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Network adds key staff member
We’re thrilled to welcome our new Administrative Assistant, Jude Carriere. Jude brings impressive and varied experience in the corporate world. She and her family are part of Network member parish St George’s Lowville where they are on the worship team. Jude, her husband Jim and son Rusty blessed those attending the recent Network conference in Burlington with their music ministry. She says “I love the Lord and the work we are doing in the Network and I look forward to the challenges ahead as we stand firm for our faith. I am blessed and honoured to be working with such an incredible group of God's faithful servants who take the Kingdom work so seriously.” Already the other members of our small Network team (of mostly part-time and volunteer staff) are breathing a sigh of relief knowing that the “cavalry” is on its way.
“Office” closed from December 22-January 1
Network staff will take the week between Christmas and New Year to celebrate our Saviour’s birth, spend time with family and friends and rest up for what promises to be an incredibly busy year ahead.
Would your group like a visit from Network leadership in January?
A schedule is being prepared now for Network bishops and staff to visit groups across Canada in January and early February. If your group or parish would like a visit, please let Jude Carriere know by TOMORROW (Monday, Dec 17). Please email jcarriere@anglicannetwork.ca or call 905-975-4585
Mark your calendars
A tentative date has been set for a Network national meeting in the spring. God willing, we will gather in the Vancouver area, April 25-27, to celebrate what God is doing in our midst and in our ministry. We plan to welcome parishes and members that have chosen to join the Anglican Network in Canada under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone. Watch for details in the New Year as things start to take shape.
ANiC transition and AEC update
Since 2005, the names “Anglican Network in Canada” (ANiC) and the “Anglican Essentials Network” (AEN) have been used interchangeably along with “Network”. Now, with the launching the new ecclesial structure under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone, the name Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) has been given to this new entity and Anglican Essentials Network remains as the constituent member of Anglican Essentials Canada.
Network is currently in a transition period as parishes prayerfully discern God’s leading. Until parishes formally vote to receive the oversight of Bishop Don Harvey and Bishop Malcolm Harding under ANIC (Southern Cone), they remain fully under the jurisdiction of their diocesan bishop and the Anglican Church of Canada.
When the transition period ends on 1 March 2008, Network parishes who have not voted to come under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone, will officially remain as members of Anglican Essentials Network and constituent members of Anglican Essentials Canada (subject to possible restructuring of AEC).
We recognize that this transition period may be confusing for some and will do our best to help everyone understand the options and work through the appropriate decisions.
Network representatives attended the AEC board meeting on December 5 to work out the implications of the transition of ANiC/AEN and to see whether a restructuring of AEC will be required in light of the launch of ANiC under the Southern Cone. Please pray for the leaders of AEC as they seek to maintain and build upon the unity of orthodox Anglicans in Canada.
Membership information and application forms for the new ANiC – under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone – will be available and posted to our website shortly.
Parishes considering membership in ANiC
We ask parishes considering receiving oversight from Bishop Don and the Southern Cone to work through a discernment process and hold a vote in February 2008, either at their annual meeting or at a special meeting. If you have questions about holding such a vote, please contact admin@anglicannetwork.ca.
DVDs of Network’s November national conference
If you couldn’t make it to the November conference but would like to get the full benefit of the spiritual inspiration and practical information, we are currently producing DVD sets of the conference. These DVDs are professional recorded and edited, and include all the key presentations. Each set is only $25, including shipping. Please order as early as possible to ensure we produce sufficient sets to meet the demand. We anticipate being ready to ship these by January 12. (See order form. Also, conference handouts are posted on our website.)
Video of historic ordinations online
Thanks to our Common Cause partners, you can see a brief video of the Network’s first ordinations.
House churches forming
Home groups and church plants are springing up across the country. The Ottawa Citizen reported on one forming in the Ottawa area. If you are part of a group staring up, we would love to hear from you so that we can support you.
Common Cause moves ahead
The Common Cause Leadership Council meets on Tuesday, December 18, for its inaugural meeting, marking the formal beginning of a "separate ecclesiastical structure" in North America. The assembly will elect officers, establish committees and task forces and set everything in place to begin to seek official recognition from the Primates of our Communion. The Leadership Council is comprised of the head bishop, a clergy representative, and a lay representative from each Common Cause Partner. Bishop Don, the Rev Dr Trevor Walters and Claus Lenk are the Network’s representatives.
The Diocese of Niagara clarifies its position
Either the Diocese of Niagara is getting push-back on its decision in favour of same-sex blessings or members of the diocese are over eager to proceed with these blessings, because the bishops felt it necessary to “clarify” their position. The November 28th clarification says, “…the Bishop of Niagara has stated quite clearly that he will reserve the right to determine when he will, in fact, allow the blessings of same sex unions to move forward in his diocese. This decision by the synod does not change the practices of the diocese for the present time... There has been a misconception… that the Bishop of Niagara had in fact given his assent for the blessings of same sex unions to begin immediately.”
Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advent letter
In his lengthy Advent letter to the Primates, the Archbishop of Canterbury includes something for everyone to like – and dislike. He thoughtfully rehearses the muddle of events and positions shaping the crisis, points to the Covenant as the primary hope, and concludes that more talk is needed. Canon Kendall Harmon has a good analysis, as does Canon Gary L’Hommedieu and a number of the blogs: Anglican Essentials Canada, Virtueonline, StandFirmInFaith and Living Church. See also Dr Williams’ Christmas message to the Anglican Communion.
Archbishop of Canterbury aware of realignment
Virtueonline reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury is and has been kept appraised of events in North America but will not interfere. Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone told David Virtue that "I have neither sought nor claimed his endorsement for our actions in Canada or the Diocese of San Joaquin. At the same time however he has been informed of the steps we were planning in North America. If that hadn't been the case we wouldn't have moved ahead." The Episcopal Church had released a statement, which was redistributed by the ACC, headlined, “Archbishop did not endorse Southern Cone's invitation to San Joaquin”.
Canadian Anglicans speak out
The Rev'd Fred H. Carson, former Canadian National Director of SOMA (Sharing of Ministries Abroad) – “an Anglican based mission agency with a worldwide vision” – recently wrote an open letter, provided to the Network and also posted on Virtueonline, in which he sadly relinquished his orders. He said in part, “…I no longer find room within the Anglican Church of Canada and feel that I have no option but to relinquish my orders immediately… Even with numerous warnings and attempts at corrective measures, the ACC continues towards its spiritual, moral and numerical decline; and the exodus has just begun. It is gaining momentum and the ACC will continue to lose members with increasing rapidity, unless there is repentance and a return to a solid Biblical foundation.”
The Rev Michael Heidt has written an article posted on Virtueonline and expected to be published later this month in the December edition of New Directions, Forward in Faith’s UK magazine.
Diocese of San Joaquin welcomed “home”
Bishop Schofield has written a pastoral letter to the San Joaquin diocese, to be read today, in which he offers a period of discernment to clergy and parishes “…to consider whether or not to accept the invitation [from the Province of the Southern Cone] welcomed so heartily by the majority of Convention”. At that convention last weekend, Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia read a statement from Archbishop Gregory Venables, in which their new Primate said, “Welcome home. And welcome back into full fellowship in the Anglican Communion.” See the Church Times story as well.
CANA consecrations
As we mentioned in the last newsletter, Bishop Don and Canon Charlie Masters represented the Network at the consecrations of four new bishops for CANA in Virginia this past weekend. You can see photos here – including several of Bishop Don.
Diocese of Central Florida develops protocol for disaffiliating parishes
Bishop Howe has set out a protocol for parishes wishing to depart the diocese and TEC.
June bride
Keith Fournier writes a good commentary responding to the crisis in the Episcopal Church and specifically Bishop Gene Robinson’s announcement that he will fulfill his dream of being a “June bride”.
The Diocese of Recife votes to join Province of the Southern Cone
Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti and the Diocese of Recife – consisting of the congregations and clergy of 44 parishes – were received last week by Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables as an extra-territorial diocese of the Church of the Province of the Southern Cone. In 2005, Bishop Venables extended his personal primatial oversight to Bishop Cavalcanti and 40 priests of the Diocese of Recife, located in northeastern Brazil, after they were deposed by the Brazilian church. Approximately 90 percent of the diocese backed Bishop Cavalcanti and withdrew from the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil (IEAB) to form the Anglican Diocese of Recife (DAR).
No dog collar
BBC reports that “The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, cut up his clerical collar – known as a dog collar – on live television last Sunday. He said it was a protest against Robert Mugabe and he would not wear it again until Zimbabwe's leader is out of office.”
Inclusivity with no bounds
The Living Church reports that a Seattle parish is offering a course in astrology. “A three-session course titled “They Followed a Star: Astrology and Christianity as Allies on the Journey” is being taught at St. Andrew’s Church in Seattle this month… as a way to ‘look at how astrology can support and deepen our journeys as men and women of faith.’ Anglican Mainstream comments, “The weakening of belief in the God of classic Christianity opens the door to all sorts of old-fashioned superstition and trendy New Age belief. As GK Chesterton reminds us, ‘When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing — they believe in anything.’”
Similarly, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento, California recently hosted events centered on the creation of a traditional Tibetan Buddhist mural composed of millions of grains of dyed sand. The local paper reported, “…the melodic voices of two Tibetan monks chanting and praying rang through the cathedral. The smell of sweet incense filled the air…"When there's so much division happening in the world, especially with religion, it's important to practice hospitality," said Brian Baker, dean of Trinity Cathedral… Baker said he hopes his parishioners will be inspired by the Buddhist traditions to reflect on their spirituality and open their hearts and minds to different points of view.
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 receive information about happenings in your Church and Communion.
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