Tag Archives: Anglican Church of New Zealand

Another vicar leaves the Anglican Church of New Zealand over same-sex blessings

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Further to this post, a second Anglican vicar has left the Anglican Church of New Zealand over the church’s decision to bless same-sex couples.

From here:

The church’s perceived obsession with homosexuality has seen an Anglican pastor break camp and lead his flock into the religious wilderness and find a new home in the city.

Reverend Michael Hewat, the vicar of West Hamilton Anglican Parish on Rifle Range Rd, was the second high profile Anglican leader to leave the Anglican Church in opposition to Motion 30 – a national declaration by the governing body to bless same sex relationships.

He said homosexuality had dominated the church’s agenda for two decades and “it amounts to an obsession”, he said in a letter to Waikato Times.

His refusal to submit to General Synod on the motion passed in May that aimed to recognise same-sex relationships meant a forfeiture his licence to practice as an Anglican pastor.

In May, former Auckland pastor Charlie Hughes walked away with his congregation and Hewat said more would come.

In a letter to the Waikato Bishop, the Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, and the Bishop of Taranaki, Rev Phillip Richardson, Hewat said Motion 30 would “prove to be a disaster” to church unity and by 2016 “the flood gates will open”.

His last service in the Dinsdale church he administered for 20 years was a harrowing time for his congregation.

“It’s an emotional day but we always say the church is the people and not the buildings,” said Hewat.

He surrenders his licence this Friday, July 25 – a move he called a formality – and will vacate church property.

A special general meeting was held earlier in the month where he received 94 per cent support from parishioners and a further postal vote brought that figure to greater than 95 per cent.

Notice that the article refers to a “perceived obsession with homosexuality”. A phrase like that is often used to imply that someone is seeing something that isn’t there. In this case, though, the perception is a reliable view of reality: the Anglican Church really is obsessed with homosexuality. What is more, the church accuses those who refuse to share its obsession of being obsessed with rejecting its obsession. A clear case of projection born of institutionalised narcissistic personality disorder.

On a side note, I will be visiting Auckland, Waikato and a few other places in a couple of months; I will be boring everyone with photographs.

And so it begins in New Zealand

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The Anglican Church of New Zealand is “exploring ways” to offer blessings to same-sex couples. Rev. Charles Hughes has noticed that without going through abnormal hermeneutical contortions to make the Bible say what you might like it to say, it roundly condemns homosexual activity, making it an unlikely candidate for a liturgical blessing. So he is leaving along with his congregation.

The rector’s bishop, Ross Bay, has acted with the all the charity that one has come to expect from bishops: he has revoked Hughes’ licence to minister as an Anglican priest.

Next will come the split, the battle over buildings, the freezing of bank accounts and more revoked licenses – all for what? Pacifying a noisy contingent of Anglican homosexuals determined to have their own way come what may.

From here:

An Anglican pastor has quit the church and is taking his congregation with him after the governing body moved ahead with plans to bless same-sex relationships.

Charlie Hughes, the former vicar of St Michael’s in Henderson, says he cannot reconcile the decision of the church to recognise same sex relationships with his ordination vows.

He said the vows were a pledge to uphold the constitution of the Anglican Church. The constitution states it is “not lawful to ordain anything contrary to God’s word written”.

“It’s not because we have a problem with people who are in a same sex relationship but because of the commitment we have to shaping our lives around the teachings of the Bible,” Mr Hughes said.

[….]

The Bishop of Auckland the Very Reverend Ross Bay told St Michael’s parishioners that he understood there would be “confusion and even anger” over the situation.

He said Mr Hughes had spoken of making a decision of conscience.

“I respect his decision and so have accepted the inevitable consequence that his licence as vicar must lapse as a result.”