Author Archives: David

Rev. Anna Greenwood-Lee is the new bishop of the Diocese of British Columbia

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From here:

The Rev. Anna Greenwood-Lee, incumbent at St. Laurence Anglican Church in the diocese of Calgary, was elected bishop of the diocese of British Columbia Sept. 26.

She was elected on the seventh ballot during a virtual synod.

Greenwood-Lee says the diocese’s vision of transformation spoke to her. “It felt like my gifts and what they were looking for in terms of their vision lined up.”

Greenwood-Lee points to her interest in social justice, particularly in the creation of the Wisdom Centre, an online network that connects people with events and resources. She also has experience with and teaches courses on congregational development, and teaches courses on the topic. In 2006, when she became the incumbent at St. Laurence, she was given three years to “either turn the place around or close it,” she says. “It’s still here!”

If you would care to plumb the Solomonic depths of Wisdom Centre, you will discover that the new bishop is all for shutting down churches, staying in your house, wearing a mask and not showing outward signs of piety – like wearing a mask.

She goes on to tell us that those attending church during the pandemic are “trampling the Sabbath day”: after all, Jesus did not tell us to go to church.

Here she is in full-blown earnest:

play-sharp-fill

Those who care about the Diocese of BC should start praying now.

The Diocese of Montreal is dismantling anti-black racism

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The diocesan dismantler-in-chief, Rev Christopher Belle seems to think that the diocese is a veritable hotbed of racism, although he did have to reach back to the 1840s in order to find something to dismantle. This, of course, is how the church strives to be relevant.

As an aside, how do you dismantle racism? You can dismantle an electric kettle because it has parts. Islamists like to dismantle humans by removing their heads. But how do you dismantle an idea?

Rev Belle seems to be under the impression that if we all stop singing “Jimmy Crack Corn”, that will be a good start. I know it will be hard, you are probably humming it as you read this, but now you will have to stop. I have and I know I feel better for it.

From here:

Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in the Diocese of Montreal

Our television screens have been inundated with images of racial discord as thousands upon thousands band together to speak out against police brutality aimed at people of colour. There have been cries for justice, racial equality, defunding the police, ‘Enough is enough!’, and so on. For a while, it felt like there was a new instance of racial discrimination, perpetrated in a violent and, all too often, fatal manner, every other week. The rallying cry “BLACK LIVES MATTER” has been heard loud and clear for years now, as people all over the world stand in solidarity with Black people who have had to suffer life-threatening injustice for way too long. Enough is enough, indeed.

[….]

Sooo…why do we need to worry ourselves with dismantling racism in the Diocese of Montreal? We’re a bunch of God-fearing people, who love the Lord, and love each other. So many of us would insist that we don’t have a racist bone in our bodies. Surely there’s no anti-Black racism to dismantle here. Hang on. The lyrics printed at the beginning of this article come from a little ditty called ‘The Blue-Tail Fly’, a song performed during those delightful minstrel shows from the mid-Nineteenth century.

[….]
When it was time, I took my song sheet. I looked it over. I heard somebody say, “Let’s sing Jimmy Crack Corn”. I was on board. I knew this one. I did not know it was a full song. I scanned the page until I found the lyrics. I started to sing. And then I stopped.

God and the Internet

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The December Anglican Journal has an article all about the joys of online worship. My church has had online worship (even though I take part in it, I’m not yet convinced that that term is not an oxymoron) since March, so I have experienced first hand much of what the article explains.

One thing I didn’t know, though, is revealed in this helpful diagram: God is plugged directly into the Internet. I had no idea. I wonder if He is on Facebook?

Church mourns Bishop Geoffrey Peddle

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From here:

The church is mourning the loss of Geoffrey Peddle, bishop of the diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, who died Oct. 8. “It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you the sad news that our beloved Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Curtis Ralph Peddle, passed away suddenly today,” diocesan administrator Archdeacon Sam Rose said in an Oct. 8 note posted to the Cathedral Messenger Online, an electronic newsletter from the diocese’s Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. “While this is very painful for us to process at this moment, we are comforted by the grace of God which truly passes all understanding.

[……]

Peddle was provost and vice-chancellor of Queen’s College when he was elected. As bishop, he became known for voicing support for a number of social causes, including same-sex marriage and the rights of prison inmates.

What is not mentioned in the article is that Bishop Geoffrey Peddle committed suicide. Surely it would be better for the church to be honest and open about such things rather than pretend they haven’t happened.

Finally, some good news

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In 2020, the year of COVID, we all need a little cheering up so take heart, Christmas is almost upon us, and not only will you not have to put up with your relatives visiting, we have this heartwarming news from the US Episcopal church: by 2050 the entire denomination will be gone.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s All You Need is Love theology, although a resounding hit at royal weddings, doesn’t seem to work as well in more mundane settings. A smattering of truth might help but The Episcopal Church has worked hard for decades to rid themselves of such a nuisance. Now we see the result:

The Episcopal Church might soon cease to exist, according to those who describe the denomination’s future as bleak based on plummeting membership numbers.

Attendance and membership numbers at churches within the mainline Protestant denomination have dropped significantly over the last decade, having lost one-quarter of worship attendees.

In 1966, when the church was said to be at its peak in the United States, approximately 3.6 million Americans identified as Episcopalian.  The Episcopal Church’s Office of the General Convention reported that in 2018, membership in the denomination had dropped to 1.676 million.

Regular worship attendance in Episcopal churches in 2009 was approximately 724,000. By 2019, the figure was 579,000 on an average Sunday, a nearly 25% drop over a decade.

“The overall picture is dire,” the Rev. Dwight Zscheile, an Episcopal priest and professor, according to ChurchLeaders. “Not one of decline as much as demise within the next generation unless trends change significantly.”

He said that at this rate, “there will be no one in worship by around 2050 in the entire denomination.” Although offering pledges have risen, “the fact that fewer people are giving more money is not a sustainable trend over the long term,” he added.

Anglican Primate Linda Nicholls urges Government of Canada to ban conversion therapy

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Primate Linda Nicholls has written to Canada’s Minister of Justice to voice her support for Bill C-6, a bill which would criminalise conversion therapy.

If passed, a counsellor who agrees to help someone resist or be free of unwanted same-sex attraction would be committing a criminal act. A person who experiences same-sex attraction should have no choice but to accept his unwanted inclinations. Let me repeat: no choice. The reason for this, the Primate tells us, is because to allow the person a choice would be an affront to his dignity, even abusive.

At the same time, the Primate has, in her multi-letter rainbow spectrum, a letter “T” secreted between the letters “B” and “Q”. “T” stands for “Transgender”, a person who chooses to assert that his sex differs from the category imposed on him by his chromosomes. We are all expected to go along with this choice, this fantasy: to do otherwise would be an affront to his dignity and possibly a criminal act. The Primate fully supports, welcomes, applauds and embraces this choice.

Do you see the problem?

From here:

The Honourable David Lametti
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
David.Lametti@parl.gc.ca

Dear Minister Lametti:

I am writing on behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) to express support for Bill C-6 to ban conversion therapy in Canada.

Our faith tradition affirms the dignity of all persons, including those persons across the LGBTQ2SIA+ spectrum. We recognize that members of the LGBTQ2SIA+ communities continue to disproportionately experience marginalization, family estrangement, and exclusion in a predominantly heterosexual and gender-binary culture, negating this dignity which we know God to have given to all. Conversion therapy seeks to change core elements of individuals by attempting to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. The ACC does not support this dangerous and abusive practice.

In 2010 the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada passed a resolution calling on the church at all levels to “embrace the outcast and stand against the abuse and torment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons.” It is in the spirit of this resolution that today we stand against the harmful practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ2SIA+ persons in Canada. Such practices are hostile to a person’s identity and an affront to their dignity.

I recognize the proposed Bill C-6 as an important step in protecting Canadians from the damaging effects of conversion therapy and strongly encourage the passing of this important legislation.

Yours in Christ,

The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls
Primate, The Anglican Church of Canada

Contrasting Justin Welby’s reaction to two presidents

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Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but when Trump was elected in 2016, Justin Welby couldn’t resist mentioning the bitter campaign and I can’t help suspecting that his prayers for the American people were for protection from the policies of their new president.

A year later, Welby confessed that he could not understand why so many Christians supported Trump.

From here:

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, my continuing prayers are that the United States of America may find reconciliation after a bitter campaign, and that Mr Trump may be given wisdom, insight and grace as he faces the tasks before him. Together we pray for all the people of the United States.

In contrast, now Biden seems likely to become president, Welby has somehow failed to notice that the 2020 campaign was even more bitter and reconciliation in even shorter supply. Instead, we have a probable future of hope and a fresh vision of the common good.

Not that Welby is biased in any way but when Biden pronounced himself president-elect, I could here Welby’s sigh of relief all the way from Canada.

From here:

As @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris prepare to take office, may God grant them wisdom and courage to face the great challenges of leadership ahead. For all the American people, I pray for hope and a fresh vision of the common good.

Who is celebrating Biden’s victory?

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During a recent church zoom meeting someone started rejoicing at the impending end of the reign of the current tenant of the White House. Just as I started to open my mouth, my wife whispered in my ear, “don’t”. That’s code for “shut up, don’t start on politics”.

It was a narrow escape, but I managed it. It did make me ponder one of life’s little mysteries, though: why do political liberals always take it for granted that every right-thinking, sane person simply must agree with them? If someone has the effrontery to disagree, it doesn’t merely take the liberal aback, it rattles the foundations of his entire universe. That’s one of the reasons I find disagreeing almost irresistible.

I wanted Trump to win. Among those who didn’t are these industrial baby killers:

Abortion giants around the world have celebrated Joe Biden’s reported Presidential victory by releasing a series of statements praising his pro-abortion position and policies.

Joe Biden was announced as the winner of the 2020 Presidential election by media outlets during the weekend. Some remaining US states continue to count their votes.

Following the announcement, global abortion giants took to social media to congratulate Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their

Planned Parenthood and NARAL have both publicly celebrated Biden’s reported win.

The Florida Planned Parenthood Alliance said: “The work is just getting started. Today, we celebrate; tomorrow, we get to work.”

Planned Parenthood kills an average of 345,672 unborn children every year by abortion.

Alexis McGill Johnson, President of Planned Parenthood Action said: “Voters’ voices were loud and clear, and they elected a new President, who is fully committed to protecting access to sexual and reproductive health care — including access to abortion…

“Throughout her career, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has been a steadfast champion for reproductive rights and health care. With the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, America will be in the hands of leaders who are deeply committed to advancing and expanding reproductive rights.”

Marie Stopes International (MSI) and Marie Stopes UK, which is one of Britain’s largest abortion providers, also weighed in on the election results.

In an online statement Marie Stopes, which kills an average of 4 million unborn children globally each year, congratulated Biden and Harris for their dedication to “choice” and urged for the repeal of Donald Trump’s pro-life policies.

The abortion giant said: “We look forward to the United States restoring their position as a world leader in championing choice and reproductive rights.

“The new administration will have a lot on its plate, but a quick win would be the repeal of Trump’s Global Gag Rule… Without Trump’s Global Gag Rule.”

The Anglican Church of Canada has some new priorities

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Well, they’re not really new, and the ACoC isn’t really a church, it’s a left-wing political agitation organization – an ecclesiastical ANTIFA – but here they are anyway, straight from the latest deliberations of the she/hers, he/hims and they/hes that occupy the Council of General Synod:

Finally, the five areas CoGS thought it was most important for the SPWG (Strategic Planning Working Group) to consider in-depth were:

  1. Self-determining Indigenous church;

  2. Dismantling racism and colonialism;

  3. Public advocacy for social, economic and environmental causes;

  4. Governance and decision-making (General Synod, CoGS); and

  5. Communication with and among Canadian Anglicans.

They all seem to be palefaces, so they have a lot of racist dismantling to do.

Saving souls was number 439 on the list. I’m joking, it didn’t make the list.

Zombies in the Diocese of Huron

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No, I’m not referring to members of the diocesan clergy, but to the fact that St. Andrew’s Memorial Anglican Church has found a new way to lure zombies – sorry, people – into its unsacred spaces.

The parish is hosting a discussion group on George A. Romero’s 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead. Apparently, the film has something to say about racism, so, having given up on Christianity, it’s an obvious choice for an Anglican All Saints study.

Besides, the word “zombie” is derived from “Nzambi”, a West African voodoo snake-deity so it fits nicely into diocesan theology.

Book now before it fills up:

Saturday from 15:00 EDT-16:15 EDT

Public · Hosted by St. Andrew’s Memorial Anglican Church

Online event

A pandemic. Fear of neighbours. Lockdown in homes. Panic. Mobs and militias. Racism. George A. Romero’s 1968 zombie film is surprisingly smart and terrifyingly relevant to our own day. Simply watch the movie on your own (it’s widely available through libraries and streaming services) and come prepared for an engaging discussion via the Zoom videoconferencing app.

Contact matthewkieswetter[at]diohuron.org (or whichever email account you have in your address book) for the Zoom coordinates and to receive some optional preparatory reading material.

While this event is connected with St. Andrew’s Memorial Anglican Church in Kitchener, it’s open to anyone of goodwill! [Viewer/parental discretion is advised.]