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1a) http://acicanada.ca/node/80 Anglican Church League, Australia Wednesday 18th October 2006 Rwandan Bishop Visits 'Noah's Ark' During Clergy Retreat Submitted by Ed Hird on October 16, 2006 - 8:39pm. ACiC Press Release Oct 16th 2006, Monday
Sunshine Coast , B.C.- Rwandan Bishop Sandy Greene sees the floating in by barge of their new church building as "a very tangible encouragement to the people of Pender Harbour". In his second visit in the past year to BC, Bishop Greene affirmed the great symbolism and encouragement of Pender Harbour's accomplishment for Canadians and Anglicans worldwide.
"I am profoundly impressed," said Bishop Greene, "with the life, health, and forward thinking of the Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC)." Meeting at Pender Harbour this week with ACiC Clergy from across Canada, Bishop Greene affirmed "the delightful fellowship, humour, positive spirit, and hope for the future with the Anglican Coalition."
Bishop Greene sees "great growth and deepened fellowship among the Anglican Coalition as they have moved past the trauma of leaving their former facilities." "The Anglican Coalition", says Bishop Greene, "has moved from the older attraction model to an outreach model of welcoming newcomers."
Bishop Greene also affirmed the upcoming book "Battle for the Soul of Canada" which he says "will give a new way of thinking for Canadians." "This book", says Bishop Greene, "brings a renewed Christian witness rather than simply a reaction to spiritual abuse."
"In the Anglican Coalition", says Bishop Greene, "I see a whole new thing, a completely new outlook, and the birth of a fresh vision for the future."
A video presentation of the ACiC story is available online at http://acicanada.ca/documents/acic.ram. For information on possible affiliation, please click on http://acicanada.ca/affiliate.
A small CD introducing the work of the ACiC is available free of charge and newly released DVD's of talks from Bishop Johnston sharing the vision, passion and DNA of the ACiC are available on request. The ACiC is committed to evangelism, church health and church planting.
For further information about the Anglican Coalition in Canada, please contact the Rev. Paul Carter, ACiC Network Leader at paul@acicanada.ca or (604) 222-4486 or The Rev. Ed Hird, ACiC Communications Leader at ed_hird@telus.net or (604) 929-5350.
Note: To see a picture of Bishop Sandy Greene with the ACiC Clergy, just click on http://acicanada.ca/node/81 - 30 -
1b) http://www.anglicanmissioninamerica.org/index.cfm?id=53CDD931-E771-4404-8F20DC1DB618EB53 (AMiA)
http://www.christianity.ca/frame.html?http://www.acicanada.ca (Christianity.ca, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4836 (Virtueonline) Rising from the Sea on the Sunshine Coast Noah's Ark arrives: the Anglican congregation evicted from their building for supporting the traditional definition of marriage, receives a new building transported by sea.
http://acicanada.ca/node/74 (Anglican Coalition in Canada) Rising from the Sea on the Sunshine Coast
Submitted by admin on October 6, 2006 - 4:35pm. Pender Harbour, BC -Pender Harbour on a calm, sunny day provided the perfect setting, as the crowd gathered for the arrival of their new Church building. A flotilla of boats, with members of the congregation, made its way outside the harbour entrance to escort the new church building. The sense of expectation was immense, as people waited patiently for the barge to arrive. Several onlookers were struck by its similarity in appearance to Noah's Ark. Nickel Brothers' large truck reversed onto the edge of the platform, and slowly the church building was brought to terra firma. Seldom has this community of Pender Harbour witnessed such an event. The size and magnitude of the building filled the carpark. Both the congregation and onlookers were dwarfed by this new facility. The Pender Harbour community has clearly welcomed the arrival of this church building. We expect the new premises to transform the impact of Christ the Redeemer congregation. Just eighteen months ago, the Rev. Barclay Mayo hit the front page of many newspapers as his Christ the Redeemer congregation was evicted from their church building over their stand for the traditional definition of marriage*. They walked away from a building of 2,400 square feet seating 90 people. Yesterday their new building arrived, and last night was moved along the highway to its new home. Once the basement is completed, it will form part of a new 4,800 square foot facility, seating 140 people.
2a)http://www.acl.asn.au/http://www.acl.asn.au (Anglican Church League, Australia)
http://acicanada.ca/node/79 (Anglican Coalition In Canada)
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4853 (Virtueonline) Posted by David Virtue on 2006/10/14 21:50:00 VANCOUVER, BC: ACiC Says 'Common Cause Partner' sold down the river by Panel of Reference Orthodox Canadian Anglicans Respond to the POR
http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/?p=799 (Anglican Mainstream International)
Panel of Reference has "dropped the ball" - ACiC Sunday October 15th 2006, 6:54 am October 14th 2006 Saturday Press Release: ACiC Response to the POR Report about our ACiNW friends Vancouver, BC- We feel sad for our 'Common Cause Partner' ACiNW/Anglican Network in Canada brothers and sisters who have been 'sold down the river' by the Panel of Reference. The Panel of Reference has clearly 'dropped the ball' after such a long period of procrastination. It has been eight years since the Diocese of New Westminster first voted to do same-sex-blessings, and since the orthodox Anglicans in the Greater Vancouver, BC area first appealed for the wider Anglican constituency to intervene. It has been four and a half years ago since the orthodox Anglicans walked out of New Westminster Synod and officially appealed for another orthodox Anglican Bishop to provided oversight. The Panel of Reference does not seem to realize the level of trauma that faithful Greater Vancouver Anglicans have endured during their stand for biblical truth and traditional Anglican morals. This has not been a Sunday School picnic. Many faithful Anglican congregations in Greater Vancouver have been closed, taken over, decimated, or forced to 'move overseas' to Africa to obtain new Anglican jurisdiction and oversight. The POR's suggestion that Holy Cross Abbotsford and Church of the Resurrection, Hope should go back to the diocese, reveals that the POR does not really comprehend the level of spiritual abuse that these two congregations have been through. The POR is encouraging the four remaining ACiNW parishes still in the New Westminster diocese to repay their withheld assessments and go back to the very Synod they courageously walked out from four and a half years ago. In return, all they are offering is a temporary visiting bishop with no jurisdiction. No where does the POR challenge the diocese of New Westminster to repent of its apostasy and immorality. The POR has given the ACiNW a stale crust of bread. We agree with the deep concerns about the POR report expressed by Archbishops Greg Venables and Drexel Gomez. We hope that the rest of the Global South Primates soon speak clearly with one voice about this deeply flawed POR report. This unfortunate, long-delayed POR report merely reinforces our gratitude that two and a half years ago, the Anglican Coalition in Canada http://www.acicanada.ca was rescued from this burning house by our five Global South Anglican primates. We are so grateful that they kept their promises 'not to leave us as orphans'. This Global South solution is readily available to other Canadian Anglicans who are willing to put everything on the line. The Rev Ed Hird+ Communications Officer, Anglican Coalition in Canada http://www.acicanada.ca
2b) http://www.acl.asn.au/ (Anglican Church League, Australia)
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4858 (Virtue Online)\ By David W. Virtue, October 16, 2006 Tuesday 17th October 2006"Panel of Reference Fails to Address Divisive New Westminster issues" "The Panel of Reference was supposed to have saved the day and provided a safe harbour for Evangelicals and Anglo Catholics caught in the Tsunami actions of revisionist bishops in North America, and in other parts of the Anglican Communion. Regrettably the report they delivered, failed. After 20 months of waiting and wondering, the POR last week delivered its first verdict in the case of four orthodox parishes in the ultra-liberal Diocese of New Westminster and its Bishop Michael Ingham, looking for alternative oversight. Instead they found themselves being offered stones instead of bread, reinforcing the option that lawsuits and fights over properties will not stop, and the slow disintegration and polarization of Anglicanism worldwide will continue(...) But a group of Orthodox Canadian Anglicans who broke away from the Diocese of New Westminster over four years ago felt a sense of vindication by their actions and said in a press release that the ANiC were sold down the river by the Panel of Reference has clearly 'dropped the ball' after such a long period of procrastination.
"The Panel of Reference does not seem to realize the level of trauma that faithful Greater Vancouver Anglicans have endured during their stand for biblical truth and traditional Anglican morals. This has not been a Sunday school picnic. Many faithful Anglican congregations in Greater Vancouver have been closed, taken over, decimated, or forced to 'move overseas' to Africa to obtain new Anglican jurisdiction and oversight."
"The POR's suggestion that Holy Cross Abbotsford and Church of the Resurrection, Hope should go back to the diocese, reveals that the POR does not really comprehend the level of spiritual abuse that these two congregations have been through."
"The POR is encouraging the four remaining ACiNW parishes still in the New Westminster diocese to repay their withheld assessments and go back to the very Synod they courageously walked out from four and a half years ago. In return, all they are offering is a temporary visiting bishop with no jurisdiction. Nowhere does the POR challenge the diocese of New Westminster to repent of its apostasy and immorality. The POR has given the ACiNW a stale crust of bread."
In June 2002 the Diocese of New Westminster voted 215-129 in favor of blessing same-sex unions. Bishop Ingham gave his consent. Following that, eight parishes with their clergy and laity withdrew from the diocese and appealed for Alternate Episcopal Oversight (AEO). Over time the number of parishes appealing for AEO grew to 11. The Most Rev. Emmanuel M. Kolini, Archbishop of Rwanda and bishop of Kigali, and more recently, one of two renegade archbishops consecrated four 'missionary' bishops in the Episcopal Church in the United States, to minister to traditional Episcopalians who objected to women priests and other moves toward a more liberal church.(...)
3a) http://www.theamia.org/index.cfm?id=8E8B4ADA-6327-4664-86B1A2BACDE65116 Asian Tiger in Texas Former Anglican Primate Retires August 24, 2006, Anglican Mission in America News It's said that no one retires from ministry, that it's a life calling, defined by identity. That would probably sum up the situation for one of the leading figures in the worldwide Anglican Church, who has retired for a season to Austin, Texas. The Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung, until recently one of 38 Primates, or senior leaders, of the global Anglican Communion, retired from his official duties as leader of the Anglican Church in South East Asia and is now, along with his wife Julia, spending time with his daughter and her family-- especially his grandchildren-in the United States. But he is also bringing his decades of experience and gifting as a pastoral leader to encourage a missionary movement in North America that he helped to define.
Bishop Yong will be spending the next year catching up on some much needed rest following his tenure as Bishop and Archbishop in one of the Anglican Church's fastest growing regions. In addition, he will visit congregations in the Anglican Mission in America and the Anglican Coalition in Canada, two groups that he helped to nurture during the last few years of growing tension in the worldwide Anglican Communion over biblical authority, historic faith and leadership.(...)
One thing AMiA leadership would like to see is Bishop Yong's partnership in planting an ethnic Chinese church among Asian immigrants somewhere in the United States. "This is very much my heart," enthused Yong. "It's important that non-European converts become Christians in churches with a strong gospel understanding. So I want to encourage this evangelism among Chinese groups. It's very much a part of my prayer, but I don't want to follow my private agenda."
The Rev. Silas Ng is pastor of Richmond Emmanuel Church in Vancouver, a Chinese church that is growing rapidly. He counts the Bishop as among his key role models and mentors, having met him in the late 1980's. They worked closely together again following the Diocese of New Westminster's decision in 2002 to bless same sex unions-a decision that went against the rest of the Anglican Communion. Yong formed a group of five Primates that offered covering for churches that wanted to remain connected to historic and biblical Anglicanism. "Archbishop Yong is just like a father loving all the Chinese ethnic congregations. He has been trying his best to save us all since the crisis," offered Ng. "Without his vision, courage and spiritual authority our church might still be in confusion without any growth."
Bishop Yong was back in Vancouver in early September to take part in a celebration of orthodox Anglican churches that are working together in 'common cause', even as the tensions in the Communion escalate, and the realignment of provinces along the fault line of biblical truth unfolds. "As the Anglican Church in the west continues to walk in ways counter to the Bible and to historic faith, it's important to ask--how do the orthodox respond together? Working together is very important," commented Yong.(...)
3b) http://www.christianweek.org/stories/vol20/no14/story1.html October 1, 2006 - Volume 20 Number 14 Orthodox Anglicans reminded of their "common cause" "Let us maximize the possibilities together," says Archbishop Yong Ping Chung
Frank Stirk, BC Correspondent, bc@christianweek.org
RICHMOND, BC-Canada's orthodox Anglicans should not be discouraged by the different paths that people of good faith have followed in response to the near-certain collapse of global communion.
On the contrary, says Malaysian-born Archbishop Yong Ping Chung, their common deep commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ means that God can-and will-somehow use them to help birth a renewed and revitalized Anglican Communion.
"Our God has a bigger plan," says Yong, who is now retired as the pastoral overseer of nearly 300,000 Anglicans in the nine nations of southeast Asia. "Sometimes we only see the little bit. He never reveals the whole thing and says, 'Come and see.'"
Yong was in the Vancouver area this September at the invitation of the Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC), a group of ten churches in B.C. and Saskatchewan that have left the Anglican Church of Canada and are now linked to the global Communion through the Anglican province of Rwanda.
Under the banner of "Common Cause," Yong brought together the leadership of about half a dozen disparate associations of churches and groups of individuals-who, in his words, "have not bowed down to Baal"-to remind them of their shared desire to evangelize and plant new churches(...)
"Archbishop Yong really symbolizes the passion of orthodox Anglicanism," says ACiC network leader Paul Carter.
"Although [the crisis within the Communion] seems tortuous and long...and there is inevitably a difference of opinion around the immediate strategic approaches, what his visit does is show very clearly to Anglicans in Canada that a new day is dawning."(...)
4) http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2002-06-28_ll.news Rwandan archbishop supports New Westminster dissidents LEANNE LARMONDIN, WEB MANAGER, Anglican Journal ( Four years later) VANCOUVER, JUNE 28, 2002 -- Dissident Anglican clergy who walked out of their diocesan synod, protesting a vote to allow same-sex blessings, have an offer of "ecclesiastical protection" from a bishop far afield of their Vancouver-area diocese of New Westminster. The offer -- described as "meaningless" by the bishop of New Westminster -- comes from Emmanuel M. Kolini, archbishop of Rwanda and bishop of Kigali, and more recently, one of two renegade archbishops who last year consecrated four 'missionary' bishops in the Episcopal Church in the United States, purportedly to minister to traditional Episcopalians who objected to women priests and other moves toward a more liberal church. In his letter, Archbishop Kolini wrote that communion, or the relationship of the diocese of New Westminster with the Anglican church worldwide, "has been jeopardized by the schismatic acts" of the synod. He sympathized with the clergy for the so-called "threats toward you and numerous others concerning your clerical licenses," and assured them "we will not recognize any such efforts." The archbishop added that he would be willing to share with others "the possibility of ecclesiastical protection." (...) The bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, last week sent a letter to a dozen clergy who walked out of synod June 15 asking whether they wished to remain licensed in the diocese of New Westminster "under my jurisdiction and authority as your diocesan bishop." In his letter, Bishop Ingham appealed to the clergy to "stay within the diocesan family and continue to exercise your ministry among us." The deadline for responding is July 2, 2002. In an interview, Bishop Ingham denied the letter was a threat, but rather, he said, it was a letter for clarification. I want to know whether the walkout was a protest or had they resigned," said the bishop. If the clergy had resigned from the diocese, Bishop Ingham said, he would need to declare vacancies in those parishes affected. Clergy and members of parishes are free to leave the church at any time, he said, but the land and buildings are property of the diocese. Bishop Ingham, who has only seen a Web site version of Archbishop Kolini's letter, called the offer of episcopal protection "meaningless" since the archbishop has no jurisdiction in Canada. "He has never been in contact with me or tried to ascertain the facts of the situation," said Bishop Ingham. "He is clearly being manipulated by this dissident group which is feeding him partial information." Rev. Ed Hird, incumbent of St. Simon's North Vancouver and a spokesperson for the dissident clergy, said his group had sent a response to Bishop Ingham, who had not yet received it by Thursday afternoon. In an interview, Mr. Hird declined to discuss the particulars of the clergy response but said his group had not left the diocese, but rather, it is the diocese which is acting in isolation of the church worldwide. "We withdrew from synod because we think synod acted schismatically," said Mr. Hird. The group, which now calls itself the Anglican Communion in New Westminster, was asking even before the diocesan synod for the appointment of another bishop to minister to them. Such an appointment is called alternative episcopal oversight. Prior to Archbishop Kolini's offer, Mr. Hird was confident that a Canadian bishop would step in and offer his oversight. Thirteen Canadian bishops (just under one-third of the country's bishops) issued a statement two days after the New Westminster synod, decrying its decision. They called on the diocese to withhold implementation of same-sex blessings. Mr. Hird called the 13 bishops "very supportive" but said it would be difficult for a Canadian bishop to offer episcopal oversight, since, he suggested, the bishop might be disciplined by the primate, Archbishop Michael Peers. Bishops may not exercise jurisdiction outside their dioceses, unless another bishop requests it. Meanwhile, the dissident clergy continue to explore their options, which could include closer ties with a continuing or parallel church in the United States, said Mr. Hird. That church, the Anglican Mission in America, is led by the bishops consecrated in June, 2001 in Denver by Archbishop Kolini and Archbishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia. The AMiA -- about 40 congregations which parted with the Episcopal Church in the United States -- is considered a splinter group by many in the Anglican Communion. George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, called the consecrations of the missionary bishops -- who serve within the territorial boundaries of the Episcopal Church -- "at best irregular and at worst schismatic." AMiA members, however continue to consider themselves part of the Anglican Communion, through their connections with the Anglican provinces of Rwanda and South East Asia.
5a) http://www.christianity.ca/church/outreach/2006/10.000.html (Christianity.ca, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)
The Gift of Gentleness Offer the people in your neighbourhood a gentle gift. Offer them Alpha. by Ed Hird One of the great gifts of the world-renowned Alpha Course is its gentleness. Canadians do not like to be pressurized or have the Gospel shoved down their throat. Some have a great fear that somehow religious people will brainwash them and force them to do something that they do not want to do. The Alpha Course goes back to Paul's teaching to his protégé Timothy that sharing our faith needs to be gentle, kind and gracious (see 2 Timothy 2:25). As the past chair/president for Alpha Canada, and the current national Alpha chaplain, I know from first-hand experience what a gift the Alpha Course has been to so many. Having just visited Newfoundland and the Maritimes to attend the largest Christian Ashram retreat in the world with over 800 participants, I was privileged to hear hundreds of stories from Eastern Canadians whose lives have been deeply impacted by the Alpha Course. Over the past two years I have spoken at Christian Ashrams in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and once again I heard remarkable stories of Canadians whose lives have been decisively changed by an Alpha Course. Nicky Gumbel has been strongly linked in many Canadian minds with Alpha. Nicky Gumbel was a successful lawyer in London who was convinced that the Christian faith had nothing to offer him. His impression of Christianity was dreariness and lack of inspiration. His impression of many clergy was that of undertakers. Nicky thought that Christianity was also totally irrelevant. He couldn't see how something that happened 2000 years ago and so many thousands of miles away could have any relevance to him in modern life. Nicky was also convinced that the Christian faith was intellectually indefensible. At age 14 he wrote an essay in which he tried to destroy the whole of Christianity and disprove the existence of God. Nicky went through a phase when he enjoyed arguing with Christians just for the pleasure of exposing their "falsity." Life is full of strange and unexpected turn-of-events. One of those turn-of-events was that Nicky Gumbel became so convinced of the relevance and truth of Christianity that he even became an Anglican priest. A few years before, the idea of becoming a pastor would have been the farthest thing from his mind-almost laughable. And yet it happened. A number of years later, millions of people all around the world are finding that Nicky Gumbel's Alpha Course presentation is helping them live a more meaningful life. Seekers and unchurched people really love this safe opportunity to explore the meaning of life. All around the world, on every continent, people are taking the Alpha Course. Part of what makes Alpha tick is the wonderful fellowship during 11 weeks as people eat delicious meals together whenever they meet, but most important, people share questions. So often the questions of life can really weigh us down, but many are saying that this course has answered a lot of their deepest questions about life. That is why the symbol of the Alpha Course is a person carrying a very large and heavy question mark. No question is taboo at Alpha. No one is put down or criticized. Nicky Gumbel's video presentations every week are thought-provoking and challenging. The discussion that follows is free-wheeling and very engaging. The Holy Spirit weekend in the middle of the course is the lynchpin that holds it all together. I so much value the gentle freedom in the Spirit modeled by the Alpha Course. Conservatively, I would estimate that over 370 people so far have attended our St. Simon's North Vancouver Alpha courses. Many other congregations on the North Shore are also hosting an Alpha Course. I commend Alpha http://www.alphacanada.org to you as a gentle gift to the people in your neighbourhood. For more info, you are invited to phone 778-772-5464, or e-mail stsimonsministry@gmail.com
The Reverend Ed Hird is the rector of St. Simon's Church North Vancouver. Originally published in part in the book Battle for the Soul of Canada. Reprinted in North Shore News, August 18, 2006, and Vancouver Courier, September 15, 2006.
5b) http://acicanada.ca/node?from=5 (Anglican Coalition in Canada News) Battle for the Soul of Canada - by The Rev. Ed Hird Submitted by admin on October 2, 2006 - 9:23pm. The book Battle for the Soul of Canada will be out by Mid-November 2006. The price will be $15.00, plus shipping and handling. ($3.50 S&H only applies within Canada) There is a special pre-publishing discount for those who pre-order the book before it is published. Just send a check addressed to "Ed Hird" for $11.50 (Can), plus shipping and handling ($3.50 in Canada). By surface to the USA, the total cost would be $17.15 USD (by air, $18.28 USD). The mailing address is: Ed Hird, #1008-555 West 28th Street, North Vancouver, BC, V7N 2J7, Canada. Checks can only be accepted from USA, England and Canada. All others need to send bank drafts.
From: office@ptlb.com [mailto:office@ptlb.com] Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 11:01 AM PRAYING WITH DEPTH AND BREADTH by Dr. Gil Stieglitz Dear Teammates, I have been very interested in encouraging prayer with Biblical depth throughout the country so I am sending you a prayer guide that I developed some time ago. It will come every week to prompt you to pray in some directions that you may not have thought to pray. I hope that you enjoy and use it. Some of the prayer prompts will be quite long and some will be short. It is, however, designed to guide you to pray in some new directions. Spending Pray that you would see the opportunities to make and receive all the income God wants to give Pray that you would be diligent to say no to impulsive spending Pray that you would stay on top of where the money is going and is that wise Pray that you would remain tender to groups, individuals, and organizations that need funds Pray that your tithe might be given out of real worship
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