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Dear friends in Christ,
Please keep those in your prayers still working through grief on this third anniversary of 9/11. Pray also for God's protection from those who seek to harm innocent victims and crush democratic freedoms.
I hope that you will be as impressed as I am by the new look of the Anglican Communion in Canada website http://www.acicanada.ca , produced by our gifted webmaster the Rev David Hollebone, Rector of Living Waters Christian Church (ACiC) in Victoria, BC. Here are a few sections that you may wish to check out: a) The ABCs of the Anglican Communion in Canada http://www.acicanada.ca/abcs/ b) News of the Anglican Communion in Canada http://www.acicanada.ca/news/index.html c) Joining the Anglican Communion in Canada http://www.acicanada.ca/join/ ci) Application for Church Affiliation with the ACiC http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Application%20for%20Church%20Affiliation.pdf cii) Guidelines for lay-initiated new works http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Guidelines%20For%20Lay-Initiated%20New%20Works.pdf ciii) Introduction to the Office of Leadership Development http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Introduction%20to%20Office%20of%20Leadership%20Development.pdf civ) How Clergy Affiliate with the ACiC http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/How%20do%20clergy%20affiliate.pdf cv) Application for Clergy Affiliation with the ACiC http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Reception%20Application.pdf cvi) Sample Letter Accepting the 5 Anglican Primates' Offer http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Sample%20letter%20accepting%20offer%20from%20Primates.pdf cvii) Reference Form re Clergy Application to ACiC http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Providing%20a%20Reference.pdf
di) The 5 Anglican Primates' TAEO Offer to Canadians http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Offer%20from%20the%20Primates.pdf An Offer of Temporary Adequate Episcopal Oversight WHEREAS, a crisis of faith and leadership has been created in the Diocese of New Westminster by the passing of a motion to bless same-sex unions, and the actual performance of the same in a church with the authorization of Bishop Michael Ingham; and
WHEREAS, a special October 2003 meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion called upon the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada to provide "temporary adequate episcopal oversight" to those churches and clergy who, because of their refusal to accept the revisionist direction of the diocese, are now in a state of broken communion; and
WHEREAS, said episcopal oversight was to have been offered in consultation with the global Primates through the Archbishop of Canterbury; and
WHEREAS, to date no such episcopal oversight has been offered, but instead church members have been lost, leadership has been threatened, and churches have been closed and their standing threatened; and
WHEREAS, the clergy and congregations of New Westminster cannot be left to fend for themselves while the task force of the Canadian House of Bishops and the Commission appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury are doing their work.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the undersigned Primates of the Provinces of Congo, Central Africa, Rwanda and South East Asia hereby jointly offer temporary adequate episcopal oversight to the clergy and congregations of New Westminster, and to other Canadian clergy and congregations who seek such covering, on the following basis:
1 The temporary adequate episcopal oversight, as contemplated by the Primates Meeting of October 2003, will be offered in consultation with the Primates and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
2. The Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung has been requested and will serve as Chairman of the sponsoring group of Primates.
3 The Rt. Rev. Thomas Johnston, with the support of the administrative resources of the Anglican Mission in America, will coordinate the provision of this oversight on behalf of the undersigned.
4 Representatives of the Canadian clergy and congregations seeking oversight will meet with Archbishop Yong and/or Bishop Johnston to work out the administrative details of this offer.
TRUSTING IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, the undersigned present this offer of temporary adequate episcopal oversight to the faithful Canadian Anglican clergy and congregations. Signed by the Primates
dii) Solemn Declaration of Principles http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Solemn%20Declaration%20of%20Principles.pdf div) Anglican Communion in Canada Constitution and Bylaws http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Constitution%20and%20Bylaws.pdf dv) Montreal Declaration of Anglican Essentials (affirmed by all ACiC Clergy & Congregations) http://www.acicanada.ca/documents/Montreal%20Declaration%20of%20Anglican%20Essentials.pdf e) ACiC links http://www.acicanada.ca/links/
And remember, the ACiC Canadian solution offered by our five Anglican Primates (Provinces of Congo, Kenya, Central Africa, Rwanda, & South East Asia) is available to you and your congregation, if you live in Canada and wish to be free. The five Primates offer an 'outside strategy', in the sense that as Canadian Anglicans fully linked to the worldwide Anglican Communion, you will be free to get on with your Anglican ministry and mission, outside of the box of the canons and constitution of the ACC. For a complimentary CD of the five Primates' TAEO Canadian solution offered to you, just e-mail our Anglican Communion in Canada Acting Network Leader, the Rev Paul Carter <paulandlois@shaw.ca> or phone 604-222-4497. We would love to have you join us in this exciting Canadian pioneering mission. Isn't it time to join the future? Yours in Christ, Ed Hird+ http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/ p.s. By the way, check out this fast-growing Chinese Anglican Church, led by Rev. Silas Ng http://www.emmanuelvoice.org/en/index_en.htm ...we At Richmond Emmanuel Church (ACiC) feel that the Lord is preparing us to "get set" and be ready for a big renewal in personal spiritual growth, evangelization, church growth and building of our new church. I feel the joy of an avid surfer facing big waves. Just as Rev. Rick Warren, the writer of "Purpose Driven Life" states in his book "Purpose Driven Church", "Our job as church leaders, like experienced surfers, is to recognize a wave of God's Spirit and ride it. It is not our responsibility to make waves but to recognize who God is working in the world and join him in the endeavor." May we recognize what the Lord is doing, participate in it and be trained to catch the WAVE in 2004. In Christ, Silas Ng+
1) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/index.php?p=2445%23comments Statement in Response to Lawsuits Filed on September 7, 2004, by the Diocese of Los Angeles and Bishop J. Jon Bruno Against St. James, All Saints' and St. David's Anglican Churches Devoid of fairness and compassion, the lawsuits filed by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and Bishop J. Jon Bruno on September 7, 2004, attempt to punish St. James, All Saints' and St. David's Anglican Churches, their clergy, and their members for exercising their religious freedom of choice to affiliate with another diocese and bishop in the Anglican Communion, and reveal that the true motives behind the lawsuits are financial. Rapidly accelerating from a callous demand letter to three lawsuits in a little over a week, apparently with more to come, the Episcopal Church has shown its true colors, and reinforced the reasons that these three churches felt forced to leave after years of struggle.
Not satisfied with suing the California religious corporations that hold the property they seek to confiscate, the Episcopal Diocese and Bishop Bruno also have sued the unpaid and duly elected church members who have graciously donated their time to serve in church leadership, even going so far as to demand punitive damages from them. Among them are an elementary school teacher, graduate student, small business owner, homemaker and retiree. Will the Diocese be coming after their homes and bank accounts as well?
The Episcopal Church and the Diocese apparently believe that these local churches are a business, as they have pled claims for interference with an economic relationship and unfair business practices. This is not about politics or revenue loss, but respect for religious freedom and compassion for fellow Christians.
The lawsuits contend that the local church families and children are trespassing by attending Sunday services and Sunday school, as they demand an injunction to evict the priests and their congregations, saying that each day these families worship in the churches, the Diocese suffers "grave and irreparable damage." We fail to see the damage caused by people worshiping God, taking Communion, singing hymns, and reading the Bible together. It is beyond logic and belief that Bishop Bruno, a man of the cloth, would ask a judge to shut down these houses of worship, eject the spiritual shepherds of the people, and lock out faithful Christians.
The lawsuits also allege that the Episcopal Church, the Diocese and Bishop Bruno "are the rightful owners of all personal property that belonged to the Parish prior to its purported disaffiliation including, but not limited to, church funds, assets, investments, intellectual property, and non-fixtures, such as bibles, chalices, and other articles pertaining to worship," and then seek a court order for them. Does the Bishop of Los Angeles really want to deny Christian people their Bibles and articles of worship? Does the Diocese really want a court order to take away toys, crayons and paper crosses made by the Sunday school children on the theory that they were purchased while the churches were Episcopal?
And who are the so-called "faithful" Episcopalians Bishop Bruno claims are in exile, even though there are dozens of Episcopal churches within driving distance of St. James, All Saints' and St. David's? Even though Bishop Bruno took out advertisements in local papers and sent a letter to hundreds of members in these three churches in an attempt to solicit plaintiffs for his lawsuits, he could only muster five people. This pales in comparison to the hundreds of voting members who decided by a margin of 97 percent to amend the articles of incorporation to exclude any mention of the Episcopal Church.
Two fundamental American values are at stake in these cases: freedom of religion and property rights. The churches are confident that the California courts will respect these rights and ultimately conclude that they, as separate California religious corporations, can retain their property and get on with their ministries. -Mr. Eric C. Sohlgren is attorney for St. James Church and Legal Spokesperson for St. James, All Saints' and St. David's Churches
2) http://www.alphacanada.org/ More great things are happening across Canada! ABBOTSFORD, BC: Churches are working together and giving away thousands of free passes to 3 Alpha banquets to be held on different nights at Garden Park Tower! 150 volunteers from 15 churches served in last year's Community Alpha courses.
CRANBROOK, BC: On Sept 11 local and surrounding area churches will host a kick-off event at a local theatre to invite their community to attend an Alpha course. Courses will run at 6 different churches in Cranbrook as well as in Invermere, Kimberley, Creston and Riondel.
MISSISSAUGA, ON: City Centre Baptist Church will be offering the first Alpha Course in Arabic (subtitles) in the world, beginning Sept 21!! MONTREAL, PQ: French Alpha billboards are now up in the Montreal & Quebec City area; The Groupe Alpha will be running Alpha in French with a post Alpha course as well!
PRINCE GEORGE, BC: A BBQ & Concert will be held Sept 18 to invite the community to one of 4 Community Alpha Intro Dinners - a Senior Centre, Local Hall, Community Centre and Sports Pub & Grill. The goal: close to 1000 people signed up for a Alpha course!
REGINA, SK: Churches are advertising by wearing "Ask me about Alpha" pins, radio broadcasting, and an Alpha Course will be starting up at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre! * * * * * * * *If you know of a church that is running Alpha but is NOT on the website, please contact us at the Alpha office and we will do our best to follow up with the church to make sure they are registered! Registering your course enables us to keep you connected with updates & resources & prayer support! * * * * * * * * * *
Leadership Training is taking place at a city near you! Click on www.alphacanada.org - Conferences - Other Alpha Training Events: Barrie, ON * Calgary, AB * Fort McMurray, AB * London, ON * Maple Ridge, BC * South Delta, BC * Vancouver, BC * Winnipeg, MB This vital information will equip & empower you with important principles and practicalities that will help build and maximize your Alpha course! * * * * * Alpha Training Conferences: Visit www.alphacanada.org - "Conferences" for more details and/or to register! October 15 & 16th in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario October 29 & 30th in Edmonton, Alberta
"Running Alpha without going to a conference is like driving a car without taking lessons!" (Rev. Nicky Gumbel, Alpha Intl) Please contact your local Alpha Advisor or the Alpha Canada office if you have any questions, concerns or prayer requests! A list of Alpha Advisors is available on the Alpha Canada website at www.alphacanada.org. We want to support you in every way we can! Many blessings! The Alpha Canada Team
3) http://www.nsnews.com North Shore News, North & West Vancouver, BC What On Earth Am I Here for? By Jo Yule, September 2004
How many times have we laughed at the cartoon of a man climbing some impossible peak to ask the guru, "What is the meaning of life?" The answer is usually a slick one-liner to make us laugh, but the question niggles away at us, making us feel uneasy. Is life meaningless? Or can we see some purpose in being alive?
The shelves in bookstores groan with self-help books that promise solutions to quell those uneasy thoughts. The thrust of most of these books is that it all rests with you. You can be rich. You can be happy/thin/beautiful. You can be at peace with the world. Dream that dream and you can live it. It is all up to you.
But the book that has been No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list this year, proposes an entirely different twist. What if it is not all about you, but about God?
Rick Warren, in "The Purpose-Driven Life" book http://www.pastors.com/pcom/specials/PDLBook.asp , proposes that that if you want to know the answer to that eternal question, you must begin with God. We have to stop thinking about ourselves and focus on eternity and the daily Christian walk.
As Rick Warren says, "We are made to know God and made for God's purpose."
Rick Warren's book has sold 16 million copies in 20 months, an indication of the hunger in people's hearts for some purpose in their lives.
Henry Thoreau once said "that most men live lives of quiet desperation." Rick Warren is offering a solution to the emptiness of those quiet lives of desperation.
As Rick says, "You were made by God and for God and until you understand that, life will never make sense."
The book has been so successful that it has spawned an incredible course called "40 Days of Purpose".
This takes the form of small home groups meeting to view a video, study and fellowship together. There are 40 chapters in the book and these 40 topics are each steps in discovering our purpose in life.
By the end of the year, it is expected that 30,000 churches and 5 million people will have taken part in the 40 Days of Purpose campaign http://www.purposedriven.com.
If you have ever asked that question, "What on earth am I here for?", you may want to join that 5 million people and discover the answer for yourself. The course runs over 6 weeks, with one study each week.
Here on the North Shore, St. Simon's in Deep Cove* is sponsoring the course, beginning on October 3rd Sunday at 6pm. For more information, call us at 604-929-5350.
Jo Yule, St. Simon's Church North Vancouver, alexanderyule@shaw.ca Anglican Communion in Canada http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/
*Another Deep Cove Church, Cove Community Church, is also doing the 40 Days of Purpose this fall. http://www.covecommunitychurch.com/news/
4a) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ (CaNN News) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1302051,00.html Anglicans consider gay clergy Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent Saturday September 11, 2004, The Guardian, UK
The church commission set up to establish the future of the Anglican Church and prevent it splitting apart after the row about the appointment of a gay American bishop promised yesterday to publish its report on October 18.
The group of bishops and theologians chaired by Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland, have been meeting in seclusion in Windsor this week to chart a way forward for the 77 million members of the worldwide Anglican communion.
Beset by heavy-duty lobbying from both sides in the seemingly irreconcilable disagreement over the position of gays in the clergy, they have to come up with a formula which will satisfy traditionalist and evangelical church members in England, North America and the developing world, though their room for manoeuvre within in an autonomous member church is highly circumscribed.
Traditionally no one part of the church can dictate to another how it conducts itself but the conservative camp have demanded that the US Episcopal Church and its leaders should be disciplined for supporting the election of the openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson last year.
Archbishop Eames said: "The commission has been greatly challenged in this task ... I have no doubt that [our] collective insights and recommendations can and must make a profound and practical impact for good in the life and mission of the Anglican communion."
Commission members insisted that there would be no fudge.
It is thought likely that the US and perhaps the Canadian church, which has begun authorising gay blessings, may be disciplined by having their bishops refused invitations to future international meetings. It is unlikely that the national churches will be thrown out of the communion altogether.
The report is to be referred to church primates in Northern Ireland early next year.
4b) http://generalsynod.anglican.ca/stories/news.php?newsItem=2004-09-10_acns.fyi Lambeth Commission to report next month ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS SERVICE SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 -- London The Lambeth Commission on Communion has announced that it will publish its report in London on Monday Oct. 18 at the beginning of the meeting in London of the joint standing committee of the Primates' Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.
The announcement follows the commission's third plenary meeting, held this week (Sept. 16 - 10) in Saint George's House, Windsor Castle.
Archbishop Robin Eames of Armagh, chair of the commission, said: "The commission has been greatly challenged in this task and I have been privileged to work with such a dedicated team. I have no doubt that their collective insights and recommendations can and must make a profound and practical impact for good in the life and mission of the Anglican Communion. This has been a labor of love in the faith that Christ is our guide and strength in working for peace and healing."
The commission was established by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams a year ago to make recommendations to the primates of the Anglican Communion on how to maintain the highest degree of communion possible following developments in North America, principally around the issue of same-sex blessings.
The commission has concluded its plenary sessions, but work is continuing in preparing the report. No further statements will be issued by the commission before Oct. 18.
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