The priest at a breakaway Anglican church in St. Catharines has reportedly been suspended.
Church of the Good Shepherd Rev. Gerry Brodie was suspended with pay Tuesday afternoon by the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, Church warden Pat Decker told Osprey News Network Wednesday.
She said Archdeacon of Lincoln and Rector Bruce McPetrie had been appointed administrator of the church, which voted Sunday to leave the diocese and align with the more conservative Anglican Network in Canada.
“We, at this moment in time, are conducting business as usual,” Decker said Wednesday afternoon.
“We have not vacated the premises and we have not been asked to do so … at this moment.”
McPetrie and Brodie couldn’t be reached for comment.
There’s real Gospel ministry for you – attacking the shepherds.
For what? Immorality? Heresy?
Or for opposing immorality and heresy?
The ACofC is turning into the aging and shrinking parody of a church that is Tec, and institutions in terminal decline (just like dysfunctional families and failing marriages) end up attacking their own members. Yet the bishops of Niagara and NewWest will proudly take their place at Lambeth ’08. They are just as complicit in the wrong that is wrecking Anglicanism as the Tec bishops.
If you’re going to play the martyr, pay the martyr’s price.
Headline writer; St. Catharines
#2: If you’re going to play the persecutor of Christ’s Church, you will pay that price too (see ‘Fire, Lake of’)
Gordian
Then we all have our roles. We are willing to pay the price for our actions. Apparently some people aren’t willing to ‘suffer for the Gospel’ that they proclaim.
Smuggs and Brian: I think that this parish is prepared to pay the price IF NECESSARY, but it would be silly to turn over the property to a morally and theologically bankrupt organization without a fight. Come on, let’s stick to intelligent comments here.
#5: “Apparently some people aren’t willing to ‘suffer for the Gospel’ that they proclaim.” Yes, they are sitting in the Niagaran equivalent of 815, conspiring how to deprive Christian people of the buildings they paid for and maintained. The word for such people is ‘hypocrites’ (see ‘Matthew, Gospel of’ for more details) and ‘thieves’ (see Exodus 20).
That people claiming to be Christians should seek to deprive and drive out believers who have not deviated from the faith is a scandal and a terrible sin. I’m surprised that you can’t see this.
The martyrs whose lives I read about did not fight to keep land, property, or what have you. And so all this rot about being persecuted and attacked by people who have a lake of fire as their destination as The Gordian is doing is not talk of persecution: it’s whining, pure and simple. If they can’t obey, then they are free to leave. If they want to fight, as jamesw suggests, then fight it out. But knock off this persecution, woe-is-us, we are the REAL Christians in this world nonsensical stuff.
Smuggs, if you look in a Greek NT dictionary, you’ll see that the original meaning of “martureo” was simply “to bear witness.” Since most of the original witnesses to Jesus ended up murdered for their faith, the word has taken on the meaning of being perscuted or put to death. This priest and his congregation are simply doing what all of us are called to do–to testify about the true Gospel. Therefore, they are martyrs in the most ancient of senses.
Smuggs,
Are you suggesting that parishes that choose discipleship over apostacy should abandon resources that would support their witness in the world?
I hope the bickering stops and prayer will begin. I know the Rev. Gerry Brodie. He is a fine man and faithful priest. Yes, he is paying the price and I believe counted the cost. However, the Diocese could act with more charity. This is the problem in all these cases. It is the people who voted to leave. They are the ones that built the Church. Yet, the Anglican Church in Canada wishes to claim it and will suspend/inhibit and probably litigate as TEC has. You can blame who you will but those in power have the authority to be charitable or abusive. From my perspective, I see no charity.
Please pray for Gerry, St. Catherine’s, and the Brodie Family