The Diocese of New Westminster (DNW) initiated action against St. Matthew’s Abbotsford and St. Matthias”‘St. Luke Vancouver on August 26th and is seeking to take over governance of the parishes. We are deeply disappointed by this action as it fails to recognize:

* repeated attempts by the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) parishes to seek dialogue before litigation;
* repeated statements from the Primate of Canada that any such action will damage the public witness of the church;
* repeated calls from the Anglican Communion to refrain from such hostile action.

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The Diocese has taken steps under Canon 15 towards removing clergy who have left the Anglican Church of Canada rather than accepting the decisions of the Diocesan Synod and General Synod.

The Diocese has invoked the provision that returns control of the parishes to the Diocese, an action that was approved by Diocesan Council.

The parishes are St. Matthew’s Abbotsford and St. Matthias and St. Luke, Vancouver. Former diocesan clergy who have continued working in the parishes are Trevor Walters, Michael Stewart, and Don Gardner at St. Matthew’s, and Simon Chin at St. Matthias and St. Luke.

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The news of her appointment as the eighth bishop of Christchurch was heralded by a phone call at 4.30 one morning in February and was greeted with “excitement and delight, and a firm prayer to God that `we’re in this together You made this happen so don’t leave me now’.”

[Victoria] Matthews has just returned from the Lambeth Conference, the once-in-a-decade worldwide gathering of the Anglican Church which the Bishop of Nelson, Richard Ellena, described as the “most expensive exercise in futility” he had ever been to.

The 20-day conference was attended by 650 bishops and cost around $15 million to stage but seemed to do little to heal the schism over the appointment of gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions.

“I couldn’t disagree more,” Matthews said of Ellena’s comments. “It was a profound gathering. We went in with our differences… but as time went on people began to see they needed to set aside their differences and stay together for the sake of the Church. That’s not an exercise in futility.”

Matthews is part of the Anglican Communion that agreed at the conference not to go ahead with the blessing of same-sex unions but is open to further discussion on it.

“As I understand it the Anglican Church, in this province, recognises two ways of life. One is marriage, which is between a man and a woman. And the other is celibacy. But if you think I’m going to be the sexual police, you’re wrong. I’m not going to be out with my torch peering into people’s bedrooms to see what they’re up to.”

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The conference has ended now with the final plenary in the big tent and the Closing Eucharist in Canterbury Cathedral. The Anglican Communion exists at many levels. Jane Williams said this afternoon in her closing remarks that whatever gets decided or not decided by the bishops, whatever declarations and statements are made, the spouses are clear that communion is about relationships. They will remain together whatever happens.

Archbishop Rowan, in his final address, said something similar. A covenant, he said, can take many forms. Individual bishops can covenant with each other for prayer, mutual support and common mission. He seemed to be suggesting that, whatever the political outcomes of the current disagreements-the Body of Christ is capable of sustaining many layers of relationship.

The Archbishop’s closing address was both clear and, at the same time, highly nuanced. He would like to see official rites for same-sex blessing withdrawn and invading bishops go home. At the same time, he recognizes this may not be possible for everyone for the sake of conscience. While calling for uniformity he also recognizes that the Church needs the questions of its innovators and the voices of its prophets. He seemed to chastise us but, also, to rule us on-side. I’ll try to bring Lambeth home, and we’ll have to consider deeply what it wants us to do. But for now, I want to thank all of you for your prayers.

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One of the key benefits of this Lambeth conference was the opportunity it afforded Anglican leaders from throughout the world, including our own Primate, Archbishop Greg, to meet together in groups, as well as one-on-one, to discuss important matters. There have been many reports of positive “indaba” and Bible study group meetings.

There have also been reports of frustration. Frustration that Lambeth, by design, did not produce any further clarity on the crisis ”“ no clear direction, no decisions. However, this was indeed by design and was cited by bishops who chose not to attend as one of the factors in their decision. Two Primates ”“ one attending Lambeth, one not ”“ spoke passionately and eloquently of the intransigent anti-Christian actions of the North American churches, actions that precipitated the crisis. I have great respect for both Archbishop Deng Bul (Sudan) and Archbishop Orombi (Uganda) for their courage in taking their stands when silence would have been far easier.

I was struck by the marked contrast between what I was hearing from Lambeth and what I experienced at the GAFCon meeting only a few weeks earlier in Jerusalem. The ambiguity and confusion created by Lambeth is in stark contrast to the clarity and joy of GAFCon. While Lambeth focused on holding together institutional unity in the absence of spiritual unity, GAFCon manifested the genuine unity of those who share the same Lord, the same Truth and the same Spirit. Those of us privileged to be in Jerusalem in June experienced daily symphonies of praise as brothers and sisters in Christ worshipped together in “one accord”.

Sadly, Lambeth again clearly demonstrated that there are those who call themselves Anglicans who have strayed far from Christian truth and have embraced another lord and a different gospel. The Archbishop of Canterbury, I believe, is struggling to do the impossible ”“ hold together under the Anglican banner two utterly incompatible religions. Thus, the incoherence, the confusion, and the contradictions contained in the Lambeth documents. Compare the 42 page Lambeth “Reflections” document which says everything, but in the end says nothing, to the four page GAFCon statement, which offered a clear statement of faith and outlined next steps.

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There seems little chance that all Canadian Anglican clergy will honor the moratorium on blessing same-sex unions requested by the worldwide Anglican communion.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, leader of the global Anglican church, warned on Sunday that the 80-million-member church would be “in grave peril” if the U.S. and Canadian branches did not agree to moratoriums on same-sex blessings and on the ordination of gay bishops.

But the head of the Canadian church, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, told Reuters in a phone interview on Wednesday it would be especially tough for Bishop Michael Ingham of the British Columbia diocese of New Westminster to halt the homosexual blessings altogether.

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On the one hand, most of the bishops’ time was taken up with discussion in what were called “Indaba” discussion groups of about 40 bishops each in which the focus was listening and mutual understanding. “It was a great success,” he said.

But there were also presentations made by the Windsor Continuation Group, a committee of three Primates, two other bishops, and a retired Dean, which the Archbishop of Canterbury set up and charged with finding a “way forward” for the Communion based on the 2004 Windsor Report.

Bishop Ingham said he felt the Windsor Continuation Group demonstrated “rigidity and a lack of wisdom.”

“The primary mindset of the Windsor Group is conformity or exclusion. As yet they display no capacity for creating space, only for taking it away.”

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While much attention has been given to how the world’s Anglican bishops, who gathered here for their once-a-decade conference, have sought ways of mending relationships fractured by deep divisions over homosexuality, there were a host of other life and death global issues that preoccupied them.

The 670 bishops ended their Lambeth Conference here with a 42-page document, entitled Reflections, which they called a “narrative” that seeks to “describe our lived experiences and the open and honest discussions we have had together”¦”

In it, aside from addressing issues around human sexuality and unity, the bishops expressed their views on ecumenism, human and social justice, the environment, relations with other world religions, strengthening Anglican identity, and issued statements of solidarity to people around the world who are in situations of conflict.

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said that the conference had, as a whole, been “consistent” with the theme of equipping bishops as leaders in mission. “The mission of the church in the world was a really major focus, particularly in the first half of the conference,” he said in an interview with the Anglican Journal. “We talked about everything from evangelism to our work with other churches to things like the Millennium Development Goals.” He said that the discussions that bishops had showed “a church very much engaged with the suffering and hope of the world.”

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Archbishop [Fred] Hiltz said “it’s very difficult” to predict what the outcome of the bishops’ conversations would be. The next two days, prior to the last day of the conference on Aug. 3, have been devoted to the discussion on the proposed Anglican Covenant and the Windsor Process.

“There’s a huge amount of goodwill here on the part of people but there’s a pile of posturing that’s going on at this point,” he said. “My sense is that in spite of hearings and all that sort of thing, it feels to me like people are still talking past one another.” He said that while in his indaba group he found that people were “really trying hard to listen, to hear from whence the other person is coming from,” he did not experience “that same kind of respectful listening in the hearing process.”

He said that “people are trying hard to get along and to be respectful but I think the reality is that we’re in the closing few days of the conference and we’re dealing at this point with the most controversial thing in this conference.” He added: “People are feeling all kinds of pressure to have their own views heard, to save the communion, to keep it together. Others are under the pressure of saying they wouldn’t act until they consult with others. All the kind of expectations and pressures that people brought to the conference are now really coming into focus in these last few days. These are going to be challenging days.”

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Bible Study was John 13:31-14:17. We very dutifully did the first question, “How has John’s radical paradox, that God’s glory is most visible at moments of apparent weakness and vulnerability, been part of your church’s story?” There were some profound examples. However the Indaba coming up would be “The Bishop and Human Sexuality”. We agreed that it would be easier to speak among ourselves about our views than in the bigger group of 40 people. As you might expect, among the nine of us there was the usual range of views on sexuality, but there was no bitterness or any accusations. There was agreement that spreading of misinformation had caused damage to the Communion. Campaigns on behalf of one party or another were not appreciated by anyone and mainly create backlash. (There is a constant barrage of information on Gay and Lesbian people here including a demonstration as we exited from the hearing on the Scripture.)

The Indaba Group was also very honest. The biggest concern is about the ordination of actively homosexual people, with the blessings of same sex couples a long way behind. It is clear that sexual sins (which were listed by many to include divorce, promiscuity, adultery, same sex unions) are far more important to people than any other sins (like violence within family, greed, unethical business practice)….

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Today was the day the media had been waiting for. The bishops were going to talk about human sexuality. First though came bible study on the passage “I am the way, the truth and the life.” As has been true since we began we had a wide ranging discussion about this text which inevitably took in the question of sexuality. As was the case later in the day in the Indaba session, conversation was intense but offered in a sense of trust and against the Background that all want the Communion to hold together. We now await the text from the reflections group who will attempt to find the appropriate words to describe our thoughts. Key for me was the tone of the conversation which was respectful and honest. No punches were pulled and everyone was heard.. If I had not known it before I now am aware of the impact that actions in North America have in the areas of evangelism and mission in many parts of Africa. Equally they know that we (Canada) have been proceeding faithfully in accordance with our procedures and that as a national church we have not made a decision.

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A member of the Windsor Continuation Group (WCG) has stated that the body’s proposal for a “retrospective” moratorium on same-sex blessings means that dioceses such as Vancouver-based New Westminster “will be asked to reconsider and withdraw that right.”

The words “retrospective moratorium”, which has the potential to affect a number of Canadian dioceses, has caused confusion among Canadian bishops attending the decennial Lambeth Conference here. Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said this, along with other proposals put forward by the WCG, was a matter that the house of bishops and the Council of General Synod ”“ the church’s governing body between General Synods ”“ would have to discuss.

Bishop Victoria Matthews, a member of the WCG and bishop of the diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand, said with the retrospective moratorium, “it isn’t just from here on there will be no new ones”¦”

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he global Anglican Communion got through its scheduled day of reckoning over homosexuality yesterday with Toronto Bishop Colin Johnson giving credit to the Holy Spirit for avoiding an open split between liberal and conservative bishops.

Less bullish observers of the church’s decennial Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, England – attended by more than 600 bishops – chalked up the absence of rift to a boycott by 230 prelates who say homosexuality is against God’s will, and a conference structure carefully crafted to rule out decisions being made.

Bishop Johnson, acting as spokesman for fellow liberals at the closed talks, said he couldn’t speak for any bishops having changed their minds during the one day scheduled for discussion of sexuality but “I think probably some have nuanced their positions. … The conversation continues. We are continuing to engage.

“The third party in the conversation is the Holy Spirit, and in listening to one another and the Holy Spirit we can have an encounter and be transformed.

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3. It seeks to impose a singular uniformity upon the complex diversity of our Communion. I quite understand that in some parts of the Anglican Communion homosexuality is subject to criminal law and cultural prohibition. However, I live in a country where homosexual people enjoy the same rights and responsibilities under the law as every other citizen. To discriminate against homosexual people, as this document suggests, is no more acceptable in Canada than to discriminate against women, black people or Jews. If this becomes the position of the Communion, it will put the Anglican Church of Canada in the position of having to support and defend irrational prejudice and bigotry in the eyes of our nation.

We already live with a good deal of diverse practice across the Anglican Communion ˆ in the ordination of women, the re-marriage of divorced persons, and the admission of the baptized and unconfirmed to Communion. Why can we not live with a similar diversity in this matter too?

4. It ignores reality. Whatever this document says, illegal incursions will continue. We have heard already how they continue to happen even in places that maintain the traditional position of the Church on homosexuality. And furthermore, gay and lesbian people will not go away, nor will they be healed, because they are not sick. It is the church that is suffering from blindness and prejudice, and it is we who need to repent and be healed.

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Bishop Clive Handford, WCG chair and former primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East, clarified that “retrospective” did not imply that Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop of New Hampshire, would have to resign.

“We are not anywhere intending to imply that Bishop Gene Robinson should resign. We are aware that (he) was elected bishop according to the processes of The Episcopal Church, whatever we may think of that,” said Bishop Handford.

Bishop Michael Ingham, whose diocese ”“ New Westminster ”“voted to allow same-sex blessings in 2002, reacted strongly to the WCG’s proposals, describing it as “an old-world institutional response to a new-world reality in which people are being set free from hatred and violence.”

In a statement, Bishop Ingham called the WCG document ”“ copies of which were distributed to bishops for discussion ”“ “punitive in tone, setting out penalties and the like, instead of inviting us into deeper communion with one another through mutual understanding in the body of Christ.” He added that the suggestion of a pastoral forum “institutionalizes external incursions into the life of our churches.”

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This is a good place from which to participate in the Lambeth Conference which is trying to build something new while living in the ruins of a succession of spiritual communities. As everyone knows, we are in crisis, and what at one time seemed primarily an abstract problem of theological coherence has caused the Anglican Communion to begin to break up.

It is an unprecedented situation which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has decided needs an unprecedented response. Gone is the approach of the last hundred years of Lambeth Conferences, which developed, debated and voted on large numbers of substantive resolutions in a parliament of bishops. In the Archbishop`s view, resolutions (notably Resolution 1.10 of the last Lambeth Conference which addressed the blessing of same sex unions and bishops invading each other’s jurisdictions) only heighten tensions in the Communion and are rarely put into action. In its place he has instituted a heavily managed process of small group discussions on prescribed topics, interspersed with optional lectures and presentations on related (and unrelated) topics.

Interestingly, the Archbishop has by a tour de force single-handedly altered the balance of power between his own office and that of the Lambeth Conference. For his power is now no longer simply one of invitation to the bishops to a conference which he hosts. It is one in which he now decides what the bishops can and cannot do when they gather. This is easy to exaggerate, and I know the Archbishop has no lust for power, but it is worth observing, if only as a footnote.

To my knowledge, the only person who has called the Archbishop`s bluff, and that affectionately and only by implication, was that wise observer of the Anglican scene, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, who, in a sparsely attended `self-select` session on the Windsor Report on Wednesday, teasingly observed that the main difference between the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and the Archbishop of Canterbury was that the Archbishop of Canterbury exercised infinitely more power over his bishops.

Read it carefully and read it all (by the way knowledgeable readers may know that Kallistos Ware is a former Anglican).

The topic for Friday, Day 4 was “Serving Together: The Bishop and Other Churches. The Eucharist was led by the Church of North India and the Church of Bangladesh.

The Bible Study covered John 8:31-59, which includes disputes between Jesus and the Jewish authorities of the day – in the midst of which occurs the startling statement by Jesus that “before Abraham was, I am.” Interestingly, John tells us that this conversation is with some who “had believed in him”. We were challenged to re-hear the story as followers who have believed, and to consider the ways in which Jesus’ hard words might be spoken to us.

The Indaba groups discussed the main topic, which was essentially around the bishop’s role in ecumenical relationships. We had some good solid discussions about the foundations of Christian “koinonia” in our group, focusing on the Apostolic Witness as recorded in Scripture – particularly Ephesians 4:1-6. There was some interesting variation from different perspectives, but a very large amount of agreement in most of it.

Later in the afternoon, I attended a “self-select” group in which Abp Rowan, Kallistos Ware and some other ecumenical representatives (including RC) discussed the Windsor report and its ecclesiology (its theological understanding of the nature of the Church). A very helpful bit that came out was the observation that koinonia (fellowship or communion) is a mystery, and a gift of God which is a reality already given and undergirding our efforts to mend the broken relationships that exist between Christian Church bodies.

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I should have known better. I should have understood that a City with such a rich and extensive history as Canterbury cannot be “done” in one day. My original assumption was that I would spend perhaps twenty minutes in the Cathedral, take the thirty-minute train ride to Goodenstone Park Garden and then on to Augustine’s Abbey. I might even tuck in a castle or two along the way, I thought. Can’t be done. In the end, I spent two and a half hours “communing with saints” in the Cathedral. Then, it was almost lunch time and it seemed wiser to abandon my ambitious plan of taking the entire county of Kent in a day and stay right here in Canterbury. A visit to the Norman Castle (dating back to the 11th century) and a couple of museums wrapped up the day.

The Cathedral visit was incredibly satisfying; a truly fulfilling and spiritual experience. There was a strong awareness for every moment of the visit that I was physically present and meditating in the exact physical location that thousands and thousands of people – going back to the sixth century A.D. – have been. There was a sense of being in communion with all those saints and recognizing once again the vastness of this holy family both in space and time. A truly awesome experience that language simply cannot fully express.

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Perhaps my favorite time in Orlando was spent in a small group with Dr. J. I. Packer. It is hard to overestimate Packer’s impact on evangelical Christianity. The graciousness he afforded me to sit on a couch and ask him questions for more than an hour was humbling and helpful. He is very clear minded at age eighty-two and he remains incredibly conversant, insightful, and witty. Impressively, his words are impeccably precise.

As we sat on the couch together, he explained that Anglicanism is patterned after the ancient Roman governmental system so that a bishop has jurisdiction over a geographic area. However, this long-established ecclesiological pattern has been breached because Anglicanism is suffering from “heretical bishops.” By “heretical bishops,” Packer was referring to those bishops who sanction homosexual activity. He explained that the “heretical bishops” won support for their position following much lobbying. This sadly required Bible-believing Anglican churches to come under the authority of other orthodox bishops outside of their geographic area rather than remain under “heretical bishops.”

When asked about calling those who support homosexuality and profess to be Christian “heretical,” Packer very carefully and insightfully explained what he meant.

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The following comments are reflections from my own notes but full texts of many addresses are on the Lambeth website.

We are called here to conversation where we acknowledge one to another the importance of this Anglican Communion. We believe in the communion as an inclusive community but where inclusivity does not equal anything goes. Even as we celebrate unity in diversity, we are challenged to ask ourselves what the limits are of such diversity, and to hold before us at all times the thought that God has called this Communion into being and has a purpose for it. We have been reminded that a divided church cannot with integrity preach a gospel of reconciliation to a broken world.

We are not here to reinforce one another’s anxieties, but to fix our hope upon Jesus and to remind each other of the hope of what God has done, is doing and will do, in opening a new and living way in Jesus Christ. We are continually called to look at God’s mission in the world and our part in that mission.
Each person at this conference and in the wider communion is called to be a place where God is revealed. For each one of us we ask ‘where have you seen the Son of God revealed?’ “How did you recognize him?”

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Canada’s leading female Anglican cleric has courted controversy at a major church conference in Britain by predicting the eventual rise of a woman as Archbishop of Canterbury.

“The signposts are pointing in one direction,” former Edmonton bishop Victoria Matthews told Reuters on Tuesday during a global gathering of Anglican bishops at the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference. “I would be very surprised if it wasn’t accepted worldwide.”

Matthews, whose recent selection as the Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand, sparked an uproar among conservative Anglicans in that country, also shot back at Vatican officials who have complained the Church of England’s July 8 decision to begin appointing female bishops poses “a further obstacle for reconciliation” between Catholics and Anglicans.

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The Indaba groups met today, twice, for the first time. We are considering the Windsor report, not with the idea of decision but with the idea of discussion. I anticipate that the discussions may be frank, direct, challenging and difficult as we listen hard to those with whom we might disagree, recognizing that we are all children of God and people loved by God. The early reviews seem to show that the conversations will vary from group to group. I pray that in all these activities God will be present and will be with us to lead the way.

Dinner provided a change of pace, as a Maori group from New Zealand celebrated a birthday of one of their members with great singing in the dining hall. The Australians, with whom they are clearly friends, offered some good natured gibes and the Maoris responded with what appeared to be an animated battle song. The dining hall erupted with laughter and applause – a welcomed respite from the serious matters under discussion during the day.

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Dr. Packer opened his remarks with a statement explaining why this issue is of such great importance in the Anglican Church today. “In brief,” he said, “because it involves the denial of something that’s integral to the Christian Gospel.

“That is, whereas the Bible says that same-sex unions are off limits as far as God is concerned, and that the Gospel requires any who have been involved in them to repent of that involvement and to abandon it, this point of view against which we are standing, treats gay unions…as a form of holiness, and encourages, affirms and blesses them, rather than saying, as we believe the Gospel requires us to say, that this is the wrong track.”

“You are required to abandon it and we, in the Christian fellowship, will help you to”¦walk chaste, not yield to your besetting temptations,” he continued. “And that is God’s way for you. We are obliged by the Gospel to say that because the apostle Paul, proclaiming the Gospel to the Corinthians, says explicitly that they mustn’t be deceived”¦and those living in homosexual relationships will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

“In other words, they don’t qualify for Christ’s salvation in terms of the Gospel that God has revealed.”

Dr. Packer asserted that the blessing of same-sex unions is a direct contradiction of Scripture and there can be no compromise on the issue.

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Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has expressed optimism about the Lambeth Conference saying that the three-day retreat for Anglican bishops that began on July 16, at the historic Canterbury Cathedral had been “a great start.”

Archbishop Williams made the remark during a very brief interview with the Anglican Journal at the reception last night for the book launch of Marriage, Mitres and Myself, authored by his wife, Jane, with contributions from other bishops’ spouses.

More than 600 bishops have been divided into Bible Study groups as part of the retreat and Canterbury Cathedral, which attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists worldwide, has been closed to visitors during the three-day retreat to accommodate them.

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In his compelling account of four years of captivity in Lebanon, the Anglican cleric Terry Waite writes of the time he was given a radio by his captors, tuned in to the BBC and immediately heard a fellow Anglican priest giving a broadcast sermon. At last, he thought, some inspiring and wise words, a life line to sanity. “Let us consider,” opined the voice, “the case of Winnie the Pooh.”

Absurd and banal but, still, oddly comforting. And quintessentially Anglican. Because the Church of England has cultivated an image of gentleness, compromise and tolerance in a world that increasingly exhibits none of these qualities. Indeed, there are within the Anglican Communion scores of some of the finest people one could ever meet. But the latest schism within the denomination has exposed the core nastiness of a bitingly exclusive institution.

The glimmering paradox of the church is that it guards its ostensible moderation with a grim determination, as so many orthodox Christian believers can testify. They have been persecuted in Canada and beyond for two decades by the liberal hierarchy, and it is only now, after so many attacks, that they are fighting back to the point of separation.

None of this, however, should come as any surprise…

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For some, [blessing non-celibate same sex unions] is a communion-breaking issue. Those who feel this way say that others have departed from the authority of the word of God, and from the orthodox expression of the faith and tradition of the church’s teaching on sexuality. They are so convinced of these things that they feel compelled to leave the national expression of the church to which they belong.

For others, however, this is not a communion-breaking issue. It is certainly controversial and has created strained relations within the church. But many people remain convinced of the need for continuing conversation. They are committed to principles of intentional listening, mutual respect, constructive dialogue and a capacity for tolerance of a variety of theological perspectives on this matter. For a great number of people, the conversation centres on being faithful to the word of God.

Many say, as a group of Canadian Anglican theologians have said, “the interpretation of Scripture is a central and complex matter and that, at times in the church’s history, ”˜faithful’ readings have led to mutually contradictory understandings, requiring ongoing dialogue and prayer towards discernment of the one voice of the gospel.”

For some, the conversation needs to be expanded to include the benefit of scientific research. For some others the critical question is: What constitutes loving and responsible pastoral care of gay and lesbian couples who desire to live in monogamous, life-long, committed relationships?

Controversial issues have often tested the principle of autonomy on the part of national churches that are bound together in the global Anglican Communion. So the question becomes: Is unity the ultimate value transcending all others, even at the risk of not acting on what we believe to be a gospel imperative in a local context? Or is action on a gospel imperative the ultimate value that transcends all others, even at the risk of not maintaining unity?

I believe this question is critical to our conversations at Lambeth.

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A Youtube Video, three cheers for the Anglican Church of Canada for providing this.

The Gospel of God in Christ is faithfully proclaimed by Canadian Anglicans today just as it has been by generations who have gone before us. I believe it is important to state this truth in response to the recent statement from the GAFCON gathering in Jerusalem, which suggests otherwise.

The GAFCON statement is based on a premise that there is “acceptance and promotion within the provinces of the Anglican Communion of a different gospel which is contrary to the apostolic gospel.” The statement specifically accuses Anglican churches in the Canada and the United States of proclaiming this “false gospel that has paralysed the Communion.” I challenge and repudiate this charge.

In my first year as Primate, I have visited many parishes across the country, attended synods and participated in gatherings of clergy and laity who care deeply for the church, its unity and witness. What I see is a faithful proclamation of the apostolic gospel in liturgy and loving service to those in need and in advocacy for justice and peace for all people.

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The synod of the diocese of the Arctic, meeting in Iqaluit, Nunavut from May 27 to June 3, passed a motion criticizing decisions by four dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada that support blessing same-sex unions.

“Synod expressed great disappointment as some diocesan synods have decided to move forward with approving the blessing of same-sex civil marriages, after General Synod 2007 (made) it clear that this would not be allowed until the Lambeth Conference had time to discuss the issues this summer,” said a press release issued by the diocese of the Arctic synod. “This then indicates that Canadians are not serious about unity elements that hold the church together.”

It also passed a motion expressing “strong support ”¦ for those in the Southern cone dioceses, recognizing them as members of the Anglican Communion.”

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Whether or not same-sex marriages will be performed in the local Anglican church is still unclear.

Delegates at the synod (meeting) of the Huron diocese held recently in London voted on a motion related to same-sex marriages. Although the motion passed, gay couples shouldn’t start making wedding plans in Anglican churches yet.

Father Bill Ward, priest at St. John’s Anglican in Tillsonburg, who was in attendance at the synod, said the vote did not result in the go-ahead for Anglican priests to perform same-sex marriages. He said the motion that passed was “This synod requests the bishop grant permission to clergy whose conscience permits to bless the duly solemnized and registered civil marriages between same-sex couples where at least one of the parties is baptized and that the bishop authorize an appropriate right and make regulations for its use in supportive parishes.”

Ward said one of the questions remaining is if St. John’s congregation is supportive of such a motion. He said the bishop would put a process in place to determine if parishes support same-sex unions, but he is unlikely to make a decision until fall.

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