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Summer update
Dear friends in Christ,
1a) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/cr0408.html
1b) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/nsnews013.html
2a) http://www.st-timothy.com/news/index.php?article=294 It was the failure of the General Synod in May to oppose Ingham that finally forced them to abandon any hope of achieving a made-in-Canada solution, says Haigh. "There are bishops that disagree with him, but basically they're all in each other's pocket." Instead, they joined the newly formed Anglican Communion in Canada (ACiC)-a small group of parishes and priests under the episcopal oversight of five Primates in Africa and southeast Asia-and founded St. Timothy's. "They could see no future within the Anglican Church of Canada," says ACiC spokesman Paul Carter, "and that's when some of them said, 'We want to stay Anglican, but we we're going to go the circuitous route to Canterbury via the ACiC and licensed priests from the Province of Rwanda.'" Carter, who is one of those priests, is also now St. Timothy's interim rector. "These are very brave, godly, often elderly folk who are saying, 'Enough is enough. My faith matters more to me than the [physical] plant,'" he says. "I find that most encouraging." Even so, for many longtime members, the decision to quit St. Martin's was wrenching. For Haigh, it meant leaving behind a stained-glass rose window that his family had put in less than a year ago in memory of his mother. "Her ashes are in the memorial garden at the church, so yes, it was very difficult, very emotional to leave," he says. Yet they also left behind what one ex-St. Martin's member who requested anonymity calls its "poisonous atmosphere." "What I love about [St. Timothy's]," says Carter, "is not only the refreshment that it's brought to their personal faith, but the vitality with which they are embracing this-the sheer hard work and dedication and the growing sense of commitment to Christ and His Word-that is just so evident." In fact, the church has already outgrown its existing rented facility and is in search of somewhere else to meet. It has also begun attracting Anglicans from parishes in North and West Vancouver that have remained loyal to Ingham. Yet to Archbishop David Crawley, Ingham's immediate superior, the whole notion of Anglicans looking outside their dioceses for episcopal oversight is "illegal and improper." As he told ChristianWeek in February, "They fondly think that this keeps them part of [the Anglican Communion], but it doesn't." But Haigh says what matters to them is that they finally have a new bishop-T. J. Johnston-appointed for them by the Primates who share their theological convictions-even if he does live in Little Rock, Arkansas. "At St. Martin's, we never saw the local bishop-well, very rarely-and so that [Johnston] happens to be a few further miles away is neither here nor there. At least he is a godly man and we are biblically-based, and that's really where we wanted to get to."
2b) http://www.fotf.ca/familyfacts/tfn/2004/072704.html "The final nail in the coffin" for these disaffected Anglicans, says ACiC spokesman Rev. Paul Carter, was the decision of the church's general synod in May to approve a statement that "affirms the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same-sex relationships." Just a day earlier, delegates had voted to suspend any decision on approving a marriage-like rite of blessing for committed same-sex couples until 2007. "The Anglican Church of Canada and its revisionist agenda is not satisfying a number of people, and they are feeling increasingly disgruntled about that," Carter told TFN. "People . . . just sense deep in their spirit that something's not right."
2c) http://www.sundaymagazine.org/Topstory1.ihtml
Semper's resignation "A month before the General Synod of May 28 - June 4 2004, where the blessing of same-sex couples was on the agenda, four leaders of St. James and myself drafted a petition, to serve as a basis for discussion at a special Vestry meeting following General Synod, and to be submitted to the Bishop if the blessing of same-sex relationships was continued to be allowed in the Anglican Church of Canada. The petition announced the parish's need for a bishop who could declare and defend their traditional convictions, asked for continuing use of the church facilities but otherwise for autonomy from the Diocese and the Anglican Church of Canada. This draft was sent by a member of the congregation to the Bishop's office. "Though it was only a draft, and intended to let the Bishop know what was happening, I was accused of having broken my vows to the Bishop and of being schismatic, and was asked to submit my resignation. "Though I thought the call for my resignation unjustified, and though I had a number of recourses through the ecclesiastical and civil courts to fight my dismissal, I had decided long beforehand that if things got to this point, I would not pursue the legal process, nor would I get involved in civil or ecclesiastical lawsuits concerning the use of the physical facilities of the parish. However, here was a congregation that was predominantly conservative and wishing to continue its worship in the same facility under a new arrangement, but the Diocese would not even contemplate making that possible. In civil law, in the case of a divorce, the courts will divide the physical assets fairly, but we did not receive any grace. "The congregation of St. James responded quickly and provided me with a severance package, something unexpected and which they were not obliged to do. People, both liberal and conservative, in the congregation were very upset, if not with what happened, then with the way it happened. As a result about thirty people have left the church, with twenty to twenty-five remaining. Those who left are in the process of forming a new congregation, and I, too, would like to provide a place where conservative Anglicans can go." The nature of the conflict Semper: Power to set process and public policy rests with the individual Bishop and Diocese. Bishop Ingham was not transgressing canon law by moving to bless same-sex unions. The question is, what discipline can be brought to bear for the sake of unity within the national and international church? The Canadian House of Bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury have only advisory powers. Doctrine and discipline are determined at the General Synod, which consists of clergy and laity. When it passed the motion "affirming the integrity and sanctity of committed same-sex unions," nine orthodox bishops (out of a total of approximately thirty) stated 'This Synod has erred.' These are strong words, but they will remain only words until they and other conservatives put a price tag on their convictions. To affirm the integrity and sanctity of same-gender relationships is to publicly misrepresent the character of God and the gospel of grace. I cannot be part of that. Sunday: And where does the authority of Scripture come in? Semper: The Anglican church has always taught that we need go no further than the Bible. Scripture is enough, it is sufficient to find God and wholeness through Christ. The voices of reason, experience and tradition are given place, but they are secondary to the voice of scripture. Scripture has always been given the first and last word. That is the position the liberals have dropped. Before the General Synod, in the knowledge that the same-sex issue would come up, a motion was put before our local Diocesan Synod to affirm the primacy of Scripture, but it did not pass. Sunday: Some people say that not long ago the issues of ordination of women and of divorced people threatened to divide the Church, but it didn't. Why should the issue of blessing gay marriage do so now? Semper: Both the Old and New Testaments give examples of women in primary leadership roles. Concerning the question of divorce, the weight of scripture considers not the errors of the past but the present conviction of what is right, and the honest desire to do it. Where past error is acknowledged there is present grace to go on with God. But this is very different from saying that sexual intimacy between people of the same gender is not wrong and indeed may, for some, be God's will. I think most fair-minded people will see that distinction. Semper continues: The liberals suggest that the one unpardonable sin is to break fellowship. But when I read my Bible, Paul, Peter and John, and James and Jude all say that there may come a time that you have to say 'You are not even welcome in my house.'There is that tension in the Bible between being 'welcoming' on the one hand and "holy" on the other. The liberal approach says 'You can mess with scripture, but you don't mess with the structure of the church or break away from it.' Sunday: So the liberals don't want to break fellowship. What do they mean by Christian fellowship? Semper (after a thoughtful silence): I really don't know. A while ago I saw a man gardening in his front yard. I like gardening myself and one glance told me this guy was a gardener. I stopped and we started talking. Right away we understood each other, we understood clearly the words the other used. We had fellowship in gardening. After that I went to a meeting of clergy and for the next four hours we tried to understand what we meant by 'fellowship in Christ'. We couldn't do it. It was more like the time when I saw flowers in a garden across the street. I went to look and saw they were plastic. The first appearance suggested the owner was a gardener, but what he did had nothing in common with my understanding of gardening. Semper continues: So when the orthodox Anglicans separate from the liberals, it just gives structural expression to the inward reality that there no longer is spiritual fellowship between the two. What the Anglican Church of Canada accepts as fellowship has become nothing more than phonics: we stand and say the same words, the same Creed; the sounds are the same, but they lack a shared meaning. I hear someone say 'Jesus' but listening further I discover he and I are talking about two different persons. That's the problem and it's a big one. The Anglican Church of Canada has raised ambiguity to an art form. Fortunately, it is not that way for the vast majority of Anglicans the world over."
The future Semper: Probably we will organize into a congregation that can provide a place for conservative Anglicans to go. Sunday: Are you planning to link up with other conservative Anglican groupings in Canada? Semper: Yes. There are other conservative Anglicans and clergy on Vancouver Island, and on the national level there is an organization called 'Anglican Essentials' which has become the voice of conservative Anglicans. There also exists an organization called 'The Anglican Communion in Canada" which consists of conservative clergy and congregations who have already left the Anglican Church of Canada but have stayed connected with the world-wide Anglican communion through a group of conservative Bishops in Africa and Asia. Our group in Nanaimo is looking at the possibility of coming under the umbrella of the Anglican Communion in Canada. Sunday: So this would still be an Anglican church? Semper: Absolutely, but structurally and financially independent from the Anglican Church of Canada. The statement affirming the integrity and sanctity of committed same-sex unions, and also the ordination of an openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church in the U.S. is something the wide majority of Anglicans around the world cannot accept, and they will not be associated with. It is just a question of how this reality is formalized. Sunday: Any concluding remarks? Semper: My desire is to look forward, not back. I do care for the people who have left and for those who would leave if there were an orthodox alternative. I would like to be part of providing that alternative.
3a) http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/news184.asp
3b) http://www.agathos.com/events/index.html
This conference may be helpful for people trying to overcome sexual problems (including homosexuality), identity confusions, deprivation, relational difficulties and hurts from living in a fallen world
4) www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5685429
5) www.forsuchatime.ca
12 pm August 30th - 12pm September 1, 2004
6a)
www.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/article/faith/59654.shtml
The Anglican Mission in America Church is a group of Christian churches in the United States which follow the Anglican tradition but which split from the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA). The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England. The Church of England is the "mother branch" of the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church in the USA also is a part.
By SPECIAL TO CITIZEN-TIMESSPECIAL TO CITIZEN-TIMES
"Like John and Peter when they were arrested and brought in front of the Pharisees and high priest, they asked who should we obey, you or God?"
"I think the Archbishop of Southeast Asia Moses Tay and myself had to choose to obey the calling of the Lord or the institution represented by someone - an archbishop or whatever name. It is painful, but at the same time, we have to obey what the Lord is telling us to do," Kolini added. "It happened and history will judge us."
Kolini, who visited the congregation of Asheville's St. Paul's Anglican Mission in America Church Thursday and Friday, said growth of the new church has been tremendous in America, adding that nearly 100 churches have been founded since 2000.
He noted that during a visit to a church in Georgia, the people were rejoicing because they were "free people." He said they are not under any constitution or constrains. They are free to worship the Lord.
When asked about the confirmation of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as the world's first openly homosexual Episcopal bishop, Kolini said, "All that I know is that people are upset. When you reject a part of Scripture, your legitimacy is gone. Our authority comes under obedience of the Scripture, otherwise it is not spiritual."
St. Paul's Anglican Mission formed in January 2002. In Asheville, the first services of St. Paul's Anglican Mission were held in the home of Brian and Sara Lavelle. Attendance now ranges from 65-75 each Sunday.
"My husband is from a Roman Catholic background, and I'm from a Presbyterian background. So when we compromised, we chose a church with a more liturgical form of base," Sara Lavelle said.
"We just wanted more Scriptural teaching from the Scriptures, and teaching what God has laid before us for well over 2,000 years. I was so hungry for that - the kind of teaching I had as a child," Sara Lavelle said.
"We began pray and asked God to show us where to go," she explained. "We found a church in South Carolina that we visited occasionally that gave us some of spiritual insight.
"And ultimately there came a time when there were several young couples in town who were interested in that same new movement, which became the Anglican Mission in America. And a friend of ours who was not a part of this said, `I think it is time for you all to start your church.' But it really proved to be a prophetic word, and we went forth with that.
"I think there's an awful lot of people hungry for truth and are seeking it. And I'm afraid our churches have let the people down," Sara Lavelle said.
For more information about the church, call the Rev. John Green at 337-2930. Henry Robinson is a retired Citizen-Times staff writer. Contact him at HENRY163@aol.com.
6b) http://www.ajc.com/living/content/epaper/editions/saturday/faith_values_14d19502e3d0612a0040.html
Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda saw his homeland torn apart by genocide. Now he's watching his church rupture over what he calls another form of evil --- the consecration of an openly gay bishop.
Most people in the United States have not heard of Kolini. That may change this fall. Kolini is a central player in the Anglican Communion's struggle with the global aftershocks from the Episcopal Church USA's consecration of Bishop V. Gene Robinson.
This fall, a special commission formed because of the controversy will release its report on keeping the Anglican Communion together despite deep theological division. Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, rejected requests last fall to discipline the U.S. church but created the commission to address objections to Robinson's consecration.
Williams heads the denomination, a 68 million - member global alliance of churches, including the Episcopal Church USA.
Kolini will have plenty to say in that report. He has helped direct an international alliance against Robinson that could lead to the end of the Anglican Communion. He says at least 11 Anglican primates in Africa (a primate is one of 38 Anglican provincial leaders worldwide) will break off relations with the U.S. church if the commission does nothing.
"Their argument is that it's interpretation of the Bible," Kolini said of Episcopal leaders. "We think it's culture. It's not biblical. You can't impose your culture onto other people."
Robinson's defenders cite Anglican tradition of autonomy, but Kolini has numbers on his side --- the denomination is growing rapidly in Africa and Latin America but declining in the United States.
Kolini, who will speak at the Church of the Messiah in Canton on Sunday, is in the United States for a meeting of the Episcopal World Mission. While in Atlanta, he answered questions about the crisis.
Q: Episcopal leaders say they're not trying to impose their culture on other Anglican provinces because other provinces like Rwanda can set their own policy on gay or lesbian bishops.
A: Yes, but there are some essentials you can't go around. To be Christian, there are some fundamentals, some basics to our faith. The question is "is homosexuality a sin or not?" If the Scripture calls it a sin, then it's a sin.
Q: How can you cite Scripture to exclude a group of people when people citing Scriptures have used them to justify the enslavement and murder of your ancestors?
A: We don't exclude people. I have friends who are gay and lesbians. And they have asked me, why do you hate us? And I said, "If I hate you, I can't claim to be a Christian. I don't agree with you." That's where I stand.
There are hundreds, maybe thousands of homosexuals in the churches: priests, bishops. We kept quiet. We asked each province to deal with the problem . . . The word of God is powerful enough to transform us. I wasn't born into a Christian family. I was born in an African, traditional religion family until I went to school, and one day the Lord transformed my life. We feel like the word can transform our habits, our way of living.
Q: What effect has Robinson's consecration had on your province in Rwanda?
A: It's become a debate in the bars and in the villages between believers and nonbelievers. We have looked ridiculous. Some of our people have said we can't belong to that kind of church. It took time to explain what we mean by communion and the autonomy of each province. Some of our members are leaving the church.
Q: What actions do you want Archbishop Williams to take against the Episcopal Church?
A: His role is to investigate the thinking of many people and what should the primates come up with to help the Episcopal Church. There are two alternatives. It's up to them to pick one, not two. Since 1998, we have called the Episcopal Church to repentance. If they don't, we said there will be broken communion.
Q: What happens if the commission formed by Williams recommends no action against the U.S. church? What will you do?
A: When we met in Nairobi as the African primates, we made it clear that we will declare broken communion. I stand by that. We have spent so much time in church politics, but our mission is to reach out to those who don't know Christ. We'll probably need time apart like Paul and Barnabas did when they were arguing because of Mark. Let them go their way and we go our own way.
Q: Why is the church growing so rapidly in places like Rwanda and not in the United States?
A: Human beings look for God when they're in trouble. When people are well-off, they may think they don't need God. They have all they need. Materialism has become kind of an idolatry.
What has amazed me is in Rwanda people should be angry because [the Christian church] was directly involved [in genocide]. So they should be saying that the God of Christians is not a good God. Genocide took place. It's not the case. When I go to prepare for the service between 6 and 7 in the morning, thousands, young and old, are walking to Mass. I ask myself, why are all these people going to Mass, knowing that people were killed in these church buildings? Naturally, they know that their only safe refuge is God. It doesn't matter if the priests handed them over. They're not there for the priests. They're there for God.
7a) http://www.virtuosityonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1210
The decision to leave the ECUSA after 80 years was unanimous with the members of All Saints' steadfastly wishing to remain loyal in their commitment to the Holy Scripture, the historic teachings of Christianity and the Anglican Communion. They believe the Episcopal Church USA has chosen a path that no longer reflects their membership's steadfast
faith(…)
All Saints' will continue to hold worship services in the same location where it was incorporated in 1926 and carry on with its usual programs and activities. All Saints' is a self-supported, growing church with more than 450 members(…)
St. James will continue to hold worship services in the same location where it was incorporated in 1949 and carry on with its usual programs and activities. St. James is a self-supported, growing church with more than 1,200 members(…) For more on the LA situation, click on http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/index.php?p=2083
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