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  ANiC Newsletter: 29 September, 2008
... pdf version
    

News shorts – ANiC and AEN

19th parish joins ANiC
On Sunday, ANiC welcomed the congregation of St Aidan’s (Windsor, Ontario) to our growing family of parishes. The members of St Aidan’s voted unanimously (all 109 votes cast) to realign under Bishop Don and the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. Historically, vestry meetings at St Aidan’s have attracted an average of 70 members.

See the media coverage:
Christian Post – Sept 29 08 – Anglican parish votes for orthodoxy, joins breakaway group
VirtueOnLine – Sept 28 08 – Parish votes unanimously to join Anglican Network in Canada
Windsor Star – Sept 29 08 – Gay marriage prompts St Aidan’s to split from diocese


Demand for Good Shepherd story requires second edition
The video and booklet Good Shepherd (Vancouver) produced earlier this summer has proved so popular the parish is already preparing a second edition of the booklet – this time with forewords from Dr J I Packer and Professor Jason H.K. Yeung (Hong Kong) and an afterword by the President of the Alliance Bible Seminary in Hong Kong, the Rev Dr Ka-lun Leung. In his forward, the Rev Stephen Leung, Good Shepherd pastor, says he was pleasantly surprised that they have to reprint just three months after first publishing their story. He attributes this to “…the wide-reaching ripple effect this booklet has started in the Chinese world…” The booklet and video, both titled “Never been on this road before” recount Good Shepherd’s story of how their struggle to remain faithful to historic Christian and Anglican teaching eventually led them to join the Anglican Network in Canada.


Synod membership
A formula for synod member selection has been determined with input from ANiC parishes; the number of lay delegates representing each church will be determined by the church’s average Sunday attendance. Also, provision will be made for non-voting observers to attend synod with Bishop Don’s prior consent. We anticipate welcoming 120-140 delegates at our synod, Nov 13-15 in Burlington, Ontario.


Eight confirmed in Faith Anglican’s outdoor “cathedral”
Eight young people at Faith Anglican Church near Ottawa were confirmed on a beautiful Saturday afternoon last week in an outdoor service – a first for Bishop Don. Faith Anglican’s parishioners chose to leave their buildings behind when they left the Anglican Church of Canada and joined ANiC last February.


Question from a member regarding the legal defense fund
Q - Are gifts designated for the legal defense fund considered charitable donations?
A - Contributions to the legal defense fund are considered charitable donations and are fully eligible for tax receipts – in the same way that any donation to ANiC is eligible. The Legal Defense Fund was created as a ‘segregated fund’ within ANiC’s overall budget so that we can assure those who are opposed to funding litigation from a theological perspective, that their givings are not being used for legal defense purposes.


What holds us together? Orthodoxy and orthopraxy
Speaking in Virginia at the Convocation of Anglicans in North America synod, Dr J I Packer joined Bishop Martyn Minns answering the question ,
What holds the partners in Common Cause together when there exist so many differences among us? Dr Packer responded: orthodoxy and orthopraxy. He said, “What we have intellectually as a base upon which we all agree is… Biblical orthodoxy… based in Scripture. AND with that goes… orthopraxy… that is to say a pattern of nurture… Christian life in fellowship with Christ… Communion with Christ… People are not saved without faith in Christ… All those who are saved have a living fellowship with Christ… None of us who come together from these various versions of the evangelical and catholic traditions ought to dispute that. So, it’s an ethos of a nurture pattern based on biblical orthodoxy and meriting the name orthopraxy that brings and holds us together…”

See AnglicanTV’s videos of Dr Packer’s keynote address, press conference and answering audience questions. VirtueOnLine provides a transcription of the Dr Packer’s response to questions ranging from the prospects of an Anglican Covenant to the promise of a new North American province. When asked for advice for the diocese of Pittsburgh (voting on realigning), he said “Go for it!”


Upcoming events
ANiC’s Looking to Jesus cross-Canada gatherings are now underway. These meetings will provide an overview of momentous recent developments in the Anglican world and how ANiC is preparing for this exciting future. Please come and bring friends. Check our website for details of times and locations for meetings.

Sept 30 (Tues) Oceanside (Parksville), BC Oct 26 (Sun) Medicine Hat, AB
Oct 2 (Thurs) Vancouver, BC Oct 26 (Sun) Toronto, ON
Oct 3 (Fri) Abbotsford, BC Oct 28 (Tues) Athabasca, AB
Oct 24 (Fri) Windsor, ON Nov 2 (Sun) St John’s, NF
Oct 25 (Sat) Burlington, ON Nov 3 (Mon) Halifax, NS
Oct 25 (Sat) Calgary, AB Nov 4 (Tues) Moncton, NB


News shorts – Canada

Election presents great opportunity to influence the nation
To begin reclaiming Canada for Christ, Christians need to act now. During this election period we have a unique opportunity to influence the future of our nation. Check out the 4MyCanada website for details of these five recommended action points:
Volunteer in a strong values based campaign
Influence the media at this key time
Vote! And get your friends to vote
Pray & fast (They suggest fasting every Wednesday)
Donate


In the Canadian media
Christian Week – Oct 1 08 – Anglican clergy ordered out
Ottawa Citizen – Sept 27 08 – US Episcopal church deposes dissident bishop


News shorts – USA and North America

TEC diocese settles out-of-court with two churches
The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has settled with two parishes out of the 11 it is suing. All 11 parishes are with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). The two congregations that the diocese settled with should never have been sued in the first place as neither has any real property and both meet in schools. Furthermore, the one parish was not even a former Episcopal congregation. The diocese also conceded most of the remaining issues, narrowing the scope of its suit against the remaining nine churches. In its statement, CANA says the remaining property disputes will go to trial October 14. The diocese and the CANA churched were in the midst of amicable negotiations when, in January 2007, TEC intervened to force the matter into the courts. As usual, George Conger provides excellent coverage in Religious Intelligence.


Bishop Iker writes “10 reasons why now is the time to realign”
Writing to his diocese in advance of their November convention at which a vote will be taken on joining the Southern Cone, Bishop Jack Iker outlines why he believes now is the time to act.


More fallout from Bishop Bob Duncan’s deposition

More Anglican leaders from around the world are joining the chorus of protest over the kangaroo court deposition of a godly Episcopal Church bishop earlier this month. A number of Church of England (CoE) bishops have joined those calling for the speedy establishment of an orthodox North American Anglican Province. Bishop Wallace Benn (CoE) issued a statement which said
“…a new Anglican province for North America… has now become more urgent due to the aggressive illiberal and unprincipled behaviour of the Episcopal Church House of Bishops towards the Bishop of Pittsburgh… The behaviour of The Episcopal Church House of Bishops shows that the promised moratorium at Lambeth is dead and their integrity in wishing to bring peace must now be questioned.”

Archbishop Orombi (Uganda) said in his letter:

Despite the shameful action taken last week by the majority of TEC Bishops, nothing about our position has changed. We continue to recognize you as a Bishop of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We continue to recognize you as a Bishop in good standing in the Anglican Communion, and we whole-heartedly support the action of Archbishop Greg Venables and the House of Bishops of the Province of the Southern Cone to receive you into their House of Bishops. We continue in full communion with you and we do not recognize the action of the TEC House of Bishops to depose you.

Furthermore, we are praying that on 4th October the majority of the Diocese of Pittsburgh will vote to be reunited with you as their Bishop. When the King of Buganda tried to destroy the Christian movement in 1886 by killing the converts in his court, he instead fueled the spread of the Gospel among our people. I believe that can also happen in North America. So, do not be discouraged. Our God is a God of redemption, and He will take what was intended for evil and bring good out of it.

Finally, if the world couldn’t see it before, this vote reveals how spiritually lost TEC is and why North America needs a new Province that authentically represents historic and Biblical Anglicanism. The Instruments of the Anglican Communion could have averted this crisis. Instead, institutional inertia is preferred, and meanwhile, the tear in the fabric of our communion is now deeper and wider, the mission of the church suffers, and many people miss out on hearing the good news that a Saviour has come.

I look forward to the day when you are not only the Moderator of the Common Cause Partnership, but when we can also welcome you to the table of Primates as the Archbishop of a new, Biblically faithful Province in North America. May the Lord grant you wisdom and apostolic favour as you lead that movement, and may He add daily the number who are being saved.


The Times of London reports:

Six senior Church of England bishops have come out in support of deposed US bishop Bob Duncan, declaring themselves “deeply saddened and shocked.” Headed by the Bishop of Winchester, the Right Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishops of Blackburn, Chester, Chichester, Exeter and Rochester joined in declaring their belief that the deposed Bishop of Pittsburgh remains “a bishop in good standing in the Anglican Communion.” In an interview with The Times, the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali said the time had now come for Dr Williams to create a new province for conservatives in the US…

It is significant that Church of England bishops as senior as Bishop Scott-Joynt and Dr Michael Nazir-Ali continue to recognise Bishop Duncan’s ministry. Their statement will increase speculation that the split in the US church is heading over the Atlantic to Britain.

Dr Nazir-Ali told The Times: “I hope that a province of the orthodox in America will be recognised in the Anglican Communion.” He said that what had happened to Bishop Duncan showed that a structural solution was necessary.

A new province would be the 39th province of the communion. It would not be the first to share geographical territory with another province. In Europe, there are two Anglican jurisdictions operating already: the Church of England and The Episcopal Church.


And the Fort Worth (TEC) Standing Committee’s statement didn’t pull any punches either:

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Fort Worth rejects the deposition by the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church of the Bishop of Pittsburgh, Robert William Duncan. The unconstitutional and illegal interpretations of the Presiding Bishop and the use of the canons in ways that were never intended deprived Bishop Duncan of a fair trial. Bishop Duncan is a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice in Bishop Duncan’s admission to the College of Bishops of the Southern Cone, and we reaffirm our commitment to work with him as a bishop in good standing in the Communion.

In her blog, Ruth Gledhill, The Times’ highly regarded religion reporter, expresses her growing fears that the split in the Anglican Communion will soon affect the Church of England. She says: “…it seems there can be little doubt. What has happened there [North America] will happen here. Expect property battles and more in years to come.”

Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori has said that she will send her Assisting Bishop, the Rev Dr Charles Robertson, to Pittsburgh to “reconstitute the diocese.”


NY lawyer points out (again) the illegitimacy of +Duncan’s deposition
Prominent US lawyer Mark McCall has weighed in again following Bishop Duncan’s purported deposition. He points out that the actual written “Sentence of Deposition” does not reflect the Presiding Bishop’s interpretation of the canon – which contradicted the plain reading of the canon. The canon requires that a majority of all the bishops entitled to vote is necessary for the deposition to succeed. The presiding bishop chose to interpret this to mean a majority of bishops present at the meeting. 300 bishops were entitled to vote. Only 87 voted for Bishop Duncan’s deposition. Yet the Sentence of Deposition says “…a majority of the members of the House of Bishops entitled to vote having consented to this Deposition at a meeting of the House of Bishops in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 18 September, 2008….”


Diocese of Pittsburgh parishioner explains why she’s voting to leave
Writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wendy Scott Paff says,

Unfortunately, many of those who hold "progressive" beliefs… have become intolerant of the traditional Christians in their midst and have sought systemically to suppress those whose beliefs remain Christian… Faced with the inability to worship and witness as our faith dictates, we have sought to leave and maintain our membership in the worldwide church from which the Episcopal Church has alienated itself. In response, we have been harassed by those who call themselves tolerant, as the deposition of Bishop Duncan illustrates.

I seek to leave the Episcopal Church because it no longer teaches or represents that which I believe as a member of the worldwide Anglican Church--that Jesus Christ is God and that He died for my sins and rose again... I am leaving the Episcopal Church regardless of the eventual disposition of … assets. I am leaving as a matter of conscience and belief. However, those assets were entrusted to an institution which held fast to the beliefs I now hold by people who shared those beliefs. Those people would not recognize or validate the Episcopal Church as it now exists. That church now desires to use those assets in ways they would not agree to. Who is violating their trust?



New North American orthodox Anglican journal launches
The quarterly North American Anglican will publish a
“range of theological, practical and historical material, supportive of the 39 Articles and historical BCP, while allowing for courteous discussion where disagreements may exist.” The first issue is due in November.


AnglicanTV posts video of the Remain Faithful conference

Remain Faithful, a newly formed lay organization in the Episcopal Church, held a conference recently which was taped and posted to AnglicanTV. (Select the Events tab)


In the media and on the blogs – US
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Sept 23 08 – Some expected to resist split from Episcopal Church
New York Sun – Sept 25 08 – Closed doors at Episcopal Church


News shorts – International

Canterbury says Iran’s anti-Israel rhetoric is a threat to peace
The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued a joint statement with the Chief Rabbis of Israel stating they were “distressed to note that the President of Iran continues to use threatening and derogatory language towards Israel.”


Canterbury accepts Catholic doctrine
Breaking with Protestant teaching, the Archbishop of Canterbury is reported by the Daily Mail to be the first leader of the Church of England to accept visions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes as historical fact, and by implication, the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception explicitly linked to these visions. (The doctrine of the immaculate conception “holds that the Virgin Mary was conceived in a state of grace which kept her unstained from sin”.) Speaking at the Catholic shrine of Lourdes, Dr Williams referred to Mary as “the Mother of God” – a reference generally deemed incompatible with Protestant orthodoxy. According to the Anglican Communion News Service, he is leading seven Church of England bishops, 60 priests and over 500 laity on a five-day pilgrimage to Lourdes


In the international media and blogs
Religious Intelligence – Sept 27 2008 – Pittsburgh bishop will not appeal deposition
Church of England Newspaper – Sept 26 2008 – Armagh Archbishop pleads for sex ‘cease-fire’
Church of England Newspaper – Sept 26 2008 – Outcry as US Bishop deposed
Religious Intelligence – Sept 29 2008 – African Anglican leaders call for dialogue


Soul food

Just for laughs

 “I’m glad you enjoyed it, but I wish occasionally someone would say the sermon made them uneasy!”

Grin and Bear It • 1972

From:


Worth reading
Sexuality – For those who have bought into the myth that homosexuality is entirely determined by biology, Dr Julie Harran has written “Homosexuality 101”, a brief summary of the scientific research and an overview of the causes of homosexual attractions. The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality offers a wealth of resources for those interested in this topic. Another new website – The Reformers – offers fellowship for those who have or do struggle with same-sex attractions, as well as a wealth of resources on the topic.

The lexicon of liberalism – Are you confused by the all the buzzwords that don’t seem to mean what you thought they meant? Conversation, dialogue, openness, generosity, tolerance – Phil Johnson, the Pyromaniac, discusses the new liberal lexicon.

What happens when heresy goes unchallenged? – The Rev Christopher Klukas from the diocese of Pittsburgh has written a helpful analysis, pointing out that the roots of our present morass reach back into the 1800s.


Food for thought
Learning to hear and obey the voice of God is a challenge. Read this inspiring story of an everyday encounter in an airport lounge and how God used a hair brush. (Hat tip: StandFirm)


Prayer and Praise
Pray for parishes that are considering votes to realign with ANiC. Also for a number of groups meeting and looking at possible church plants.

Ceri, Howard and the Hynes family – Ceri, wife of ANiC priest Howard Hynes, has been battling cancer for some time and recently had a serious relapse. Pray that the Great Physician would be pleased to restore health.

Please pray for the Looking to Jesus meetings across Canada, that these gatherings would be used by God for His good purposes. Pray as well for strength for ANiC leaders and staff as they travel extensively to hold these meetings.

Pray for clergy and trustees of Vancouver area ANiC parishes – Please continue to pray for peace for parish leaders, for joy for parishioners, and for wisdom for the parishes’ legal council. Pray for good support for the ANiC legal fund to ensure the best possible protection for the clergy, congregations and ministries currently under attack.

Pray for Bishop Bob Duncan, for the leadership and people of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Pray that God will frustrate all evil intentions and honour those taking a stand for godliness. Pray for the upcoming diocesan convention which will be voting on realigning with the Southern Cone.


And now a word from our sponsor
But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

Isaiah 43: 1-3a, 5-7


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