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  ANiC Newsletter: May 30, 2008
... pdf version
    

B.C. Judge Orders ANiC Congregation to Leave their Church Building
A B.C. Supreme Court judge, Mdm Justice Allan, has ordered the congregation of St. Mary of the Incarnation in Metchosin (St. Mary’s), to hand over their church building to the diocese of B.C. in the Anglican Church of Canada, pending the resolution of a trial over who is entitled to ownership of the building.

Like the two judges in the previous Niagara diocese’s hearings, Mdm Justice Allan found that "the beneficial ownership of Church property is indeed an issue for future determination", and she was only deciding the issue of who should have interim use of the property while that process was ongoing. ANiC is applying for leave (permission of the court) to appeal the decision.

It is tragic that she could not allow the large congregation of St. Mary’s (avg. Sunday attendance between 130 and 150) to continue worshiping in the larger building (which holds up to 230 people) and let the remnant who voted against the motion to join ANiC (14 people) worship in the smaller heritage church (which holds up to 90 people and has a parish hall), until resolution of the ownership issue. See the ANiC Press Release. Read the judgment.


ANiC parishes to appeal Ontario Court ruling to share property with diocese
Three Ontario parishes of the Anglican Network in Canada are also seeking leave to appeal a court ruling that required them to share their buildings with the Diocese of Niagara and the Anglican Church of Canada. Last month, Superior Court Judge, Mdm Justice Milanetti, ordered the parishes to share possession and administration of their church properties with the diocese, until the matter of who owns the property is settled. This decision reversed the February ruling of Mr Justice Ramsay granting the congregations interim exclusive use of the properties based upon essentially the same facts. However, the 3 congregations, which voted overwhelmingly to leave the diocese and affiliate with ANiC, had to find alternate premises for worship on Sundays in order to accommodate one or two of their services which had been displaced by Judge Milanetti’s order.

Related Articles:
A house divided-Hamilton Spectator
Parishes file to appeal court ruling
Canadian Press-May 11-Sunday services continue


Church pews nearly empty at St. Hilda's diocesan service
A local Oakville newspaper reports that the diocesan Sunday services at St. Hilda's (Ontario) is stark at best, while displaced ANiC parishioners continue to worship off site in droves. Rev. Brian Ruttan, who was parachuted in by the diocese to officiate its services, admitted to the Oakville Beaver that the diocesan congregation has been averaging "three (people) per service" since the diocese won a court ruling over shared temporary use of the property three weeks ago. "I don't think anyone knows about (the service) yet," said Ruttan. Meanwhile, the displaced congregation, who voted to align itself with the Anglican Network in Canada, continues to worship with their priest at Oakville Christian School. The ANiC services maintain an average of over one-hundred parishioners per service. "It has been quite incredible," said long-time parishioner, Paula Valentine, who has been attending the ANiC services. "We've had better attendance than we've had in a long time"


Bishop of New Westminster, BC vows to protect properties and assets
New Westminster (British Columbia) Anglican Church of Canada bishop, Michael Ingham, has told his Diocesan Council that his only option is to protect the property and assets of churches, whenever a congregation chooses to leave the ACC. In a statement to council, prior to a closed-door meeting on the issue, Bp. Ingham said that to allow these churches to keep their assets would, in effect, open the door for hundreds of parishes to become targets of what he called "political actions" by the Anglican Network. Bp Ingham warned that the diocese may find itself in the civil courts in order to protect what it believes to be its assets. He said that although he had received messages from some in the diocese who urged the diocese to "do the Christian thing and do what the Bible says and settle out of court"—hand over land and property to just "get on with our lives,." he has no inclination toward that sort of settlement. "I’ve heard these messages, I understand them, I sympathize a great deal with them, but I have to say... it is not a course I believe we should pursue."

Read more here: www.vancouver.anglican.ca


Help Support GAFCon delegates
Bishop Don has written ANiC parishes requesting support for ANiC delegates attending GAFCon. Because ANiC does not have the resources to pay the expenses for the delegates from Canada, each delegate is responsible to raise their own funds locally or through the national You can help support delegates to GAFCon by sending your cheque, payable to Anglican Network in Canada, to: Claus Lenk, Treasurer, Anglican Network in Canada, Box 1013, Burlington, ON, L7R 4L8. Please note your contribution is for "GAFCon".


News shorts – Canada

New ANiC Church Plant for Newfoundland
A new church plant was added to the list of ANiC parishes last Sunday. The emerging parish of St. Stephen the Martyr in St. John's, Newfoundland was officially launched by Bishop Don at a special service of thanksgiving. At this same service, their new Rector, the Rev Howard Hynes, was formally presented with his licence as a Priest in the Anglican Network in Canada. Father Hynes, who has served more than 25 years in ordained parish ministry, relinquished his licence to officiate in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador and the Anglican Church of Canada, on May 22. He was immediately instated by Bp. Don as a Priest in ANiC under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone.

The new Church Plant, formed by a group of biblically faithful Anglicans who have been in a prayerful discernment process for about one year, meets at the St. John’s Adventist Church, 20 Aldershot St. in St. John's, at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings.

"With this addition our Network truly stretches from 'coast to coast," says Bp. Don.


Dauphin Church Plant "Fully Launched"
It is somewhat symbolic that a new ANiC church plant in Dauphin celebrated its first service on Pentecost Sunday. About 35 faithful attended the inaugural service of the Church of the Redeemer, a satellite plant of the Church of the Resurrection in Brandon MB. "The winds of the Spirit were truly felt," says ANiC Suffragan Bishop Malcolm Harding, who preached and celebrated the Eucharist. The service started with local lay leader Jim Houston reading a letter of acceptance from ANiC Moderator Bishop Don Harvey in which he officially welcomed the Church of the Redeemer – Dauphin into ANiC. "It was a joyful celebration and this new ANiC body is now fully launched," says Bp. Harding.



Bp. Malcolm Harding preaches at inaugural service
  The group had been gathering together, meeting for weekly bible studies, for several months. "It was a joyful service, bringing together Anglicans who had scattered to several different denominations in Dauphin over the past year," says Phil Varcoe, who attended the service. "This was an opportunity to worship and have Communion together for the first time in a while," he adds. Plans for the summer include weekly studies and one Sunday Eucharist a month. Starting in September, the Church of the Redeemer will begin holding weekly Sunday services, with the help of gifted lay readers, Father Larry Winslow and a new ANiC priest.


Diocese of Huron grants permission for same-sex blessings
The Diocese of Huron has overwhelmingly voted to grant permission to clergy "whose conscience permits, to bless…civil marriages between same-sex couples." The motion passed asked diocesan Bishop, Bruce Howe to consider authorizing clergy and congregations, whose conscience permits, to bless a union of two people of the same gender who've already legally married in a civil ceremony. The debate lasted two hours, with 60 delegates speaking to the motion, before it was passed with 72-percent in favour. Speaking to media after the vote, Bishop Howe said he would likely not announce his decision before the fall.

Read more here:
National Post
Anglican Journal


CORRECTION: Sorry, Reverend, we didn't mean to rush you into it!
In our last newsletter we reported that The Rev. Karen Bergenstein had become the 32nd priest to be ordained under ANiC. We stand corrected. Rev Bergenstein was ordained as a deacon, and not a priest, in a ceremony last month by Bishop Don at St. Albans in Ottawa. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.


News shorts – USA and North America

Episcopal (TEC) Diocese sues for control of Connecticut church
Connecticut's Episcopal Diocese is suing Bishop Seabury Church for control of the church property after the congregation voted to leave the national church and join the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), which is under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Province of Nigeria. The diocese suspended the priest and appointed another priest to take over at Bishop Seabury.

More on the story here


News shorts – International

GAFCon geared for action
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCon) is just three weeks away. Senior leaders from seventeen provinces in the Anglican Communion will gather for the conference in Jerusalem June 22-29. And there is growing anticipation that concrete action to be taken. Archbishop Henry Orombi of Ugana, who will attend GAFCon, said in a recent television interview, that there will be an urgency to the talks. Orombi said delegates will "..think of mission. What is it that the Lord demands of our church? What is the need of the world? Let’s go for it." Orombi says because of the mood for mission and action, it is important that GAFCon is inclusive of church leadership at diverse levels. Says Orombi, "We want clergy, we want lay people, we want younger generation leaders, potential leaders so we’ve seen beyond just bishops. We want to go beyond that .." Unlike the Lambeth conference, GAFCON includes clergy and lay leaders. More than 1,000 Anglican leaders from around the globe will attend.

More information on GAFCon, including the conference programme can been found here: www.gafcon.org

Read more here


TEC Presiding Bishop says Lambeth gets to heart of Christian living
U.S. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, says a different approach to this summer's Lambeth conference "removes the emphasis on parliamentary procedure and legislation and really brings us back to the heart of what it means to be a Christian community. . ." Jefferts Schori was referring to the conference's emphasis on dialogue, study and contemplation, over the traditional parliamentary and decision-making formats of past conferences But some Anglican leaders are suspicious of the new program. Both gay rights advocates and conservatives within the church believe leaders are merely sidestepping the issues. But the Rev. Dr. Ian Douglas, a member of the Lambeth Conference Design Group, says they won't be shying away from the hard questions. Douglas insisted that the Anglican Communion is not falling apart. Rather, the church body is "in the process of becoming" as they learn to be with one another from different contexts and understandings, he said. The conference, Douglas said, would not be text- or report-driven, nor will it include "time spent drafting resolutions based on those reports." Among the 10 topics that bishops will be discussing over 10 days are biblical authority and human sexuality, however, no votes or decisions will be made.

It has been widely reported that approximately 1⁄4 of Anglican bishops will not be attending the conference due to the profound theological shift among some dioceses away from the authority of scripture, and also because there have been no consequences for the actions of TEC and the ACC which have "challenged the standard of teaching on human sexuality articulated in the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10" (Dar Es Salaam Communiqué, para. 10)

Read more here


Food For Thought
God may thunder His commands from Mount Sinai and men may fear, yet remain at heart exactly as they were before. But let a man once see his God down in the arena as a Man, - suffering, tempted, sweating, and agonized, finally dying a criminal's death - and he is a hard man indeed who is untouched. J. B. Phillips.


Prayer requests
Please remember these ongoing prayer requests:
Please uphold the clergy and people of St. Mary’s (Metchosin), St George’s (Lowville), St Hilda’s (Oakville) and Church of the Good Shepherd (St Catharine’s), as well as the ANiC legal team as they seek an appeal to the court rulings in Ontario and B.C.
Please pray for the Lord’s hand in our church plants.
Remember GAFCON – the Global Anglican Futures Conference in Jerusalem beginning June 22. It is a very important event in the life of our Anglican Communion. Because this meeting is specifically for orthodox Anglicans and is about getting on with Biblically-based Gospel ministry, it is a target for opposition. We have been asked to specifically pray for:
  - Unity among bishops and others attending.
  - Safety of those traveling to and from the conference.
  - Wisdom and sustaining grace for the GAFCON leadership team and GAFCON
  organizers.
  - Good weather during the conference.
  - That the LORD will be glorified and His Kingdom advanced as a result of this
  conference.

Thank you for your faithfulness in remembering the Network and our partners before our Father’s throne of grace!

Don’t forget the
Common Cause Partners cycle of prayer


And now a word from our sponsor
I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. Acts 2:29-33


Editor’s note: It has been my pleasure to serve in Marilyn’s absence. Thank you all. Marilyn returns June 01. Blessings in Christ – Jim


Special Appeal for ANiC Legal Defence Fund
If you have followed recent events, you will know that we have been in court in 2 dioceses to seek protection of clergy and congregations and to preserve their right to remain in their parish buildings while the issue of who is entitled to ownership of the properties is sorted out. In Ontario, we have 2 conflicting legal decisions - one granting exclusive possession to the congregations on an interim basis and a second one ordering a sharing of the premises with the diocese on a longer term interim basis. We have applied for leave to appeal this decision.

In B.C., we received an order granting exclusive possession of the church property for St. Mary’s, Metchosin (Diocese of B.C.) on a short-term interim basis. This week, the second judge ordered possession to be turned over to the diocese. Again, we are applying for leave to appeal this decision.

In addition, we have needed lawyers to address issues of clergy suspensions, inhibitions, pensions, severance, and other legal issues relating to protection of staff and parish wardens.

All of this legal protection is very expensive.

These activities are being done for the benefit of all clergy and congregations who have joined or who may wish to consider joining ANiC in the future. If we are successful in our legal defence, it will give other congregations the courage to take the appropriate votes if their circumstances and conscience require it.

In the spirit of 1 Cor 6, we requested alternate dispute resolution with the House of Bishops and Primate for a national approach, but this offer was rejected. We were told to deal with individual dioceses. To date, some dioceses have been more aggressive than others, but so far, they appear unwilling to consider negotiation or amicable discussion.

The buildings are important for purposes of a place of worship and as a base for mission and ministry. Many of our congregations are large and use their buildings to capacity in locations that will be difficult to replace the physical premises for these purposes. However, each congregation that has voted to join ANiC knew there was a risk of being evicted from the property, either in the short term or at the end of a trial. However, these decisions show Canadians that ours is a faith worth taking such risks for. In the global south, where the church is growing exponentially, people risk their lives and limbs and loved ones for this same faith. Our risks seem to pale by comparison. Let’s pray that our willingness to risk our property for our Christian and Anglican beliefs will be a witness to those who do not yet know the risen Jesus. Each day we continue the legal battle, we have an opportunity to share the good news with others who would not normally pay attention to the message. Please pray for these opportunities - for the people who will speak and for those who will hear.

We need your support. Please also pray about how you can help raise funds toward the Legal Defence Fund. If you have ideas, please let us know by contacting Jude Carriere. Or, you can
send a donation to ANiC, "In Trust for the Legal Defence Fund", Box 1013 · Burlington · ON · Canada · L7R 4L8 or donate online.

Thank you for your prayers and contributions.

Cheryl Chang
Chancellor, Anglican Network in Canada


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