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Dear friends in Christ,
You are invited (if close enough) to join the St. Simon's North Vancouver family this Sunday Nov 23rd for our 'First Year Celebration' of being in our new premises at Lions Gate Christian Academy (420 Seymour River Place, North Vancouver). David North and the staff at the fast-growing LGCA School have made us most welcome.
We will be having one joint Sunday service on Nov 23rd (1st Sunday of Advent, our Christian New Year!), followed by a lunch and Christmas Fair provided by our ACW ladies. The Rev. Caroline Spence, Deacon, from Christ the Redeemer, Pender Harbour will be sharing about her two recent trips to our home Province of Rwanda, where we are licensed by Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini. We thank God for his faithfulness and blessings during our transitions this year. God is good all the time! All the time God is good!
Blessings, Ed Hird+ Rector, St. Simon's Church NV (ACiC) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/ http://www.acicanada.ca
p.s. We are also celebrating our '50 Days of Raising Up Timothys' series on 2 Timothy, which wraps up our 6-month sermon series on 1st and 2nd Timothy, the framework for the book I am currently writing entitled: "Battle for the Soul of Canada: Raising Up Timothys, the Emerging Generation of Leaders". I challenged each of our St. Simon's NV members to prayerfully begin to raise up one Timothy or Timothea during our 50 Day focus.
1a) Please read carefully this most important letter sent out by the Global South Primates who represent the vast majority of world-wide Anglicans http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/article/global_south_primates_response_to_archbishop_rowan_williams/ http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3261 http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/40/75/acns4080.cfm
Global South Primates response to Archbishop Rowan Williams
(GSA Admin note:
This letter is posted here for the benefit of those who attended the Encounter and the people they represent. Archbishop Rowan William's talk and sharing was appreciated and well received with deep gratitude, though as expected, it will raise some questions as well, some which were conveyed by the delegates to the Primates. This letter is a part of the on-going process of dialogue between Global South and the Archbishop of Canterbury and should not be interpreted in other unhelpful ways.)
Archbishop Rowan Williams Lambeth Palace London
November 15th, 2005
Thank you, your Grace, for coming to join us at the Third South South Encounter in Egypt and sharing your thoughts on the four "marks" of the Church as "one, holy, catholic and apostolic." Your attempt to take on this major topic in sweeping strokes was bold, and it was delivered with your usual scholarly eloquence. We agree with what you said. We were disappointed in what you left unsaid, in particular, the application of the Church's identity to the current situation that has left the fabric of our Communion torn at its deepest level.
It should come as no surprise to you that we consider the crisis facing the whole Communion to be a crisis of Biblical authority. For that reason, one of the consistent themes of the entire South to South Encounter has been the supremacy of Scripture and the clarity of its teaching on matters of Christian faith and life.
We were pleased by your positive comments regarding the four papers that were presented to the Encounter. Although it could not be expected that you would interact in a detailed way with them, you could not have failed to have noticed that each paper strongly asserted the authority of Scripture and applied this theme to the current crisis.
They were able to do this because two features marked each paper: First, the attempt to expound biblical theology, reflecting the authority of scripture. Second, the recognition that the four marks of the Church are traditionally used to establish its calling and identity and to delineate its borders. It is for this reason the theme of "one, holy, catholic and apostolic" is particularly apt for this Encounter.
Your approach was to link the marks of the church to one another through Jesus Christ. They are his attributes before they are the attributes of the Church. You referred in particular to Jesus' High Priestly prayer: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." (John 17.17-19)
Promising though this approach is, and in many ways consonant with the gospel, it seemed to offer a way of bypassing rather than expounding the specificity of Scripture. In a sense it transcends the other approaches offered here at the Encounter, but with the danger of a lack of specific application.
Thus, for example, your account of the holiness of the Church focuses on the holiness secured by Christ at the cross and the consequent holiness as a gift to those who are in union with Christ. But you did not take the next step, so obvious in the Epistles, of showing how this holiness of union with Christ is demonstrated in the obedience to the word of God.
Even within the Johannine literature, the connection between faith in Jesus and obedience to his commandments appears repeatedly:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14.15)
"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." (John 15.10)
"By this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (I John 2.3)
"All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us." (I John 3.24)
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." (I John 5.3)
After all, this truth must lie at the heart of holiness: that we so depend on the Lord that we are obedient to his word, whatever the cost. And in the Epistles, this holiness is the holiness of the Church, the holiness of those who build each other up, and also the holiness that must be defended in controversy against false teachers, whether legalists or libertines.
This surely is the context of the Gospel of John because a line has already been drawn against those who have resisted the claims of Christ. John chapters 13-17 are addressed to those who not only have the commandments but also keep them. John 15 warns of the pruning or cutting away of dead branches that have failed to bear fruit because of not abiding in Him and His word. The stark contrast of the language of light/darkness, seeing/blind, life/death shows clearly that there is the realization that disobedience will lead to division and exclusion.
You did offer an indication of how a Christ-centred method may be applied in controversy. You scanned the New Testament for controversies of such magnitude that the unity of the Church was threatened. You instanced two such challenges: over the Person of Christ (I John 2.22) and over the Grace of the Gospel (Galatians 1.8 and 3.2).
By using the same method, however, we may also speedily find another challenge to the unity of the body of Christ posed by unrepented sexual immorality, an offence so flagrant that Paul insisted that the sinner be expelled from the fellowship, and one of a type of sin which he said would cut the offender off from the kingdom of heaven (I Corinthians 5 and 6). So relevant is this to the present crisis in the Communion that we regret that you did not either use it as an illustration of activities that is capable of breaking unity or explain why moral teaching and behaviour is different from other Church-dividing essentials.
Indeed, it is not hard to find in the teaching of Scripture other instances of behaviour and beliefs which require the cessation of fellowship and the breach of unity. The Second Letter of Peter, which you quoted in terms of our participation in the divine nature (1.4) describes division in the church uncannily like the false leaders in our Communion today:
"For, uttering loud boasts of folly, they entice with licentious passions of the flesh men who have barely escaped from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved." (II Peter 2.18-19)
During our daily Bible Studies on 1 and 2 Peter we could not miss the solemn warning about the danger of false prophets among us (note especially the series of "ifs" in 2 Peter 2.4,5). We were reminded, sadly, that there will be 'ignorant and unstable ' people who, finding Paul's sayings "hard" because of the call to holiness and godliness, will twist [them] to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3.17)
This all reminds us of the points established for us at this Encounter, that the marks of the Church summon us to vigilance concerning its faithfulness to apostolic teaching and mission, its unity in the truth of God's word, its holy obedience to the word of the Lord, and the embrace of its catholicity in the wholeness of the authentic gospel which it offers all.
The essence of libertinism is the severing of the grace of Christ from his moral commandments. This, we believe, is at the heart of our present divisions. Although it is right to be reminded both of the grace of God in Christ and of our own frailty and sinfulness, neither the greatness of grace nor the sinfulness of sin can be advanced as reasons for failing in our duty to guard the gospel. The church is, after all, "a pillar and buttress of truth" (I Timothy 3.15) and "Your word is truth" (John 17.17).
Questions and Answers
We are grateful for your willingness to answer the many questions that our members wished to ask, and we hope that you may take time to answer some of those that were not mentioned in the session. Having said this, we do feel that on a number of points your replies raised more questions.
Human Sexuality and Authority
1. We appreciated your acknowledgement of the "overwhelming consensus" of the Church in time and space in believing that sex is intended by God for married couples only and therefore that same-sex sex is unacceptable and cannot be described as "holy and blessed". You stated that you as Archbishop must stand with this consensus. We are most grateful for your unequivocal words. We wonder, however, whether your personal dissent from this consensus prevents you from taking the necessary steps to confront those churches that have embraced teaching contrary to the overwhelming testimony of the Anglican Communion and the church catholic. We urge you to rethink your personal view and embrace the Church's consensus and to act on it, based as it is on the clear witness of Scripture.
2. In the matter of the Civil Partnerships Act, we appreciate the dilemma faced by bishops as members of the House of Lords of the English Government. The willingness of the Government to override clear Christian teaching in an area of life where the church has a unique role raises a serious question whether the church-state relationship is obsolete and a hindrance to the Gospel. According to your explanation, the Roman Catholic Church was able to seek a conscientious exception to the Act for the very reason that it was not part of the Establishment. Surely the Church of England should have sought a similar exception. Not doing so gives the appearance of evil with regard to its "partnered" clergy even if meaningful discipline is exercised and you failed to mention the implication of this new act with regard to the laity that will force all parish clergy to accept openly gay partners to the altar rail on penalty of church discipline.
Instruments of Unity and the Anglican Communion
3. We welcome your pastoral example of coming amongst us as presiding Primate of the Anglican Communion. We recognize the limitations on your office, as the Communion has few legal structures. We agree with you that a Communion Covenant is needed. However, we are troubled by your reluctance to use your moral authority to challenge the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada to call for the immediate cessation of any blessings of same sex unions and on any ordinations of those in such unions in every diocese in the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. The apostle Paul never invoked law for his churches (indeed there was no canon law at that time), but he nevertheless exhorted them to be of one mind with him and to conform their lives to apostolic tradition (II Thessalonians 2.15). We do not see why you cannot warn these churches now, based on the Windsor Report and your own convictions about unity, that they will not be invited to Lambeth 2008 unless they truly repent.
Miscellaneous Questions
4. In regard to the appointment exclusively of first-world liberals to head the Communion Secretariat and committees like the Panel of Reference, we are disappointed with your deferring to "process." You seem to keep saying, "My hands are tied." We urge you to untie your hands and provide the bold, inclusive leadership the Communion needs at this time of crisis and distrust. One area of particular concern is the manner in which people are appointed to the various commissions and task forces, often without the knowledge or recommendation of their Province. We are more than ready to offer you the names of gifted, and highly competent men and women who could serve to guide our Communion into the future.
5. We are glad that you are concerned about new approaches to evangelism in England. We know that Europe has become a spiritual desert, with the European Union even proposing to drop reference to the heritage of Christianity from its Constitution. We urge that re-evangelization and mission to Europe be a top priority of the Church of England and we pledge our support.
6. We also agree with your desire to listen to Muslim views and understanding their context. We applaud the initiatives that you have taken to engage in such conversations. We were pleased to hear your conviction that in all such conversations we pray for opportunities to make a grace-filled presentation of the unique claims of Christ. However, we are troubled by your reference to "crude threatening proselytizing." None of us would support such an approach during these critical times and we wonder to whom you were referring?
Personal
7. We appreciate your sharing the testimony of your own pilgrimage of faith, including your early encounter with Russian Orthodoxy. We agree there is much to learn from other traditions, such as the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Baptists and Pentecostals, who are equally part of the one holy, catholic and apostolic church. We are sure you must feel the shame caused by the brokenness within our own Communion when you interact with these churches ecumenically.
Once again, we wish to commend you for taking the effort to be with us in Egypt.
With gratitude and fraternal greetings
Your brothers in Christ,
The Most Rev'd Peter J. Akinola (Church of Nigeria) The Most Rev'd Dr. Justice Akrofi (West Africa) The Most Rev'd Fidele Dirokpa (Congo) The Most Rev'd Drexel Gomez (West Indies) The Most Rev'd Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda) The Most Rev'd. Bernard Malango (Central Africa) The Most Rev'd Dr. Joseph Marona (Sudan) The Most Rev'd Benjamin Nzimbi (Kenya) The Most Rev'd Henry Orombi (Uganda) The Most Rev'd Remi J. Rabenirina (Indian Ocean) The Most Rev'd Ignacio Soliba (Philippines) The Most Rev'd Gregory Venables (Southern Cone) The Most Rev'd Yong Ping Chung (SE Asia)
Present but had to leave before the final draft was circulated: The Most Rev'd Donald Mtetemela (Tanzania) The Most Rev'd Bernard Ntahoturi (Burundi) The Most Rev'd Dr. Peter Sugandhar (Church of South India)
1b) http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/article/press_release_18_november_2005/ Press Release Friday, 18 November 2005
Our attention has been drawn to some media reports of one or two primates alleging wrongful inclusion of their names in a document they were privy to its formation.
While every person is entitled to a change of opinion, the incontrovertible and indisputable fact remain that at our meeting in El Sukhna, the first draft of the response was circulated to all present to peruse, and give us any additional input or objection. It is pertinent to say NO ONE objected. All those that responded will see that the final draft reflected their inputs.
The presentation of the Archbishop of Canterbury to us was made public and has been widely discussed by many who were not present at our Encounter. It is only fair that our collective response to that publication should also be publicly available. Our response was released when it was fully ready and timing was not deliberately planned as being suggested.
We find it pitiable that the media spin is drawing attention away from the deep Biblical discussions contained in our response.
This controversy has been brought upon us, by those that would undermine all that we stand for in preserving the sanctity of our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith. They are the ones who are dividing the Church. Of course, anyone who wishes to have their name removed from this letter is free to do so. All formal requests to dissociate will be immediately effected.
This information has earlier been communicated to all concerned.
Signed
Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola DD, CON Chair, South -South Encounter
1c) http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/article/plenary_session_1_the_church_is_one/ Read Archbishop Yong Ping Chung's address to the Global South conference
The Global South 'Third Trumpet' Communique
1e) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3273 Lambeth Palace's curt response to the Global South Primates' Letter
2) http://amia.myicontrol.com/index.cfm?id=9F17B864-B01A-4163-BFAB4D3494E2CF90 AMiA Reflections on the South to South Global Primates' Gathering
3) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3285 Posted by David Virtue on 2005/11/21 20:50:00 Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It was another roller coaster ride in the life of the Anglican Communion, perhaps the wildest ride yet. Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola is on a rip and a tear(...)
4a) More slippery words undermining the decision of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Anglican Primates to functionally 'suspend' ECUSA and the Canadian ACC http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2005-11-22_johnpaterson.news Canadian church remains "important part of the Communion" BY DIANA MAVUNDUSE MISSISSAUGA, ONT. NOVEMBER 22, 2005 -- The Anglican Church of Canada "remains an important part of the Anglican Communion," Bishop John Paterson, of Auckland NZ, the chair of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), told members of the Council of General Synod (CoGs).
"The Communion needs Canada and I believe Canada needs the Communion," he said, adding that he hopes that the "listening process" that has been put in place, will allow churches throughout the communion to appreciate each others' differences(...)
The ACC chair apologised to the Canadian church for the treatment it received at the Consultative Council's meeting in Nottingham, Eng., last summer.
Bishop Paterson heard presentations to CoGS by Canadians who attended that meeting, and later told the council that those presentations "made me revisit the daily nightmares I had to face as chair of the ACC. … I did not enjoy the last meeting."(...)
He commended both the Episcopal Church of the United States of America (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada as "exemplary" in the attention they have given the Windsor Report and for meeting all the requests that are contained in the report(...)
Bishop Sue Moxley, one of the Canadian members, told CoGs that the decision to send members but not to allow them to participate was improperly understood by some. She said that while it was important for the Canadians to be in Nottingham, "we should never again allow ourselves to be bullied."
Canon Robert Falby, a presenter, noted with regret that after the Canadian and U.S. presentations, a scheduled sessions allowing members of the ACC to respond was cancelled. "I found that to be a very bad thing," he said.
Canon Falby also noted with concern that there was "a complete misrepresentation of what the position of the Anglican Church of Canada is on the issue of same-sex blessings. Our message was that we are still a church in discussion and that message was deliberately ignored," he noted.
4b) http://anglicanjournal.com/extra/news.html?newsItem=2005-11-22_a.news http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3290 Churches unlikely to pass motion adding primates to ACC, says chair MARITES N. SISON, STAFF WRITER, Anglican Journal (ACC) November 22, 2005 - Mississauga, Ont. Member provinces and churches of the Anglican Communion are not likely to approve a motion that would allow 38 primates around the world to become members of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), according to Bishop John Patterson, ACC chair and bishop of Auckland.
Speaking to members of the Council of General Synod (CoGS) at their meeting here on Nov. 19, Bishop Patterson said there was "a great deal of unease" expressed by ACC members at the possibility of the body being dominated by primates.
"What happened in Nottingham was that there was deep-seated anger from some members of the ACC of primates acting on their own towards ACC," said Bishop Patterson. "The primates decided on an action against two churches who are members of a body (ACC) mandated by the constitution to be consultative. How can it be consultative if two important churches are not able to take part?" He added that among ACC members "there's a feeling that perhaps we shouldn't allow the primates to meet alone ever again." His remark drew laughter from CoGS members(...)
"There was a measure of resentment that the primates had acted precipitately and punitively to the ACC by saying that Canada and ECUSA (Episcopal Church in the United States of America) could not be members of the ACC," said Bishop Patterson in an interview with the Anglican Journal.
Bishop Patterson, who is a former primate of New Zealand, said that it would take about two to three years to complete the ratification process regarding the inclusion of primates to the ACC. The motion, passed during the ACC meeting in Nottingham, requires a two-thirds majority vote from member churches of the Anglican Communion.
"I don't think it will fly. I don't think it will be approved," he said in the interview, noting he was basing his assumption on "a great deal of unease" that he has picked up from a number of churches. "It will take a full two-to-three-year period for all the member churches to meet and engage in a process to find the answer. In that space of time the word will move around as to why people don't agree with it. I think that will gain momentum."(...)
Asked whether there would be a common mechanism for ensuring a consultative process regarding action on the motion, he said, "I'm assuming that it goes before the highest legislative body in each province because that's the way most of us work." He added that "the ACC requires that any changes to its constitution -- and this is one -- does have to be referred in due process to the General Synod or its equivalent in each member church."(...)
He also apologized for the way Canadians were treated at the ACC. Both Canadian and American churches had sent their ACC members to "attend but not participate" in the June 18-29 meeting. While there, the Canadian and American delegation said they had felt "exclusion" and "alienation."
"I deeply apologize," he said. "I've been to six ACC meetings for a period of 15 years and I really enjoyed and appreciated the chance to meet wonderful people around the Communion. But this last year, I cannot say all of those things. I did not enjoy this recent meeting ... The level of rhetoric, unpleasant language from some parts of our leadership in the Communion was distressing to me and I know as distressing to many Anglicans around the world."(...)
"I'm not a conspiracy theorist but some very good minds in the American church suggest that this (the trouble within the Communion) is indeed what it is (a conspiracy) and that really worries me."
4c) http://aacblog.classicalanglican.net/archives/001127.html October 13, 2005 Eames says US and Canada comply with Windsor Source: Church of England Newspaper Number: 5790 Date: Oct 14 2005
The US and Canadian Churches are complying with the Windsor Report, Archbishop Robin Eames of Ireland has declared(...) Saying he was speaking in a private capacity, Archbishop Eames said the March 15 statement released by the US House of Bishops expressed the necessary "regret" and had "exceeded what was asked for by the Windsor Report".
5) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3293 Posted by David Virtue on 2005/11/22 19:30:00 ORTHODOX RECTOR RECEIVES PASTORAL DIRECTIVE FROM FLORIDA BISHOP By David W. Virtue www.virtueonline.org
JACKSONVILLE, FL:(11/23/2005)--The orthodox rector of Grace Church, Orange Park in the Diocese of Florida has received a Pastoral Directive from Bishop John Howard telling him to cease and desist fundraising for a new church he was planting as it had not received his blessing or encouragement.(...)
6) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3279 NEW WESTMINSTER: BISHOP AND DIOCESAN LEADERSHIP OUT TO CRUSH ORTHODOX ANGLICANS By David W. Virtue www.virtueonline.org
VANCOUVER, BC (11/18/2005)--The revisionist Bishop of New Westminster Michael Ingham, and his diocesan leadership, have embarked on a mission to crush and ultimately destroy all orthodox expression of historic Anglicanism in this morally and theologically conflicted diocese(...)
St. John's (Shaughnessy) is one of several parishes that have not paid assessments to the diocese of New Westminster since 2002. Recently the diocese called for a special financial synod to deal with the growing shortage of income coming to the diocese. They have planned to up the basic assessment rate, which has been a flat 12.1 per cent of parish operating revenue, and to increase it to 15.55 per cent for smaller parishes, 16.65 per cent for the middle group, and 17.55 percent for the top third of parishes.
In May of this year the annual Diocesan Synod decided that Stewards in Action, established 15 years ago, will end December 31. At its peak SIA - a voluntary program of giving - raised over $800,000 annually, but recently had brought in less than half of that amount. END
7a) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3236 Posted by David Virtue on 2005/11/13 12:20:00 PITTSBURGH: Bolivian ordains Anglican clerics By Julia Duin, THE WASHINGTON TIMES November 13, 2005
PITTSBURGH -- Conservative Episcopalians brought in a South American bishop yesterday to ordain three deacons and a priest to establish four traditional Anglican churches, including one in Baltimore and one in the District(...)
The Rev. John Yates, rector of the Falls Church, and one of his associates, the Rev. Robert Watkin, were ceremonial presenters for Mr. Haley.
"I support this 100 percent," Mr. Yates said. "This is part of the new church that God is raising up."(...)
Bishop Lyons minced few words in blasting the leadership of the Episcopal Church before a crowd of 2,500 Episcopalians. Their three-day (Anglican Hope and a Future) meeting at the David C. Lawrence Convention Center was sponsored by the Anglican Communion Network, which represents about 200,000 traditional Episcopalians.
"The Episcopal Church has broken fellowship and communion with us," he said(...)
7b) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3235 Posted by David Virtue on 2005/11/12 23:40:00 Pittsburgh bishop expects an effort to oust him By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PITTSBURGH (11/13/2005)--Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh said he expects liberal activists in the Episcopal Church to attempt to depose him as bishop here(...)
8a) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/ Advance Notice: Our 19th Annual Renewal Mission 2006 with Dr. Gil Stieglitz Theme: Vibrant and Healthy: Equipping God's People for Service' Dates: March 24th to 26th Friday to Sunday Location: Richmond Emmanuel Church Co-sponsored by St. Simon's Church NV and Richmond Emmanuel Church. The March 26th March 26th Sunday Evening 7pm Celebration with Dr. Gil will be at Harvest City Church, Vancouver, co-sponsored by the ACiC Coalition and the Vancouver Pastors' Prayer Fellowship.
8b) http://members.shaw.ca/bc.christian.ashram/ Advance Notice: August 4th-7th 2005 Friday to Monday Long Weekend 32nd Annual BC Christian Ashram Retreat at Camp Alexandria, Crescent Beach, BC. The Evangelist/Keynote Speaker will be Bernie Smith, a dynamic communicator from Calgary Alberta. Our Bible Teacher will be Dr. Don Faris, a well-known Canadian Author.
9) http://www.leechprint.com/phil/essentialsmanitoba/about.htm Update on the Banned Group "Manitoba Anglican Essentials"
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