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  ANiC Newsletter: 14 January, 2011 ... pdf version
    

During January, to accommodate staff vacations, the ANiC newsletters will focus primarily on ANiC news. We also will send you the weekly American Anglican Council newsletter to provide you with additional international and US news.

Handle with prayer!

News – ANiC and AEN

ANiC Plant and Grow Conferences
Regional church planting conferences are being organized in different areas across the country. Clergy, laity and prospective church planters at any stage of the planting process are welcome. More church planting information is on the ANiC website. (Dates and locations may change as plans develop)

Victoria, BC February 19 Contact the Rev Sean Love
Brandon, MB late-February (TBD) Contact Phil Varcoe
Burlington, ON March 2  Contact the RevRay David Glenn
Langley, BC March 5 Contact Bishop Ron Ferris
Ottawa, ON April 2  Contact the RevDan Endresen
Montreal, QC April 30  Contact the RevDan Endresen
Moncton, NB  May 14  Contact the RevDan Endresen
Marlborough, MA, USA June (TBD) Contact the Ven Michael McKinnon 


Short-term mission trips planned. You are invited!
The Asian Mission in Canada (AMiC) was established in November 2009 to facilitate the growth of Asian Anglican churches in Canada and to care for the poor. AMiC aims to help marginalized immigrants with poor English-language skills and low paying jobs, and Mainland Chinese satellite families in transition. AMiC is also committed to partnering with International China Concern (ICC) and the Anglican Church in Thailand, which is a deanery in the Diocese of Singapore. As part of these friendships, two short-term missions have been organized to China and Thailand.

1.
China, Love Mission to Special-needs children – Working with ICC, the Asian Mission will send a team in early July to assist ICC’s ministry to orphans who have been abandoned because of their disabilities. The team will help run a summer camp for the children. Team leader is Isabella Shen.

2.
Thailand, Anglican Missions partnership – Working with the Diocese of Singapore, deanery of Thailand, this mission team will help in Karen refugee camp in early June. Team leader is Nona Leung. You can help! Please pray about becoming involved either by going or supporting those who do go. The application deadline is March 1st, 2011. The Initial Interest Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 30th, 2011 at Anglican Network Church of the Good Shepherd. See the Asian Mission announcement here.


Asian Mission in Canada (AMiC) Inaugural conference, March 21-22
AMiC’s conference,
Discerning contemporary culture: Challenges and Christian ministry in a permissive age, is being organized by Bishop Stephen Leung. Great speakers will include Dr Brian Stiller, the Rev Warren Lai, the Rev Ken Shigematsu, the Most Rev Dr John Chew (to be confirmed), the Rev Dr David Pao, Dr Toni Dolfo-Smith, Mr Daniel Komori and Dr James Houston – and more. For more information see the Asian Mission Website. Early bird registration lasts until January 16.


Feeding on God’s Word
At synod 2010, Bishop Charlie introduced the Navigator’s Topical Memory System of the Bible (NTMS). Now available on the ANiC website, Christ the King, Victoria, has arranged a Bible memory system based on the NTMS. It was originally intended to assist the members of their own parish to memorize 50-60 scripture verses in the coming year This very helpful tool is now available to all ANiC parishes to assist them in “going deeper in the Bible.” Christ the King parish writes:
“It assists ANiC members in attaining strategic priorities for all parishes in 2011. Specifically it assists in fulfilling the vision of equipping ANiC members to embrace ANiC’s mission and become Biblically faithful, Gospel- sharing Anglicans.”


Anglican information night in Winnipeg
St David’s the Faithful, an ANiC community, is sponsoring an Information evening for Manitobans in the Winnipeg area. The speakers are Bishop Dr Trevor Walters and the Rev Canon Dr Brett Cane who will address questions regarding the Anglican Communion, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Network in Canada. See flyer posted on ANiC’s website.


ANiC parishes appeal to Supreme Court of Canada
The Trustees of the four Vancouver area parishes filed an application for Leave to Appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada on January 14, 2011. The News Release said in part:

“The Trustees submit the Court of Appeal was correct in holding that the church properties are held on religious purpose trusts for Anglican ministry, but that it erred in finding that Anglican ministry is as defined by a majority in the ACC, and in awarding the properties to the ACC Diocese.

“The Court of Appeal acknowledged that the awarding of these properties to the Diocese of New Westminster could well mean that the churches would have “vastly reduced or non-existent congregations””, said Cheryl Chang, Special Counsel to ANiC. “But this result actually serves to defeat the religious purpose and results in the trust property being empty or underused. The evidence at trial showed the awarding of the properties to the ANiC congregations would mean that the original purposes of Anglican Ministry would continue to be fulfilled in those church properties. In contrast, the Diocese is in a process of closing and selling churches.”


To read the full release, see ANiC’s website and read the full Trustees’ Memorandum of Argument.


Subscribe to ANiC news RSS feeds
A new RSS feed has been added to the ANiC website. Subscribe and receive ANiC news as it happens.


Welcome into ANiC!
The Rev Andy Leroux and the LivingHope Christian Church (Scarborough ON) – On January 6 , LivingHope Christian Church became ANiC’s newest parish. The church meets at 1100 Bellamy Road and is under the leadership of the Rev Andy Leroux, former rector of St Ninian’s (ACoC), Scarborough. Bishop Don licenced Andy as a priest in ANiC on January 4.

The Rev Robin Guinness was officially welcomed as a priest in ANiC on January 10, 2011. Read his reasons for leaving the Anglican Church of Canada posted on the ANiC website. Robin and his wife Sandy are members of ANiC’s Christ the King, Toronto.

St James’ (Lennoxville, PQ) – On January 1, ANiC welcomed St James’ (Lennoxville), a church plant in the Eastern Townships of Quebec St James’ meets at 43 Queen Street and is under the leadership of the Rev Jess Cantelon as priest in charge.


Calendar of upcoming events – for your interest and prayer support
Jan 9 – Bishop Don visits The Epiphany, Hamilton, for a 1st anniversary celebration
Jan 16 – Bishop Don to St Georges Ottawa, installation of Mike Donison, new Chancellor
Jan 16 – Bishop Charlie visits LivingHope Christian Church, Scarborough
Jan 21 – Anglican Information Night, at St David’s the Faithful, Winnipeg
Jan 23 – Bishop Don to Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Marlborough, Confirmation service
Jan 25-27 – ACNA 2011 church planting summit in Plano, TX; speaker Tim Keller
Jan 25-31 – Anglican Communion Primates Meeting (Dublin, Ireland)
Jan 30 – Bishop Don visits Christ the King, Toronto, welcome Robin Guinness+ to ANiC
Jan 30 – Bishop Don to visit LivingHope Christian Church, Scarborough
Jan 30 – Asian Mission short-term mission trips meeting, Church of the Good Shepherd
Feb 9-12 – theAM Winter Conference, Greensboro, North Carolina
Feb 19 – Victoria, BC church planting workshop
Feb 25-27 – Good Shepherd (Vancouver) revival conference
Feb (TBD) – Brandon, MB church planting workshop
March 2 – Burlington, ON church planting workshop
March 5 – Langley, BC church planting workshop
March 14 – St John, NB church planting workshop
March 21-22 – Asian Mission’s Discerning contemporary culture conference, Vancouver, BC
March 29-31 – ANiC’s 2011 pastors’ retreat near Abbotsford, BC
April 2 – Ottawa, ON church planting workshop
April 30 – Montreal, QC church planting workshop
June (TBD) – Marlborough, MA church planting workshop


News – Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)

Diocese of New Jersey sets new precedent
St George’s Anglican Church (Helmetta, NJ), which is under the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns, has amicably settled its property dispute with Diocese of New Jersey in the Episcopal Church (TEC) Prior to this case, the liberal diocese had taken aggressive legal action over any parish attempting to leave TEC. A statement from Bishop Minns posted on the CANA website says,
“We are extremely grateful that the congregation of St. George’s Anglican Church is able to retain its property. This is an incredible blessing and witness to others that Christians can resolve these matters amicably. We are also thankful that the church has been able to maintain a cordial relationship with the Diocese of New Jersey.”  CANA News also made note that, in this case, the rector, Father William Guerard was permitted to join CANA without renouncing his TEC ordination vows, adding that it is not the case for many other priests leaving other TEC dioceses for CANA and other Anglican groups.


The Anglican Mission in the Americas (theAM) Winter Conference
TheAM -- a missionary outreach of Rwanda and Mission Partner of ACNA -- is hosting its Winter Conference, February 9-12, in Greensboro, North Carolina. TheAM wrote in the American Anglican Council (AAC) newsletter:
“We seek to discover where God is moving and then join him as collaborative partners, with each congregation developing its unique approach to reaching the unchurched and de-churched.”


Sure Foundation Project
The American Anglican Council (AAC) newsletter reports the launch of the Sure Foundation Project This pilot project is intended
“to equip local Anglican churches to grow in evangelism, discipleship, church planting and local outreach ministries that will change the cities and communities where our churches live.”The Rev Canon Phil Ashley asks for prayer for the 70+ people who gathered for the launch and that God would use this project as a resource to build up Great Commission Anglican Churches throughout our province (ACNA).


News shorts – Canada

Toronto diocese pastoral guidelines for same-sex blessings
The diocese of Toronto recently released pastoral guidelines that counsel clergy on how to “
offer a generous pastoral response to stable committed same gender relationships in our diocesan family seeking a blessing of their commitment.”The AEC blog reports that three Toronto clergy responded to the pastoral guidelines, saying:

“We recognize the difficult road our bishops are called to walk today, in finding a path that responds to the pressing pastoral needs of our gay and lesbian people and seeks also to be faithful to “the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ as this Church has received them.”

“We do not believe that these guidelines find that path, the middle way that is both pastoral and faithful, and that is therefore truly Anglican. Indeed, we are concerned about the damage they may do, in this diocese and in the Anglican Communion, to our common life in Christ.

On behalf of the many people in the pews who cannot accept these guidelines and who are, like us, deeply troubled, we ask our bishops to reconsider.

The Rev. Catherine Sider Hamilton
The Rev. Canon Dr. Dean Mercer
The Rev. Murray Henderson Toronto


Dr Ephraim Radner also addressed the matter earlier and the Bishops of Toronto responded.


Other news -- Canada
The Economist – Jan 6, 2011 – Faith in courts [An editorial on the the BC court of appeal decision]
LifeSite News – Jan 10, 2011 – Canadian Court: Marriage officials must marry homosexuals


News shorts – USA

Other news – USA
Yahoo News – Jan 3, 2011 – Historic lesbian marriage … unites top clergy of Episcopal Church
The Christian Post – Jan 4, 2011 – 2 lesbian Episcopal clergy marry on New Year's
Christian Today – Jan 5, 2011 – Marriage of lesbian priests is another act of TEC 'defiance'…


News shorts – International

Primates’ meeting moves ahead
The CofE Newspaper reported that the January 25-31 Primates Meeting in Dublin is scheduled to move ahead despite threat of boycott by ten primates (one quarter of the leaders invited). The article mentioned that while Jan Butter, director of communications for the Anglican Communion, said he still hopes all primates will attend, Canon Kenneth Kearon acknowledged that some primates were not coming.

In the same article, the Rev Canon Chris Sugden was said to have written in an article to be published in next month’s Evangelicals Now, “This refusal of his invitation calls into question the ability of the Archbishop of Canterbury to fulfil his role as gatherer of the Communion,” …“The real problem is that all the decisions made at previous meetings, have been ignored, undermined or overturned.” 

Related articles from the Anglican Communion Institute:
Jan 4, 2011 -- How Shall we Hope for the Anglican Communion?
Jan 4, 2011 -- Unity, Order and Dissent: Addressing Dissent Within A Communion of Churches


News in brief from around the world and the Communion
Sudan -- On January 7, citizens of Sudan began to cast votes in Sudan’s historic seven day referendum, which will decide whether or not the mainly Christian South Sudan will separate from the mainly Muslim Northern Sudan and form an independent state. In a report on Anglican Mainstream, The Most Rev Dr Daniel Deng Bul Yak, Episcopal Archbishop of the Sudan, said, ‘We have been waiting fifty five years for this day,’ ‘This is the day, this is our time.’ The report concludes: “The Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) fully supports a credible and peaceful self determination referendum and remains behind the cause of national unity and democracy. The Church also acknowledges the challenges that lie after the referendum, especially if southern Sudan becomes an independent state.” …“Whether in the case of unity or succession then, the ECS is ready to lead again, as it has led throughout the years.”

Egypt -- In what has been called the worst sectarian violence in Egypt in decades, CNN reports that at least 27 people were killed and 97 others were wounded in an explosion at a Coptic Orthodox church in Alexandria on New Year’s Day. It was believed to be a suicide bombing. The report included that The Church of the Two Saints was on a list of targets posted on a radical Islamist website. Anglican Mainstream posted an anonymous letter from an Egyptian Christian requesting prayer. The writer said, “…one Pastor in Alexandria received a letter asking him to prepare 250 coffins for his members on the Egyptian Christmas Day, which is the 7th of January.” “…Please pray for the safety of the Christians including our members in the days ahead as every one is really scared.”  Archbishop Mouneer Anis has also written a report here.

Nigeria – On December 24 at least six explosions in two different locations were detonated in Jos. The Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, Archbishop Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, told The Nation (Nigeria) that those behind the recent bombings are attempting to derail peaceful transition of power to take place in May. He said, “The recent detonation of a bomb at a military barracks in the nation’s capital as well as other bombing incidents in parts of the country are part of a grand plan to signal insecurity. The perpetrators intend the scenario to force the military to take over power before the forthcoming general elections.”

In a letter reprinted in the American Anglican Counsel newsletter, the Archbishop of Jos, the Most Rev Dr Benjamin A. Kwashi, expressed disappointment that,
“The media was quick to say that one bomb was in a Christian area and another in a Muslim area, thereby immediately making insinuations and pitching the two different communities against each other,” “…We now have a difficult situation on our hands.” He wrote that “Christmas services were scantily attended, our celebrations interrupted and no-one is happy”, but responded with encouragement from scripture: “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labour of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Hab 3:17-18)

Israel – Two women from Christ Church Ministries Jerusalem (CMJ), Kristine Luken and Kay Wilson were brutally stabbed on December 18 while hiking in the Jerusalem Forest.Luken was killed, Wilson suffered severe wounds to the upper torso and chest. In the Jerusalem Post, police called the assault by two young Arab men a probable terrorist attack. ANiC has special ties to Christ Church as Rev Sharon Hayton from St Mary’s Open Gate, Victoria, is the director of CMJ Canada, and Rev Jess Cantelon from St James church plant in Lennoxville, served as the curate of Christ Church Jerusalem last year. CMJ’s prayer co-coordinator requested that we pray for them. Please pray for the community of Christ Church and their rector David Pileggi in their grief, and especially for the family of Kristine Luken and for Kay Wilson who is still suffering from pain.


Other news – International
Catholic Online – Dec 29, 2010 – Anglicans will feel 'Rite' at home with 'Book of Divine Worship'
Independent Catholic News – Jan 4, 2011 – Bishops' statement on reception of former Anglicans


Soul Food

Just for Fun…
The World Junior Hockey Championships… “not even the attendance of Bishop Charlie Masters at an earlier tournament game could save the Canadians from their fate.”

See December 29 Toronto Star photo. Bishop Charlie is in the second row, second from the right.)

Sports commentator Steven Noble reported for ANiC:
“Hockey fans from around the world were looking on recently as the annual IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships wrapped up with Russia facing Canada in the gold medal game in Buffalo, NY. It was a classic matchup, slamming two bitter, historic rivals into a head-on collision After knocking off the tournament favourite Americans, Canada looked like they would continue their undefeated run, having already beaten the Russians once earlier in the tournament. When the boys got off to an early 3-0 lead in the final, it looked like the victory was anointed.

The Canadians got ahead of themselves though, leaving a window open for the Russians to prove a "never-say-die" attitude is as vital as their world-class skills. The feisty Russians scored three quick goals in less than a five-minute span in the third period. With the Canadians reeling, the Russians pushed on to take a 5-3 victory as the final buzzer sounded. The Russian comeback earned them their first gold medal in the tournament since beating the Canadians for gold in 2003. It turns out, not even the attendance of Bishop Charlie Masters at an earlier tournament game could save the Canadians from their fate.”



Please pray...
For our bishops and clergy and their families – especially those battling illness

For
ANiC projects, church plants and parishes, and for their proclamation of the Good News to those in their communities who desperately need new life in Christ

For the Supreme Court of Canada.

For other
ongoing legal challenges faced by ANiC parishes, including:
The mediation process involving St George’s & St Alban’s (Ottawa) and their former Anglican Church of Canada diocese
The ongoing litigation involving St Aidan’s (Windsor) and the ANiC parishes that were formerly in the Diocese of Niagara – and their mounting expenses

For all the
congregations involved in court proceedings and disputes. Pray for a continued focus on, and blessing upon, their ministry in the midst of this turmoil. Pray for peace for the wardens and trustees who are on the front lines and bear the burden of risk and responsibility

For the
leaders and parishioners of the ACoC dioceses pursuing eviction of and legal
costs against ANiC congregations and wardens

For donations to the
ANiC legal defense fund supporting parishes in disputes with their former dioceses

For funding of the
ARDFC’s malaria prevention project in Kenya

For
persecuted Christians, especially in Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Cyprus and other Muslim lands

For the
Sudan and especially the January 9th referendum on independence for the South. Pray for a fair and peaceful referendum, for lasting peace, and for wisdom for Church leaders. Pray also for our ANiC parishioners – especially at St John’s Surrey – with family and friends in the Sudan.

For Rev David Pileggi and Christ Church Ministries Jerusalem as they grieve the loss of Kristine Luken. Pray also for the full recovery Kay Wilson.

For
repentance and revival in our hearts and in our nation – as well as a hunger for God and a thirst for His Word

For all those in positions of leadership and influence in the
Anglican Communion, that they would seek to honour and obey God above all else

For the
Primates of the Anglican Communion as they wrestle with decisions related to the upcoming Primates’ Meeting in Ireland (at the end of January)


And now a word from our sponsor
O Lord, come back to us!  How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants!
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!  Replace the evil years with good.
Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory.
And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!

Psalm 90: 13-17, NLT



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