Canadian bishop resigns to join Anglican Network: CEN 1.31.09 p 6

By George Conger

January 31, 2009

A one-time candidate for election as Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada has quit that church to join the breakaway Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). On Jan 23 the Rt. Rev. Ronald Ferris, retired Bishop of Algoma announced he had been received by Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables into the Province of the Southern Cone. . . .

Read it all at Geo Conger's blog

Anglican Coalition in Canada Welcomes New Province

Written by aciccom

Saturday, 06 December 2008 18:06

Dec 6^th 2008- Vancouver, Canada

The Anglican Coalition in Canada is pleased to announce its full participation in the emerging Province called the Anglican Church in North America. This new province was called into existence by the GAFCON Primates, representing the vast majority of the Anglican Church worldwide.

The Rev Barclay Mayo, National ACiC Network Leader, commented: “Who would have believed 10 years ago when we were in the midst of painful challenges that we would see the day when faithful Anglicans would be working together in unity? We were told repeatedly that it couldn't be done, that we were too divided, that our differences were too great. God has shown the impossible to be possible.”

Peter Turner, a Canadian member of the Provincial ACiNA Council which just met in Chicago, said that “we are excited to be full founding partners with our other Canadian Anglican jurisdictions, including ANiC, CANA, and the Reformed Episcopal Church. We are committed to working together in unity for the sake of blessing Canada and North America.”

Over 700 congregations representing around 100,000 faithful Canadian and American Anglicans have come together in the birthing of a new Anglican Province for North America. We are uniting across theological, ethnic, and cultural lines that many thought would not be possible. Bishop Bob Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is functioning as the leader of this new province. A unique feature of the new Provincial constitutions and canons is that they are driven by mission rather than structure.

This new province is bringing order out of the recent Anglican chaos, and ensuring a vibrant united Anglican voice in North America. Eleven founding Anglican partners are coming together, some of which have been in existence for over 130 years. The gracious Provincial leadership is allowing for greater unity in essentials, while respecting appropriate diversity in non-essentials.

Provisional Canons http://www.united-anglicans.org/about/provisional-canons.html

Provisional Constitution http://www.united-anglicans.org/about/provisional-constitution.html

The original article is here.

Stand Firm interviews: Bishop Jack Iker

"I think that the Instruments of Unity have failed to preserve the communion, and that it's going to get worse before it gets better. In fact, I don't think it's going to get better. I think TEC, Canada, and perhaps some other of the more liberal western provinces are going to go their own way, and that the Global South and other more conservative provinces are not going to be in communion with them."

"I think the formation of a new province is going to come much more quickly than any of us really thought. I think it will be up and running in early 2009."

Read the rest here:

Faith Today Interviews J.I. Packer

J.I. Packer has been described as one of the most important evangelical theologians of the late 20th century. In 2005 Time magazine dubbed him the “doctrinal Solomon” of Christian thinkers and named him one of the 25 most influential Evangelicals in North America.

Dr. Packer is the Board of Governors Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, a school he has served for 28 years. Considered a Christian classic, Packer’s Knowing God (one of his more than 40 books), was released in 1973 and has sold over a million copies.

Today, J.I. Packer, 81, is embroiled in the same-sex blessing controversy rocking The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC). Packer is honorary assistant in the largest congregation in the ACC, a church that voted to leave the ACC and realign with a more orthodox branch of the Anglican Communion based in South America.

In response, New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham sent Packer and other clergy a “notice of presumption of abandonment of the exercise of ministry.” Packer (JP) talked to Faith Today’s Karen Stiller (KS) a little about his life so far and what is to come.

Read it all.

Canada's largest Anglican realignment begins in BC, parishes leave ACC

Canada's largest Chinese Congregation votes unanimously to leave

By Sue Careless

The largest Chinese Anglican congregation in Canada has voted unanimously to leave the Anglican Church of Canada and come under the spiritual care of a South American archbishop. It was not alone. This past February saw an unprecedented exdous of congregations and clergy from the national church as more dioceses voted to bless same- sex unions.

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Vancouver, a 119 year-old Cantonese-speaking congregation, attracts 300 people each Sunday with another 100 attending midweek services and fellowship groups. Although many of its members are young, it is the oldest Chinese Anglican church in Canada. It has a remarkable outreach into Vancouver’s substantial Chinese community. And it helped plant a Chinese ministry at St. Luke’s in 1993. Most of the Chinese who take part in home fellowship groups are first-generation immigrants. Once they learn more about Christianity, many begin to attend church and are baptized as adults.

On Feb. 17 this vibrant, thriving church voted unanimously 203-0 with no abstentions to leave the national church and affiliate instead with the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). “When you have to defend your faith, you grow stronger,” said the Rev’d Stephen Leung, the rector.

A total of ten congregations have voted to leave the ACC yet all hope to retain the church buildings in which they have long worshipped. However, legal battles have begun for some of the ten. Another five congregations, which had roots in the ACC but who now meet in non-ACC buildings, are not expected to be entangled in any court proceedings.

The Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Fred Hiltz, warned in a letter dated Feb. 13: “In our Anglican tradition, individuals who choose to leave the Church over contentious issues cannot take property and other assets with them.”

All fifteen churches also voted to come under the “temporary emergency oversight” of the Most Reverend Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone. This move will ensure that the clergy and congregations, while under a new jurisdiction, are still part of the global Anglican Communion. Archbishop Venables has appointed Bishops Donald Harvey and Malcolm Harding of the ANiC to offer episcopal oversight. Both former ACC bishops came out of retirement in November and have relinquished their ACC licences. All fifteen churches are now under their spiritual care.

[the article continues]

Read the entire article here.

Canada's largest Anglican congregation leaves ACC

World renowned theologian J.I.Packer also leaves ACC

By Sue Careless

J.I.Packer (left) and David Short, Rector of St. John's Shaughnessy (right).

The largest congregation in the Anglican Church of Canada has voted overwhelmingly to leave the ACC and realign with a more orthodox branch of the Anglican Communion based in South America.

In a secret ballot on Feb. 13, St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver voted 475 to 11 (with 9 abstentions) to come under the episcopal authority of Bishop Donald Harvey and the Primatial oversight of the Most Reverend Gregory Venables of the Province of the Southern Cone. This move will ensure that the clergy and congregation, while under a new jurisdiction, are still part of the global Anglican Communion.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, has told the leader of the ACC, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, that while he doesn’t support interventions across ecclesiastical boundaries, he is powerless to stop them.

Michael Ingham, Bishop of New Westminster, has warned that the Diocese will pursue in court any parish that seeks alternative episcopal oversight.

However, according to Leslie Bentley, a spokeswoman for St John’s, sympathetic legal counsel has told the church that there is “a very strong argument to maintain the property.”

Each Sunday about 760 people worship at St. John’s. Of those, about 150 are children in the Sunday school. One hundred teens swell the youth group while “College and Careers” draws 40 people.

St. John’s was part of New Westminster until 2002 when the Diocese approved the blessing of same-sex unions and departed from what the evangelical congregation considered “biblical faithfulness.” With several other like-minded churches they formed the Anglican Communion in New Westminster, which was still part of the national body. Now St. John’s has left the ACC as well.

The rector, the Rev. David Short, and the assistant priest, the Rev. Dan Gifford, along with retired honorary assistant, Dr. James I. Packer, are expected to relinquish their ACC licences and receive new ones from Bishop Don Harvey to minister in the Anglican Network in Canada. Dr. Packer is a world-renowned theologian and prolific author probably best known for the Christian classic Knowing God.

For the past six years there have been no confirmations performed nor new clergy licences issued at St. John’s or the other dissenting parishes as they waited for more orthodox episcopal oversight.

In April 2007 the Primates of the global Anglican Communion had recommended a Pastoral Council to oversee distressed Anglicans and Episcopalians in North America but the scheme was never implemented by the ACC or The Episcopal Church.

Bentley said that the Primates had called for the Diocese of New Westminster and the ACC to repent by Sept. 30th and that when they didn’t the Southern Cone made the offer of “temporary emergency oversight” in November. “The offer of the Southern Cone is supported by Primates representing well over half the members of the Anglican Communion,” she said, “while the Diocese is in impaired or broken communion with over half the Communion.”

Three other Vancouver-area evangelical Anglican churches are holding similar votes in late February and are likely to also realign with the Southern Cone:

The Church of the Good Shepherd, a Cantonese-speaking congregation in Vancouver, attracts 300 people each Sunday with another 100 attending midweek services. St Matthias and St Luke in Vancouver has about 190 people worshipping in Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese. In Abbotsford, 290 people worship each Sunday at St. Matthew’s.

Two other churches in British Columbia, Church of the Resurrection in Hope and St. John’s in Richmond, are already affiliated with the Southern Cone.

On its website the Diocese reports considerable shrinkage: “In the history of our diocese, 124 parishes have been established, and 47 have been merged or closed.”

Bentley said, “There can be no good reason for the Diocese to take over the parish to protect [theologically] liberal members as there are six liberal parishes within a ten-minute drive of St John’s, which leads me to believe that the Diocese is only interested in protecting St John’s building and property. They either want the money or they just want us out.”

No diocesan money was used to start the parish; the Diocese only gave permission for it to be founded. The church was independently incorporated in the Diocese in 1932. This year the church exceeded its budget by $28,000. Bentley claimed that not only has Bishop Ingham “abandoned” St John’s for the past six years, but the Anglican Church of Canada has been “completely mute” as well. She said if Bishop Ingham locks them out “We’ll meet on the grass.” ■

See also the "Update on the Suspension of J.I. Packer", below.

Update on the Suspension of J.I. Packer

Commentary by Sue Careless

You know there must be something terribly wrong in the Anglican Church of Canada when one of its bishops threatens to suspend a world-renowned theologian whom Time magazine has called the 'doctrinal Solomon' of Christian thinkers.

The Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, has sent Dr. J.I. Packer a letter threatening suspension from ministry. The letter claims that the Oxford scholar “abandoned the exercise of ministry” after the church where he serves as honorary assistant, St John’s Shaughnessy, voted to separate from the diocese and join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone under the oversight of Anglican Archbishop Gregory Venables.

The Southern Cone is in full communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion. In contrast about half the primates or leaders of the 38 provinces of the global Communion have declared themselves to be in “broken” or “impaired” communion with the Diocese of New Westminster after Bishop Ingham approved the blessing of same-sex unions in 2002 and was a consecrator of Bishop Gene Robinson, an actively gay man, in 2003. Currently eight parishes in the diocese are permitted by Ingham to bless same-sex unions and another two have recently requested permission.

Dr. Packer, 81, has been described as one of the most important evangelical theologians of the late 20th century and has served as general editor for the English Standard Version of the Bible.

Dr. Packer is a prolific writer who has authored or coauthored over forty books, including the modern Christian classic Knowing God. Other titles include Rediscovering Holiness, A Grief Sanctified and recently Praying: Finding Our Way from Duty to Delight. Packer is a scholar who can make theology (teaching about God) accessible to the layperson.

Amazon.com describes Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs as offering “precise descriptions without sacrificing depth” and then adds: “Packer's philosophy is that theology is for doxology and devotion, and therefore he presents his material in a way that brings awareness of the divine presence.”

British-born Packer moved to Canada in 1979 and has taught and mentored dozens of priests across Britain and Canada. He currently serves as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Bishop Ingham also sent letters threatening suspension to the Rev’d David Short, the rector of St. John’s, Shaughnessy, and the Rev’d Dan Gifford, the assistant minister. Dr. Packer worships and still occasionally preaches at St. John’s, which, with an average Sunday attendance of 760, was the largest Anglican congregation in the Anglican Church of Canada until Feb. 13 when it voted 475-11 to leave the national church. However, under the protection of the Southern Cone it is still part of the Anglican Communion.

In February a total of 15 churches—including the largest Chinese Anglican congregation in Canada—voted to separate from the Anglican Church of Canada.

Articles in TAP by J.I. Packer:

* Jan 2008: Anglicans Adrift: Who we are and where we stand: A theological perspective

* Nov 2005: The Other Quadralateral: What is Anglicanism? It has four main characteristics: It is catholic, canonical, creedal and comprehensive

Articles in TAP about J.I. Packer's writings:

* Packer provides hope for the modern soul

See the original article for links to the above articles: Update on the Suspension of J.I. Packer

Author: Michael Daley

February 28, 2008

As evidence of the escalating crisis in the global Anglican Communion, today one of the of the world’s most esteemed Christian theologians, Dr. J.I. Packer, received a letter threatening suspension from ministry by the controversial Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham. Bishop Ingham accused Dr. Packer, hailed by Time Magazine as the “doctrinal Solomon” of Christian thinkers, “to have abandoned the exercise of ministry” after the church where he is a member voted to separate from the diocese and join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone under the oversight of Anglican Archbishop Gregory Venables. Dr. Packer, who was ordained in the Church of England, is the author of the Christian classic, “Knowing God,” and joined Billy Graham and Richard John Neuhaus as one of Time Magazine’s 25 most influential evangelicals in 2005.

Dr. Packer, who received his theological education at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, was ordained a deacon (1952) and priest (1953) in the Church of England. He was Assistant Curate of Harborne Heath in Birmingham 1952-54 and Lecturer at Tyndale Hall, Bristol 1955-61. He was Librarian of Latimer House, Oxford 1961-62 and Principal 1962-69. In 1970 he became Principal of Tyndale Hall, Bristol, and from 1971 until 1979 he was Associate Prinicipal of Trinity College, Bristol. In addition to his published works, he has served as general editor for the English Standard Version of the Bible. He currently serves as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia.

He will be 82 in July.

Original article here:

BREAKING: JI Packer threatened with suspension

Three more churches vote to leave Canadian church

"Three more Anglican congregations voted on Feb. 24 to leave the Anglican Church of Canada over theological disagreements, including homosexuality, and request oversight from a South American Anglican church."

Read it all.

Anglican split could spread worldwide

Canadians will not be last to leave: Archbishop

Charles Lewis, National Post Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The battle taking place inside the Anglican Church of Canada is a microcosm of a larger problem that could see the worldwide Anglican Communion end in division, said the South American archbishop who has been taking dissident churches under his wing.

In the past week, seven Canadian parishes in five dioceses have split from the national church and have put themselves under the authority of Archbishop Gregory Venables, head of the Province of the Southern Cone, which encompasses parts of South America. This week, the Diocese of Niagara in Ontario said it will replace the clergy at its two churches that voted to separate and went on to say that breakaway parishes "are no longer considered officially Anglican." Two ministers in British Columbia have also been suspended.

ArchbishopVenables, speaking from Buenos Aires, said he is not happy about the potential for a global division, or what is happening in Canada, but he believes the worldwide Anglican Church has been on this course for more than 100 years, and he is becoming less hopeful for a resolution.

"It ends up you have two versions of Christianity," he said. "There are two positions that have moved apart over the last century: the Bible-based orthodox Christianity that goes back to the early years of the Church and a post-modern Christianity that believes everybody can find their own truth. And those two things cannot work together."

[the article continues]

Read the whole article here:

Anglican split could spread worldwide

Seven More Join the Southern Cone

VANCOUVER — Seven Anglican congregations decided on the weekend to put themselves under the authority of a South American archbishop, as the Anglican Church of Canada disciplined two priests who supported their actions.

"The Anglican Church has changed," Marilyn Jacobson, a spokeswoman for the breakaway congregations, said yesterday in an interview after the votes.

"It is not the same church it used to be. It has moved away from Christian principles."

Last week, St. John's Shaughnessy Anglican Church in Vancouver was the first congregation to break away from the national church and place itself under Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Province of the Southern Cone. As many as 15 parishes are considering the move.

Threats by the Anglican Church of Canada in an attempt to dissuade the dissidents have proven futile, said Ms. Jacobson.

Read it all here.

St. John's Shaughnessy Joins So. Cone

News article from the Vancouver Sun:

Anglicans vote to split over same-sex blessings

Chantal Eustace

Vancouver Sun

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Members of what is described as the largest congregation in the Anglican Church of Canada voted strongly Wednesday to split with Vancouver-area Bishop Michael Ingham over his support for same-sex blessings.

"It means that the community speaks with one mind," said St. John's Shaughnessy Anglican Church spokeswoman Lesley Bentley, after a preliminary count showed that out of 495 ballots cast, only 11 opposed the split and nine abstained.

"What it is is very uniting."

The vote means the church, which has more than 700 members, will break with Ingham and join with the conservative Anglican bishops of the Diocese of the Southern Cone, which includes Argentina and Paraguay.

It was a move that Ingham, who is out of the country this week, had earlier warned would be "schismatic."

He said if the church tries to operate under the authority of a South American Anglican bishop or anyone else, it will not be legally able to hold onto the church property.

Bentley said that despite a letter from the Anglican Church of Canada on Wednesday stating that if a parish decides to separate, property disputes will be costly, congregants are prepared to fight.

"We don't see why we should have to go," said Bentley, adding that churchgoers have been supporting the parish since 1932.

She said the church had a commitment from people to pay legal fees should they need to defend the property in court.

In Wednesday's letter, the archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada urged people to reconsider the idea of separating.

"In our Anglican tradition, individuals who choose to leave the Church over contentious issues cannot take property and other assets with them," wrote Archbishop Fred Hiltz.

"My hope is that no parish will take action that would compel parish or diocesan leaders to resolve property disputes in the civil courts. Such actions would not only be costly in terms of financial resources but also destructive of the witness of the Church in the world."

Among the people who flocked to the neo-Gothic church to cast their votes Wednesday night were Ken and Stella Ting.

"I think it's really important for us," said Ken Ting. "We don't want to be under the Bishop any longer. We think he is wrong."

The meeting was closed to the public and media. Voters had to sign in in order to even enter the church, located in Shaughnessy, one of the city's most affluent neighbourhoods.

Shortly before 10 p.m., Bentley emerged from the meeting to tell the media that only one person spoke out with concerns about the motion. Otherwise, she added, there was overwhelming support.

"We've been looking for a solution for almost six years now. People are looking to move on," said Bentley, describing the tone of the meeting as "serious but anticipatory."

The motion accepted an offer of a 'realignment,' meaning the church will operate under the authority of conservative Anglican bishops of the Diocese of the Southern Cone, which includes Argentina and Paraguay.

The diocese's representative, Rev. Peter Elliott, said in an interview before the vote that for most Anglicans, the same-sex issue is a secondary issue, not a primary one, and not one they would leave the church over. He noted St. John's Shaughnessy is only one of 80 Anglican churches in the Lower Mainland.

"The majority of Canadian Anglicans want to be part of a church that is inclusive and diverse and welcoming and committed to missions, you know, and don't want to spend a lot of our time on disputes within the church," said Elliott.

He said whatever the outcome of the vote, it is not legally possible for a parish to leave a diocese because "a parish is created by a diocese." He likened the idea to that of a B.C. municipality voting to become part of Alberta.

Anglican theologian James Packer, a member of the congregation, said the issue has caused divisions within St. John's Shaughnessy since 2002, when Ingham first supported same-sex blessings.

Speaking before the vote, he said he expected many people would support the motion because of a belief that same-sex blessings run counter to gospel teachings.

"The Bible rules out homosexual partnerships as outside God's will," said Packer, in an interview Wednesday afternoon. "In view of decisions made in previous years with regards to this issue, I would think there's a fair consensus on this issue."

ceustace@png.canwest.com