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An update from Bishop Donald Harvey
I find it instructive that the result of the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost was to propel those gathered in the upper room out into the world. While we, of necessity, are currently spending time on matters of church polity, we must never lose sight of our mission: carrying the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.
Charlie Masters and I recently returned from Pittsburgh where we met with 50 other bishops representing seven Common Cause partners. As you’ve undoubtedly heard, Common Cause took significant strides toward bringing together disparate Anglican communities. A clear path has been laid out and work has begun towards building an organization worthy of being acknowledged by the Primates as a North American orthodox province.
As one of seven bishops forming the “Lead Bishops Roundtable”, the executive committee of Common Cause, I will be deeply involved in this work. But even with our ambitious plan, this province is at least 15 months away. In the meantime, we are working with the global south Primates on an interim solution for faithful Canadian Anglicans. It is this solution that we will present at our gathering November 22 and 23.
Since we sent Network members registration material for this event, we have been surprised by the pressure from non-members who want to attend. Originally, we had conceived of this event as exclusively for members. However, it seems there are some who haven’t yet fully committed to Network membership yet want to be part of the event, to hear what we are doing, and to more fully explore the option of joining the Network.
After careful thought, the board has decided to open the event to include those who share our concern and are exploring membership. This does not in any way signal a change in purpose for this meeting. November 22-23 will be focused on informing members about the specific options before us and equipping members for the task of church building.
Please remember in prayer the Network leadership and particularly those involved in the enormous task of preparing for this critical meeting.
Archbishop Terry Buckle to retire effective December 2008
Archbishop Buckle, metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and the Yukon, has announcement his retirement. (is there a link to the Diocesan website or Anglican Journal we can put here?) See: www.anglicanjournal.com
Network leaders in the spotlight
At the conclusion of the Common Cause Partners meetings in Pittsburgh, David Virtue, of Virtueonline fame, interviewed Network National Director, the Rev Canon Charlie Masters. See: www.virtueonline.org
The Rev George Sinclair spoke earlier about today’s Ottawa diocesan general synod vote on same-sex blessings in the Ottawa Sun; http://cnews.canoe.ca
Archbishop Ian Ernest new leader of African provinces
The Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) concluded their meeting October 5 by electing Archbishop Ian Ernest (Indian Ocean) as Chairman, taking over from Archbishop Akinola (Nigeria). Archbishop Ernest is a keen observer of events in Canada and a friend of faithful Canadian Anglicans. We welcome his election.
CAPA also issued a statement saying in part: “We are convinced that what is at stake in this crisis is the very nature of Anglicanism… It is not just about sexuality but also about the nature of Christ, the truth of the Gospel and the authority of the Bible.” See the full statement: www.globalsouthanglican.org
Archbishop Orombi (Primate of Uganda) dismisses TEC statement
Archbishop Orombi says the statement by the US Episcopal Church (TEC) changes nothing. He says, “They, in fact, have decided to walk apart, and we are distressed that they are trying to take the rest of the Anglican Communion with them.” Archbishop Orombi then scoffs at TEC’s pledge “as a body” to not authorize public rites for the blessing of same-sex unions, recalling the last time that language was used to imply compliance while actually excusing ongoing violations by individuals. He says, “TEC has lost the right to give assurances of their direction as a church through more words and statements. They write one thing and do another. We, therefore, cannot know what they mean by their words until we see their meaning demonstrated by their actions.” See: www.globalsouthanglican.org
Church where John Wesley was rector leaves TEC
Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia, has announced its vestry’s vote to leave the Episcopal Church and go under the pastoral care of the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, a missionary Bishop from the Anglican Province of Uganda. The church said their decision followed a seven year period of prayer and discernment and was triggered by the TEC’s failure to comply with the Primates’ request, which constituted an abandonment of the Communion. Christ Church was founded in 1733, 50 years before the existence of the Episcopal Church. See: www.livingchurch.org
Another US diocese prepared to sever ties with TEC
The Diocese of Fort Worth will bring a recommendation to the diocese annual convention in November, a proposal and a process for affiliating with an orthodox province in the Anglican Communion. Because the proposal involves a constitutional change, it would have to be approved again in 2008. See: www.star-telegram.com
Speculation that entire dioceses may seek sanctuary from far-off Primates
Jonathan Petre (religion correspondent for the Daily Telegraph) writing in the Church of England newspaper claims to be privy to information about three to five US TEC dioceses. He says, “…Sometime in November, a conservative archbishop is planning to announce radical plans to adopt a breakaway group of conservative American dioceses… Under the plans, between three and five dioceses will - over a period of time - opt out of The Episcopal Church and affiliate with the conservative province thousands of miles away. …San Joaquin in California, which is due to take its second vote in December, is due to leap first, while Pittsburgh, headed by the leader of the conservative dioceses, Bishop Bob Duncan, will have to wait until the middle of next year….”
www.anglican-mainstream.net
More fall out from New Orleans
The Joint Standing Committee (JSC) of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) issued their assessment of TEC House of Bishops’ response to the Primates’ requests, essentially giving the TEC a passing grade. See: www.aco.org
However, the report’s credibility fell when it became apparent that not all members of the JSC were allowed to contribute to the report. Furthermore, in a blatant case of conflict of interest, TEC Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was found to be one of the contributors to both the JSC statement as well as to the report JSC was passing judgement upon.
Archbishop Mouneer Anis (Middle East), although a member of the JSC, was excluded from contributing to the JSC pronouncement, so issued his own damning assessment. He said he strongly disagreed with the JSC report and concluded that TEC House of Bishops failed to meet the test set by the Primates, most recently in the Dar es Salaam Communiqué. The report, he said, was replete with ambiguous language and internal contradiction. See: www.globalsouthanglican.org
TEC Primate reaffirms her support for same-sex unions
Ironically, on September 30th, the original deadline set by the Primates and just days after the Episcopal Church (TEC) House of Bishops issued its response to the Primates, presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori was in San Francisco pledging not to retreat on the issue of same-sex blessings. The San Francisco-based Diocese of California is reported to have ordained more gay and lesbian clergy than any other, and its priests are known to have blessed same-sex unions for more than three decades. See media report: www.mercurynews.com
Church of England bishop may not attend Lambeth
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali (Rochester) has added his voice to those saying they will not be able to attend Lambeth with TEC bishops who consecrated or approved the appointment of an openly gay bishop. Bishop Nazir-Ali's views are thought to be shared by a large number within the Church of England. The Telegraph article quotes Bishop Nazir-Ali as saying, “It is nothing to do with loyalty to the Archbishop of Canterbury. In fact it may be an expression of loyalty to him to say that the Lambeth Conference has integrity." The Telegraph further states that the Church of England could see whole dioceses preparing to break away, much as in the US.
See: www.telegraph.co.uk
Australian bishop assesses the state of the Communion
Bishop Peter Jensen concludes, “… The Windsor process has failed, largely because it refused to grapple with the key issue of the truth… The Anglican Communion will never be the same again.” He says the time has come to accept the new realities of our divided Communion and find ways to move on with the Gospel mission. See: www.virtueonline.org
Prayer concerns
Please remember Bishop Malcolm and Mary Lou Harding as they grieve the death of
their son.
Thank you for praying for Network servant leadership team member Gerry Stewart who recently suffered a heart attack. Gerry is out of hospital, recuperating at home and reports he is doing well.
Our blog team grows
With Scott now sharing blogging duties with Peter, our blog has picked up the pace again. Time for you check in again and see what they’re talking about! www.anglicanessentials.ca
Parish profile: St. John the Evangelist, Calgary
St John’s is an Anglo-Catholic parish strategically located in central Calgary. The Reverend Michael Heidt, his wife Rebecca and three young children joined the parish a year ago, having served parishes in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the UK. “Our key focus is the worship of God in prayer and Sacrament,” says Father Michael. “Our goal is to work for the building up of God’s Kingdom here in central Calgary, and to that end we have been blessed with increasing vitality and growth.”
Common Cause partner profile: American Anglican Council (AAC)
Mission statement: “The American Anglican Council is a network of individuals (laity, deacons, priests and bishops), parishes and specialized ministries who affirm Biblical authority and Christian orthodoxy within the Anglican Communion. In response to the Lord's calling and by His grace, we commit ourselves to proclaim the Good News to every person and to reform and renew the Church of Jesus Christ. We are uniting in order to fulfill our apostolic mission and ministry, working to build a faithful Anglican witness in the Americas.” You’ll find useful resources on the AAC website: www.americananglican.org
Please stay in touch…
We value our members and want to stay in touch. Please feel free to contact us anytime.
Also, let us know if you plan to move or change your email address so we can update our records and ensure you continue to stay informed about developments in your Church and your Communion.
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