In April 2008 the Anglican Essentials Federation said this:

Our approach, within Federation, to effecting this change has been to quietly, faithfully, persistently work within our congregations, dioceses and synods to build God’s Kingdom. As your leadership, however, we sense that the time has come to change our approach. The “quiet” approach has simply not been working. The “faith once received” has been so altered as to be unrecognizable in many parts of our Church. Our “quiet”, non-confrontational approach has simply not stemmed the tide.

[………….]

The policy of the Anglican Essentials Federation is not that we will “stay” but that we will “stand”. As leaders of Federation, we have determined that it is now time to chart a new course. You will see this unfold over the next weeks and months as we take a higher profile, unequivocal stand.

We, as leaders of Federation will publicly take a stand. We expect Bishops committed to orthodox Christian teaching, historic Anglican practice, and our position within the Anglican Communion to take a stand, particularly in the House of Bishops’ meeting next month.

This looks promising: perhaps we are going to see some action from the Federation.

Not so fast! In November, 7 months later, following the Federation Consultation there is this.

About 50 conservative Anglican leaders, including eight young theological students, gathered in Toronto for a one-day consultation on Nov. 25 and emerged with a determination to remain within the Anglican Church of Canada. They came from 16 dioceses across the country.

Since the Federation has made a request that they and ANiC not ‘demonise’ each other:

Without any intentional demonising – in 7 months the Federation has drifted from a policy of ‘not staying, but standing’ to one of being determined to stay in the ACoC. Reports from the Consultation relate that it was a tightly controlled meeting where the real crisis facing the ACoC was ignored with fierce resolve.

The implication appears to be that, no matter what the ACoC does, the Federation will stick by them through thick and thin. I hope that is not so, since it would be a clear case of setting an organisation above the gospel. Hiltz, Ingham and Bird etc, will undoubtedly capitalise on this determination by publicly parading the tame conservatives so all can witness the benign inclusiveness of the ACoC politburo.

Another sad but inescapable consequence of this determination to stay within the ACoC, is that the money given by conservatives will be used to help finance current and future litigation against ANiC parishes; and conservatives are the group who are likely to be the biggest financial contributors.