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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
Preparing for ANiC’s synod: Proposed
constitution and canons
Synod 2010 will discuss –
and hopefully approve – a new set of constitution and canons for
ANiC. The proposed documents have
been two years in the making, having been developed by a sub-committee of
ANiC’s Board of Directors chaired by Joyce Lee; approved by the Board; sent to
the parishes for consultation and input; and revised based on comments received
from our parishes. The current
documents are the result of this broad-based consultation and rewriting
process.
Our hope is that synod will not
have to labour over these documents. We want to ensure they have received the
attention and participation required – prior to synod – to make
them ready and worthy of synod approval. In order to achieve that, we have again sent the revised documents to
parishes.
ANiC’s archdeacons will now organize
meetings with rectors and clergy in charge of ANiC congregations in the next
few weeks to receive final comments on the documents. In the meantime, rectors will
organize meetings within ANiC parishes for parish synod representatives to review
and discuss the documents. Any
unresolved questions should be directed to ANiC’s executive director, John
MacDonald 1-866-351-2642 extension 4022 or jmacdonald@anglicannetwork.ca.
You can see a draft agenda for
synod, register online and find out about the synod hotel on the ANiC website. The keynote speak, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, will also be a
prominent participant in 125th anniversary celebrations being held by St
George’s (Ottawa) on the weekend of November 5-7 – including giving speeches
at several venues around Ottawa.
Archbishop John Chew makes 1st
visit to Canada and challenges us
On September
18-19, Archbishop John Chew (SE Asia) spoke at a series of meetings in
Vancouver at the Anglican Network Church of the Good Shepherd promoting the
work of ARDFC. This was, he noted, his first visit to Canada. Although, as
chair of the Global South Primates Committee, Archbishop Chew is currently one
of the most influential leaders in the Communion, his focus is clearly on
spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard it.
Noting
that, ironically, while Asia is becoming a global economic powerhouse, “SE Asia
has never been on the radar screen of Anglicanism”. However, his diocese – the Diocese of Singapore
– has been given a vision for reaching countries in Asia that have little
or no Anglican witness, and often few Christians – especially Cambodia, Vietnam,
Nepal, Laos and Thailand. In
Thailand, for example, Christians make up only one per cent of the population
and the first Anglican church was started in 1991. The Diocese of Singapore is reaching out in these countries
through evangelism, planting churches and practical ministries such as English
language training, skills training, ministries to street children, and
orphanages.
Archbishop
Chew said that there are opportunities for North Americans to partner with his
diocese by sending career missionaries, short-term mission teams, evangelists,
pastors, community workers, language teachers and more. He challenged ANiC parishes to assess
their resources (both skill sets as well as financial) and prayerfully think
through their role in missions.
Photos
will be posted soon to the ARDFC website.
Update on litigation and
negotiations involving ANiC parishes
While the Vancouver appeal
hearing is over and it could be several months before the panel of judges
reaches a decision, the Anglican Church of Canada’s publication, the Anglican
Journal has an article summarizing the hearing – from the
diocese’s perspective. The author,
former Diocese of New Westminster communication officer Neale Adams, writes
that the hearing demonstrated “Two very different views of how parishes should
relate to their dioceses”.
Meanwhile,
in Ottawa, negotiations between the ANiC parishes – St George’s and St
Alban’s – and the Anglican Church of Canada diocese continue. On September 19th, the Rev George
Sinclair (St Alban’s) wrote, “We
believe that legally and canonically we own the building and assets. As
Christians, we also believe that a peaceable solution should be sought first.
In light of that we met for our second session with a mediator on Thursday.
That day ended with a promise to continue conversation without the assistance
of the Mediator. Our two churches have now sent a letter to the Diocese and are
awaiting a response.”
ANiC
parishes, as a matter of conscience and policy, have always sought (in most
cases repeatedly) a negotiated settlement rather than resort to the courts.
The AEC blog
notes the number of parishioners attending the Anglican Church of Canada’s
services in the building used by ANiC’s St Matthew’s (Abbotsford). According to the blog, the numbers have
been steadily declining since the services began a few weeks ago. On Sunday,
September 12, one count put the number at 11.
Please pray for all ANiC parishes
involved in litigation or negotiation, as well as for the three judges
contemplating their decision in the Vancouver appeal. May God’s will be done.
ARDFC update
The Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada has
now raised close to $6500 towards our malaria reduction project in the Diocese
of Maseno (located in the SW corner of Kenya). Contributing to that total, ANiC members and glass artists
John and Norma Bos (from Williams Lake, BC) have started a fundraiser, with the
entire profits from the sales of glass pendants – in a variety of both
cross and fish designs – going to ARDFC’s malaria reduction project. Watch
for more details in a future newsletter. You can also see a short, compelling, newly released video produced by our US-based sister organization, the ARDF.
Attention C S Lewis fans and
Toronto area residents
St
Chad’s (Toronto) is sponsoring a 10-week series of discussions examining C S
Lewis’ Mere Christianity. The
sessions will be led by Terry Barker, Humber College instructor and former
secretary of Oxford University’s C S Lewis Society. For information, please call 416-889-8248.
Time: Tuesdays,
7pm, beginning October 5 for 10 weeks
Location: 155 Wychwood Avenue, Toronto (upstairs);
NE corner of Wychwood and St Clair
Clergy wanted…
Please remember these needs in
prayer:
Anglican Network Church of the Good
Shepherd (Vancouver, BC) is seeking an associate
priest to work with Bishop Leung.
St Andrews
(Tsawwassen, BC) is also seeking a priest who is also a church planter.
Prayer requested for Newfoundland
The Venerable Darrell Critch
reports that “The destruction from the hurricane wasfar greater outside
the St John's area [where ANiC’s two parishes are located]... On other parts of
the island, most especially the Burin Peninsula and Random Island
areas,there has been much greater damage. [We] welcome prayers for those parts of theisland…
andfor the family of the one fatality from the hurricane, the sister of
whom is a parishioner of Good Samaritan [one of the two ANiC parishes in
Newfoundland].”
Parish, church plant and ministry
news
Church of the Good Samaritan (St
John’s, NF) organized a drive for the local food bank that collected $20,000 worth of groceries and essentials
– weighing in at 10 tonnes. Included were full pallets of both baby
diapers and baby formula. The St
John’s Telegram noted the achievement in the September 18th newspaper.
St
George’s (Burlington) is sponsoring a youth retreat October 1-2, with young
people also coming from other ANiC churches in the
area. The theme is “Getting serious about Jesus”. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to come in power.
St Alban’s (Ottawa) – The church’s campus ministry, led by
the Rev David Robinson, is hosting a speaker for two engagements on the
University of Ottawa on October 7. James K A Smith, a Christian philosopher and professor at Calvin College
(Grand Rapids, MI), will speak at noon on “Globalization and the post-secular
public” and in the evening his talk is entitled “Beyond A/Theism:
Post-modernity and the future of God”. With classes now back in session, the campus ministry – known as The
House – has been visible on campus with a promotional table, meeting
students and inviting them to various church activities. Please pray for this
campus ministry and the two lectures.
St Matthew’s (Abbotsford) has a
new home in cyberspace. And St
George’s (Ottawa) is also sporting a brand new
website.
St Andrew’s
Project (Tsawwassen, BC) has begun weekly9:30am Sunday services at a new location: Tsawwassen Longhouse, 1710-56th Street, Delta.
If your parish has news that
would be of interest to others in ANiC, please email Marilyn or call
1-866-351-2642 extension 4020.
Calendar of upcoming events
– for your interest and prayer support
Sept 26, 6:30pm – Christ The King (Toronto) launches
Sept 29 – Holy Trinity,
Marlborough, MA - Ordinations to the priesthood
Oct 1-3 – Christ Awakening Montreal
Oct 3 – Life Chains, to
promote the pro-life alternative, at locations
across Canada and the USA
Oct 7 – Heritage
Preaching Lectures with Dr Darrell Johnson, Cambridge, ON
Oct 10 – International day to pray for the world’s
poor and act to alleviate poverty
Oct 16 – Billy Graham
Association Cross the
Street conference, Burlington, ON
Oct 23 – St John’s
Richmond, Bible in a Day
seminar
Oct 24, 6:30pm – Christ The King (Toronto) service of celebration and thanksgiving
Nov 3 – Clergy day, Ottawa,
ON
Nov
4-6 – ANiC synod with featured speaker Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Ottawa, ON
Nov 14 – International day of prayer for the persecuted
church
Jan 25-27 – ACNA 2011 church planting summit in Plano, TX with speaker Tim Keller
March
29-31 – ANiC’s 2011 pastors’ retreat near Abbotsford, BC
News shorts – Anglican
Church in North America (ACNA)
Archbishop
Bob Duncan issues E100 challenge
Speaking on Cornerstone TV, our
Primate, Archbishop Bob Duncan, discussed his challenge to his Diocese of
Pittsburgh to acquire Biblical literacy. The diocese is using the Scripture Union’s E100 challenge of reading and
studying 100 “essential” Bible passages – 50 from the Old Testament and
50 from the New Testament. For more information on the Scripture Union’s E100
challenge, see www.e100challenge.com. You can watch the entire, wide-ranging
and very interesting interview through a link on the
AEC blog.
Anglican
Relief and Development Fund approves $400,000 in projects for 2011
The Anglican Relief and
Development Fund (ARDF), ACNA’s US-based global aid arm and the sister
organization to the ARDF-Canada (or ARDFC), held its semi-annual board meeting
in Texas on September 21-22 at which it approved $400,000 in projects for the
coming year – all in the Congo. Global South representatives on the ARDF board are
responsible for approving projects, while the North America board members are
responsible for funding projects.
A news release issued following
the meeting states that, in the last year, ARDF doubled both donations and
donors. Donors gave $647,000 for emergency relief in Chile,
Haiti, Indonesia, Malawi, Myanmar, Samoa and Uganda. In addition, development
projects were completed in Ethiopia, Nepal, Tanzania, and the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
The international board of
directors consists of several Global South Primates – including Presiding
Bishop Mouneer Anis (Middle East), Archbishop Justice Akrofi (West Africa) and
Archbishop John Chew (SE Asia) – as well as Archbishop Bob Duncan (ACNA),
Baroness Caroline Cox (honourary chair), and a number of North American
representatives, including ANiC’s treasurer Claus Lenk. Photos of the ARDF meeting are posted here.
Recommendation
to remove the Filioque clause from the Nicene Creed clarified
For those of a theological and
historical bent, ACNA Bishop Ray Sutton, chair of the ACNA Ecumenical Relations
Task Force, responds on
the StandFirm blog – graciously and at length – to earlier
concerns regarding that task force’s recommendation that ACNA remove the Filioque, thus
returning “to the original Nicene Creed”. (For background see the 13 July 2010 ANiC newsletter.)
Bishop Sutton argues convincingly
that, while the Filioque clause is true, it was an inappropriate addition to an
ecumenical creed. However, the
recommendation of the ACNA task force will be considered by the “entire body”
of ACNA and includes an appeal to the GAFCon primates for guidance on how to
proceed. He says, “…we are at the beginning of our own local deliberations and
no final decision has been made.” However he notes that previous Lambeth Conferences, which involve
bishops from throughout the Anglican Communion, made similar recommendations.
Bishop Sutton ends by saying, “We
are not altering Truth by suggesting the removal of the Filioque…The Truth
stands. Indeed we are trying to stand together in the Truth of the original
creed with other faithful, creedal Christians for the purpose of proclaiming
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to our world. This goal is not without many
challenges, not the least of which is the rapid collapse of Western Culture.
I/we have a sense that if the historic, Biblical and Creedal Church does not
enter evangelical witness and Eucharistic fellowship together, we cannot save
the West. Neither Rome, Orthodoxy, the Anglican Church, nor the world of
Protestantism can re-evangelize the West alone. We must all come together in
some kind of massive Gospel sense to do it. It is to this end that I work and covet
your support.”
Clergy
Leadership Training Institute seeks support
The
American Anglican Council has developed a Clergy Leadership Training Institute because research they conducted, involving some ANiC clergy, found that “Anglican clergy across North America are longing to lead from a place of
personal intimacy with Jesus Christ. To be spiritually healthy, our clergy need
support, training and encouragement.” The research found that Anglican clergy in the US and Canada are most
interested “…in
coaching and peer support on topics like:
| • |
The
leader's walk with God - spiritual disciplines |
| • |
How to
prevent burnout and moral failure |
| • |
How to
cultivate a healthy marriage |
| • |
Resources
for preaching |
| • |
Peer
support and fellowship - to be able to talk to other pastors and learn from
their experience” |
The proposed three-year program
will address “…issues such as the priest's personal walk with the Lord, the
health and direction of their ministry, and leadership coaching….” Check out The Clergy Leadership Training
Institute online. And,
if you wish to financially support this ministry, the folks at the American Anglican Council would be thrilled!
Priest reaches plea bargain with
Colorado district attorney
A complex, long-running and
draining court battle in Colorado Springs has concluded with a rector of an
ACNA parish agreeing to plead “no contest” to one charge of theft, although he
still maintains his innocence. In exchange, other charges against the Rev
Donald Armstrong were dropped. The Church of
England Newspaper reports that:
“In 2007, Mr. Armstrong’s
congregation… quit the diocese of Colorado, joining the Convocation of
Anglicans in North America (CANA). The diocese responded by deposing Mr.
Armstrong and litigation ensued over control of the property. On March
24, 2009 a court awarded ownership of the multi-million dollar church to the
diocese. In its quest to retrieve the buildings, the diocese had accused
Mr. Armstrong of tax fraud and misappropriating church funds to pay for his
children’s university education. However… an investigation by Federal tax authorities had found no
wrongdoing.
The parish, which left the
Episcopal Church in 2007 and has fully supported its rector throughout the
protracted and financially draining legal wranglings, issued a statement
welcoming the decision, saying it brings “to conclusion this long and torturous
ordeal for our congregation”. The statement adds that the parish believes the
charges were a direct result of the parish’s quitting TEC.
CANA confirmed that … Rev
Armstrong remains a “priest in good standing” and Bishop Martyn Minns “will
soon be making a visit to the parish in Colorado Springs to more fully
understand this difficult and sad situation.”
News shorts – Canada
International days of prayer to
be observed in Canada
The International
Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church will be on Sunday, November
14.
October 10 has been set aside to
pray for the world’s poor and consider the church’s role in alleviating
poverty. See the Micah Challenge website for more
information.
Pro-life “life chains” planned
for Sunday, October 3
According to
LifeSiteNews, the Life Chain, an annual “pro-life prayer and witness
event”, will be held in Canada, “…simultaneously in more than 200 locations,
with well over 30,000 people taking part”. You can see Canadian locations
here and North American locations
here.
LifeSiteNews
also notes that 238 locations around the world, including Canada,
are participating in the annual 40 Days for Life campaign of prayer and fasting
from September 22 through October 31. Nine cities in Canada are participating
this year. Prayers for the
campaign are here;
international information is here and Canadian information is here. Past years have seen God work in
remarkable ways.
The Government of Canada is reported by
LifeSiteNews to be reconsidering an earlier decision to cut off
funding to international abortion providers.
Quebec begins hearings on
euthanasia
A Quebec commission has begun a
ten-city tour seeking input on euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Diocese of New Westminster facing
discrimination complaint
The Diocese of New Westminster is a
defendant in a BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint filed by a person
evicted from an apartment which is managed by a diocese-affiliated
society. The complainant, a
self-proclaimed transsexual, maintains that the eviction was based on sexual
bias, and was not due to being in arrears of rent as maintained by the
building’s manager.
Other Canadian news
CTV.ca – September 23 2010
– Anglican
bishops take to street to sell church
Anglican Journal –
September 24 2010 – Reflections
on the BAS, 25 years on
News shorts – United States
How much has TEC spent on
litigation?
Canon law expert, A S Haley, in
his seven-part series the Episcopal Church (TEC) and its “runaway train” of
litigation, finds that: There is no accountability within TEC
for money spent on litigation. TEC
attorneys seemingly have a blank cheque. Mr Haley says, “…the actual amount which the Church has spent, and is
spending, on lawsuits over Church property is not in the Church's official
budget, and never has been. The numbers shown in the budget are simple placeholders, and are constantly revised upward long after the fact.”
Mr Haley adds, “…an estimated
total of some Twenty-one
Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($ 21,650,000) [has already been] dedicated thus far by the Church
of Katharine Jefferts Schori to lawsuits and illegal disciplinary actions. That
is quite a negative achievement for someone who has been in office for not even
four years yet. If the spending continues at the same rate, by the time her
term is up in November 2015 (and assuming her last budget is like those before
it), she will have committed the Church to an impossible-sounding Sixty-Four Million
Dollars in legal costs.” He concludes, “There is only one word
for what has gripped the Episcopal Church at its highest national and diocesan
levels since Bishop Jefferts Schori came into office, and that word is
madness.”
More litigation
Unwilling to accept an earlier
court ruling that the ACNA Diocese of Fort Worth, led by Bishop Jack Iker, is
the true and only Diocese of Fort Worth, the puppet diocese established by
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori after the vast majority in the diocese
voted to realign out of TEC, has filed a “complaint” in Federal District Court
naming Bishop Iker as the sole defendant. This new litigation accuses Bishop Iker of improperly using the diocese’s
logo. Read the ACNA
diocese’s statement here and the TEC
group’s statement here. Canon law expert A S Haley
calls TEC’s actions “simply crazy” and goes on to explain the
absurdities of this latest action.
South Carolina convention
resolutions distance diocese from TEC; draw fire
Proposed
resolutions for the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina’s October 15th
reconvened convention are designed to assert the jurisdictional independence of
the Diocese while remaining part of the Episcopal Church. The diocese, led by
Bishop Mark Lawrence, is one of the most orthodox dioceses still within TEC. EpiscopalLifeOnline
reports that these convention resolutions are seen by the diocese
as "essential element[s] of how we protect the diocese from any attempt at
un-constitutional intrusions into our corporate life in South Carolina."
Already dissidents in the diocese have written to TEC’s House of Bishops and Executive Council charging the diocesan leaders
with “accelerating the process of alienation and disassociation”. Among the charges they bring
against the diocese is that there has been no legal action against a parish
that has left the diocese and TEC. Another charge is that some websites of churches in the diocese link to “breakaway Anglican organizations”.
Bishop Mark Lawrence (South
Carolina) immediately responded forcefully and clearly to each of the seven
charges made by the dissidents in a letter posted
to the diocese’s website. He concludes, “It is increasingly clear that we are engaged in a
worldwide struggle for the soul of Anglicanism in the 21st Century… What will
emerge from this struggle we cannot say—but I am convinced of our
vocation to Make Biblical Anglicans for a Global Age… Not unlike a battalion
in a military campaign which is ordered to hold a pass even against
overwhelming odds, we are called to resist what appears is a self-destructive
trajectory by many within The Episcopal Church. We are called to stand
our ground and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ until it is no longer
possible; and at the same time to continue to help shape the emerging
Anglicanism in the 21st Century… let us hold fast to the best of our Episcopal
heritage while sharing Christ’s transforming freedom—with hearts set
free—to a needy world today.”
TEC Diocese of Springfield elects
new orthodox bishop
The Diocese of Springfield,
previously lead by Bishop Peter Beckwith, has elected a graduate of Nashotah House, the Rev Dan Martins, as its next bishop. Under
the Episcopal Church (TEC) procedures this election must be approved by a
majority of bishops and diocesan standing committees in TEC before a new bishop
can be consecrated and installed. In response to the election, the liberals in TEC have launched a smear campaign. EpiscopalLIfe
Online has more information on Bishop-elect Martins.
TEC House of Bishops begs
disgraced bishop to resign
After an episcopal court
dismissed his charge of disgraceful conduct due to a “statute of limitations”,
the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church (TEC) has asked Bishop Charles
Bennison (Diocese of Pennsylvania) to voluntarily resign. According to
the Episcopal News Service, 35 years ago as a rector, Bishop
Bennison failed to respond properly after learning that his brother, who was a youth
minister in the parish, was "engaged in a sexually abusive and sexually
exploitive relationship" with an adolescent girl in the youth group.
A S Haley (aka the Anglican
Curmudgeon) calls this
action pathetic and hypocritical. While the House of Bishops, in 2008, voted to depose Bishop
Robert Duncan for merely contemplating the removal of his diocese from TEC,
they now show a “pathetic… lack of will to address a problem which they
acknowledge is a scourge of the Church: abuse of minors by clergy, and the
subsequent cover-up of that abuse by the clergy's superiors. Instead of
addressing the problem, [TEC bishops] mouth pious platitudes which are
completely belied by their… inability to act.”
Other commentators suggest that
the Presiding Bishop’s inability to remove Bishop Bennison demonstrate that TEC
is not a hierarchical organization, as its lawyers claim in the courts to
support TEC claims on the property of departing congregations. Still others believe that the House of
Bishops’ weak response to Bishop Bennison is a calculated move designed to
distance TEC from the disgraced bishop while keeping front and centre as an
example of why the Church needs the draconian changes to clergy discipline
canons slated for 2011.
News shorts – International
Ecumenical relations jeopardized
by growing liberalism in Anglicanism
A Metropolitan Archbishop of the
Russian Orthodox Church has told Archbishop Rowan Williams that the Anglican
Communion’s growing embrace of liberal theology is harming its ecumenical
relations with the Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the chairman of the Moscow
Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, also decried the
failure of the church to safeguard truth in favour of politically correct
pluralism.
According to
LifeSiteNews, he said, “The abyss that exists today divides not so
much the Orthodox from the Catholics or the Catholics from the Protestants as
it does the ‘traditionalists’ from the ‘liberals’… It is impossible to pass
silently by the liberalism and relativism which have become so characteristic
of today’s Anglican theology." He also lamented the refusal "…to preach Christian moral values in
secular society and prefer to adjust to worldly standards.” However, he expressed the hope that this
would change: “I very much hope that the official position of the Anglican
Church on theological, ecclesiological and moral issues will be in tune with
the tradition of the Ancient Undivided Church and that the Anglican leadership
will not surrender to the pressure coming from liberals." The Metropolitans’ full address is here.
The pope makes historic visit to
Britain
Despite months of negative
publicity prior to the visit, Pope Benedict’s brief trip to Britain was widely
portrayed in the media as an unmitigated triumph. A National Post
article quotes Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury,
saying, “He came; he saw; he conquered.” He unflinchingly challenged secularization and compromise in society,
government and the church – and rather than repelling people as
predicted, thousands were attracted to the pope and to his message.
The Guardian
reported: “Benedict XVI used the first papal state visit to Britain
to launch a blistering attack on "atheist extremism" and
"aggressive secularism", and to rue the damage that "the
exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life" had done in the
last century.”
His visit was also pastoral. When asked what the church needs to do
to become more attractive, he responded “…that a church which seeks above all
to be attractive would already be on the wrong path, because the Church does
not work for itself… The Church is at the service of Another; it does not serve
itself… but it strives to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ accessible, the great
truths, the great powers of love and of reconciliation that come always from
the presence of Jesus Christ. In this sense, the Church does not seek to be
attractive, but rather to make herself transparent for Jesus Christ.”
The National Post contrasted the
Pope’s unapologetic preaching to “churches that have changed wholesale their
teaching… now celebrating as holy what they previously taught was sinful”. It
goes on to relate the Pope’s message to a group of schoolchildren in which he
said, “What God wants most of all for each one of you is that you should become
holy.” The article concludes, “holiness… never loses its power to attract”.
The Catholic
Herald reports that Prime Minister David Cameron “…told Pope
Benedict XVI in a powerful farewell speech that his visit had made Britain “sit
up and think”.”
Church of Australia votes to
study Jerusalem Declaration
The synod of the Church of
Australia has voted to send the Jerusalem
Declaration, issued by the Global Anglican Future Conference
(GAFCon) in 2008, to its dioceses and churches for study. Reacting to this decision, Archbishop
Peter Jensen of the Diocese of Sydney noted that the Jerusalem
Declaration – to which ANiC whole-heartedly subscribes – was a document
that expresses the heart and mind of millions of Anglicans – especially
in the Global South, and therefore worthy of study. The Church synod also “received”, rather than “welcomed”,
the Covenant and has sent it to the dioceses for study for the next three years.
Archbishop of Canterbury
announces next meeting of Primates
Dr Williams has announced that the next meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion will be 25-31
January 2011 at Emmaus Retreat and Conference Centre in Dublin, Ireland. Previously, some Global South Primates
made it clear that they would not attend any Primates meetings attended by the
Primates of the US Episcopal Church or the Anglican Church of Canada.
Primate dishes on the state of
the Communion
VirtueOnline
reports that Presiding Bishop Mouneer Anis (Middle East), speaking
at a clergy day in the Diocese of Fort Worth, addressed the state of the
Anglican Communion. He called the Anglican Consultative Council, from which he
resigned earlier this year, dysfunctional, and said that GAFCon and the Global
South were a growing force for historic Christian orthodoxy within the
Communion. However, he warned that
the Episcopal Church (TEC) was effectively manipulating some poor African
provinces with money, buying their silence. He also expressed concern about the number of African clergy
accepting TEC scholarships to study theology in the west, saying “They do not
know they are committing suicide.” His concluding emphatic advice to ACNA was to remain united.
Timeline of the dissolution of
the Instruments of Unity
Jill Woodliff has posted on the StandFirm website an extensive “Timeline of the dissolution of the faith and order of the
Anglican Communion”, starting in 1967 and going through to July 2010.
Archbishop of Canterbury
clarifies his views on homosexual bishops
Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of
Canterbury is telling
British media that while he has no problem with homosexuals being
bishops, they must remain celibate. His rationale, however, was not theological but institutional. He said, that “the cost to the church
overall was too great to be borne”.
News in brief from around the
world and around the Communion
England – The Church of
England Newspaper reports that, the UK Mothers’ Union is combating the commercialization
and sexualization of childhood. Its “Bye Buy Childhood” campaign is designed to
hold the government accountable to its pledge to address the sexualization of
children.
England – Voting began
this week to elect new members to the Church of England Synod. Members
sit for a five year term and meet twice annually, with the next meeting in
mid-November. The composition of
the next synod is significant given the weighty matters before synod.
Rwanda – The Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda has elected the Rt Rev Onesphore Rwaje as Primate,
succeeding Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini. Archbishop–elect Rwaje, who
now serves as Bishop of Byumba Diocese and Dean of the Province, was elected on
the first ballet.
Uganda – The Ugandan
government is reportedly
contemplating legislation designed to crack down on pornography.
Convictions of distributing pornography, under the proposed legislation, would
result in fines and prison sentences of up to 10 years.
China – LifeSiteNews
reports that a province in China is “implementing a new program to
encourage chastity in students, using materials produced by the evangelical
protestant organization Focus on the Family”.
Zimbabwe – Voice of
America News reports that dissident former bishop and crony of Dictator
Robert Mugabe, Bishop Nolbert Kunonga has taken his war on the legitimate
Anglican Church in Zimbabwe to a new low. Not only has he, with the help of the police, succeeded in barring
parishioners from using existing, disputed church facilities, now he has
employed police to seize a recently built church on property the parishioners
had recently purchased.
Supporting our persecuted
brothers and sisters
Open Doors, which focuses on
serving persecuted Christians worldwide, is promoting three initiatives designed to: 1) prevent further erosion of religious liberty especially in
Muslim countries; 2) advocate for Christians in Plateau State, Nigeria where so
many were slaughtered in night-time attacks this spring; and 3) urge China not
to repatriate refugees fleeing from North Korea. Their website suggests ways you can stand with those who are suffering.
Other international news
Church of England Newspaper
– September 10 2010 – Scottish
Episcopal Church defends inclusive language liturgies
Anglican Communion News Service
– September 21 2010 – Communion
report to the UN highlights Anglicans’ work towards hitting poverty targets
Church of England Newspaper
– September 17 2010 – No break in
Africa’s united front on the Episcopal Church
Soul food
Just for laughs
A
pastor, known for his lengthy sermons, noticed a man get up and leave during
the middle of his message. The man
returned just before the conclusion of the service. Afterwards the pastor asked
the man where he had gone.
"I
went to get a haircut," was the reply.
"But,
why didn't you do that before the service?" asked the pastor
"Because,"
the gentleman said, "I didn't need one then."
Courtesy
of www.mikeysFunnies.com
Thoughts
Experience
is what you have just after you need it.
Courtesy
of www.mikeysFunnies.com
Worth reading & watching
The Gospel
Coalition offers a list of “important sermons and articles” that
have profoundly influenced some contemporary Christian leaders.
The Gospel Coalition also gives advice
to theological students and new pastors: part 1 & part 2
Anglicanism in perspective – In a
two-minute video, Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council
offers a penetrating insight into Christian unity in light of the pope’s visit
to Great Britain and a Russian Orthodox leader’s clear warning of the damage
caused to ecumenical relations by liberal theology in the Anglican Communion.
Bishop
Michael Nazir-Ali has written an
article in The Australian arguing that Islamic law, which the
radical Muslim worldview would have imposed universally, is fundamentally at
odds with western and Christian concepts of freedom and equality. He says, “It is basic to Western societies that there should be one law for all.
This idea emerged from the Judaeo-Christian tradition that all humans are made
in God's image… [However] Muslim scholars recognise the three great
inequalities of their legal tradition: between men and women, Muslims and
non-Muslims, slave and free… Muslims, like anyone else, should be free to
practise and propagate their faith. They are free also to contribute to public
debate. The principle of one law for all, however, cannot be compromised.” Bishop Nazir-Ali is keynote speaker at ANiC’s 2010 synod.
Resources
The Rev Charles Raven’s newly
released book, Shadow Gospel: Rowan Williams and the Anglican Communion Crisis, is characterized as “the
first serious attempt to link [Dr Williams’ theology] with his ecclesiastic
policy”. Bishop John Ellison says the book provides “…convincing evidence about
the real problem facing us in the Church of England and how this has affected
the wider Anglican Communion. He
argues that we are experiencing not so much an ecclesial deficit as a
confessional one.” The book can
now be ordered from Latimer Trust.
A newly launched UK-based website offers video sermons
drawn from a number of preachers.
Students heading back to
university might want to check out the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s guide
to campus “Pro-Life
Clubs and the Law”. In
recent years campus pro-life clubs have experienced increased hostility from
university administrations.
Christian
Today reports that the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common
Prayer will be celebrated in 2012 and a website has been launched. “The
website, www.bcp350.org.uk, details
the history of the liturgy” and will also “…feature a new online version of the
1662 Book of Common Prayer”.
Christianity.ca offers guidance on how to start podcasting your parish’s sermons.
Please
pray...
Pray for the ordinations planned
at Holy Trinity, Marlborough, MA on September 29 when the Rev Andrew Carlson
and the Rev Christopher Logan will be ordained to the priesthood.
For the planning and preparations
for ANiC’s 2010 synod in Ottawa, November 4-6.
For our bishops and clergy and
their families – especially those battling illness.
For ANiC projects, church plants
and parishes, and for their proclamation of Good News to those in their
communities who desperately need new life in Christ.
For the
three BC Court of Appeal judges considering the decision regarding the use and
beneficial ownership of Vancouver-area ANiC parish properties and a bequest, as
well as the awarding of court costs.
For the
other legal challenges faced by ANiC parishes, including:
| • |
The
mediation process involving St George’s & St Alban’s (Ottawa) and their
former Anglican Church of Canada diocese. |
| • |
The ongoing
litigation involving St Aidan’s (Windsor), resulting in mounting expense |
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 front lines and bear the burden of risk and
responsibility.
For the leaders and parishioners of the dioceses pursuing eviction of and legal damages
against ANiC congregations and wardens.
For
much needed donations to the legal cases and disputes involving
ANiC congregations
For
those affected by devastating storm damage and flooding in Newfoundland.
For
funding of the ARDFC’s malaria prevention project in Kenya.
For persecuted
Christians in Muslim lands.
For
steps to be taken in the Sudan to ensure a fair and peaceful referendum in
January.
For
repentance and revival in our nation – as well as a hunger for God and a
thirst for His Word.
For all
those in positions of leadership and influence in the Anglican Communion, that
they would seek to honour and obey God above all else.
And now a word from our sponsor
Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a
great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
God reigns over the nations; God
sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!
Psalm 47
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