Canadian Anglican church rift threatening to spread

With two conservative breakaway churches refusing to hand over their keys, the Anglican Church of Canada is looking for a place for its faithful to worship this Sunday.

“We have a pastoral duty to these people,” Niagara Archdeacon Michael Patterson said.

“They want assurance that the graveyard where their ancestors are buried will remain part of the Anglican Church of Canada.”

Patterson said up to 40 members of 150-year-old St. George’s Anglican church in Lowville, north of Hamilton, do not agree with its decision ”“ in a 128-to-3 vote Sunday ”“ to sever ties to the national church and join the conservative Anglican Network in Canada.

They want to stay with the national church and hope to one day return to St. George’s. For now, they can’t, however, because the minister there refused yesterday morning to cede control of the property to the local diocese.

“We were asked, and declined,” said Rev. Canon Charlie Masters, adding he will be conducting services at St. George’s this weekend. “All are welcome on Sunday.”

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Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, Anglican Church of Canada, Anglican Provinces

7 comments on “Canadian Anglican church rift threatening to spread

  1. robroy says:

    [blockquote]”They want assurance that the graveyard where their ancestors are buried will remain part of the Anglican Church of Canada.”[/blockquote]
    I think their ancestors would be horrified at the grievous harm the homosexualists are to the Church. I think that these people should be concerned that their ancestors graveyard is affiliated with a Christian Church rather than a sexual liberation front.

  2. AnglicanFirst says:

    I am developing an uneasy sense of “de ju vu all over again.”

    That ‘sense’ comes from the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Lamentations.

    Are the progressive-revisionist Christians of Europe, Britain, the USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand part of God’s people going astray in the same wanton manner of the Israelites of those days?

    The progressive-revisionist focus on personal pleasure and personal needs and disregard for God’s Word bears an uncanny resemblance to the books of Isaiah and Jeremaiah.

  3. Toral1 says:

    Charlie Masters isn’t the only one planning to hold a service at St. George’s this Sunday.
    +Bird is showing up too:

    Bishops Spence and Bird, along with the senior staff of the Diocese are inviting and encouraging anyone who is available, to come to celebrate the Eucharist this Sunday February 24th at the following locations:
    St. George’s, Lowville at 9:00 am
    Presider: The Rt. Rev. Michael Bird
    7051 Guelph Line , Milton Ontario

    St. Hilda’s, Oakville at 9:00 am
    Presider: The Rev. Canon Dr. Brian Ruttan
    1258 Rebecca Street, Oakville Ontario

    http://www.niagara.anglican.ca/bishopStaff/bishop-bird-letter3.cfm

  4. dwstroudmd+ says:

    Hey, is this a new evangelism program for the ACCanada that’s really working? One that resurrects 40 members who didn’t vote but now are going to come to church? Maybe ECUSA/TEC/GCC could get some tips. After all 2020 is such a raging success and all……………..

  5. Larry Morse says:

    Someone explain to me how +Bird et al are going to hold services in a church that won’t let them in? What’s going on? Do you mean to tell me that they plan to force their way in? Surely this can’t be so. And what is Masters doing in this time. Hav e I missed some thing obvious? Larry

  6. robroy says:

    The forty are guys that have a single eyebrows and knuckles that drag on the floor when they walk, hired thugs who are going to kick some booty. Enlisted by [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UieDo4GoRPE ]Da’ Bishop[/url] to make people see the light.

  7. Bill in Ottawa says:

    See comment 2 [url=http://www.anglicanessentials.ca/wordpress/index.php/2008/02/22/more-niagara-heavy-handedness/]here[/url] at the Essentials blog. The diocese will run the early service and the Network clergy will take the late service.

    Let’s pray for Christian charity to rule and that Sunday is set aside only for worship at the two buildings.