David Short, J I Packer face legal action
Ecclesiastical charges have been filed by a Canadian Bishop against former Sydney Anglican, the Rev David Short and one of the world’s top Anglican theologians, Dr J.I. Packer.
Bishop Michael Ingham has launched legal action over the vote by their congregation in Vancouver to seek alternative oversight from a South American bishop. …
The charges not only involve revocation of licence, but also seek to nullify the ordination of Mr Short and Dr Packer. …
Full story by Russell Powell from SydneyAnglicans.net. (updated)
St. John’s Shaughnessy video on YouTube
An ~80 minute video from St. John’s Shaughnessy, produced in 2007 to help members think through the reasons for and implications of Anglican Realignment, has been placed on YouTube.
It features interviews with St. John’s Rector, David Short, and with theologian Dr J I Packer and is very helpful. Recommended.
Watch the video (in 10 segments) here. (Start at the bottom right video.)
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.)
‘It’s a tragedy for the Church’ – Archbishop Venables
Archbishop of the Southern Cone, Gregory Venables was interviewed on CBC Radio in Canada earlier this week.
It’s very very sad that it should come to this, it’s a tragedy for the church, for the church in Canada and for the church throughout the world – but it shows how serious the division is.
We are grateful for this transcript of the interview (the audio is available here in RealAudio format). Questions are from CBC’s The Current presenter Anna Maria Tremonti – Read more
Two New West parishes ask for same sex blessings
Two parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster have voted to ask to be added to the list of places where same sex blessings may take place.
St. Mary’s Kerrisdale in Vancouver, and the Church of the Holy Spirit in Whonnock, Maple Ridge, by large margins voted to ask Bishop Michael Ingham to grant his permission for the parish to conduct services for persons in committed, monogamous same sex relationships. …
Full press release from the Diocese of New Westminster.
Archbishop Gregory Venables interviewed on Canadian radio
“The Current” on CBC Radio in Canada has run a story on the developing Anglican split. Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone was interviewed by telephone from Buenos Aires.
Read about the programme on the CBC website – and listen to a RealAudio file of the segment. (It begins about 2 minutes 30 seconds into the file – it runs for 20 minutes.)
Building may be on the line – another Canadian church to vote
Same-sex marriage blessings are the “flashpoint” but not the main reason a St. Catharines Anglican church is voting on whether to break from the national body, a spokesperson said.
Members of the Church of the Good Shepherd on Grantham Avenue will make their decision Sunday in a meeting after the morning service. …
– Full report from The St. Catharines Standard. See also the Good Shepherd website.
It’s time to return to the fold
Last week, Vancouver’s St. John’s Shaughnessy, the largest Anglican congregation in the country, overwhelmingly voted to separate itself from the Anglican Church of Canada …
The real story here isn’t that a schism is now occurring in one of Canada’s most prominent Churches. What should be of most concern to those who sit in the pews is that the leadership of the Anglican Church in Canada has abandoned its traditional roles of defending the faith and the authority of Scriptures. …
Full story from The National Post.
(Photo of Bishop Michael Ingham courtesy of the Diocese of New Westminster.)
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.)
Second Ottawa congregation votes to split
For the second time in less than a week, an Anglican congregation in Ottawa has voted to leave the diocese over the contentious issue of same-sex marriage.
Parishioners of St. Alban the Martyr Saturday night voted overwhelmingly in favour of the break …
Story from The Ottawa Citizen. (images courtesy St. Alban the Martyr.)
Vancouver Island priests inhibited
The two priests of St Mary of the Incarnation, in Victoria (Metchosin) were inhibited late Friday afternoon by Diocesan Archdeacon, the Venerable Bruce Bryant-Scott.
The Venerable Sharon Hayton, rector, (pictured) and the Rev Andrew Hewlett, assistant priest, received notice late Friday afternoon (February 15), that disciplinary action was being commenced against them although no charge was given under the Church’s canons. Read more
First Ottawa church breaks from diocese
One Anglican congregation has broken away from the Ottawa diocese over same-sex unions, and another votes Saturday on whether to follow suit.
This week, Rev. Alex Lewanowicz, minister for Bearbrook, Navan and Vars, gave up his minister’s licence with the Anglican Church of Canada and agreed to serve here under a South American archbishop instead. “For integrity’s sake, I’ll put my money where my mouth is,’ he said Friday. …
Report from the Ottawa Citizen. (Photo: Anglican Network in Canada.)
Update: see also “Five Anglican parishes set to separate from Church”.
Press coverage of St. John’s Shaughnessy
Canadian news agencies are reporting on the vote of St. John’s Shaughnessy to join the Province of the Southern Cone –
Anglican Church Loses Largest Congregation
“Rev. Short said his parish asked to be put under the jurisdiction of a Canadian bishop who shared its orthodox views, but they were offered a compromise that was not satisfactory. … Read more
Bishop Harvey welcomes St John’s
“St John’s has shown true leadership both now and over the past difficult years. I look forward to ministering with them and moving forward together in mission and in full communion with the tens of millions of orthodox Anglicans worldwide who have been so supportive of us.”
Press release from the Anglican Network in Canada.
Biblical thinking about the crisis
This week’s vote by the congregation of St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver has come after a long period of reflection on the Scriptures. This 2004 paper by St. John’s Rector, and Moore College graduate, David Short, gives some background –
“For Anglicans, in a denomination that now sanctions same sex unions, this now means changes in the shape of our relationships so they might help rather than hinder the mission of Christ. …”
See also David’s paper, “Are we Stronger than He?”, published in ACL News in 2005. 360kb PDF file.
For another report on yesterday’s vote, see Anglican Journal, published by the Anglican Church of Canada.
Commissary of the Diocese of New Westminster, Dean Peter Elliott, thinks the move is “unnecessary”, however read the articles above.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…