Rev. Melissa Skelton is being installed as Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster today, replacing Michael Ingham.
For those who may be nursing a hope that the diocese’s policy on blessing same-sex unions might change, this interview should disabuse you (my emphasis):
Q. Since Bishop Ingham was a controversial figure in the 70-million member global Anglican communion, how will you handle his legacy?
A. I intend to listen and learn a lot about what this experience has been like for the diocese — the positive parts of this and the more difficult parts. I’m trying to come to this with a real beginner’s mind, not making assumptions about people’s experience. By the way, I’m fully supportive of offering blessings of covenantal relationships between same-sex couples in the Anglican Church.
What Skelton has already learned from her predecessor is that she can glibly ignore the wishes of the majority in the Anglican Communion and be complacently secure in the conviction that she will not be censured by the Anglican Church of Canada, its Primate, Canterbury or the Archbishop of Canterbury. What God thinks about it, as revealed in the book Skelton claims to follow, might be an entirely different matter; but who cares about him when Fred Hiltz is on your side.
As I have stated previously, having a purple shirt and a white collar does not make one either an Anglican or a Christian. The mandatory requirements are:-
1. full acceptance of the authority of Scripture; and
2. full recognition of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.
Tragically Michael Ingham and many of the so-called bishops including the Primate have changed their allegiance from our Lord to what is called “political correctness” – a deceptive term in its own right.
I get the distinct feeling that Bishop Skelton is probably one of the better arguments against the ordination of women in the Anglican Communion
Hi Pietro: Female ordination, like remarriage after divorce, is a divided issue in the Anglican Communion. I was baptized in the Diocese of Victoria and confirmed in the Diocese of Algoma. The first female priest was ordained on January 25, 1944 by Bishop R. O. Hall of Victoria. In the 1960s, John Stott and J. I. Packer became my heroes of faith. In 1973, I was surprised to learn that John Stott supported female ordination, while Packer remains opposed to it. Both Stott and Packer are still my heroes of faith as of today, even though they do not agree on the issue of female ordination. I do understand that the vast majority of Christian denominations do not ordain women and cannot support the blessing of same-sex relationships. I do agree with Frank Wirrell that we must accept the full authority of the Bible.
Loved the quoted response:
“I intend to listen and learn a lot about what this experience has been like for the diocese — the positive parts of this and the more difficult parts. I’m trying to come to this with a real beginner’s mind, not making assumptions about people’s experience.”
I.e. the usual “nothing much is true”; but then, the sudden, horrified realisation, that she might have blasphemed against the Spirit of the Age, and the sudden correction:
“By the way, I’m fully supportive of offering blessings of covenantal relationships between same-sex couples in the Anglican Church.”
The first half means “I don’t think anything Christian matters” and the second “I kneel and obey, O Baal”.
Nice to get the two in a single paragraph.
She intends to listen, but indicates that she has already made her decision. So just exactly what type of “listening” is she offering. Tokenism! You conservatives will be allowed to express yourselves and she will pretend to take you seriously. This is not being inclusive. Instead it is being condescending and insulting!
Best thing to do is to get away from this witch as fast as you can.
“Wherefore, hear The WORD of The LORD, ye scornful men*,that rule this people who are in Jerusalem**.
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with sheol are we at agreement, when the overflowing scourge shall pass through. it shall not come unto us;
for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.”
+ Isaiah 28:14,15
(* women; ** Vancouver Diocese…to Nova Scotia-PEI Diocese
and all like scornful diocesan points in between)