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  ANiC Newsletter: 23 March, 2010 ... pdf version
    

Handle with prayer!

News – ANiC and AEN   

Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada (ARDFC) has new website
ARDFC now has a website. Check it out! Please help ARDFC raise $50,000 for the Kenya
malaria project. Details of the impact this project will have are now available on the website: www.ardfc.ca.


ANiC job posting
St Matthews (Abbotsford, BC) is looking for a full-time assistant priest. Those interested should contact the church office by calling (604) 853-2416 or emailing stmatts1@telus.net for a Parish Profile. Deadline for applications is 31 March 2010.


Calendar of upcoming events – for your interest and prayer support
Mar 28 – St John’s Sudanese choir to lead music at Church of the Ascension, Langley, BC
Apr 7-9 – reFocus Canada, a preaching and theology conference, in Burnaby, BC
April 17-24 –Church of the Good Samaritan (St John’s, NL) mission to Guatemala
June 3-11 – Anglican Church of Canada General Synod, Halifax, NS
June 7 - 11 – ACNA House of Bishops, Provincial Executive and Council meet in Amesbury, MA
Nov 3, 4-6 – Clergy day followed by ANiC synod, Ottawa, ON


News shorts – Canada

Anglican Catholic Church of Canada requests Roman Catholic “Ordinariate”
The Canadian province of the Traditional Anglican Church (TAC), The Anglican Catholic Church of Canada (ACCC), has officially asked the Vatican to implement an Ordinariate in Canada. The TAC had lobbied the Roman Catholic Church to make such a provision available and the Vatican announced last fall the specifics of a provision for Anglicans wishing to align with the Roman Catholic Church.


Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) prepares for synod
The Anglican Journal reports that the Council of General Synod (CoGS) has decided to send the Anglican Covenant to General Synod for discussion, but
“…followed the lead of the House of Bishops in not recommending the Covenant for adoption”. Bishop Michael Ingham told CoGS that his diocese was concerned the Covenant could be used in a “punitive way” against churches acting contrary to the views of other churches. He said his diocese will call on the ACoC to “…undertake a comprehensive consultation on the implications of this proposed covenant... so the church as a whole may make an informed decision concerning its adoption”.


Anglican Essentials blog hits two million page views
Since it was founded in June 2007, the Anglican Essentials Canada (AEC) blog has grown in popularity and followership, serving the orthodox Anglican community both inside and outside the Anglican Church of Canada. Recently the website passed a major milestone having been accessed by over 500,000 unique visitors who viewed over two million blog pages. The AEC blog and its four bloggers – Peter, David, Kate and Scott – seek to provide online news which Canadian Anglicans may not get from other sources. The blog also provides a forum for discussion and community building and is particularly valued by participants that don’t have an orthodox local Anglican community for fellowship.


Canadian news
National Post – Mar 20 2010 – Breakaway Anglican group requests union with Rome


News shorts – United States

TEC backpedaling on Covenant
Some in the Episcopal Church are now working to distance themselves from the Rev Dr Katherine Grieb’s remarks to the Anglican Church of Canada’s Council of General Synod in which she indicated that the Anglican Covenant, as it stands, is something TEC could “live with”.


2nd partnered homosexual bishop receives needed consents from TEC bishops
The Episcopal Church (TEC) has announced that Bishop-elect Mary Glasspool
“has received the required number of consents from diocesan standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction to her ordination and consecration as a bishop…” She is to be ordained May 15 in the Diocese of Los Angeles with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as chief consecrator.

Reaction from the orthodox community has been swift and predictable. (See below) Astonishingly, the Archbishop of Canterbury has not posted an official response. However, his office is issuing a statement – but only upon specific request. He says,
“It is regrettable that the appeals from Anglican Communion bodies for continuing gracious restraint have not been heeded… Further consultation will now take place about the implications and consequences of this decision.”

Archbishop Peter Jensen (Diocese of Sydney, Australia) said,
“It is now absolutely clear to all that [TEC] has formally committed itself to a pattern of life which is contrary to Scripture… There have been various responses to the actions of TEC over the years. Some have been dramatic and decisive, such as the creation of the Anglican Church of North America, an ecclesiastical body recognized by the GAFCON Primates as genuinely Anglican. For others, however, the counsels of patience have prevailed and they have sought a change of heart and waited patiently for it to occur… This is a decisive moment for this ‘middle’ group. Their patience has been gentle and praiseworthy. But to wait longer would not be patience – it would be obstinacy or even an unworthy anxiety. Two things need to be made clear. First, that they are unambiguously opposed to a development which sanctifies sin and which is an abrogation of the word of the living God. Second, that they will take sufficient action to distance themselves from those who have chosen to walk in the path of disobedience.

Canon Kendall Harmon, Diocese of South Carolina is quoted in an Episcopal Life Online article saying, "
I'm very sad but I'm not surprised. It represents not simply a decision or a single act but a… pattern and therefore a chosen direction… What's so sad about this is throughout history ... the church is reading Scripture to say you can't do this. But the Episcopal Church has already done it and done it repeatedly with no sense of the damage they're causing."

Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion & Democracy –
“Consent to Glasspool’s election by the Episcopal Church shows how little the U.S.-based denomination cares about what other parts of the global Anglican Communion believe. The majority of the Episcopal Church is increasingly practicing a separate faith than what most worldwide Anglicans practice.”

Bishop Martyn Minns CANA (a diocese in ACNA) –
“The leadership of The Episcopal Church continues to demonstrate its disregard for the authority of Scripture. This action does not merely defy those within the wider Anglican Communion, it also contradicts basic Christian theology on marriage and human sexuality by promoting a pattern of life which is contrary to Scripture.”

Bishop David Anderson, American Anglican Council –
“Even if The Episcopal Church should eventually decide to sign an Anglican Covenant, it has shown time and time again that it will not abide by traditional Christian and Anglican Communion teaching on marriage and sexuality."

Fulcrum – which describes itself as a network
“seeking to renew the centre of the evangelical tradition and the centre of Anglicanism, acting as a point of balance within the Church of England” – offered a very brief response. They said the action was a “clear rejection of the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates’ Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.” Their suggested solution: The Presiding Bishop should not be invited to the Primates Meeting in January 2011.

There has been no response yet from the Communion Partner Bishops – an organization of 19 US bishops still in the Episcopal Church who would be considered theologically traditional.


Anglican church building to become Muslim centre?
The Diocese of Central New York, having succeeded in the courts to evict Father Matt Kennedy’s ACNA congregation, now intends to sell the Good Shepherd church building to a Muslim group.


Bishop Howe itemizes the damage caused by election of Bishop Robinson
VirtueOnline recounts an online exchange between Bishop John Howe (Diocese of Central Florida) and a liberal Episcopal Church colleague in which Bishop Howe listed some of the damage to TEC done by the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson. He lists, among other things: dozens of congregations and hundreds of families left TEC, millions of dollars in pledges and planned bequests were cancelled, church leaders resigned and priests quit. In addition he said,
“Two-thirds of the 38 Provinces of the Communion now say they are in "impaired" or "broken" communion with TEC. We are now down to less than 700,000 ASA. We have spent - how much is it? $5M, $10M, some estimate $20M in litigation. We are now forcing out congregations who simply believe the Christian Faith as it has always been taught and cannot abide being part of what they believe is now an apostate Church...and selling their buildings to Muslims.”

On a similar note, a (TEC) Diocese of South Carolina theologian and former dean of Trinity Seminary, the Very Rev Dr Peter Moore, was quoted by VirtueOnline saying,
“the Anglican Communion, is profoundly upset with the current activities of the Episcopal Church, to the point that a majority of its Primates (chief bishops in each international province) consider themselves in broken communion with it, and increasingly are officially recognizing the newly-formed Anglican Church of North America as a more authentic representative of true Anglicanism in this continent.”


US news
Church of England Newsletter – Mar 5 2010 – US Church spends £1.5 million on lawyers in property battle


News shorts – International

Head of powerful Communion committee acknowledges his liberal bias
In an interview with a New Zealand newspaper, Bishop John Paterson (Auckland) talked about his tenure and his impending retirement. The article says,
“For a man in an influential post, Paterson has a low profile. Especially for a churchman who has been at the centre of convulsions which have shaken the global Anglican community. He chaired the Anglican Consultative Committee - the church's world parliament - for six years… During his time the church in Canada backed same sex unions and American Gene Robinson became the first openly gay bishop… Paterson says: "We have not been immune from the stresses and strains which have rocked every major Christian body. For some people the inclusion of gay and lesbian people in ordained leadership roles is very difficult." … Asked where he lined up, Paterson replied that he came down on the inclusive side: "I tend to look to what Jesus said rather than what Paul might have said ... love one another."


Pope’s visit to British Isles later this year confirmed
Details of the pope’s visit to England and Scotland on September 16-19 are being released. The Telegraph says he will
“…hold Mass in a park in Glasgow and a prayer vigil in London, likely to be in Hyde Park, before he takes the unprecedented step of beatifying England’s next saint”, Cardinal John Henry Newman. He will be received by the Queen in Edinburgh, meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace in London and visit Westminster Abbey. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “The Pope's visit will be an opportunity to cement ties not only between the Holy See and the United Kingdom but also the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian churches in Scotland, England and Wales…”


News in brief from around the world and the Communion
Nigeria – Thousands will gather in Abuja for the March 25 enthronement of the new Primate, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, who was elected last September to replace Archbishop Peter Akinola as primate of the Church of Nigeria. These are tense times in Nigeria; please pray for peace and for Nigerian believers.

The Primate of Nigeria issued a statement telling of the killings of even more Christians in the Jos area in the dead of night on March 17. This time 12 were killed including pregnant women and children. The clear expectation is for more attacks by Muslims. The Diocese of Jos website <http://www.anglicandioceseofjos.org/byei.html> has a report with grisly photos and asks us to pray:
”Pray that there will not be retaliations. Pray that God will give all involved the spirit of forgiveness.”

Writing in the Church of England Newspaper, Andrew Carey asks, “Where is the outrage?” Referring to the earlier attack, he says,
“The evil, despicable massacre in Nigeria of some 500 Christian men, women and children has excited remarkably little international comment. This despite the fact that three villages were attacked near Jos by Muslim gangs who trapped women, children and the elderly… then cut them to pieces… Where are the statements from the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Pope in condemning this violence that has been meted out to Christian communities in Nigeria time and time again? Similarly mealy-mouthed has been the media describing such events as ‘inter- community is equally responsible for the aggression. Yet there is no equivalence, the vast number of lives claimed over the years have been Christian. Churches have been attacked repeatedly and the triumphant killing slogan ‘God is Greatest’ (‘Allahu Akbar’) has brought shame upon Islam repeatedly…. Christians in the West, and the leadership of Church in particular, have expressed so little concern.”

The Barnabas Fund sets the record straight in responding to the media distortion in reporting these killings. The media has generally implied “equivalency” between the Christian and Muslim communities in terms of the origin of the violence. The Barnabas Fund report says,
“It appears, however, that deliberate manipulation and deception at a local level have meant that international reporting has been inaccurate, and has created the false impression that Christians were the aggressors and Muslims the victims when the reality is the opposite. So Christians have become double victims, suffering not only violence but also unjust blame.”

El Salvador EpiscopalLifeOnline is reporting that there was an attempt to take the life of the Primate of El Salvador, Bishop Martin Barahona, his driver and another passenger on March 17. The driver was shot and is in hospital with serious injuries. This province, which is a close ally of the Episcopal Church (US), consists of the dioceses of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama.


International media coverage
The Church of England – Mar 5 2010 – Chile quake hits Church
Catholic Online – Mar 16 2010 – Could Anglican Ordinariates be the real “Anglican Middle Way”?
Church of England – March 13 2010 – TAC goes to Rome
Church of England – March 13 2010 – Zimbabwe police back Kunonga over the courts


Soul food

Respected poll shows Canadians increasingly embracing conservative values
LifeSiteNews reports that the latest annual national Harris-Decima poll was commissioned for the Manning Centre has found that Canadians are moving “to the right”. Conducted in early February, the poll
“…found that a majority of Canadians strongly agreed with traditionally conservative value statements on the supremacy of family, the definition of marriage, and the immorality of abortion. Eighty-nine per cent of respondents strongly agreed that “nothing is more important than family,” and 67 per cent strongly agreed that “marriage, by definition, is between a man and a woman.” Additionally, 60% strongly agreed that “abortion is morally wrong.” Overall, 75% believe abortion is morally wrong and 80% support true marriage.”


Worth reading
Being Faithful, a commentary on the Jerusalem Declaration – the statement of faith issued by Global Anglican Future Conference and adopted by the global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans movement – can be downloaded for free. It is highly recommended by the Rev Phil Ashey, of the American Anglican Council as an “overview of the essentials of classic Anglicanism”. He writes, “It is highly readable and accessible to non-theologians, and would serve as an excellent resource for whatever process or curriculum of discipleship you may have in your local church.”

The Faith We Confess: An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles
– The Rev Ashey also highly recommends this book by Dr Gerald Bray, saying, “The Thirty-Nine Articles are among the historic formularies cited in the Jerusalem Declaration as defining historic Anglicanism today, and therefore of critical importance to us as the current realignment of the Anglican Communion unfolds.”


Resources
Prayer resources – Consider subscribing to the Lent & Beyond Anglican prayer blog for daily news, prayer items and meditations.

Catechesis – Dr J I Packer speaks on the need for catechesis at St Peter's Anglican Church in Tallahassee, Florida. (His talk, Theology is for everyone, is 83 minutes long.)


Thoughts – on joy, sadness and tolerance
Our sadness measures exactly our attachment to ourselves. The place we give to joy is the place we give to God. – The French spiritual writer, Louis Evely as quoted by Bishop Mark Lawrence

Our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner - no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. – C S Lewis, in The Weight of Glory


Just for fun



Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com


Please pray...
For our fellow Anglicans and other
Christians facing violence and persecution in Nigeria, Sudan and other Muslim and Hindu lands, and those devastated by natural disasters in Chile and Haiti. Pray especially for peace in the Jos area of Nigeria.
Pray that Christians in Nigeria would not retaliate against their Muslim attackers and that God would give all involved the spirit of forgiveness.

For the needed funds to eliminate ANiC’s current deficit.

For funding of the Kenya Malaria Prevention Project, a project of the
Anglican Relief & Development Fund Canada – as well as funds for Chile earthquake relief.

For
ANiC projects, church plants and parishes, especially as they seek to proclaim the Good News to those in their communities who desperately need new life in Christ.

For the
Church of the Good Samaritan (St John’s, NL) mission to Guatemala, April 17-24

For our
bishops and clergy and their families.

For
legal cases and disputes
For the Vancouver-area parishes which are appealing the earlier court decision and for their legal counsel, Geoff Cowper and Stanley Martin as they prepare the appeal.
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 frontlines and bear the burden of risk and responsibility.
For the leaders and parishioners of the dioceses pursuing eviction of and damages against ANiC congregations and wardens in court.
That God will be glorified in all court proceedings.

For our nation, for a return to God and His moral principles.


And now a word from our sponsor
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


Romans 12 (ESV)



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