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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver) celebrates first confirmation in seven years
Bishop Don confirmed 21 St Matthias & St Luke parishioners on Palm Sunday in a service held at Church of the Good Shepherd. The group of 21 included the oldest parishioner Bishop Don had ever confirmed, 89-year-old George Ho. Bishop Ron joined Bishop Don in celebrating the Eucharist. It was St Matthias & St Luke’s first confirmation since they joined delegates from six other Vancouver-area churches in walking out of the Diocese of New Westminster synod in 2002 – a truly courageous act and decisive moment in Canadian Anglican history! That was the synod at which Bishop Michael Ingham gave his approval for the diocese to offer same-sex blessings in defiance of the explicit requests of all four “Instruments of Unity” in the Anglican Communion – the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates, the Lambeth Conference, and the Anglican Consultative Council. It marked the first serious tear in the “fabric” of the global Anglican Communion. You can see excellent photos of the April 5 confirmation: by Kevin Lam posted to Facebook and Peter Lau’s photos on Picasaweb.
ANiC congregations in Manitoba gather in Dauphin
Bishop Don was in Manitoba for a week recently, traveling with Bishop Malcolm and Archdeacon Paul Crossland (Prairies) to ANiC’s three Manitoba parishes and one project (Swan River). The highlight was a gathering of parishioners from all the congregations in Dauphin on Sunday, March 29, for a joint service and lunch. For many this meant a 1 1/2 hour drive. Since Dauphin is staunch Ukrainian country, Bishop Don was honoured by being inducted into the Order of the Rubber Boot, making him a honourary Ukrainian. Later, in Kinosota, the visitors joined in a community meal and were entertained with the traditional fiddling and dancing for which this Métis area is famous. Visits were also made to Brandon (Church of the Resurrection) and Swan River.
“ANiC project” – new category for congregational affiliation with ANiC
In addition to the 28 parishes and church plants ANiC lists on our website, there are a number of groups meeting across the country that ANiC and ANiC clergy are supporting and nurturing. At the recent board of directors meeting, specific criteria were established for congregations seeking affiliation with ANiC. These criteria distinguish three types of ANiC congregations: parishes, church plants and projects. By creating the “projects” category the board has now opened the way for a number of smaller groups – who do not yet qualify as church plants – to become affiliated with and supported by ANiC as they develop into church plants.
Prayer ministry launches parish seminars
The Rev Garth Hunt, ANiC’s national prayer coordinator, is offering a prayer seminar to ANiC parishes entitled, “Pursuing Intimacy with God”. The seminar, which can be adapted to suit a parish’s needs, draws on solid theology to help people in very practical ways enrich their prayer life. It is designed to help Christians understand their identity in Christ and be comfortable and expectant in God’s presence. The first seminar is slated for St John’s NL April 16-18. Contact Garth at prayer@anglicannetwork.ca if you’re interested in bringing the seminar to your parish.
Upcoming events at ANiC
Burlington – ANiC is partnering with the Anglican Coalition in Canada and the Reformed Episcopal Church in holding a Holy Saturday Choral Evensong at 4pm on April 11 at the Crossroads Centre, 1295 North Service Rd, Burlington. Ten churches are involved, including six ANiC parishes in the “Golden Horseshoe” area. For more information see the flyer.
St John’s, NL – St Stephen the Martyr and Church of the Good Samaritan are co-hosting a three-day Prayer Seminar led by the Rev Garth Hunt, April 16-18. The free seminar begins Thursday evening and continues Friday evening and all day Saturday. It will be held at The Eastern Gate Church, 759 Empire Ave (near Blackmarsh Road). All are invited; no registration is required. For information see the brochure. Please pray for Garth and those attending the seminar.
Langley, BC – Bishop Ron Ferris is holding a reception and presentation on April 18 at 3pm at the ABC Restaurant meeting room (Hwy 10 and 192) for those interested in joining the ANiC congregation forming in Langley. Please pray for Bishop Ron and this new work. See the poster.
Waterford, ON – ANiC members are invited to the April 19th ordination of Susan Zakamarko to the priesthood in the Anglican Coalition in Canada. The Rev Zakamarko is pastor at St Barnabas in Waterford. The service is at 3pm at St Barnabas Anglican Mission, 91 Bruce St, Waterford.
If you have an event at your parish you’d like to tell others about, please let me know.
Legal update
St Aidan’s (Windsor) – The court hearing on April 6 produced an agreement to share the church. The diocese will hold services on Saturday evenings pending a trial or resolution of the dispute. More hearings are on the horizon to sort out various issues and they will take place in London, ON.
Churches in Ontario’s “Golden Horseshoe”: St George’s (Lowville), St Hilda’s (Oakville) and Church of the Good Shepherd (St Catharines) – The April 9 date for a hearing in Hamilton to consider our application to move the proceedings to Halton, where two of the churches are located, is on a “rolling list” at the Hamilton courthouse and the actual date for the hearing is unknown. It is hoped the matter will be assigned a hearing time slot within the next couple of weeks.
We continue to await a decision from the March 11, 2009 hearing regarding the awarding of court costs from the May 2008 interim hearing.
Good Shepherd Evangelism conference
Bishop Malcolm led a three-day parish evangelism conference at Church of the Good Shepherd in St Catharines ON (March 20-22) attended by about 60 people. The sessions focused on 10 aspects of an evangelizing church community and challenged the parishioners to use their spiritual gifts to build God’s Kingdom.
News shorts – Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
and Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
Complete ACNA draft canons available for comment
ACNA has posted a complete set of draft canons for comment prior to the Provincial Council meeting April 24. The following six principles guided the formulation of the canons:
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confessional unity, expressed in matters of Faith and Order; |
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subsidiarity, where what may be wisely left to the local level (both diocesan and congregational) is left to the local level, including property ownership; |
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missionary focus, especially in structures, roles and representation; |
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flexibility, recognizing the diversity of Godly approaches common among the partners coming into union; |
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disciplinary reform, including address of concerns for Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders, as well as provision of a provincial tribunal. |
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collegial accountability, especially in matters relating to bishops. |
GAFCon Primates request prayer
The GAFCon Primates are meeting April 14-16 in London to discuss the application by the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) to be recognized. ACAN representatives – including Bishop Don – will be present, as well. Please pray that the meetings will be helpful and profitable, and that the cause of the gospel will be advanced around the world. Pray for Bishop Don as he travels.
British bishop cites US appointment as evidence of need for ACNA
The Living Church reports that Bishop Robert Forster (Chester) has written a letter to the Church of England Newspaper noting that the appointment of the Rev Katherine Ragsdale as dean of Episcopal Divinity School demonstrates the need for a new province in North America. The Rev Ragsdale is well know as a staunch advocate of abortion on demand, calling abortion a “blessing” and saying abortionists are engaged in “holy work”.
News – Canada
Vancouver seminar to equip counsellors working with sexual addicts
A training seminar, designed to equip counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers and pastors to better help those with sexual addictions, will be offered April 20-23 at Tenth Avenue Church, 11 West 10 Avenue, Vancouver. For more information, see the Living Waters website.
Diocesan dean says Christ’s resurrection was mystical not literal
The Vancouver Sun reports that Dean Peter Elliot of the Diocese of New Westminster “…defines Christianity’s “good news” in a somewhat different way than many evangelicals and Catholics. Instead of emphasizing that “salvation” offers a guarantee of existence in an afterlife, Elliott defines salvation primarily as “healing.” Instead of teaching that the Easter Sunday story is about the literal “resurrection of a corpse,” Elliott said it is a mystical account of “a new experience of God,” something beyond the confines of language.” The AEC blog also picked up on this article.
In the Canadian media
Anglican Journal – April 6 09 – Diocese of Niagara awarded $20,000 in legal costs
News shorts – United States
Episcopal Diocese of Virginia appeals court decision
After losing earlier court decisions, TEC’s Diocese of Virginia is appealing to the state Supreme Court. The litigation involves the property of nine orthodox parishes – all now members of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).
In the US media
Church of England – Apr 3 09 – Quincy Diocese files lawsuit against Episcopal Church
Church of England – Apr 3 09 – Episcopal Church in crisis
News shorts – International
Covenant Design Group completes 3rd draft of Covenant – “Ridley Cambridge draft”
Headed by Archbishop Drexel Gomez (former Primate of the West Indies), the Covenant Design Group met March 29 – April 2 to redraft the Covenant, incorporating responses to the second draft – known as the St Andrews draft – received over a 12-month consultation period. This third draft is posted here, the introduction is here, and a commentary is here. This draft now goes to the Anglican Consultative Council – one of the “instruments of communion” – which meets May 1-13 in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Covenant Design Group says in its commentary that the Covenant is designed to strengthen the interdependent life of the Churches in the Communion. A key section of the draft – section four – deals with consequences for violating the Covenant. While it affirms the independent jurisdiction of each Church of the Communion, the draft “…acknowledges that if any Church of the Communion chooses to exercise its autonomy in a way which lessens the basis on which communion is built - mutual recognition of faith and order, of vocation and a readiness to live in interdependence - then other Churches may wish to respond in a way which demonstrates how the bonds of affection and communion have been diminished by that action.”
George Conger has written a good summary on the Living Church website. He notes that the document seems to give provinces, not dioceses, the ultimate authority in adopting the covenant. This would dash the hopes of some more conservative TEC dioceses which had hoped to adopt the Covenant, even though TEC is expected to postpone formal adoption (or rejection) of it for several years. Conger also notes that “Matters of doctrinal and moral innovation should be “tested by shared discernment,” by seeking the “shared mind with other churches, through the Communion’s councils, about matters of common concern, in a way consistent with the scriptures, the common standards of faith, and the canon laws of our churches.”
Reacting to the draft Covenant, the EpiscopalLife Online reports TEC is still not impressed. House of Deputies president Bonnie Anderson says, "…the draft covenant remains much too structurally focused. Why is there such emphasis on strengthening the 'instruments' and 'institutions'?," she asked. "God calls us together into a more relational and missional way of being the body of Christ. We do not need structures to determine relationships."
Bishop Nazir-Ali warns Britain
Writing in the Telegraph, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali admonishes the nation and its leaders. He says,
“I have watched the nation drift further and further away from its Christian moorings… Different faiths and traditions will not necessarily produce the values and virtues which have been so prominent in the history of this country… One of the surprising aspects of what you could call our values vacuum is the historical amnesia which is so prevalent today – or, rather, a selective sort of amnesia… The Church is seen as simply the religious aspect of society, there to endorse any change or chance which politicians deem fit to impose on an unsuspecting nation, rather than being the guardian of the Christian tradition which has provided for nearly everything valuable in this country.
“Against this, the Church worldwide is growing rapidly and is very aware of its counter-cultural situation. In many parts of the Middle East, South and Central Asia, China and Africa, the expression of Christian faith and life is restricted at best and, in some cases, there is active persecution, both official and unofficial. I have for long been involved in assisting these brothers and sisters in the faith with advocacy of their cause; now I plan to devote more of my time to their struggle. It is crucial for the future of world Christianity that they survive and flourish; and in their clear and sacrificial witness, they have a great deal to teach the churches of the West.”
Witnessing for Christ in “suicide bomber capital of the world”
Speaking to conference in Scotland, the Bishop of Peshawar, the Rt Rev Mano Rumalshah said his part of Pakistan was among the “most difficult in the world” and “the capital of suicide bombers”. He urged support of Church-run Christian schools, hospitals, development programs and social services, which reach out to the Muslim majority.
Archbishop Akinola urges united stand against militant Islam
The Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, is asking Christians in the west to take a stand together in opposition to the ascendency of Islamic extremists. While, we in the west assume the right to determine one’s religion is a basic human right, Archbishop Akinola says that under Sharia law, the penalty for adult males who turn from Islam to Christianity is death. 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states incorporate Sharia law, giving the Church in Nigeria first-hand knowledge of Sharia law’s brutality.
Archbishop decries tribalism and corruption
Sudan’s Primate, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak, has called on Sudanese Christians to be “the light of the world, shining like stars in the darkness…” As a “new tribe of God” they must take the lead in bringing peace to the nation and abandon tribal conflicts. “The division of people along ethnic lines is a very dangerous weapon that can be used against our communities by the enemies of peace." He also challenged government leaders, saying, “We appeal to the politicians to remember that political power is a gift from God and the people. If you misuse it for your personal gain and cast hatred in the communities you will be responsible before God and the people of His Church."
Former deputy secretary of the Anglican Communion Office consecrated bishop
An Anglican Communion News Service bulletin announces that Gregory Cameron was consecrated Bishop of St Asaph on April 4. Bishop Cameron “was previously Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Office and prior to that was chaplain to Dr Rowan Williams when he was Archbishop of Wales.” The service – which also saw David Wilbourne consecrated Assistant bishop of Llandaff – “was led by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, and the address given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.”
In the international media
Religious Intelligence – Apr 8 09 – Anglican leaders meet to chart future path
Church of England Newsletter – April 3 09 – TEC school employs abortion activist
Church of England Newsletter – April 3 09 – Fight to reclaim churches in Harare
Soul food
Worth reading
In a Maclean’s column, Mark Steyn comments on the polygamy case now headed for the Supreme Court of Canada. He recalls how warnings in 2004 that changing the definition of marriage to accommodate same-sex couples would lead inevitably to a challenge to Canada’s laws prohibiting polygamy.
A second Maclean’s article examines Canadian teens and religion. A broad-based survey found that, where 35 percent of teens identified themselves as Protestant in 1984, this number had fallen to percent by 2008. The article says: “According to new data from Project Teen Canada, more teens now identify as Muslim than Anglican, United Church of Canada and Baptist combined. As a group, the percentage who adhere to so-called “other faiths”—including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism—has grown fivefold since Project Teen began its surveys in 1984, while the percentage of teens who identify as Roman Catholic has declined by one third, and the percentage who identify as Protestant is down by almost two-thirds… Since 1984, the percentage of teens who call themselves Christian has almost been cut in half while the number who call themselves atheist has grown to 16 per cent, up from just six per cent in the mid-1980s.”
Just for laughs
A Toronto couple decided to go to Florida for a romantic break from their frenetic lives – leaving the Blackberries and laptops at home. They booked a stay at the hotel where they had spent their honeymoon 20 years before. Because of their hectic schedules, however, it was difficult to coordinate their travel. So, the husband left Toronto and flew to Florida on Friday, and his wife was to fly down the following day.
The husband checked into the hotel, then went down to the hotel business centre to use the computer to send an email to his wife. Unfortunately, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without noticing his error, sent the email to the wrong address.
Meanwhile....somewhere in Houston ....a widow had just returned home from the funeral of her husband, a clergyman. The widow decided to check her email, expecting to find messages of condolence. After reading the first email, she screamed and fainted.
The widow's son rushed into the room. Finding his mother on the floor, he glanced up at the computer screen and read:
Friday, February 13, 2009
My darling wife –
Bet you’re surprised to hear from me! (They now have computers down here.)
I’ve just arrived and have checked in and will see that everything is prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.
Looking forward to seeing you soon…
PS Sure is hot down here!!
Please pray...
For the GAFCon Primates, meeting April 14-16, to consider recognition of the new Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Pray that the meeting will be productive and that the cause of the gospel will be advanced around the world. Pray also for Bishop Don as he represents Canada at the meeting and as he travels.
For upcoming ANIC parish events:
• ACNA Holy Saturday Choral Evensong, April 11 in Burlington
• Prayer seminar (Pursuing Intimacy with God) in St John’s, NL, April 16-18.
• Church plant information meeting in Langley BC, April 18
For new ANiC congregations, church plants and projects. May they know the Lord's leading and experience His blessing on their congregations.
For wisdom as ANiC seeks to find more effective ways of ministering to and encouraging “Orphaned Anglicans” who have no orthodox Anglican church in their community.
For congregations involved in court proceedings and disputes. Pray for wisdom, courage and peace for the congregations – and for continued focus on ministry in the midst of this turmoil. Pray for the judges and lawyers involved; and for the leadership of the dioceses pursuing ANiC parishes in court. Pray particularly:
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For the Vancouver legal team preparing for the big, three-week hearing commencing May 25. This involves four ANiC parishes and the Diocese of New Westminster. |
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For our lawyers in the Huron diocese case who are dealing with two actions in respect to St Aidan’s property. One action was initiated in Windsor by St Aidan’s and a later one was initiated by the diocese in London. Now both are being argued in the London court. |
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For an equitable decision from the March 11 hearing – involving three ANiC parishes in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe – regarding the awarding of court costs. |
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For generous contributions to the Legal Defence Fund as we seek justice and legal protection for ANiC congregations. These funds are needed to continue our work protecting ANiC congregations and retain the use of the church buildings for our ministries. |
For our national, provincial and civic leaders as well as for our nation. May God be pleased to grant repentance and cause a revival to sweep our land.
For Christians in Sudan. May the peace of God prevail in that land.
And now a word from our sponsor
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:5-6 (ESV)
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
Mark 16:1-7 (ESV)
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile… But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”… But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
2 Corinthians 15: 17-58 (ESV)
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