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Dear friends in Christ,
The latest news releases talk a lot about a new group (ACiC) being formed in response to same sex unions - but this is not our ACiC focus. In fact, the ACiC's heartbeat is one of transformation mission into our culture with the good news of Jesus Christ - for all.
Blessings, Ed+
-You will not want to miss this year's conference. I found the past two AMiA Winter Conferences to be life-changing. Let's see a strong contingent again of Canadian (& other international) Anglicans there this year. Anglican Mission in America 2005 Winter Conference
"Empowering and Equipping for Mission" Jan 12 to 16, 2005
Radisson Plaza Hotel, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 2101 North Oak Street (corner of Oak and 21st Street) 1-800-333-3333 or 1-843-918 -5000 www.radisson.com/anglicanmission - web site for hotel reservation only Be sure to ask for Anglican Mission rates of $89/night plus tax. Free shuttle from hotel to and from Myrtle Beach Airport (MYR). Call Radisson in advance to arrange.
For conference registration: Go to website of http://theamia.org/ You may print form for mailing or Register on line with secure credit card charge
For additional information call All Saints, Pawleys at 1-843-237-4223 Monday through Friday 10 to 4
Speakers and Guests Archbishops Yong, Kolini and Peter Jensen of Australia Brian McClaren Ed Stetzer Bishops of Anglican Mission in America Canon Michael and Rosemary Green Bishop David and Mary Pytches Bishop Geoffrey Rwubusisi of Rwanda Dr. Lyle Dorsett Richard and Prue Bedwell and many others.
2a) http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04110110.html Monday November 1, 2004, Life Site News Canadian Anglicans form Break-Away Group in Defiance of Same-Sex Couple "Blessings" REGINA, November 1, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of Canadian Anglicans has broken away from the Anglican Church of Canada in defiance of its pro-homosexual position.
The group, calling itself the Anglican Communion in Canada, says homosexual unions are not supported by scripture. Three Saskatchewan congregations have joined the new group, along with their pastor.
Reverend Tom Needham of Regina resigned from his position as an Anglican pastor to become pastor for break-away groups in Regina, Qu'Appelle and Indian Head. "What happens to the church if the morals and the ethics of Christians are decided by a body of men?" he said, as reported by the CBC.
The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a request last week, that the Anglican Church of Canada stop blessing same-sex unions.
Primate-elect of Canada, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, speaking at the Anglican Church of Canada General Synod held in June, said that, although the decision to officially endorse same-sex union blessings was deferred until 2007, no ban was issued that would prevent bishops from unilaterally conferring blessings on same-sex unions for their own diocese'. "Constitutionally, because there is no inhibiting legislation at the level of general synod, it does leave dioceses at liberty to make their own decisions," Hutchison said.
2b) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ http://sask.cbc.ca/regionalnews/caches/anglican_gays041101.html Web Posted | Nov 1 2004 07:57 AM CST CBC Radio Anglicans form new group over same-sex marriages
REGINA - A growing rift in the Anglican Church over same-sex marriages has given rise to a new Anglican body.
Members of the Anglican Communion in Canada believe same-sex marriage goes against the Bible.
Three Saskatchewan congregations and Anglican priests have joined the new organization.
Reverend Tom Needham of Regina was an Anglican priest for 26 years. He resigned, and is now the pastor for break-off groups in Regina, Qu'Appelle and Indian Head.
Needham says he is pro-scripture, not anti-gay, and it is the decisions of the Anglican Church of Canada that upset him.
"What happens to the church if the morals and the ethics of Christians are decided by a body of men?" asks Needham.
Last week, the Archbishop of Canterbury released a report that asked the Anglican Church of Canada to stop blessing same-sex couples.
Anglican bishops from across the country will discuss the issue when they meet in Saskatoon this week.
2c) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/news/story.html?id=649040a0-0356-4ae1-9f3a-ce9aa6f34d7c Saskatchewan Phoenix Newspaper, Tuesday, Nov 2nd 2004 Bishop bans gay choir
2d)http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/041103news Bishops to discuss gay unions Richard Hall, The StarPhoenix Monday, November 01, 2004 Gay marriage and the fallout from a recent church report on the subject will be the first order of business as the leader of the Anglican Church of Canada meets in Saskatoon this week with bishops from across the country(...)
(Archbishop Hutchison said) "The (Canadian) church is welcoming of homosexuals, as it is of heterosexuals. But it does require that if homosexuals are ordained, they must remain celibate. Our official policy is that we do not bless gay unions. Our diocese in New Westminster has made its own decision. And when I say we do not, that is tradition, rather than as a stated policy because we have never had a stated policy about that."
A diocese in New Westminster, B.C., has caused tension in the church by blessing a same-sex union(...)
The Eames commission said it regretted the church took these actions "without attaching sufficient importance to the interests of the wider communion."(...)
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=b1d115a2-be92-4e72-a06f-9811fe48327c Vancouver Sun Newspaper, Tuesday, Nov 2nd 2004 Anglican cleric starts splinter congregation REGINA -- An Anglican priest has come out of retirement to start a splinter group of worshippers in Regina who oppose same-sex marriage.
Rev. Tom Needham's parish already has 30 congregation members.
Since the governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada decided in June that the church would allow its parishes to give their blessings to gay marriages, many Anglicans across the country have disagreed.
"The fact is that now, what this decision has really said is the doctrine of good Christian living - the morals and ethics of the church - is decided by a body of men and not scripture," said Needham, who joined the Anglican Communion in Canada to led people who oppose same-sex marriage.
"When this thing hit, I had people say to me: 'We can no longer stay in the church and we need a pastor, we don't want to lose our Anglicanism," said Needham, who leads the recently established Anglican Church of the Redeemer and is licensed through a church in Rwanda.
"Blessing same-sex unions is the same as giving blessings to adulterous affairs and all other kinds of immoral living," he said.
Very Rev. James Merrett, Dean of the Qu-Appelle diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada, said the move is disappointing.
"Scripture is, in my hands or anyone else's hands, interpretative," said Merritt. "In over 30 years in ministry my interpretation has changed considerably because it changes with learning and scholarship and experience."
"[And] there is certainly sufficient body of scholarship and learning which would suggest homosexuality is acceptable, that it is not condemned by scripture," he added(...)
The issue is coming to a head this week in Saskatoon as Anglican bishops from across Canada meet to discuss the blessing of gay marriage and a report released last week asking the Anglican Church of Canada to reconsider its decision to support same-sex unions.
An upcoming performance at St. John's Anglican Cathedral has been cancelled by the local bishop.
"I couldn't believe it. This is crazy. We're really upset," said Mark Nahorniak, a member of Saskatoon's Bridge City Chorus.
The Bridge City Chorus was to perform Nov 13th together with the Regina Prairie Pride Chorus, a group of about 30 gay and lesbian singers. The space had been booked for months. The Regina group had booked hotel rooms and written songs especially for this performance. The posters were up in both cities and they were already selling tickets.
Nahorniak said he got a call from the secretary at St. John's a few days ago. She told them that Saskatoon Diocese Rodney Andrews had decided to cancel the concert. The group had to scramble to find another venue. The concert will now be held at a United Church instead.
In an interview Monday, Bishop Andrews said he made the decision to deny use of St. John's to the gay choir groups after receiving concerned calls from church members.
2f) http://www.fotf.ca/familyfacts/tfn/2004/110304.html Focus on the Family News, Nov 3rd 2004 ANGLICANS CLASH OVER HOMOSEXUALITY
Canada's Anglican bishops are meeting this week in Saskatoon, with church issues related to homosexuality at the top of their agenda, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reported Monday.
Driving their discussions will be the recent recommendations of an international commission named by the Archbishop of Canterbury to address the crisis generated by New Westminster bishop Michael Ingham's decision to sanction a marriage-like same-sex blessing in his diocese, and the election of Gene Robinson, who is openly gay, as bishop of New Hampshire. The 17 commission members said both events had caused "deep offence to many faithful Anglican Christians."
Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, Canada's new Anglican Primate or national leader, says part of the difficulty facing them is that they have never before dealt with same-sex unions. "Our official policy is that we do not bless gay unions," Hutchinson told the StarPhoenix. "[But] that is tradition, rather than . . . a stated policy because we have never had a stated policy about that."(...)
Yet while the bishops are discussing ways to keep the Anglican community united, others have already decided that it is too late. In Regina, as the Leader-Post reported Tuesday, the controversy prompted Rev. Tom Needham to come out of retirement and start a new parish aligned with the theologically orthodox Anglican Communion in Canada (ACiC) http://www.acicanada.ca/
To date, 11 churches in BC and Saskatchewan have joined the ACiC. Their affiliation with Anglican church leaders in Africa reflects the deep divisions within the Communion - between the more liberal Western nations where the church is in decline, and the more conservative nations of Africa and southeast Asia where it is growing rapidly(...) 3) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1591 Posted by dvirtue on 2004/10/30 7:46:00 CALGARY: City's Anglican churches caught in global turmoil Long serving priest leaves fold Joe Woodard, Calgary Herald
Father Douglas Skoyles is leaving the Anglican church of Canada to join the Anglican Catholic Church(...)It's a troubled time for the Anglican Church. While the global Anglican Communion tears itself apart over same-sex relations, the Calgary Diocese is suffering some hard church closures(...)
In a letter to Hollowell, Skoyles said he is leaving the denomination he served for 35 years, partly because of the ACC General Synod's affirmation of the "integrity and sanctity" of same-sex relations, last May, and partly because of what he called Hollowell's "vicious and brutal actions" in closing three churches and firing two priests.
Last Sunday, a letter from Hollowell was released to Calgary's Anglican churches, announcing without warning the closing of three parishes -- St. Gabriel's off 4th St. N.W., All Saints in Renfrew, and St. Edmund's in Bowness (to which a priest has not appointed for years).
Churches rumoured next on the block include St. Laurence in Lakeview and St. Philip's off Elbow Drive.
"I'm in shock. I don't know what to say or do. I'm completely stunned," said All Saint's pastor John Wright.
"Our church has never taken money from the diocese. We always pay in -- not a full apportionment, maybe, but over $2,000 a year. We do work in the community like the food bank."
St. Gabriel's Dennis Frame, who is also out of a job at year's end, could not be reached for comment.
While closures were surprising, Hollowell had telegraphed the possibility in the October edition of the Anglican Sower. There he stated that his "number one" priority is funding the new, heavily-mortgaged Holy Trinity suburban church in the far northwest -- "you will hear Holy Trinity every time I speak" -- and that "building an asset for the future" will require hard decisions.
"Parishes that cannot maintain canonical parochial status, nor meet the test of the vision and are unlikely to do so in the future will be closed," Hollowell wrote in his Sower column.
Skoyles said the bishop is not building a Christian community of love.
"This can be summed up in two words: money grab. This is all to pay for the bishop's pet project, Holy Trinity," Skoyles said in a Herald interview.
"St. Gabriel's and All Saints supported themselves, but the diocese owns the real estate, and Holy Trinity has a big mortgage. So who serves whom? Does the diocese serve the parish, or the parish, the diocese?"(...)
Hollowell, attending a meeting in Saskatoon, could not be reached. END
3) http://www.cfdiocese.org/news/cfweek/stories/1104wind.htm Lambeth Commission report calls for study, contrition, terms of organization By the Rev. Canon George Conger (...) Asked to clarify what the Windsor Report meant by an "expression of regret", Canon Gregory Cameron (Lambeth Staff member) told us regret was "a sense of admitting that this was a wrong turn."(...)
Anglican Communion Network moderator, Bishop Robert W. Duncan of Pittsburgh told a London press gathering on the afternoon of the 18th that he had been perplexed by the Presiding Bishop's expression of regret. "What the Presiding Bishop is suggesting," he said, "is that the received truth of how God has created men and women is a truth that is under change and will be changed. What he is saying effectively is that we know what is ahead and the rest of the Communion will catch up with that. We are sorry that you acted the way you did but you will come to see that we are right."
"He is sorry that it hurts the rest of the body, but he is just going to keep on going" Bishop Duncan remarked, adding that "that's not really a regret."(...)
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