As I mentioned here, “the Diocese of Toronto’s Bishop Colin Johnson has paid Bishop Michael Ingham $250,000 for being the Canadian test case in the building dispute between the ACoC and ANiC. …. the ruling sets a Canadian precedent, effectively guaranteeing that the ACoC will be able to hang on to church properties – so that they can close and sell them.”
Rev. Dr. Murray Henderson from the Anglican Communion Alliance, a conservative group within the Anglican Church of Canada, has made a rather extraordinary statement about what he calls this “tithe” to New Westminster:
I further advocated at the Council Meeting that the announcement of the gift make it clear that this was not our taking a stand on the issue of same sex blessing, but strictly a matter of paying our fair share as a diocese and parishes which are interested in maintaining our ownership of our property. The Archbishop made this clear in his announcement last Saturday.
It is evident he does not wish the Diocese of Toronto’s payment to be a condoning of same-sex blessings – even though the diocese is actively engaged in performing them – but, rather, wants to pay a “fair share” of the litigation cost of ejecting worshipping congregations from buildings for which they have a use to place them in the hands of dioceses who are allowing them to stand empty.
It’s not entirely clear to me whether it is worse to bless same-sex couples or turf fellow Christians out of their buildings but evidently, it is to Rev. Henderson: how far would he take it, one wonders? Would he be content to see all parish buildings stand empty so long as his diocese retains ownership of them and has not taken a “stand” on same-sex blessings – even though, to the un-blinkered it obviously has?
Not only does the ACA statement illustrate the impotence of struggling conservatives in the ACoC but it bodes ill for any plausible possibility of a conservative come-back within the church. To make it worse, I fear Rev. Henderson has strained out a gnat (albeit a big hairy one) and swallowed a camel.
Cross post to Essentials, maybe?
Hmmm, might be a little too acerbic.
I agree with Kate
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect(1), go and sell that thou hast(2), and give to the poor(3), and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me(4).
1- already are
2- are you crazy, they are mine, mine, do you hear me, mine!
3- Is that on our mission list?
4- Follow? We’ll lead, we know better.
Our Saviour was able to comment incisively while being gentle of manner (in most cases) and tone. This is something we should all aspire to.
However, in the meantime, acerbic works too.
I fully understand that any talk of the buildings at issue being the property of the ACoC touches a very sensitive nerve with the ANiC people. But please consider that the decision to send the $250G had already been made and that there was no way to stop it. Rev. Dr. Murray Henderson has done what little could still be done, and that was to get the DoT to make a statement that the money had nothing to do with SSM. This is admittedly a small victory, but a victory none-the-less.
Too late? Never! Ask for it back
He could wake up and smell the coffee and join ANiC. His presence in the ACoC gives credence to the lie that there is a place there for people who want to follow Jesus.
Murray, Murray, Murray. You’ve been hanging out with liberals so much that your precision with respect to Christian terminology has eroded. What the Diocese of Toronto has done is given a tribute (see Matt 17:25 RSV as an example) to Michael Ingham and the Gay agenda he has championed. It is in no way a tithe. A tithe is an offering freely released to God’s purposes. A tribute is something else entirely. I hope you are not implying through the use of the term tithe (to describe the $250k transfer of funds)that this is an offering humbly given and released in faith to serve the building of the Kingdom. In this particular case it is simply a monetary tribute for services rendered in the context of earthly rather than heavenly endeavours. NW does not even need this money. The sale of properties will more than cover their legal costs.
Oh, and Murray please remember that “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Cor 15:33 RSV