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.
Showing posts with label J.I. Packer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J.I. Packer. Show all posts
Monday, June 2, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
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
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
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