As the Diocese of New Westminster continues its court battle to gain possession of ANiC buildings, the decision was made at its synod to limit same-sex blessings to the 8 parishes that currently perform them:

For the foreseeable future, the blessing of the union of gay and lesbian Anglicans will continue to be limited to eight parishes in the diocese.

General Synod meets next year and will again take up the issue. The two archdeacons who proposed continuing the diocesan moratorium, Stephen Rowe and John Struthers, argued the Diocese of New Westminster should wait for the national synod’s action.

Noting that some other Canadian diocesan synods have voted to ask for a same sex blessing from their bishops, Struthers said: “Others have now joined us in running the race. We no longer run alone. The finish line is in sight.”

“I believe that we must stay the course of limiting the number of parishes authorized to bless same sex unions to allow the church beyond our diocesan borders to complete its work,” Struthers said.

The rectors of some parishes that opposed the blessings argued for continuation of the moratorium. The Rev. John Oakes of Holy Trinity Vancouver said the conditions that lead to the 2005 moratorium still apply.

The advocates of SSBs see this as a strategic move – a minor compromise – in the greater battle of making SSBs the norm in the ACoC; they are confident of victory.

It is sad that the withered remnant of Christianity that remains in the diocese New Westminster cannot come up with anything better than argue for the continuation of the moratorium on SSBs. They are in full retreat, seem resigned to eventual defeat and can think of nothing better than to attempt to delay the inevitable: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to surrender.