Bishop of New Westminster to retire

Bishop Michael InghamThe Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, has announced that he will retire at the end of August.

“It’s time to hang up the mitre, park the shepherd’s staff, pull the ruffles off my fancy sleeves, and go play golf.”

Looking back on his time as Bishop, he writes, “Our witness to faith frequently encountered strong religious opposition. Strangely, the secular world has been more supportive.” (These related posts might help explain why.)

New West Synod moves to lift same sex blessing ‘partial moratorium’

From a report on the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster, which concluded yesterday –

“Of interest to many was the passing of Motion #1 on the afternoon of May 12th by a substantial majority of Synod.

In this motion, Synod requested that the Bishop lift the partial moratorium that has been in place since 2005 and authorize priests of the Diocese of New Westminster to bless the civil marriages of gay and lesbian couples in those parishes that support this pastoral act. …

Bishop Michael responded by saying that he will think about this decision and that he plans to confer with many members of the diocese…”

– from the New Westminster website. (Photo: Dioc. New Westminster. h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.)

Related: The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns by Dr Mark Thompson, 2008.

The Gippsland Crisis

At Theological Theology, Dr Mark Thompson, puts the recent developments in Gippsland in their wider Anglican context. We’ve reproduced his comments below, and added links to some related material at the end.

“This all too brief history is widely known. In particular it is known by all the Anglican bishops in Australia. None of them is in the slightest doubt about the volatile state of the communion and the issue which lies at the heart of the turmoil.”

“It is no secret that global Anglicanism is being torn apart over the issue of homosexuality. Actually, homosexuality is just the current presenting issue of a very deep and long running divide between liberal revisionists in the denomination and those who remain committed to the teaching of Scripture and the theological character of Anglicanism as represented in the Thirty-nine Articles, the Homilies and the Book of Common Prayer. However, it is the presenting issue, the point at which gospel faithfulness is currently being tested.  Read more

‘Anglican Church of Canada worship returns to St. John’s Shaughnessy’

“The Venerable John Stephens, Archdeacon of Vancouver has arranged a rota of clergy to conduct Sunday services and musicians to lead the music in worship beginning Sunday, September 25th at 11am with a Celebration of Holy Communion. …”

– from the Diocese of New Westminister website.

Related: Largest Anglican Church congregation in Canada leaves historic church home.

And from the St. John’s Vancouver website:

“We will pray that He will continue to use this space for His glory, and that many may come to know Him in it in the future.”

“On September 18, we will have regular services at 8am, 10am, and 6:30pm.  The 10am service will finish differently. Near the end of the 10am service we will thank God for his grace at giving us our home at St. John’s Shaughnessy for the better part of the last century. We will pray that He will continue to use this space for His glory, and that many may come to know Him in it in the future.  We will then depart the building together and drive to our new location at 5350 Baillie, arriving together.  We will thank God for his grace and provision and sing .  After this, at approximately noon, a light lunch will be served at our new location and there will be an opportunity to explore where ministries will be happening and enjoy our new home.”

Largest Anglican Church congregation in Canada leaves historic church home

Sunday 18th September will be the last Sunday for St. John’s Vancouver (formerly St. John’s Shaughnessy) at the place where they have been meeting for 100 years.

This would be an especially good time to continue in prayer for the congregation, the ministry team led by David Short, and for their expanded, gracious, proclamation of the Lord Jesus in the city of Vancouver.

They’ve just published this news release:  Read more

Ontario congregation loses property

News Release from the ANiC –

Ontario Superior Court Deprives Congregation of Church Property

The Ontario Superior Court has decided that the property and assets of St Aidan’s in Windsor, Ontario, are held in trust for a St Aidan’s “parish” within the Diocese of Huron of the Anglican Church of Canada.

In his decision released 15 August 2011, Mr Justice Little leaned heavily on the court decisions in the BC case involving four Vancouver-area parishes which also had left the Anglican Church of Canada and joined the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) in 2008. Mr Justice Little concluded that “Parish” and “congregation” were interchangeable words which referred to a “distinct separate unit, rather than a compilation of its congregants at any one time”, and that the separate entity in this case was the “St Aidan’s Parish of the Diocese of Huron”.  Read more

‘Remember your leaders’ — J I Packer on John Stott

Dr Packer preached from Hebrews 13 at the memorial service for John Stott in Vancouver on Friday evening.

The video is in three parts: part 1, part 2, part 3. (Total, 33 minutes.) Very encouraging.

Sydney Memorial Service for John Stott

A memorial service will be held  for John Stott at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Friday, 5th August, at 1:30pm. The Archbishop, Peter Jensen, will be speaking. – from the Cathedral website.

Update: Here’s a media release from the Diocese of Sydney.

(In Canada, Dr J I Packer will be preaching at a memorial service in Vancouver. Services are also planned for Toronto and Ottawa. In Melbourne, Dr Peter Adam will be speaking at a service on August 28th.)

One way of looking at it

“On July 10, 2011 clergy of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) who since May 2008 had been occupying the Anglican Church of Canada building on Guilford Drive in Abbotsford left that building to conduct worship in Grace Church a few blocks away. Worshippers who support those ANiC clergy also left the Anglican Church of Canada building to worship with those clergy…”

– The Bishop’s Warden of the Anglican Church of Canada parish at Abbotsford in Vancouver in a letter to BC Local News. (Photo: Diocese of New Westminster.) h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.

Joint statement from St. John’s and the Diocese of New Westminster

“During the transition ministry and services will continue to be administered by St John’s Vancouver clergy and staff. While there are still some legal matters to resolve all parties present expressed the wish to avoid further litigation and find a mutually acceptable way forward which will glorify God and care for his people.”

– from a brief statement posted on the St. John’s website.

St. John’s in transition

From the St John’s Vancouver website:

“Over the next two weeks we will be having two town hall meetings to discuss the transition. This will be an opportunity to pray, support and listen to one another,  ask questions, give suggestions, and voice concerns.”

– Please keep in your prayers the members of St. John’s (Shaughnessy) and the other three Vancouver churches having to vacate their properties.

Pastoral letter from Bishop Don Harvey ANiC

This Pastoral Letter from Bishop Don Harvey of the Anglican Network in Canada was written just after the announcement last week concerning the Vancouver churches.

“But just as the events of this day, nine years ago, were a spark that ignited a flame that went beyond our wildest imaginations, so may the Christ-like manner in which we handle this decision be an encouragement to so many of our brothers and sisters who are struggling to find courage to take action against something they realize is dreadfully wrong in the church where they have remained.”

My dear friends in Christ Jesus:

When the history of our Church is written, the date of June 16th will receive very special mention. It was on that day, nine years ago that a relatively few members of the Synod of New Westminster made the fateful decision that they no longer were able to remain in a church that was showing itself unfaithful to the Word of God. They felt that as precious as unity was, it still came secondary to truth and that the time had come to put their strong faith into action.  Read more

Lessons to be learned from the Canadian Church experience

In June 2008, Dr J I Packer spoke at Holy Trinity, Eastbourne on “Lessons to be learned from the Canadian church experience” – and stated that the issues which prompted GAFCON are the most serious since the Reformation.

His talk is a very helpful reminder of why St. John’s Shaughnessy, and three other churches in Vancouver, have taken the costly stand they have.

Hear his talk (55 min / 9.5MB) and the question time (32 min / 5.6MB) on the Holy Trinity website.

As well as being a member of the team at St. John’s Shaughnessy, Dr Packer is an Honorary Canon of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney. (Photo: Ed Hird.)

Supreme Court of Canada dismisses appeal, congregations to be evicted

David Short, Rector of St. John’s Shaughnessy:

“the way we respond is a God-given opportunity to bear witness to Christ. As those who are disciples of Jesus Christ, this is not just about ‘what’ we do but also ‘how’ we do it. In some ways nothing will change with the decision on Thursday. We are still God’s family, and he has placed us in Vancouver to spread his glory.”

News release from the Anglican Network in Canada:

“The trustees of four Vancouver-area Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) parishes are preparing to vacate their church buildings after the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed their case and awarded legal costs to the Anglican Church of Canada Diocese of New Westminster. The four churches are: St John’s (Shaughnessy), St Matthews (Abbotsford), Good Shepherd (Vancouver), and St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver).

The parishes had appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada requesting the court to overturn the decision of the BC courts in awarding their church properties to the Diocese.

‘Obviously, this decision is extremely disappointing and should be of great concern to all Christian denominations. While these congregations have remained steadfast in their faith, and have not changed the traditional teaching of the Christian church, they have now been called to sacrifice all their assets, including their church properties, for the sake of their faith’, said Cheryl Chang, a former Trustee of St. John’s (Shaughnessy) and Special Counsel to the Anglican Network in Canada.‘Clearly, we were hoping for a better result when we sought help from the courts. However, we always said that given a choice, we would choose our faith over our properties, and we have been willing to make that sacrifice if called upon by the courts to do so.’

The Supreme Court of Canada gave no reasons for their decision.”

————-

Before the decision was announced, David Short, Rector of St. John’s Shaughnessy (and Canon of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney), released a pastoral letter to the congregation at St. John’s. The congregation at St. John’s is being called to prayer this afternoon, Sydney time.

“Friends,

I am writing to let you know that this Thursday we will receive the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision on our Leave to Appeal Application. We have been in this unprecedented process for nearly 10 years, and this is the next step toward clarity about our future. I thank God for you and for our unity together in the gospel, and ask you to pray that God would bring glory to his own name through the unfolding events.

If the Supreme Court of Canada does not grant us Leave to Appeal, we will meet at the Church at 7:30 PM Thursday evening to pray together. This will mark the end of the Legal process for us.

From a practical point of view, a number of parallel processes will then be initiated.

If we are granted Leave to Appeal, our Lawyers will begin working on the documents for the Trial. Currently the Supreme Court of Canada is scheduling hearings in the first quarter of 2012. It will then be another 6-8 months before we have a decision, likely late 2012 or early 2013.

Regardless of the decision on Thursday, the way we respond is a God-given opportunity to bear witness to Christ. As those who are disciples of Jesus Christ, this is not just about ‘what’ we do but also ‘how’ we do it. In some ways nothing will change with the decision on Thursday. We are still God’s family, and he has placed us in Vancouver to spread his glory. We are in an uncomfortable place and the words of Romans 12 encourage us to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

I thank God for sustaining and guiding us this far as a family, in partnership with our extended family of St. Matthews Abbotsford, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and St. Mathias & St. Luke. I do not know of many churches that have had the privilege of being so purposefully shaped and transformed by the Holy Spirit in such unusual circumstances; and I am constantly grateful to be a member of St. John’s, praying and expecting to see how God will use this for his own glory.

Warmly,
David Short
Rector St. John’s Vancouver

(from the St. John’s website – PDF.)

Related news note from The Globe and Mail. (Photo: Joy Gwaltney, GAFCON.)

From the archives — Are we stronger than He?

Six years ago, we published this paper by David Short, Rector of St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver. It’s a good reminder of what is (still) at stake around the Anglican Communion. PDF file here.

(The paper was first delivered at The National Canadian Anglican Essentials Conference in Ottawa on August 31, 2004.)

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