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Anglican Network in Canada STATEMENT:
Bishop Donald Harvey responds to attack by
Bishop of Brandon |
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19 October 2008
I am deeply saddened by the uncharitable and grossly inaccurate remarks made by the present Anglican Church of Canada’s Bishop of Brandon in his charge to Synod. To openly attack his predecessor, the much loved and highly respected Bishop Malcolm Harding in this public manner is not only unkind but entirely unprecedented in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC).
Bishop Harding and I are full members of the House of Bishops of the Province of the Southern Cone. As such we have been authenticated as bishops in the worldwide Anglican Communion and our Orders and Offices are accepted worldwide – with the unfortunate exception of some, but by no means all, dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada. We have, and can produce, written letters from the Primates of well over 40 million practicing Anglicans clearly affirming this.
It is God who ordains and consecrates. The church merely recognizes God’s ordination of an individual. When Bishop Harding and I relinquished our licences to serve under the auspices of the Anglican Church of Canada, we did not relinquish our ordination as ministers in the Church of God. By relicensing Bishop Malcolm and I – and now almost 60 other Anglican Network in Canada clergy members – Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone recognized and authenticated our episcopal ministry in the Church of God. Archbishop Venables, together with Anglican Church leaders around the world, have clearly demonstrated that they continue to recognize our episcopal ministry.
It seems the Bishop of Brandon is saying that he does not recognize Bishop Harding’s ministry and is not in communion with Bishop Harding. Therefore, since Bishop Harding is a full member of the House of Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone and is widely recognized as such, we can only assume that the Bishop of Brandon is saying the he is not in communion with the Province of the Southern Cone and the Archbishops who recognize Bishop Harding – as well as the over 40 million active Anglicans worldwide whom they lead. In other words, the Bishop of Brandon would seem to be placing himself outside the Communion as far as the vast majority of worldwide Anglicans are concerned.
The Bishop of Brandon is resorting to the old practice of attacking the individual when he is completely unable to refute the truth for which that individual stands.
Bishop Harding deserves far better treatment and respect than has been afforded him by the Bishop of Brandon. It is my hope that the good people of Brandon who know, love and respect Bishop Harding as a real Father in God will let his successor know in no uncertain terms that such unchristian behaviour is completely unacceptable.
The Right Reverend Donald F Harvey
NOTE: The Bishop’s 17 October 2008 Charge to the Synod of the Diocese of Brandon can be found at: http://prairiewords.wordpress.com
Members of the Anglican Network in Canada are committed to remaining faithful to Holy Scripture and established Anglican doctrine and to ensuring that orthodox Canadian Anglicans are able to remain in full communion with their Anglican brothers and sisters around the world.
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