direct link) from the GAFCON website for full details.
Synod of Tasmania — Presidential Address
Bishop John Harrower today gave the Presidential Address at the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania —
“Dear fellow Anglicans, be encouraged by what you see God doing among us. Be strengthened in your commitment to Christ. Be resolute and enduring in your determination to stay the course, a course which under God will see Tasmanians of all ages come to faith, in a world which never needed the good news of Jesus more than it does today.”
– from the Diocese of Tasmania website (PDF file – direct download link).
Garage Hymnal album launch
Garage Hymnal’s new album is being launched at St. Andrew’s Cathedral on Saturday.
Details here.
Parishes and New Westminster mediation unsuccessful
“After one and a half days of mediation with Chief Justice Donald Brenner acting as the mediator, the Diocese of New Westminster and four Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) parishes – St. John’s (Shaughnessy), St. Matthias and St. Luke, and Church of the Good Shepherd in Vancouver, and St. Matthews in Abbotsford – failed to reach an agreement. The dispute over church properties will now proceed to trial in the BC Supreme Court commencing May 25. …”
More in this PDF file (direct link) released by the Anglican Network in Canada.
(Photo: St. John’s Shaughnessy building.)
ACC 14 Alternative Press Conference
Earlier this week, Anglican TV recorded an alternative press conference at ACC-14.
Hear the frustrations felt by some of the good guys – here.
Diocese of New Westminster and ANiC parishes enter mediation
From the ANiC Newsletter:
“Earlier this year, the ANiC parishes served a “Notice to Mediate” on the Diocese of New Westminster but did not set a date for mediation until after the first batch of affidavits had been delivered by both sides. The parties began a two-day mediation session today and it is scheduled to continue tomorrow, Friday (May 15). The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of BC is acting as the mediator. Please keep the parties and this mediation process in your prayers tonight and tomorrow. …
The trial in New Westminster begins in only 11 days, on May 25.”
Vancouver: ANiC’s initial legal submission
The Diocese of New Westminster has placed online copies of its initial legal submission and also that of the Anglican Network in Canada – relating to St John’s Shaughnessy and other ANiC parishes in Vancouver.
Both are PDF files (direct links): The ANIC submission. The New Westminister submission. (Thanks to Ed Hird.)
From the ANiC submission –
“The Plaintiffs seek a declaration that the Parish Corporations of each of [these parishes] … hold the Parish property in trust for their congregations for the purpose of ministry consistent with historic, orthodox Anglican doctrine and practice…”
Tipping Point in Jamaica
“The sense that this meeting has become a tipping point for the future of the Anglican Communion is not simply to do with the failure of the Covenant, it is also to do with the way in which it has failed …”
– Charles Raven writes at SPREAD.
Listening process or Repentance?
“An Anglican council that advises member churches worldwide and works to facilitate cooperative work has announced the continuation of a listening process that seeks to open the ears of Anglicans to the experiences of homosexual persons. …
According to the Rev. Canon Phil Groves … trust must be based on the belief that ‘we’re not going to amend or betray the Gospel…'”
– A rather optimistic report on the ACC meeting from Christian Today.
For a more sober report, see the latest from Philip Ashey in Jamaica –
During his presentation of the Windsor Continuation Group Report and recommendations, Dr Williams spoke to us about a deficit in our Communion life, which he describes as an “ecclesial deficit.” I would like to suggest that a different deficit is at the heart of the Anglican Communion’s malaise. …
– read it all on The American Anglican Council website.
(Photo: Abp Phillip Aspinall, left, at the morning press conference, from the Anglican Communion News Service.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…