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Local meetings with groups considering their options
Network leaders have been meeting – and will continue to meet – with groups across Canada wishing to hear more about the offer of Adequate Episcopal Oversight through ANiC and the Province of the Southern Cone, as they consider their options in light of the crisis currently splitting the church. Many of these meetings are locally organized and initiated and, in most cases, are private. However, the organizing group in Windsor, Ontario, has decided to hold and advertise an open meeting on January 27 at 4:30pm. If you are interested in attending, contact Ms. Cathy Knight for details. Please remember to pray for these meetings, for all those wrestling with these difficult decisions, and specifically for the public meeting in Windsor.
Church planting seminar, February 14-16
If you are interested in helping plant and nurture new churches check out this seminar. Led by the Rev Tom Herrick , the seminar is designed to provide the knowledge and develop the skills needed to foster the vision, develop the plan and build the organizational structures needed to successfully plant vibrant new congregations. If you are a church leader, or if God has given you a vision to help plant a new congregation, this seminar is for you.
Tom and the Anglican Communion Network have helped birth15 new church plants over the last 24 months, with over 30 new plants expected to be birthed in 2007 and 2008. “The Anglican Communion Network is creating an exponential explosion of churches that are making disciples who make disciples and planting churches that plant churches.” See the flyer.
Pacific Coast Anglican Awakening
On March 2 (Sunday) at 7pm, a Pacific Coast Anglican Awakening: First Steps service will be held at Fraserview MB Church (11295 Mellis Drive, Richmond, BC). Bishop Bill Murdoch of the Anglican Province of Kenya and Anglican Communion Network Dean for New England will be preaching. The Rev William Beasley, AMiA Midwest Network Leader, will also be taking part. You are welcome to join in celebrating the gift of unity in Jesus Christ.
Conference DVDs
The DVD sets of the November conference presentations have been mailed to those who placed orders. There are a very limited number of extra sets, so if you were planning to order a set, please do it quickly, before they are gone. The production quality is excellent!
Archbishop of Canterbury doesn’t condone or condemn interventions
The Archbishop of Canterbury responded to Archbishop Hiltz’ request – first made in November – that Dr Williams condemn the action of the Province of the Southern Cone in offering sanctuary for distressing orthodox Canadian Anglicans. In a very brief response, Dr Williams reiterated what he had said in his Advent letter. He wrote, "… I noted also the reference to the appeal of the Canadian Church to myself about interventions and irregular ordinations: as you will understand, I have no canonical authority to prevent these things, but I would simply repeat what was said in my Advent Letter, to the effect that I cannot support or sanction such actions, in line with what successive Lambeth Resolutions and Primates’ Communiques have declared, as well as the statements of my predecessor about irregular ordinations and the clear directions of the Windsor Report …”
In stating that he has no canonical authority to intervene, it is clear that while Dr Williams lacks authority to “support or sanction” Archbishop Venables’ action, neither does he condemn it. In fact, he did not respond to the call of Archbishop Hiltz “to make clear that such actions are not a valid expression of Anglicanism”. So, while the Anglican Church of Canada has made much of the statement that he cannot “support or sanction” such actions, they neglect to mention he did not declare them invalid “expression of Anglicanism” as they had requested. See this Reuters story that got it right.
News shorts - Canada
Rev Sean Love, pastor of St John’s Richmond and one of the first clergy members to seek alternative Episcopal oversight from Bishop Don under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone, is quoted in a Toronto Star story on Church Planting. The article discusses AMiA and ACiC church plants and clergy, as well.
Simon Bell, Diocese of Toronto “congregational development consultant” is featured in a Globe & Mail story. Bell is apparently known as the “hit man” since he is responsible for taking the pulse of local churches and closing those that are deemed beyond resuscitation. Speaking of Bell, the article says, “He says the institutional church – especially a historically liturgical church like Anglicanism – can't tell people what to believe any more. In a postmodern environment, people bring their own faith and spirituality to the door. Therefore the journey now has become the key. In the 1950s and 1960s, faith was a collection of statements that you held to or didn't hold to. Now faith is an exploration of relationships.”
Archbishop Greg “clarifies” +Schofield’s situation for TEC
In response to TEC Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori’s inhibition of Bishop John-David Scholfield, the Most Reverend Gregory Venables, issued this statement, dated January 11, 2008:
“As of December the 8th, 2007 Bishop John-David Schofield is not under the authority or jurisdiction of The Episcopal Church or the Presiding Bishop. He is, therefore, not answerable to their national canon law but is a member of the House of Bishops of the Southern Cone and under our authority.
“Un fuerte abrazo.”
--The Most Rev. Greg Venables, Archbishop of the Southern Cone
Bishop Keith Ackerman, of the Diocese of Quincy, also came to +Schofield’s defence.
Presiding bishop Jefferts Schori intensifies offensive
Fresh from “inhibiting” former Episcopal Church (TEC) Bishop John-David Schofield, Jefferts Schori went after two other bishops – Bishops Bob Duncan (Pittsburgh) and Jack Iker (Fort Worth). But her attempt to depose +Duncan backfired. The Religious Intelligence website says, “On Jan 15, Bishop Schori wrote to the conservative leader saying that although a secret review panel on Dec 17 had found that he had ‘abandoned the communion’ of the Episcopal Church, after four weeks of deliberations, the Church’s three senior bishops were not able to agree upon suspending him from office. If Bishop Duncan had been suspended, he would have been brought before the March meeting of the House of Bishops for trial, and likely would have been deposed from office by the liberal majority. Having failed to inhibit him, the charges will now be heard by the Bishops in September.” David Virtue also has a report. Bishop Wimberly of Texas explains why he, as one of the three senior bishops consulted, refused to inhibit Bishop Duncan – as does Bishop Peter Lee.
Bishop Jack Iker of the Diocese of Fort Worth also received a second threatening letter from the presiding bishop which said he would be liable for charges of violating his ordination vows if he continued to encourage parishes and dioceses to leave the Episcopal Church. Last November, the Diocese of Fort Worth annual convention took the first step to remove itself from the Episcopal Church.
AND, David Virtue reports that the longest standing bishop in the history of TEC, was served notice of deposition by Mrs Jefferts Schori. The Rt Rev William Cox, 87, resigned from TEC House of Bishops in 2007 and became a bishop ministering under the Primatial oversight of Archbishop Venables of the Southern Cone.
News shorts – USA and North America
The Anglican Province of America (APA) has decided not to formally join the Common Cause Partnership at this time.
The Right Reverend Henry Scriven, Assistant bishop in the Episcopal diocese of Pittsburgh, PA and an Anglicans for Life board member offered the opening prayer at the March for Life Rally in Washington DC, on January 22, 2008. Each year thousands travel to Washington DC on the anniversary of the Roe versus Wade Supreme Court decision as a way of showing their support for the sanctity of life.
At a recent joint Hindu-Episcopalian worship service at St John’s Cathedral in Los Angeles, Bishop Jon Bruno issued a statement of apology to Hindus for past Christian attempts to convert them. Reportedly, the Episcopalians and Hindus participated in joint communion; however the Hindus refused to drink the wine because it was against their religion.
This brilliant open letter to Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, posted on Anglican Mainstream, is well worth reading. It challenges her inclusivity arguments in regard to sexual orientation – specifically her attempt to draw a parallel with the New Testament account of accepting Gentiles into the early church, her divorce analogy, and her (lack of) scientific argument.
More on GAFCON
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) has been attacked (as expected), but has also received significant and enthusiastic support. The Rev Canon Dr Chris Sugden explains in the Church Times why the conference is necessary. He writes:
In June 2008 archbishops and bishops from both the Evangelical and Anglo-catholic wings of the church, who lead 30 million of the world’s 55 million active Anglicans will make pilgrimage to the Holy Land… The vision, according to Archbishop Nzimbi of Kenya is to inform and inspire invited leaders “to seek transformation in our own lives and help impact communities and societies through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”… Southern Cone Primate Gregory Venables said: “Our pastoral responsibility to the people that we lead is now to provide the opportunity to come together around the central and unchanging tenets of the central and unchanging historic Anglican faith. Rather than being subject to the continued chaos and compromise that have dramatically impeded Anglican mission, GAFCON will seek to clarify God’s call at this time and build a network of cooperation for Global mission.”
The conference will grapple with the crisis of authority and ecclesiology that has occurred as a result of the North American actions. We want to ensure that our relationships in the Anglican Communion reflect gospel values. We seek to affirm both biblical orthodoxy and Catholic order but a Catholic order that will serve the Catholic faith, not the other way around… Responses have been positive: One senior English clergyman spoke for many: “We have to find a way which does not leave us endlessly stuck waiting for decisions which never come and allow us to move on with the gospel.”
God is clearly at work. This is a time of asking people to reaffirm their Anglican identity by being clear about their commitment to the biblical Gospel and the faith of the church as expressed in its creeds and formularies. We have to be ready to make a clear witness, not to compromise what has been entrusted to us for the health and wholeness and salvation of men, women and children. We must put our hope in God, we must pray for his will to be done, we must be ready to be willing instruments of his purpose, and we must look for him to give the increase.
Archbishop of Canterbury condemns Zimbabwe
Lambeth Palace has issued the following statement in response to reports that some Anglican church services in Harare have been disrupted by state officials.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury condemns unequivocally the use of state machinery to intimidate opponents of the deposed bishop of Harare, Nolbert Kunonga, and is appalled by recent reports of Zimbabwean police forcibly stopping Sunday services in several churches in Harare where clergy have publicly and bravely refused to acknowledge Kunonga's Episcopal authority. The Archbishop of Canterbury stands in solidarity with the Province of Central Africa (which covers Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Botswana) and the other loyal Zimbabwean bishops in supporting the acting Bishop of Harare, Bishop Sebastian Bakare.
Nolbert Kunonga was replaced as Anglican bishop of Harare in December of last year after illegally separating from the Province of Central Africa and installing himself as archbishop of Zimbabwe. He did not receive an invitation to the Lambeth Conference when they were issued last May. Kunonga's position has become increasingly untenable within the Anglican Church over the last year, as he has consistently refused to maintain appropriate levels of independence from the Zimbabwean Government.“
News shorts - International
The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced details of the Lambeth conference. A Lambeth conference website was unveiled with a schedule of activities. At the news conference, Dr Williams said that about 70 per cent of bishops worldwide have registered for the conference. You can see video of the news conference and question and answer sessions.
Andrew Goddard, in a lengthy post responds to critiques of Canterbury’s Advent letter. His conclusion is that, “A great deal of the language that is around in the Communion at present seems to presuppose that any change from our current deadlock is impossible, that division is unavoidable and that any such division represents so radical a difference in fundamental faith that no recognition and future co-operation can be imagined. I cannot accept these assumptions…”
Have you heard about the Wiccan / Anglican priest? The Reverend Chris Horseman, is an ordained Anglican priest in North Somerset, England who holds a “degree” in Wiccan, believes in “flexible spirituality” and happily conducts ceremonies for humanists and pagans – as well as Christians. "I don't want to be portrayed as anti-Christian but don't want to say Christianity is the only way," he says.
Requesting urgent prayer for Kenya
Please pray for peace in Kenya and for wisdom for the leaders of this country. The strife in Kenya has resulted in significant loss of life and had a profoundly destructive effect on the people, society, church and economy. Because of Kenya’s importance to shipping, the unrest has dramatically affected the economies of surrounding African countries as well. See also Archbishop Nzimbi’s letter.
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