Diocese of Huron: church closures and mergers

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Trinity Church, Mitchell was deconsecrated on September 9th, St. Paul’s, Kirkton on September 16th, and St Mary’s, Brinsley on Tuesday September 25th.

In addition, St. Stephens, Christ Church and Holy Trinity will be “joined”. This, apparently, is not an “amalgamation” and there will be no closures. Really, there won’t. In fact, the words “amalgamation” and “closure” have never been mentioned.

Well, they were mentioned once in this article (page 3) by Rev. Keith Nethery, rector of one of the churches – and he only mentioned the words to remind us that they have never been mentioned. Except by him in the article; by accident. They haven’t even been thought about. Really.

Diocese of Toronto forbids Anglican services in a non-denominational church

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The reason given by Bishop Colin Johnson is that the building is “no longer under Anglican authority”. When unfettered by Anglican authority who knows what antics priests might get up to? If things got really out of hand one of them might inadvertently preach the gospel.

If Colin Johnson really wants to keep people out, he should take a tip from the Diocese of Niagara’s Bishop Michael Bird and block the entrance with concrete. Like this:

From here:

The Anglican Diocese of Toronto has forbidden its ministers and even laypersons from conducting services in a quaint non-denominational church in the historic hamlet of Irondale in the Haliburton Highlands.

The building used to belong to the diocese. After a two-year legal challenge, the Bark Lake Aboriginal Tribe this past summer purchased the church from the Anglican diocese for $70,000. The frame church, built by pioneer Charles Pusey in 1887, was sold to the diocese in 1901 for $50.

When the building reopened a month ago as the Irondale Community Church, the first service was Anglican, the second Lutheran. But when retired Anglican minister Arnold Hancock wanted to conduct the Thanksgiving Day weekend service, Archbishop Colin Johnson of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto sent out a cease-and-desist order far and wide.

The folks in Irondale, about 100 kilometres north of Peterborough, are now preparing for a fight. Even devout Anglicans are accusing the church of being unchristian.

“This has set everybody back,” George Simmons, whose family’s involvement in the church goes back generations, told the Toronto Star.

“I think the majority of Anglicans would be disgraced that they wouldn’t allow an Anglican minister (to conduct a service) for people who have attended that church for 50 years,” he said.

“He covered the whole area here. He notified every Anglican layperson and minister that they weren’t allowed to lead a service in the church,” Simmons added.

Johnson could not be reached directly by the Toronto Star but the Diocese of Toronto issued a statement.

“Due to dwindling numbers, the former Anglican church of St. John’s, Irondale, was closed and deconsecrated in 2010 and sold to private citizens for community use in 2012,” stated Stuart Mann, its director of communications. “The purchasers continue to hold services in the church, which is entirely appropriate. However, Anglican clergy are not permitted to conduct services at St. John’s as it is no longer under Anglican authority. Anglican clergy are only permitted to function in Anglican ministries.”

h/t AEC blog

International Day of the Girl

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The UN has designated October 11th the ‘International Day of the Girl’ in an effort to stop discrimination against girls.

Unhappily, neither the UN nor the International Anglican Women’s Network have denounced the ultimate discrimination against girls: not allowing them to be born. Sex-selective abortions in the past three decades have killed 163 million girls, an inconvenient statistic studiously ignored by the International Anglican Women’s Network, an organisation which champions “reproductive health services”, including abortions. Of girls.

From here:

Today, 11 October, is the first ever ‘International Day of the Girl’. The Day has been designated by the United Nations in response to a growing acknowledgement that investing in girls, while overcoming discrimination against girls, releases their potential to flourish and to contribute to their communities and to the world.

‘Girls are three times more likely than boys to suffer from malnutrition and are more likely to be forced into early marriage’, said Coordinator of the International Anglican Women’s Network, Ann Skamp. ‘Around the world, the daily realities of poverty, discrimination and violence mean that one in three girls is prevented from receiving a secondary education. Only when obstacles such as these are dismantled will girls properly achieve their full potential. So it’s time to shatter stereotypes, advocate for and enable equality, and change girls’ lives.’

St. Matthew’s Abbotsford may become self-sustaining – one day

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From here:

The Archdeacon introduced The Rev. Allen Doerksen, Bishop’s Missioner to the Central Fraser Valley and Priest at St. Matthew. Allen recalled his childhood in Abbotsford as a member of the “Mennonite Tribe” in Abbotsford and as a young person he knew that the “Anglican Tribe” was a very active part of the Christian Community. He used the term “Tribe” not in an anti-ecumenical way but as a way of defining a church that has changed and now lives a “principled pluralism.” The emergence of the worshipping community at St. Matthew, Abbotsford is an exciting and challenging event. Those who are new to Anglican worship or worship in general and are in the beginning stages of their journey of faith find a place in this community.

Allen takes heart that this can be a place where art and beauty can flourish in what many would see as a very pragmatic suburban community.

St. Matthew is a mission church of the diocese and Allen is very grateful for the support of the diocese and he is confident that the time will come when this community can be self-sustaining.

Rev. Allen Doerksen is the brother of Brian Doerksen, a Christian musician and song-writer associated for many years with the Vineyard Movement. Allen was installed by the Diocese of New Westminster’s heretic-in-residence, Michael Ingham, as the rector of St. Matthew’s after the congregation who paid for the church was ejected. I can only assume that the brothers are much as the brothers Hitchens, occupying opposite poles of the metaphysical spectrum.

Brother Allen uses the term “principled pluralism” to describe his church. He doesn’t explain what he means by this, but if he is implying an accommodation to the concept that religions other than Christianity are as valid as Christianity, then he has coined an oxymoron, since he is supposed to adhere to the proposition: “Jesus is the only way to the Father”. From a Christian’s perspective, to water that down is as unprincipled as it comes.

Obviously, the Diocese of New Westminster is paying to keep the parish afloat: an act of face-saving rather than generosity from Michael Ingham.

Here are the 500 people who used to worship in the building when it was self-sustaining, departing in an act of principled non-pluralism:

Diocese of Edmonton to vote on same-sex blessings at October Synod

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From here, where there is also a report on “human sexuality” that informs us that it is all about far more than just what is done with our genitalia. Who knew? Read it for yourself, but it seems clear to me that the tenor of the report is to push for passage of the resolution while hoping that conservatives don’t leave because of it. After all, they probably contribute most of the money.

Resolution – G-3 – Blessing Same-Gender Committed Unions

Moved by: Very Rev. Neil Gordon

Seconded by: Ven. Chris Pappas

Be it resolved:

That Synod request the Bishop to grant permission to any clergy who may wish to offer prayers of blessing for covenanted same-gender relationships.

h/t: A Reasonable Faith

 

Muslim chaplain calls prison cuts a 'fatwa'

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The federal government is cancelling the contracts of non-Christian chaplains at federal prisons. An imam, Zia Khan, doesn’t like this much; in fact, he dislikes it so much (nothing to do with the money, I’m sure) that he has declared it a fatwa against – he doesn’t actually say, but Islam, presumably.

The only problem is, ‘fatwa’ means ‘a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority.’ So by declaring this a fatwa, the imam is recognising at as a legitimate ruling of sharia law. Why is he complaining, then? He is complaining because he is using ‘fatwa’ in a more westernised colloquial sense of issuing a death sentence against someone.

Clearly, Zia Khan needs to go back to imam school for re-education – before he goes too far towards a wrong end.

From here:

Zia Khan is an imam and the director of the Centre for Islamic Development in Halifax.

He has visited about 70 inmates over the past two years; until the word came last week that their contracts will not be renewed.

“Last time we went, we said, ‘See you in the beginning of October,’ and all of a sudden, this fatwa, if you would call it, came down from the mountain,” he said.

“It’s an egregious violation of the charter, and I think people need to stand up and really say something because I think the country is starting towards a wrong end.”

 

Ottawa axes non-Christian prison chaplains

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As this article notes, “Prisoners of minority faiths in federal penitentiaries will have to turn to Christian ministers in 2013.”

Anglican priest, Rev. David Price is unhappy with that since, horror of horrors, wiccans could be converted to Christianity. Where is the diversity and inclusion in that?

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has announced the cancellation of the contracts of all part-time non-Christian chaplains ministering in federal prisons across Canada. The cuts take effect as of the end of March 2013.

After that date, penitentiary inmates of minority faiths, from Buddhists to Wiccans, will have to rely on full-time Christian chaplains for interfaith services, religious counsel and spiritual guidance.

“I could never pretend to be Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh and tend to the spiritual needs of all these different people,” says the Rev. David Price, an Anglican priest in Agassiz, B.C., who spent many years as a prison chaplain in the west. In his view, prison chaplains are essential and cost-effective “midwives” who help offenders give birth to new selves and new lives before they are released back into society.

Anglican Church of Canada: $900k in debt, treasurer resigns, seeks new treasurer who “sees change as an opportunity”

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Looking for someone keen to see impending bankruptcy as an opportunity, to “pick up the challenge.” Anyone?

From here:

With the prospect of a 2012 budget deficit of $900,000 looming large, General Synod is on the hunt for a new treasurer to replace Michele George, who resigned Oct. 1.

According to Rob Dickson, chair of the search committee, the treasurer must be someone who sees change as an opportunity. “We’re in turbulent times and we need somebody who is keen to pick up that challenge,” Dickson told the Anglican Journal.