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News shorts – ANiC and AEN
And then there were 21…
In the past eight days, the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) has grown from 18 parishes to 21. The congregations of St George’s (Ottawa) and the Church of St Peter (Hamilton) both voted with overwhelming majorities on Sunday, October 5 to come under the episcopal oversight of Bishop Don and under the Primatial authority of Archbishop Greg. At St George’s the vote was 130 in favour and 27 opposed, while at St Peter’s, 42 voted in favour and one was opposed. The two congregations reached their decisions with remarkable unity of spirit. Even at St George’s where a number of the members did not favour the decision, the meeting was marked by civility, love and a commitment to continued worship together. See the news release … Learn more about St George’s and St Peter’s.
Diocese tries to discredit St Aidan’s unanimous vote
Immediately following St Aidan’s unanimous vote on September 28, the diocese began to question the legitimacy of the vote. The Rt Rev Robert Bennett, of the Huron Diocese, is reported to have said he was "concerned that they [St Aidan’s] may have not used due diligence to make sure the whole membership was invited" to the meeting. In fact, the turnout for the meeting was higher than at past vestries, and while some eligible vestry members were unable to attend due to other commitments, many have since indicated their solid support in writing. (The Canons of the Diocese of Huron do not allow for proxy votes.)
ANiC welcomes more clergy
On October 5, Bishop Don ordained two new deacons: Jess Cantelon and Ronda Nychka.
Jess Cantelon was born in Canada and lived in Israel from the age of 5 to 12 where he learned to speak Hebrew. Back in Canada he was involved in the music ministry at St. George's Lowville and studied at Bishop's University. He served 4 years as a youth pastor in Toronto. In 2004, Jess returned to Israel and recently completed his MThS. at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem. Jess and his wife Erica have 3 boys, Jonah, Benjamin and baby Kobe.
Ronda Nychka studied ballet and danced with the National Ballet of Canada and other companies that toured throughout Canada, the US, Europe, Japan, Egypt and Israel, and is able to communicate in several languages. She has held a variety of interesting and diverse jobs and volunteer positions. Ronda currently serves as associate pastor with the Young Street Mission in Toronto. Ronda is the proud mother of one son, Adam, who is 12.
Upcoming ordinations: On October 12, Bishop Don will ordain Jakob Valsson to the diaconate at St Matthew’s (Abbotsford, BC) in the morning and the Rev Jim Salladin will be ordained to the priesthood at St Johns (Shaughnessy) in Vancouver in the evening.
Jim Salladin was born and raised in southern California. He trained at Wheaton College and Fuller Seminary. After working in both ministry and the banking industry, Jim and his wife Amber came north to Vancouver for full-time study at Regent College. Jim has since completed his Master’s in Theology at Regent as well as ministry training through Artizo. Since February 2007, Jim has served as evening service pastor at St John’s, while Amber is the assistant music director.
Jakob Valsson, who will be ordained a deacon, was born and raised in Iceland and is a graduate of Regent College (Vancouver). He currently assists the Rev James Wagner with ministries at Church of the Holy Cross in Abbotsford – including occasional preaching assignments. Jakob hopes to be ordained to the priesthood in the future and pursue ministry in the church.
New video posted
Our gallery of videos is growing. Vina Sweetman (Montreal) has just posted her reflections on GAFCon.
Upcoming events
Women’s conference (Vancouver) – St John’s Shaughnessy is hosting a one day LIVEWORD women’s conference, October 18, with the theme, Songs of the King. Register by October 14.
St. Chad (Toronto West) is holding a community service on October 19 with Bishop Malcolm. All are welcome! See here for information or call Rev Barbara Richardson, 905-873-8962.
If your parish has an event you’d like announced, please let Marilyn know.
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.
| Oct 24 (Fri) |
Windsor, ON |
Oct 28 (Tues) |
Athabasca, AB |
| Oct 25 (Sat) |
Burlington, ON |
Nov 2 (Sun) |
St John’s, NF |
| Oct 25 (Sat) |
Calgary, AB |
Nov 3 (Mon) |
Halifax, NS |
| Oct 26 (Sun) |
Medicine Hat, AB |
Nov 4 (Tues) |
Moncton, NB |
| Oct 26 (Sun) |
Toronto, ON |
TBD |
Kingston, ON |
| |
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TBD |
Edmonton, AB |
Would you like ANiC to come to your community?
We will attempt to accommodate invitations to bring the “Looking to Jesus” presentation to additional communities. Please contact Jude to discuss the possibilities – email jcarrier@anglicannetwork.ca or call 1-866-351-2642 extension 4015.
Anglican Network in Canada supports Bishop Bob Duncan
Writing to the Diocese of Pittsburgh prior to their convention, Bishop Don, on behalf of ANiC, expresses our outrage at the Episcopal Church’s shameful treatment of their godly and faithful bishop. Following the convention and the diocese’s decision to align with the Southern Cone, Bishop Don wrote again to welcome them into “our” Province. He said: “We thank God for your courageous and faithful decision… We recognize that this decision was taken with much prayer and careful thought, and that it will bring both joy and further suffering for the name of Christ…. We want to welcome you to our jurisdiction and commit ourselves to working together for a truly orthodox province in North America, so that the gospel might grow and many might come to find salvation and life in Christ.”
News shorts – Canada
Anglican Church of Canada diocese elects new bishop
With the retirement of Bishop Ron Ferris, the Diocese of Algoma elected on October 2 the Rev Dr Stephen Andrews as its new bishop. Bishop-elect Andrews is currently General Synod prolocutor and president and vice-chancellor of Thorneloe University in Sudbury. According to the Anglican Journal, “Bishop-elect Andrews, who is 52, holds a doctorate in Biblical studies from the University of Cambridge, England. He earned his master of divinity degree from Wycliffe College, Toronto, his diploma in Christian studies from Regent College, Vancouver, and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Colorado.”
Please pray for other Anglican Church of Canada dioceses holding episcopal elections in the near future including: Huron (October 25), Saskatchewan (December 6), Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior, and Quebec (incumbent retires early 2009), Moosonee (incumbent retires Jan 2010) and the province of Rupert’s Land (June 2009).
In the Canadian media
LifeSiteNews.com – Oct 1 08 – Same-sex ‘marriage’, Biblical authority causes church to split…
Waterloo Record – Oct 1 08 – Battle brewing as congregation leaves diocese
Anglican Journal – Oct 1 08 – Dealing with Lambeth moratoria
Anglican Journal – Oct 1 08 – Conservatives offer alternative [objective coverage of GAFCon]
Hamilton Spectator – Oct 6 08 – Two more churches flee Anglican fold
News shorts – USA and North America
Strong majority in Pittsburgh vote to join Southern Cone
By a vote of 240 to 102, the Diocese of Pittsburgh convention voted to follow the lead of the Diocese of San Joaquin (in California) and come under the Primatial authority of Archbishop Greg Venables. The news release from the diocese said:
We deeply value our shared heritage and years of friendship with those still within that denomination, but this diocese could not in good conscience continue down the road away from mainstream Christianity that the leadership of The Episcopal Church is so determined to follow,” said the Rev. Peter Frank, director of communications for the diocese. The passage of the vote by the diocesan convention, the diocese’s highest governing authority, means that the entire Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, including all of its congregations and clergy, is now part of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. The diocese expects a small group of the diocese's 210 clergy and a minority of its 70 parishes to withdraw from the diocese and reorganize under the authority of The Episcopal Church. The diocese is committed to making such decisions of conscience as easy as possible for all those involved.
Immediately following the vote, the Diocesan Standing Committee announced that a special convention would be held on November 7 for the purpose of reelecting Bishop Bob Duncan and planning for the continued mission of the diocese. In the interim, the standing committee has asked “…Bishop Duncan to function in the diocese between now and November 7.” The statement said:
Archbishop Gregory Venables has appointed Bishop Duncan to be the Southern Cone’s “commissary,” or representative, in the diocese. In this role, Bishop Duncan will be able to visit parishes and offer episcopal ministry such as confirmation on behalf of the Standing Committee while it continues to serve as the Ecclesiastical Authority until the completion of the election on November 7…
“I am deeply grateful for the possibility of serving as both the seventh and eighth bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. We have been through much together over the last years, but I am convinced a new day is dawning for all of us,” said Bishop Robert Duncan.
Some of the media coverage:
VirtueOnline – Oct 4 08 – Diocese makes historic decision to leave the Episcopal Church…
Episcopallife – October 4 08 – Pittsburgh votes to leave Episcopal Church…
Associated Press – Oct 4 08 – Pa. Episcopal diocese OKs split over Bible, gays
Washington Post – Oct 4 08 – Diocese to break from Episcopal Church
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Oct 5 08 – Episcopal diocese chooses to secede
New York Times – Oct 5 08 – After theological split, a clash over church assets
GAFCon Primates speak out in support of Bishop Duncan
In a statement in which they called Bishop Bob Duncan a “Bishop in good standing in the Anglican Communion… guilty only of guarding his people from false teaching and corrupt behaviour”, the seven Primates that form the GAFCon leadership said, the TEC’s behaviour in deposing Bishop Bob “…had the effect of clarifying matters even further… It is now impossible to believe that the exhortations of the Lambeth Conference and the Windsor Continuation Group will be heeded. No Pastoral Forum has been established. We remain convinced that the faithful Anglicans of North America need to have their own Province recognised by the Communion as a whole.”
TEC bishop defrocked for covering up brother’s abuse of teenager
The former bishop of Pennsylvania, Charles Bennison, has been found guilty by an Episcopal court of “conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy” for ignoring his brother’s long-term abuse of a teenage parishioner in the 70s, despite being aware of the situation. Bennison was a rector at the time, while his brother was a lay minister in the same church.
Diocese of Quincy standing committee recommends realignment
As expected, the standing committee of the Diocese of Quincy has recommended the diocese come under the ecclesial authority of the Province of the Southern Cone. The diocesan convention at which the final decision will be made is Nov 7-8 in Quincy, Illinois. The Diocese of Fort Worth will vote on the same question the following weekend.
News shorts – International
GAFCon theologians begin commentary on the Jerusalem Declaration
George Conger reports that about “…forty Anglican theologians from around the world, more than half of them from Africa” met in Uganda this past week to work on “…a commentary on the Jerusalem Declaration, the basic theological statement that emerged from Gafcon.”
Church of England house of bishops set to overturn synod decisions
The Church of England’s house of bishops is reported to be set to overturn synod’s decisions last July related to the introduction of female bishops. At the time, synod refused to allow any provision for clergy who objected to being under the authority of a female diocesan bishop. It is reported that the house of bishops will discuss plans to “…delegate powers to flying bishops chosen by the archbishops of Canterbury and York. Significantly, the new bishops would not be a temporary solution, but would have a legal status as the provision is included in the measure that will ultimately change the law to allow women to become bishops.” It is unclear whether this provision will be seen to offer sufficient protection to satisfy Anglo-Catholics and others opposed to women bishops.
Where are the evangelical bishops?
In the wake of Bishop Bob Duncan’s wrongful disposition, Andrew Carey (son of the former Archbishop of Canterbury) has written in the Church of England Newspaper expressing his astonishment that more bishops have not expressed their outrage. He says,”…it is time that the evangelical Bishops of the Church of England actually began to make a stand on something that counts. The lawlessness, unilateralism, and theological heterodoxy of The Episcopal Church has put our Communion in danger today and threatens the unity of the Church of England tomorrow. Where will they stand?”
Soul food
Worth reading
Andrew Atherstone, in The Passions of the Marian Martyrs: Lessons for the Anglican Communion, recounts the inspiring stories of Christian martyrs under the brief reign of England’s Queen Mary – lessons he applies to today. He says “The persecution of the saints by those in positions of ecclesiastical power has become an established part of life within the Anglican Communion in the West. Yet we have been here before. Four hundred and fifty years ago, gospel Anglicans in England endured the same fate, and worse, at the hands of the church. Those painful years in the middle of the sixteenth century were a foundational period for Anglicanism and our brothers and sisters who suffered before us have some important lessons to teach the church today. Their passions are ones that Anglicans in the twenty-first century need to rediscover in our own lives and ministries.”
In the Niagara diocesan publication, John Bowen chides the diocese for its conservatism – evident in conforming to culture rather than working with God’s radical agenda to transform culture.
Lee Gatiss, in a talk entitled “Repentance and the Church of England”, applies the book of Hebrews in calling the church to repentance. He says, “If 30 years ago you could deny the resurrection of Christ and still be a bishop, who is surprised when today you can believe almost nothing of classic Christian doctrine, live a life indistinguishable from the world, and advance up the ranks of the Anglican hierarchy quicker than you can say “institutionalised apostasy… The only thing keeping us alive as a church is the gospel, and the living voice of the living God in his word. When that disappears from the C of E, the C of E will eventually disappear too. And if the gospel itself disappears from England, then we’ll only have our hardened hearts to blame.”
In a Salvo Magazine article entitled, “The Tyranny of the Minority: How the forced recognition of same-sex “marriage” undermines a free society”, S T Karnick calls the current sexuality debate “topsy-turvy”. He says, “…the side that is truly tolerant and fair has been characterized as narrow-minded and oppressive, while the side that is intolerant and blatantly coercive has been depicted as open-minded and sympathetic... Far from being a liberating thing, the forced recognition of same-sex “marriage” is a governmental intrusion of monumental proportions. Although pro-homosexual radicals continually refer to the forced recognition of same-sex “marriage” as a civil right, as well as a matter of liberating society from hidebound prejudices, such policies are actually the government-enforced imposition of a small group’s sexual values on a reluctant and indeed strongly resistant population. That’s why nearly all of the moves to legalize same-sex “marriage” have come from the courts, not the democratic process. After all, court cases would not be necessary if the public already agreed with the radicals.”
Food for thought
“He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.” – Abraham Lincoln
Prayer and praise
Praise God for unity at St George’s and St Peter’s as they voted to join ANiC. Also praise God for the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s strong vote to align with the Southern Cone. Continue to pray for all.
Continue to pray for Ceri, Howard and the Hynes family – Ceri, wife of ANiC priest Howard Hynes, has been battling cancer for some time, recently had a relapse and underwent surgery to remove part of a lung on Monday. Pray that the Great Physician would be pleased to restore health.
Pray for parishes considering ANiC as well as for a number of groups currently meeting with the goal of forming church plants.
And now a word from our sponsor
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalm 126 (ESV)
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