Since Bishop Linda Nicholls has made the career jump to Primate, she won’t be the Bishop of the Diocese of Huron for much longer. As a parting gift, she is authorising same sex marriages in the diocese. Or perhaps she is hammering the final nail in the diocesan coffin.
From here:
Given the strong support in Huron for this possibility, as of August 1, 2019, I am authorizing the availability of marriage to same-sex couples as a pastoral local option under the following guidelines:
1. Same-sex marriages will be permitted in parishes where the priest and the Parish Council have considered this matter and agreed that the parish will do so.
2. Any parish desiring to do so will write a letter to the Bishop requesting permission – signed by the priest (rector/incumbent) and the Wardens and including a description of the consideration taken by the Parish Council.
3. No parish is required to offer same-sex marriage in their location.
4. Clergy already have provision by canon to refuse to perform a marriage for reasons of conscience.
As this is a pastoral local option it is at the discretion of the diocesan bishop. It is an option that I believe is appropriate for the Diocese of Huron at this time and is supported by many, though not all, in the diocese. I am however aware that I will be the Bishop of Huron for only a short time longer. This may be a consideration in the discernment of the next Bishop of Huron. I pray that the diocese will recognize that the work of the bishop is much broader than this issue.
It never was a sensible or godly way of running a diocese or denomination to have something celebrated in some places and forbidden in others.
If the Primate, as she affirmed to the CBC, and unlike some of her episcopal colleagues, lawfully forbore proceeding re.gay ‘marriage’ following the 2016 GS in order to permit the 2019 GS vote to take place, how does that justly reconcile with the March 16, 2019 CoGS ‘Word to The Church’ that the Niagara Bishop et al. arrogantly refer to as keeping in their “back pocket”? Did the Incumbent Primate know about this? Maybe CBC would ask her.
Either way, she, as are its framers and whoever else had foreknowledge of it prior to 2019 GS, are complicit in violating due process in canon Law:negotiating in bad faith – a phrase that rings true in both the Courts of earth and Heaven.
One of the principal framers, Niagara, in 2015 p. 7 Nov. AJ, cautioned against “congregationalism”, instead exhorting all to uphold classical AC “synodical and episcopal” governance;but in his address to the 2019 GS exhorted the Synod prior to its crucial vote not to be swayed by “silly rules”.
I cannot believe this Nicholls woman, she says that there is “strong support” in Huron, then later says that there is support by “many but not all”. Many churches have been closed in Huron. I sit in the pews and most people are against the “same-sex” weddings. Many churches have not had a new member in years, some only have 11 or 17 in the pews every week, where is the “strong support” that Nicholls says is there in the Huron diocese?
Dave, Dave, Dave: what difference do the facts make? You saw what has happened after the so-called vote this week. There was never any intention to abide by a No vote, pace all those who have been encouraging us to “dialogue” over the past 10 years. Realism dictates that we acknowledge that the virtue-signalling fix was in. There are so many reasons why this is so, not least of which is the unrelenting pressure on leaders from gays and their “allies.” How else could clergy and Bishops keep their jobs? They need those salaries, housing allowances and pensions. So go with the flow. Who cares about church teaching. Off we go to schism-land. But they all still have their jobs.
This is not good leadership. What this woman pretending to be a bishop is saying is basically this.
“I didn’t get permission to do what I want, so I am going to do it anyway.”
So one is left to wonder how many more parishes need to close and be sold off until these people understand that what they are doing is actually killing what was once a good and faithful church?
Nicholls has personally closed out at least 10 or 12 churches since arriving in Huron Diocese just a short time ago. Nicholls cannot get it through her head that people generally do not want “same-sex weddings” and so they will not join an Anglican church, most churches here in Huron have not had a new member in many years, the number of funerals is astonishing.
To be honest I have always liked Nicholls. I found her eloquent and wise when she spoke following the ARCIC response (which is amazing for those of you haven’t read it). And I believed back in the day that she was placed on the SSM theological commission because it would give it credibility for some on the evangelical side.
There are so many leaders who have danced their way from a clear, biblical position to something totally different, and I suspect many of them are squaring it with their conscience by a belief that it a necessary pastoral expedient. But I lose confidence in leaders who cannot see that a failure to preach repentance (and forgiveness) of sin is a failure to preach the Gospel at all. There’s a good reason why this is a litmus test for so many of us.
She had opportunity with the other members to learn something from my Brief https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140923072730-135532881-my-brief-to-the-anglican-church-of-canada-commission-on-the-marriage-canon/ and the literature which I sent, but does not appear to have done so. Yes, the literature did arrive safely and was duly acknowledged.
The deaf adder that stoppeth her ear.
…and buried how many souls who died “in their sins”?
+ Ezekiel 3:18 + John 8:21.
May I suggest that those who love the Anglican way, but have no ANiC congregation near them, might redirect their tithes to ANiC anyway, thus further strengthening ANiC for expansion and expressing their dissatisfaction with the trajectory of the ACoC. Or, if a critical mass can be reached in a particular area, just leave and plant a new congregation. I wonder in how many areas, a bishop might allow a group of faithful Anglicans to retain or at least purchase their building.
Surely there must be, somewhere, a bishop with a conscience.
There is an ANiC church in Windsor Ont
The APOSTATES will never allow faithful Christians to return or purchase their building. This was proven by the actions of Michael Ingham who directed the legal stealing of our church in Abbotsford despite our drive about two years previous to eliminate the mortgage. Currently while the ACoC supposedly hold services in the building it rents the facilities to several other organization simply to cover the operating costs. Our property was legally stolen because we stood up for the GOSPEL and the ACoC did nothing to stop it. The APOSTATES will do everything in their power to destroy the TRUTH.
Unfortunately I, a member of the Diocese of New Westminster since 1971 who went through the last-but-one episcopal election, actually photographing the screen at each stage, must acknowledge that each diocese is solely responsible for the choice of such bishops. Delegates voted in someone who promised to “work for change” in the Episcopal Guidelines on sex, and did. We do get the bishops we deserve every time.
I may as well say again that three of my books may be downloaded, read and printed out freely here: https://www.anglicansamizdat.net/wordpress/dr-priscilla-turner/?fbclid=IwAR1MBeDj6z-Lsq2JXSKw9Y03CZiB6oW8ayr1wCHTpgFdSfkB6uF4XOA1R_M
I will also supply in quantity printed copies of (1) the first edition of O Love How Deep @$10.50, (2) We Believe @$6.00 or (3) Holy Homosex? @$7.00. The price will be my low author’s/publisher’s plus shipping. A medium-sized Canada Post prepaid box for up to 5 kilos costs only about $25.00. It will hold six, 24 or 16 copies respectively, or a combination. For fewer than ten copies of (2) and (3) retail on Amazon can be more economical.
N.B. the first ed. of OLHD has more typos, more fictionalisation, and no illustrations.