Yesterday, Kevin Robertson, who is married to another man, was consecrated as bishop in Toronto’s St. Paul’s, Bloor Street, one of the largest Anglican Church of Canada parishes in Canada; it also happens to be an evangelical parish.
A number of clergy objected to the consecration:
Standing on the chancel steps, Archbishop Johnson then read from a prepared statement. “As we gather in this sacred act to worship God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – to confer Holy Orders, and to share in the holy meal, I want to acknowledge that I have received a formal letter of objection to these consecrations from some clergy and lay people of the diocese,” he said. “It contains arguments against the canonical and ecclesial validity of these consecrations. I have read and considered their arguments. I am grateful that they have chosen to make their objections known to me in this way with great dignity. I thank them that many of them have made the difficult decision to be here today – despite their serious reservations – because of the love and desire they bear for the unity and faithful witness of the Church to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While it is our intention to proceed today, I also want all of you and the whole diocese to know that I am engaged in a serious and mutually committed consultation with those objecting, to find effective ways that our ministries might flourish together in the highest degree of communion possible.
“There are those present who come with joy, hope and celebration of this moment and those who are anxious, dismayed and hurting,” he continued.
Johnson went on to say:
“Today was a wonderful, Spirit-filled day,” said Archbishop Johnson in an interview. “There were people here from all parts of the diocese. It was wonderful that people from a whole lot of different traditions and theological positions were able to come and be here, even if for some of them it was a struggle. I really appreciate the fact that we’re continuing to work together to build up the body of Christ.
Of course, if the objectors are correct, it could not have been “a wonderful, Spirit-filled day” at all – it would have been a disaster for the Diocese of Toronto. Johnson and the objectors are at polar opposite, irreconcilable positions on the legitimacy of Robertson’s consecration. Yet they all seem to be pretending to be merrily getting along together. Just another example of how Post-Truth – the OED’s word of the year – has infiltrated the church, I suppose.
For about ? seconds, if that!
Colin Johnson said, “While it is our intention to proceed today, I also want all of you and the whole diocese to know that I am engaged in a serious and mutually committed consultation with those objecting, to find effective ways that our ministries might flourish together in the highest degree of communion possible.”
He cannot really believe this. It seems to me that there is actually the lowest degree of communion here. Perhaps the archbishop might stop trying to fool people with fancy words and just speak the plain truth. Kyrie eleison.
I think he is an expert in diplomacy. The agenda of Johnson (alongside Hiltz and Welby) is to move forward on this and related matters while manipulating as many wobbly orthodox as possible to keep their financial contributions in dioceses that have veered wildly into secular humanism. Speaking the truth would not advance this agenda at all.
Colin Johnson ‘s remarks are a cop-out. He blasphemes by trying to consecrate a blatant Homosexual Prelate thus presenting the Anglican Church with a Fait Accompli and then wants to “negotiate” with REAL Christians who disagree with his disgusting heretical action. I hope that Welby and Hiltz and Johnson and their ilk all end up on the street using their MITRES as begging bowls. These False Shepherds don’t know the Heiliger Geist from the Zeitgeist !!!
Reference is made to St. Paul’s being an evangelical church. That might well be but definitely NOT evangelical from a Christian standpoint. The ACoC under the apostate leadership of Fred Hiltz and his cohorts worship the god – notice the small “g” – of political correctness or worse still political expediency. The ACoC can no longer claim to be Christian and the so-called bishops should be well aware that it takes more than a purple shirt and a white collar to make a true Bishop.
Clearly the apostates believe that if you spread it thick enough people will believe. Tragically this is true from a worldly standpoint. They should remove themselves from office until they repent and make a public confession of their apostasy.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Did Jesus weep over the ordination of Canon Robertson on January 7?
Are the church leaders reading the bible at all? Scripture is clear on this one.
/reply: We don’t give a s&&t about you. we are doing what we want to, when and where.
and you don’t matter at all.
Yes, sadly thats true.
Why do people put up with this apostasy ?
The Scripture said that this day would come.
The ACoC is a whore, people….come out of her.
It is Sodom on the Humber and Gomorrah on the Don and that is where so many Anglican Bishops do belong. They have tossed away the WORD OF GOD because it isn’t “GAY” and now they lead their Twisted Perverted Flocks astray. They are marching to the GATES OF HELL singing all the way IT’S SODOM ON THE HUMBER AND GOMORRAH ON THE DON !
IT IS TIME FOR A NEW REFORMATION AND THE DRIVING OUT OF THESE MARCIONITE HERETICS AND LET US START BY DRIVING OUT THE HOMOSEXUAL PRELATE AND ALL OF THOSE WHO ATTEMPTED TO “COSECRATE ” HIM ! HIER STEHE ICH ICH KANN NICHT ANDERS.
You are a very sick puppy………
READ THE SEVENTH OF THE 39 ARTICLES ! READ LEVITICUS 20:13 ! READ TORAH !
I have been a priest over 58 years. I have been Inhibited for about 40 years for standing against the blasphemy of attempting to ” ordain” women. When I was working in Venezuela a Bishop apparently appeared on Television in Canada and called me a “CRACKPOT”. I find the comment about my being “a very sick puppy” amateur and pitiful.
As a Canadian Anglican, I must defend my church here. There remain many of us whose practice and theology are biblical and consistent with the BCP. I know of parishioners, priests and parishes from British Columbia to Saskatchewan to Ontario, the Maritimes and Newfoundland who fall within this orthodoxy. Meanwhile, there are lots of tremendously vulgar and uncharitable insults being hurled at the church in these reply comments.
But why? Why do you remain, your tithes going to support a corrupt organization? I agree there are faithful Christians, priests and a few bishops left in the ACC but again, why? Why not join and support a biblically faithful Anglican denomination – ANIC?
Mainly because to do so is to become fundamentally schismatic and sectarian, as happened with Presbyterianism in the 19th and 20th centuries. I wish to remain in communion with Canterbury. Also, I don’t adhere to the binary distinction between corrupt / heretical liberals vs mysoginistic and homophobic conservatives.
It is long past the time for Anglicans to realize that the appointment of the ABC is subject to the approval of the civil government which has absolutely no interest in upholding the Gospel. The ANIC was formed solely due to the actions of the apostates – those who reject the Gospel and the authority of Scripture and who have used the civil courts to seize properties from orthodox Christians. One must make a stand the Gospel which is why ANIC was formed or continue to worship the “god of political expediency” which is what many so-called bishops within the ACoC are doing and continue with absolutely no concern for the Gospel Further we are not “homophobic conservatives” but rather true orthodox Christians that stand for the Gospel. The authority of Scripture is not and has never been subject to that deceptive term of “political correctness and/or political expediency.
William, you certainly fast and loose with insulting epithets of your own, categorizing orthodox Christians as misogynistic and homophobic. Such accusations accomplish nothing demonstrate your own intolerance.