 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
News flash! Bishop Donald Harvey now under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone
Bishop Don “relinquished” his licence to minister in the Anglican Church of Canada this week. He has now come out of retirement and been received – as a fully active bishop - into the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone under Primate Gregory Venables. For more information on Bishop Harvey’s move, please see our news release: www.anglicannetwork.ca. Also see today’s Journal story: www.anglicanjournal.com
More on Network’s pivotal conference November 22-23
The substantive option for biblically faithful Canadian Anglicans, which we have been planning and praying for, is now a reality. The details of this option will be outlined at our conference in Burlington next week. Time is running out, but you still have time to register for the “Building on the Solid Rock” Conference. Registrations will be accepted until Monday November 19, 6pm EST. Register at: www.anglicannetwork.ca
If you aren’t able to attend, watch the blog for updates. In the days following the conference, we will put as much information as we can on the website. Information packages will also be available for parishes upon request.
Archbishop Fred HiItz interview
Charles Lewis reported in the National Post that Archbishop Hiltz recognizes that disagreement over same-sex blessings could split the church. He quotes the Archbishop as saying, "There may come a point we have to acknowledge that and respect their decision [to leave]. It's not what any of us want, but it's what happens sometimes. If they feel they cannot stay and withdraw other parishes with them, obviously it's a sad moment for the Church. But I also think at that point you don't fight. You don't fight. You have to acknowledge the situation, acknowledge the pain, acknowledge the brokenness. It's the kind of stuff that drives the Church to its knees." See: www.canada.com
House of Bishops concerned about “schismatic” activity
In an earlier story on the Anglican Journal website, which was also distributed by the Anglican Communion News Service, bishops expressed serious concerns and frustration with Bishop Donald Harvey citing his participation in “irregular” consecrations of bishops and his letter posted to the Network website. (See the offending letter) The story does not comment, however, on the fact that the Primates of the Anglican Communion see the contravention of the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10 as the schismatic activity, and not the responses of those who represent the majority of global Anglicans.
The Journal article also cited Bishop Michael Ingham (New Westminster) accusing Bishop Don of ministering in New Westminster without permission. He goes on to say, “There was a consensus in the House to ask the primate and metropolitans (regional archbishops) to deal with the situation.” The article also reports that the House of Bishops, in their fall meeting, affirmed their pastoral guidelines concerning church services for gay couples. See: www.anglicanjournal.com and http://anglicancommunion.org
Niagara mounts offensive
Bishops Spence and Bird wrote diocesan clergy and wardens noting the Network’s conference in Burlington and criticizing the Network for “…attempting to limit and screen those in attendance based upon very specific theological positions.” The letter goes on to say, “If, in the course of this conference, it comes to the attention of the Bishops of this diocese that any discussions, resolutions or strategies emerge that are contrary to the canons of the Church or may be deemed to be schismatic in nature, we will have no alternative but to act canonically in the best interest of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara and the Anglican Church of Canada.” See: www.niagara.anglican.ca
Tomorrow, the Diocese of Niagara synod is voting on a same-sex blessing motion similar to those passed in Ottawa and Montreal. (See the motion: www.niagara.anglican.ca). The synod will also consider a motion on episcopal oversight which bars external bishops from ministering in the diocese as well as parishes or clergy from receiving such ministry. (See this motion: www.niagara.anglican.ca)
New Westminster also rattles the sabers
Bishop Michael Ingham of the Diocese of New Westminster sent testy letters Wednesday to “certain clergy” in the diocese, as well as to Bishop Donald Harvey. The letter said, “All clergy, church wardens, and parish trustees are hereby notified that no bishop may exercise, or be invited to exercise, any ministry in the diocese… without my express permission.” See diocesan website article: www.vancouver.anglican.ca
Southern Cone votes to receive North American dissenters
The South American Province of the Southern Cone, at its recent General Synod in Valparaíso, Chile, passed motions to provide a “safe haven” for conservatives in North America. The Living Church says that the Southern Cone’s decision will “…extend the province’s jurisdiction to North America, allowing dioceses and other ecclesial entities to affiliate with the province.” (See: www.livingchurch.org)
Jonathan Petre, in the Telegraph quotes Archbishop Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone, as saying, “Conservatives in America and elsewhere cannot wait in limbo any longer. They need a safe haven now." See: www.telegraph.co.uk
Ruth Gledhill reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury is not displeased. “I have it on impeccable authority that Rowan's response … was that this was a 'sensible way forward'. See: www.timesonline.co.uk and http://timescolumns.typepad.com
Some speculate that this safe harbor will be a temporary measure until Common Cause is further along, ready to actually merge the separate entities and ask for Provincial status - and that could be several years away.
Global South Primates Communique
In a communiqué following their visit to China, nine Archbishops state, “What is at stake is the very nature of Anglicanism – not just about sexuality but also about the nature of Christ, the truth of the Gospel and the authority of the Bible. We reject the religion of accommodation and cultural conformity that offers neither transforming power nor eternal hope… “we want unity but not unity at any expense”. They then:
| • |
Request an urgent meeting of the Primates to deal with the Anglican Covenant and “…to determine how the Communion should move forward”
|
| • |
Urge that the proposed Lambeth Conference 2008 be postponed
|
| • |
Initiate preparations for a Global South meeting in 2008 – the 4th Encounter of the Global South
|
| • |
Call for all bishops to write their diocese explaining the crisis in the Communion and requesting prayer for reformation and transformation |
See: www.anglicancommunion.org
Archbishop Akinola writes the Primates
Archbishop Akinola (Nigeria), in a letter to all Primates, calls again for an urgent meeting of the Primates to respond to the crisis in the Communion, which he said was about “irreconcilable truth claims”. He also defends his Province’s actions in taking conservative US parishes under its wing, saying, “The Church of Nigeria is not interested in territorial expansion… These pastoral initiatives undertaken to keep faithful Anglicans within our Anglican family has [sic] been at a considerable cost of crucial resources to our province. Of course there is value to preserving Anglican structures but we must never do so at the expense of the people for whom our Lord Jesus the Christ gave his life… We are losing members. We are losing time. We are losing our integrity as an important part of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.”
US news
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (TEC) Katherine Jefferts Schori has announced that TEC's House of Bishops is proceeding with punitive action against former TEC bishops William Cox, Andrew Fairfield and Dave Bena – all of whom are now under other Provinces. She has also threatened a current bishop considering leaving with his diocese, Bishop Jack Iker of Fort Worth. See: www.episcopalchurch.org and www.chron.com.
Fort Worth’s synod this weekend will vote on investigating the option of joining the Southern Cone. (See the resolution: www.fwepiscopal.org)
Earlier Bishop Howe of Florida had admonished the Presiding Bishop for threatening Bishop Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh whose diocese voted in early November to begin the process of separating from the TEC. See: www.standfirminfaith.com
The liberal bishop of Philadelphia, Charles Bennison, was recently inhibited by the Presiding Bishop. Turns out there was more to the story than his covering up his brother’s sexual abuse of a minor while employed by the diocese. Seems there was also fiscal mismanagement involved. See: www.philly.com
Worth reading…
A senior warden’s letter of resignation from an Episcopal Church is worth the read, as are the statistics listed before the letter. The letter warns that “…there has been an earthquake deep in the depths of the Episcopal Church - and there’s a tsunami coming.” See: www.anglican-mainstream.net
... back to "Newsletters" main page
|
|
|
 |
