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Cross-Canada meetings planned
With the theme, “Now is the time!”, the Rev. Canon Charlie Master, Anglican Essentials Canada (AEC) national director, has begun traveling from coast to coast warning Canadian Anglicans that the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) is at the crossroad and the decisions made at General Synod will be critical to our continuing membership in the global Communion.
Reports from the meetings just held in St John’s and Halifax are very encouraging. Attendance has been excellent and interest strong. Please show your support by attending a meeting near you; and be sure to bring your friends. We need to make sure Canadian Anglicans are aware of the truth of what is happening in the ACC.
On May 17th, Charlie will be a guest on 100 Huntley Street – a Christian TV program broadcast in many parts of Canada. It will also be available at: www.crossroads.ca.
Bishop Don returns from ministry in India
Bishop Don Harvey and his wife Trudy have just returned from a 12-day visit to Hyderabad, India where they were part of a team assisting Dr. Joseph Kishore, a local evangelist, in holding a Diaconal Institute Clergy School on Evangelism. The five-day school was attended by almost 300 clergy from a variety of denominations, some rather poorly trained.
Bishop Don said he was moved by the enthusiasm and zeal of these pastors, combined with an intense desire to further their training. Although much of the teaching had to be done through a translator, he was amazed at how quickly a sense of fellowship and community developed within the diverse group. The only difficulty for the Canadians was the temperature which rarely dropped below 45 °C.
The cost of bringing the pastors together and providing meals and lodging came from Canadians who contributed generously to Invitation to Life - an evangelical Institute founded by Dr. Marney Patterson some 40 years ago.
The Lord willing, Bishop Don intends to participate in a similar project in Kenya in
late May.
House of Bishops appears to have dismissed appeals
AEC’s open letter to the bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada wasn’t the only letter received by the House of Bishops prior to their meetings earlier this month. The bishops also received a statement from the Bishops of Rupert’s Land requesting delay and more theological work and discussion before bringing the same sex blessing resolutions to General Synod. (See www.anglican.ca)
Also, a group of 25 academic theologians, including Dr JI Packer, wrote the bishops making the following key points: (See www.anglicannetwork.ca)
1. Sexual ethics is a doctrinally serious matter.
2. The way this matter is treated is ecclesiologically significant.
3. There has been no sustained debate on this matter in the Church.
4. Term ‘core doctrine’ is foreign to Anglican lexicon.
A report on the ACC website regarding the House of Bishops meeting indicates most bishops are determined to support same sex blessings – and anticipate General Synod will endorse it as well. (See www.anglican.ca). Not surprisingly, there has been no acknowledgment of the AEC letter from either the bishops or the Anglican Journal.
Archbishop Rowan Williams visits Canada
During his brief visit to Canada, the Archbishop of Canterbury announced that he would meet with TEC House of Bishops in late September and that he would not follow Archbishop Hutchison’s advice and cancel the Lambeth Conference in 2008. According to an Anglican Journal article, in an address to Wycliffe and Trinity College students, Dr Williams questioned common interpretation of Paul’s argument in Romans 1 (dealing with homosexual behaviour).
(See www.anglicanjournal.com and www.anglican.ca)
An April 17th Globe & Mail article by Michael Valpy reports that Archbishop Williams told students in a closed meeting that “he found unacceptable a draft covenant presented to the senior archbishops, or primates, that would allow the communion to boot out member churches deemed to have stepped out of line doctrinally on issues such as sexuality.” (Article available to subscribers: www.theglobeandmail.com)
Robert A. J. Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary counters Dr Williams’ views. (See www.robgagnon.net)
Sue Careless of the Anglican Planet has prepared a transcript of the Dr Williams news conference held on April 16th. (See www.anglicanplanet.net)
Four Primatial candidates nominated
Canadian Anglican bishops have nominated four from among their number to be candidates in the election of a successor to Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. The General Synod, the Anglican church’s chief governing body, will chose the next primate on June 22, in Winnipeg.
Bishops nominated for the election of the 13th Primate are:
• Bishop George Bruce of the diocese of Ontario
• Bishop Fred Hiltz of the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
• Bishop Bruce Howe of the diocese of Huron
• Bishop Victoria Matthews of the diocese of Edmonton
The bishops also approved a motion asking General Synod to establish a task force to undertake a “detailed and comprehensive study of the nature, role, duties and authority of the Primate”.
The Anglican General Synod, which convenes at the Marlborough Hotel in downtown Winnipeg on June 19, is the church's chief legislative and governing body. It is made up of more than 300 delegates, including lay people, deacons, priests and bishops elected from each of the church's 30 dioceses. General Synod meets every three years.
Membership has its privileges
We’d love to see our membership grow. Do you know someone who is not a member but shares our heart and our convictions? Please encourage him/her to join. There’s never been a more strategic time.
By joining the Network, we take a stand, encourage existing and potential Network members, demonstrate unity of the Spirit, and build credibility and momentum. As our membership grows, the Network’s standing in Canada and within the Communion is enhanced. You can find information and application forms on our website – www.anglicannetwork.ca.
And to our long-time members, thank you for standing with us during these challenging days. We believe God will do something remarkable in and through His faithful people in the Anglican Church.
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