Canada upholding Windsor Process?
Just in case you still believe that the Anglican Church of Canada is upholding the Windsor Process that has been so fondly pointed to by some in the ACC, we have this bit from Ottawa.
Some of you will recall that a couple of years ago, Peter Coffin – then Bishop of Ottawa – granted his permission to a female priest (Linda Fisher-Privitera) to minister in the Diocese of Ottawa. Fisher-Privitera came to Ottawa with her partner, Melissa, whom she had married in a civil union in Massachusetts, prior to arriving. …
Bishop Chapman, now bishop of Ottawa, has granted a full appointment to Fisher-Privitera at St. Michael & All Angels in Ottawa. …
Story from LC.net/Canada. (Photo: St. Michael & All Angels in Ottawa.)
All not well in the Diocese of Niagara
“We had hoped that with the coming of our new Bishop, the church would redirect its efforts and return to its historic roots. We had hoped for a Shepherd who would care for his flock. …”
– frustration echoed in this newsletter (PDF file) from All Saints’ Niagara Falls (via St. Hilda’s Oakville). See also these comments on the state of the diocese from LC.Net/Canada. (Image: McMaster University Library.)
Bishop Michael Ingham’s Easter Message
“For resurrection to come, some things must die. This church of ours, for example, is moving through a great time of change. And the paradox is that in order for the Gospel to live, some aspects of the church may have to die. Anglicanism has survived centuries of turmoil – world wars, religious wars, the end of slavery, the emancipation of women – but Anglicanism as we have known it for four hundred years may not survive the movement for dignity and respect that is now being sought for gay and lesbian people today.
There is a great struggle going on in our church between those who see God in the traditions of the past, and those who see God in the new wind of the Spirit challenging our old assumptions about human nature…”
A classic liberal interpretation of what “The Resurrection of Jesus” is about – from the Diocese of New Westminster. (Photo: New Westminster.)
‘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)
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.)
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.)
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.
Man the lifeboats!
We are currently witnessing a dramatic ‘rescue operation’ in North America to save those drowning in a ‘disaster’ caused by a pagan heresy. …
Jeremy Halcrow has a good summary of recent events at SydneyAnglicans.net.
(Picture of Dr. J I Packer from the St. John’s Shaughnessy video.)
‘Time to get our heads above the parapet’
Anglican Mainstream is reporting a letter to the Editor of the Church of England Newspaper from a senior layman, Professor Glynn Harrison of the University of Bristol –
“Sir,
The news that Dr Jim Packer has been served with a ‘notice of presumption of Abandonment of the Exercise of Ministry’ by the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada is a significant moment for ‘ordinary’ evangelicals in the Church of England. Read more
Same-sex dispute hovers over bishop vote
Allison Kydd is concerned delegates who will elect the 10th Anglican Bishop of Edmonton on Saturday don’t know where the nominees stand on same-sex blessings.
Kydd said she’s disappointed an Episcopal search committee didn’t press the seven nominees on their positions on an issue that’s caused a major rift in the church. …
At the time of her election, many assumed [the previous bishop, Victoria] Matthews, raised and educated in Toronto, was on the ‘liberal’ side of the spectrum because she was a woman, Kydd said, and it was such a new thing to have a woman as a candidate.
Kydd said that wasn’t the case, and Matthews, who went on to be nominated twice as primate or national leader, pulled the church in a more conservative direction. …
Full report from The Edmonton Journal.
Ecclesiastical Fascism Rearing its Head
“The fictional ‘abandonment of communion’ used by revisionist Episcopal bishops to deny and dump orthodox priests has now become a standard mantra by those who want to retain power and repress those who would uphold the faith, demanding that they accept the church’s new fangled theology, and bless same-sex marriages…”
This week’s commentary by US-based Kiwi David Virtue.
‘Anglicans padlock rebel church’
St. Chad’s Anglican Church sits empty after the Toronto diocese changed the locks and told all parishioners to go elsewhere, in response to the congregation voting recently to split from the Anglican Church of Canada.
“They’ve locked us out of the building,” said Cheryl Chang, a lawyer for the breakaway parishioners. “They’ve closed the building to worshippers.” …
Report from The Toronto Star. See also this statement from the Diocese of Toronto.
(Photo: Anglican Network in Canada.)
New Westminster: ‘Imagining our future’
“New Westminster Anglicans have come up with seven values that parishioners in the diocese hold – and have begun work on a vision for the next decade. … The values and vision for the diocese should be based on what people in the diocese care deeply about. This is what we’ve tried to discern in a series of ten workshops held during October and November. Over 250 people from a large majority of the diocese’s parishes were involved. …”
The list of ‘Values’ and ‘Vision’ words may reflect what is being taught in the churches – see the story (published January 27) from the Diocese of New Westminster – and read more detail in the report (pdf) from the consultants who ran the workshops.
On Life and Ministry with J.I. Packer
In October 1999, Mark Dever spoke with Dr James Packer about life and ministry.
Well known to many as the author of Fundamentalism and the Word of God, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God and Knowing God, Dr. Packer is a member of St. John’s Shaughnessy which has recently voted to break ties with the Anglican Church of Canada.
This fascinating and informative interview sheds light on the recent history of evangelical Christianity and its continuing battle with liberalism.
The 64 minute audio (mp3) file is available here as a 29MB download.
(Photo: Martin Dee / Regent College, Vancouver.)
Professor J I Packer: Anglican Church League Statement of Support
Anglican Church League President Dr Mark Thompson has released this statement in support of Professor J I Packer:
The ACL notes with alarm the Bishop of New Westminster’s threat to revoke Professor J I Packer’s ‘spiritual authority as a minister of Word and Sacraments’.
Professor Packer, one of the leading Christian voices of the twentieth century, is amongst those who have voted to stand with authentic and orthodox Anglicans rather than those who have undermined biblical truth over many decades and most recently by their innovations regarding homosexual practice. As one of these he has now become a target for revisionist aggression. Once again the intolerance and anti-liberal heart of liberal Christianity has been exposed. Read more
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…