More Canon XIX Charges in Canada
The Rev George Sinclair, despite relinquishing his licence for ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC), has been issued a Notice of Presumption of Abandonment of the Exercise of the Ministry according to ACoC Canon XIX by the Bishop of Ottawa.
He joins good company with Dr J I Packer and the rest of the Vancouver-area ANiC clergy who received the same notice earlier from the Diocese of New Westminster. …
– from the Anglican Network in Canada newsletter. George is on the leadership team of the Anglican Network of Canada. (Images courtesy St. Alban the Martyr.)
Realignment takes on new urgency in Pittsburgh
The newly-formed Coalition for Realignment supports the effort to realign the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh with a biblically orthodox Province of the Anglican Church.
As the group sent a letter of introduction to the parishes of Pittsburgh, news was received of the likely proceedings against Bishop Bob Duncan.
We in the Diocese of Pittsburgh are aware of what is occurring in the wider Anglican world and how powers outside of the diocese are attempting to influence the decisions we make about our future. During these difficult “in-between” times we are humbled, hopeful and even excited about what God is doing with Anglicanism.
Locally, we have not been idle. The Steering Committee of the Coalition for Realignment, comprised of lay and clergy members from across the diocese, has been meeting to help navigate the path forward to the next annual convention when the second vote on realignment will occur. …
See the full letter on the Coalition for Realignment website.
Clock is ticking for fate of Bishop Duncan
The leader of the Episcopal Church will poll bishops nationally next month in an effort to move the possible deposition of Pittsburgh Bishop Robert W. Duncan Jr. ahead to May.
While Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori’s reasons have not been made public, the impact of accelerating the deposition could be far reaching not only for Bishop Duncan but the entire worldwide Anglican Communion. …
from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Episcopalians oust retired bishop
The Episcopal House of Bishops voted Wednesday to defrock a retired Episcopal bishop who is living in Tulsa. The Rt. Rev. William Cox is one of two conservative bishops deposed by the House of Bishops in a continuing struggle in the Episcopal Church over biblical authority.
Bishop William Cox: “I feel sorry that they felt they needed to do this. A more charitable thing to do would be to say, ‘We recognize that you are now a member of the church in Argentina and ask God’s blessing on your ministry.’ ”
– report from Tulsa World, Oklahoma. (Photo credit: George Conger.)
Reform Chairman on J.I. Packer
Rod Thomas, the Chairman of Reform has written this letter to the Editor of The Church Times –
“The threat by the Bishop of New Westminster in Canada to suspend the Revd Dr Jim Packer from ministry because his church has sought the oversight of the Primate of the Southern Cone has rightly created a huge sense of outrage across the Communion and especially among evangelicals in the Church of England. …”
Read the full letter at VirtueOnline. (Photo: Reform.)
Retired TEC Bishop charged for canonical violations
Bishop Edward MacBurney, bishop retired of the Diocese of Quincy, has been formally charged with canonical violations by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. These charges stem from events occurring in June, 2007 when Bishop MacBurney was invited to make a pastoral visit to a non-Episcopal church in San Diego, California. MacBurney, 80 years old, retired from his position as a diocesan bishop in 1994 …
– Press release from the Diocese of Quincy, via the Anglican Communion Network. (Photo: Forward in Faith.)
It appears Bishop MacBurney has been charged but has not (yet) been inhibited. Note that Bishop MacBurney is one of those who, along with Archbishop Peter Jensen, signed a letter of support for Bishop John-David Schofield and the Diocese of San Joaquin in January.
‘We acknowledge the pain’
The Episcopal Church HOB on Lambeth –
We, the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, approaching the forthcoming Lambeth Conference, are mindful of the hurt that is being experienced by so many in our own Episcopal Church, in other Provinces of our global communion, and in the world around us. …
Thus, even as we acknowledge the pain felt by many, we also affirm its holiness … We appeal to the faithful of the Episcopal Church and the faithful in the wider, global Anglican family, to focus and celebrate our unity in the comprehensiveness of diversity. …
The full statement is available from the Episcopal News Service.
Stations of the Cross – Without the Cross
It has been said that, in the Episcopal Church, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals have replaced the gospel of Jesus Christ – and here is one illustration –
Read more
Communiqué reaffirms goals of GAFCON
Communiqué from GAFCON leadership meeting
We met in England as the leadership team of the Global Anglican Future Conference and Jerusalem Pilgrimage from March 10-12, 2008 and were encouraged by the support and enthusiasm of bishops, clergy and lay leaders around the Anglican Communion who have welcomed GAFCON and expressed their desire to attend.
Read more
TEC to ‘depose’ Bishop Schofield of San Joaquin
‘It is a privilege to know that I am standing along side of one of the outstanding theologians of our time, J. I. Packer, who is under similar discipline…’
The meeting of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops has decided to consent to depose Bishop John-David Schofield, bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, even though he has resigned from the TEC.
As well, the House of Bishops voted to depose retired Maryland Bishop William Cox (now 87), who conducted ordinations on behalf of the Primate of Uganda, and who resigned from the Episcopal Church to join the Southern Cone a year ago –
Calling on the reconciling love of our Lord Jesus Christ and mindful of our call to be servants of one another and of the mission and ministry of the whole church, we have taken the action of consenting to the deposition of our two brother bishops, John-David Schofield and William Cox. … this action is… necessary for the ongoing integrity of The Episcopal Church. …
Full text from the Episcopal Church.
The Diocese of San Joaquin has published this press release with the response from Bishop Schofield –
Bishop Schofield responds to the HOB decision
The Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, a member diocese of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone of South America, was disappointed by today’s decision of the Episcopal House of Bishops but he was not surprised by it.
Read more
TEC Presiding Bishop’s Easter Message
“We base much of our approach to loving God and our neighbors in this world on our baptismal covenant. Yet our latest prayer book was written just a bit too early to include caring for creation among those explicit baptismal promises. I would invite you to explore those promises a bit more deeply – where and how do they imply caring for the rest of creation? …”
The real message of Easter is about …?
Read the Presiding Bishop’s Easter message here (text) or here (pdf).
Setting the record straight about St Chad’s
The story written by Stuart Mann and posted to the Diocese of Toronto website March 6 contains inaccuracies and innuendo that demand a response. … In the context of diocesan intimidation and knowing the diocese had access to the keys, the priest-in-charge changed the locks on February 26, fearing the building would be commandeered by the diocese – a fear that proved well-founded. …
Read the full statement from The Anglican Network in Canada.
See also the original story on the Diocese of Toronto website.
Bishop Mark Lawrence upholds the uniqueness of Christ
After last week’s visit of the TEC Presiding Bishop to the Diocese of South Carolina, video files from the clergy day have been released. They are available on YouTube.
In parts 1 and 2, Bishop Mark Lawrence graciously but clearly speaks of the problems many in his diocese have with the direction of the Episcopal Church. In part 4, he turns to Colossians chapter 1 and the absolute supremacy of the Lord Jesus. (The other files are no longer available.)
See stevewood.cc for links to the video files. (With thanks to Standfirm for the link.)
Audio files here.
Lambeth invitation ‘not possible’ for Robinson
The House of Bishops was informed March 10 that full invitation is “not possible” from the Archbishop of Canterbury to include Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as a participant in this summer’s Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops. …
Robinson confirmed for ENS that he plans to be in Canterbury during the July 16–August 3 once-a-decade gathering, but not as an official conference participant or observer. …
Report from the Episcopal News Service. (Photo: Donald Vish.)
Daily Accounts from the TEC House of Bishops meeting
The Episcopal News Service is posting “daily accounts” from the Episcopal Church’s meeting of its House of Bishops.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…