Tag Archives: bishops gone wild

The Diocese of Niagara does St. Hilda’s

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Martha Tatarnic is the priest that the Diocese of Niagara has installed in St. Hilda’s building. She is the spearhead for the occupation forces that wish to seize the building for financial gain, so she is compelled to inhabit St. Hilda’s Church building on Sunday mornings to maintain the fiction that the diocese really, really needs this building to conduct services. Even though there is another half empty diocesan church within walking distance.

Until very recently, she was the curate at St. Jude’s Church, Oakville, a parish 10 minutes drive away from St. Hilda’s. Her masters in the diocese convinced her to take on the ‘priest in charge’ position at St. Hilda’s, tweet1presumably with the enticement of better things to come. In truth, of course, almost anything would be better.

In order to present a convincing front for the future court cases where the final ownership of St. Hilda’s building will be decided, Martha has brought with her a ready-made congregation consisting of parishioners from St. Jude’s. The diocese is desperate to create the illusion that they are doing something useful in the building and that the very last thing on their minds is how valuable the property is and how much profit they can make when they sell it for condominium development. That thought never enters the gloriole enshrouded sainted heads of the leaders at the Diocese of Niagara. Really.

Martha has written an account of her experience at St. Hilda’s for St. Jude’s parish Newsletter. Much of it is a regurgitation of this. There are some new revelations, though:

“The building itself, particularly the sanctuary, is far from being in tip-top condition,”

Martha, you don’t like the orange carpet? So sorry about the shabbiness. Tell you what, why don’t you bring all of St. Jude’s parishioners with you on Sunday morning? We’ll even put a coat of paint on the place for you. Then we could use your building.

“and the Network had made their exit taking with them any musical instruments, sound system equipment, and hymn books.”

We did consider using spoons and biscuit tins for instruments at the school where we now worship and leave the stuff we paid for behind for you to use. In this case, though, sanity prevailed and we took our instruments with us. After your predecessor, Brian Ruttan, the Parish Terminator, took over with his congregation of zero, he did insist on our returning the communion vessels and altar linen. If they are not there now, I can only assume he took a fancy to them and decided to keep them for himself.

And we did leave you a sound system; it’s the thing with knobs on at the back.

“Various parishioners have donated everything from a piano, to a de-humidifier, to make worship space more useable.  St Jude’s itself has absorbed various ministry costs, along with weekly printing costs of the bulletin”.

I am simply devastated to learn that St. Jude’s has actually had to donate something to make your occupation more tolerable; and fancy having to absorb the cost of printing your bulletin: outrageous! Of course, we are paying your heating, water, hydro, cleaning, maintenance and every other conceivable building related cost. We paid for Brian’s advertisement in the Oakville Beaver, we pay to rent the school that we are forced to worship in and we gave you our Communion vessels. I suppose it’s only natural that you thought we would pay to print your bulletins too.

“A few people who used to attend St Hilda’s have decided to return, and a few new people have been attending regularly as well”.

It’s true that 1 family who sporadically attended St. Hilda’s now sporadically attends the diocesan service at St. Hilda’s building; that is a shame. Perhaps you could ask them to pay for printing your bulletins?

Memo from the Anglican politburo

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From Here

Archbishop Fred Hiltz and Bishop Susan Johnson sent a reminder today to Minister Diane Finley, the newly appointed Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development to live up to a pre-election promise that a Conservative government would renew three key programs for affordable housing in Canada.

If I were Minister Diane Finley, this is how I might reply:

Freddie, since you are so concerned about the homeless, build your own houses and give them away. After all, I have to use the taxpayer’s money; you’re not one of those fundamentalists trying to build a theocracy are you? Fred? You still there, Fred?

And now I have your attention, perhaps I can remind you of your election promise in the Solemn Declaration of 1893:

WE declare this Church to be, and desire that it shall continue, in full communion with the Church of England throughout the world, as an integral portion of the One Body of Christ composed of the Churches which, united under the One Divine Head and in fellowship of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, hold the One Faith revealed in Holy Writ, and defined in the Creeds as maintained by the undivided primitive Church in the undisputed Ecumenical Councils; receive the same Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as containing all things necessary to salvation; teach the same Word of God; partake of the same Divinely ordained Sacraments, through the ministry of the same Apostolic Orders; and worship One God and Father through the same Lord Jesus Christ, by the same Holy and Divine Spirit who is given to them that believe to guide them into all truth.

So perhaps you’d better get on with that and mind your own damn business.

Niagara: The Bishop's charge – well, more like a retreat, really

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From Here

This brings me to our present financial position, and the request I am making around the passing of the 2009 Budget. The diocese faces significant financial challenges that must be addressed soon to ensure that we can continue to meet our obligations around payroll and our standing with the bank.  The current pressure on cash flow in 2008 is the result of costs associated with the breakaway parishes including legal, administrative and operating expenses, significant historical, outstanding parish receivables, return on investments below our budgeted figures, increasing operating deficits associated with Cathedral Place, and the size of the deficits incurred by the diocese over the past two years.

It is with no small sense of satisfaction that, after over 30 years of seeing St. Hilda’s diocesan assessment being at best flushed down the toilet and at worst being used to oppose the gospel, having broken free of the Diocese, we are now contributing to its financial downfall.

My dear friends, here is the bottom line: the status quo is no longer an option both in terms of how we function as parishes and how we function as a diocese. Let us be united in this firm commitment that we are moving well beyond a position of mere survival and passionate

Let me see, we’ve had the moribund Anglicans in Mission, Decade of Evangelism and Survive and Thrive. Now we have: the Status Quo is No Longer an Option. That should do it; I can’t think why no-one came up with that before.

Over the past several months, I have endeavoured to prayerfully and faithfully wrestle with these two critical duties of a bishop in the Church and at times dealing with the issue of the blessing of same sex unions has felt like a monumental task and a heavy burden to bear.  How do I keep in balance the responsibility I feel toward those who have elected me as their bishop, while at the same time remaining faithful and loyal to the members of our National Church and the Anglican Communion?    So many times I have prayed for the wisdom of Solomon around this issue and I continue to wait upon God for a more complete answer.

The interesting point here is that Bird obviously thinks that those who elected him as bishop didAdd an Image so with the expectation that he would proceed with same-sex blessings; he sounds like  someone whose strings are being pulled. As you can see (2nd from the left), he is somewhat shorter than the average cleric; this, of course is a distinct advantage for Puppet Bishops.

I am fully aware that some on both sides of the issue will see this as a lack of wise leadership on my part and I accept that.  Having consulted as widely as possible, across our own diocese, across our country, at the House of Bishops (including many discussions with our Primate), and of course at Lambeth, I believe that I have come to a better understanding of what is at stake and what the implications are of the decisions we make at this critical period in the history of our Church.

I don’t remember Solomon accepting the epithet of Unwise Leader from others, so one assumes that Bird’s prayer was not answered. But it is a relief to know that at least he realises what is at stake: no more invitations to Lambeth; shunned by most of the world’s Anglicans; massive defections; bankruptcy. I wonder where he is getting his advice?

Banquet at Belbury

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For the Anglican Church of Canada words no longer mean – I was going to say “what they used toAdd an Image mean” – anything at all. To attempt to assign meaning to the drivel that Bird and Hiltz spew forth is an invitation to join them in the land where language and ideas no longer have any connection.
From the Anglican Journal

“As is the case with our brother and sister Anglicans in the dioceses of Montreal and Ottawa, I believe we are among those who have been called by God to speak with a prophetic voice on this subject,” Bishop Bird said in a letter issued on the eve of the diocesan synod scheduled Nov. 7 to 8 in Hamilton, Ont.

“I, therefore, intend to ask for a rite to be developed for the blessing of same-sex couples who have been civilly married, along with a process to enable these blessings to take place that will at the same time honour the diversity of tradition and theology that exists across Niagara,” he said.
Bishop Bird said it is his hope that the process will “move ahead as expeditiously as possible and that I will be in a position to report back to the diocese within the next few months.” He assured, however, that all clergy and all parishes would be “fully free to follow their own conscience on this matter, as and when we are able to move forward.”

Bishop Bird’s announcement came in the heels of a recent statement issued by the house of bishops that a “large majority” of its members could affirm “a continued commitment to the greatest extent possible” to a two-year moratorium on the blessing of same-sex unions, while recognizing that this would pose difficulty for some dioceses “that in conscience have made decisions on these matters.” They also said they would accept the request made at the recent Lambeth Conference of bishops for moratoriums on the ordination of gay bishops in same-sex relationships and on cross-border interventions.

And here is an excerpt from That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis, where God confounds the language of the Enemy:

Banquet at Belbury
To different members of the audience the change came differently. To Frost it began at the moment when he heard Jules end a sentence with the words ” as gross an anachronism as to trust to calvary for salvation in modern war”. Cavalry, thought Frost. Why couldn’t the fool mind what he was saying. Perhaps-but hallo! what was this? Jules seemed to be saying that the future density of mankind depended on the implosion of the horses of Nature. ” He’s drunk,” thought Frost. Then, crystal clear in articulation, beyond all possibility of mistake, came ” The madrigore of verjuice must be talthibianised.”
Wither was slower to notice what was happening. He had never expected the speech to have any meaning as a whole, and for a long time the familiar catchwords rolled on in a manner which did not disturb the expectation of his ear. Then he thought: “Come! That’s going too far. Even they must see that you can’t talk about accepting the challenge of the past by throwing down the gauntlet of the future.” He looked cautiously down the room. All was well. But it wouldn’t be if Jules didn’t sit down pretty soon. In that last sentence there were surely words he didn’t know. What the deuce did he mean by aholibate? He looked down the room again. They were attending too much, always a bad sign. Then came the sentence, ” The surrogates esemplanted in a continual of porous variations.”

Anyone see much difference? No? I thought not.

Joe the Bishop concedes that the USA is democratic after all

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Add an Image

From the Anglican Journal

Kenyan church leaders have hailed the election on Nov. 4 of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America, saying it is a positive turn for Africa that can help steer good governance on the continent.“I want congratulate Obama. I think his winning will bring hope and healing to the whole world,” said Anglican Bishop Joseph Wasonga. “His election has shown that America is truly democratic.”

I though the bringing of “hope and healing for the whole world” is something that Jesus does; I wonder, is Obama aware of the standard that has been set for him? Sorry – Him. Well, come January, I’m expecting my back-ache to go away.

At least Obama, McCain and the rest of the population of the United States can heave a big collective sigh of relief: Kenyan Bishop Joseph Wasonga has declared the election democratic. It’s tempting to wonder what Joe the bishop would have pronounced had McCain won: the election was rigged, probably. And the good bishop should know; this is how the last Kenyan election went:

From Here

Kenya descended into violence and chaos following December 2007’s presidential election. Preliminary results had opposition candidate Raila Odinga, of the Orange Democratic Movement, defeating incumbent Kibaki, 57% to 39%. In the days after the election, however, Odinga’s lead dwindled and Kenya’s electoral commission declared Kibaki the winner, 46% to 44%. International observers said the vote was rigged. Odinga, a champion of the poor, had promised to eliminate corruption and tribalism. After the announcement of the official results, violence broke out among members of the Luo and Kikuyu tribes. Odinga is Luo, and Kibaki is Kikuyu. The fighting between the tribes intensified in January 2008, with more than 800 people dying in violence across the country. Odinga refused Kibaki’s invitation to discuss the political crisis after Kibaki appointed his cabinet, which did not include any members of Odinga’s Orange Democratic Party. Parliament, however, elected Kenneth Marende, of Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement, speaker over an ally of Kibaki. The deployment of the Kenyan military did little to stem the brutal ethnic fighting. In late January, Melitus Mugabe Were, a member of Parliament who has worked to mend the ethnic strife in Kenya and help the poor, was dragged from his car and shot. Members of the opposition said the killing was a political assassination.

Perhaps what Joe the bishop really meant to say was that he is glad Obama won; and everyone is entitled to be glad about anything they like, however daft.

The Diocese of Niagara: down and out in Canada.

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Dear diocese, I know you are $777,000 in the hole, but perhaps you should cut back on Bishop Michael Bird’s salary a bit so you can pay your bills at St. Hilda’s.

These bills:

Brian Ruttan, the priest in charge at St. Hilda’s, in order to boost his Sunday morning congregation over the zero mark, took out a large ad in the Oakville Beaver. This was remarkably successful: the next Sunday Brian had a congregation of one. The only problem is, he didn’t pay the Beaver, so now the real ANiC St. Hilda’s – which has had a long standing relationship with the paper – is receiving repeated requests for payment. Come on, Bri, pay up.

St. Hilda’s proper (ANiC) has to rent space for its Sunday morning worship. The judge in the last court appearance ordered that the Diocese of Niagara and St. Hilda’s must share the building costs; to this day, the diocese has paid nothing to contribute to the running of the building. Which means St. Hilda’s proper has not only to fork out for rental space Sunday mornings, but also pay to keep a nice clean building for the diocese to occupy – with its congregation of zero.

Related posts Here and Here

Diocese of Niagara privately declares churches ‘non-viable’

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Time for a brief update on the continuing unpleasantness between the diocese of Niagara and ANiC churches, St. Hilda’s Oakville and the Church of the Good Shepherd St. Catherines.

In a recent Clericus meeting, the diocesan priest in charge at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Bruce McPetrie  declared that neither Good Shepherd nor St. Hilda’s have ‘viable congregations’. No kidding, Bruce; how many years of theological training does it take to be able to figure out that a congregation of zero is non-viable.

Which leaves the obvious question: since the diocese of Niagara has been desperately maintaining the charade of needing the ANiC buildings to hold diocesan services, why admit the obvious at this point? Possibly because the diocese is so confident that it will eventually win the court battle, they are already paving the way to closing the buildings and selling them for 30 pieces of silver.

Which brings me to Brian Ruttan, the priest in charge at St. Hilda’s. He has received a commuted sentence from the diocese; his last Sunday at St. Hilda’s was September 14th and he is off to greener pastures in sunny Grimsby. His replacement is Martha Tatarnic, wife of the delightful Dan Tatarnic who, when approached by St. Hilda’s proper for support in our hour of need had this to say: “Dan Tatarnic here, keep your opinion to yourself, it is not worth two cents.”

Martha, welcome to the non-viable diocesan congregation at St. Hilda’s.

The Church of England monkeys with Darwin

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If you sit enough monkeys down with typewriters, eventually they will produce the latest theological meanderings of the Anglican Church. This experiment was successfully verified at Lambeth 2008.

In the never ending quest for its own destruction, the CofE is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’. It is a fitting tribute to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, since the Anglican Church in the West is a live demonstration of the theory’s application. The church, having adapted to its surrounding culture in all the wrong ways, has made itself irrelevant and incomprehensible (just listen to Rowan Williams) to all and sundry; very soon it will cease to exist – it will have adapted itself into extinction.

The CofE pays its homage here.

It is this need for humans to think, and love, that forms the centrepiece of a new retrospective by the Revd Dr Malcolm Brown, Director of Mission and Public Affairs for the Church of England, called ‘Good Religion Needs Good Science’. After warning of the social misapplication of Darwin’s discoveries, where natural selection justifies racism and other forms of discrimination – perhaps predicted in the “misguided” over-reaction of the Church in the 1860s – Brown writes: “Christians will want to stress, instead, the human capacity for love, for altruism, and for self-sacrifice.” He separates the biological and emotional further by pointing out the naivety of assuming a wholesale evolution of the human race: “Despite our vastly expanding technical knowledge, even a fairly cursory review of human history undermines any idea of constant moral progress.”

This is replete with the usual Anglican drivel. First, if natural selection is true, then of course it would engender ‘racism’: if one race is superior and stronger than another, the inferior will be selected out. If natural selection is true what incentive is there to indulge in the opposite – self-sacrifice. And as for ‘other forms of discrimination’, there is hardly any worse discrimination than that of the abortionist towards the unborn child; a fairly predictable result of adopting a theory which declares that the strong survive and the weak perish.

The very worst part of all this is the diabolically bad logic of attempting to believe in Christianity and natural selection simultaneously. Leaving aside the squabbling about whether the universe arrived in 6 days, minutes, millennia or a few septillion years, the fact is, natural selection depends on accident to work. This means that mankind is accidental: it would be quite possible – indeed likely –  for it not to have existed – ever. From a Christian perspective this is absurd: the Christian view is that God planned man’s existence, planned revealing himself through Jesus, planned to redeem us through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, and eventually plans to renew all of creation. The very opposite of an accident.

So, Church of England, you can have Christ or natural selection; you can’t have both. And it seems you have made your choice.

Michael Ingham is elegantly angry

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From the New West website

Our Bishop Michael Ingham-and other Canadian bishops-called the idea of a “retrospective moratorium” punitive, unfair or a step backwards. Bishop Michael was elegantly angry, declaring the WCG demonstrated “rigidity and a lack of wisdom.”

The WCG also advanced the concept of an “Anglican Covenant” and an “Anglican Faith and Order Commission,” something sounding ominously like the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; which, in Globe and Mail reporter Michael Valpy’s words, “almost certainly would impose limitations on homosexual inclusiveness.”

Where did this WCG come from, you ask? It was established just last February by Archbishop Williams to “address outstanding questions arising from the Windsor Report”-with the implied assumption that the Windsor Report is now Anglican doctrine and must be implemented. Responses from this corner of the communion were, at best, skeptical.

The Rev. Neil Fernyhough of St. Hilda’s, Sechelt, who went to observe the Lambeth Conference, wryly noted “there’s no uniform opinion with regard to the Windsor Report…but it’s already being accepted as the 39 Articles.”

Even Bishop James Cowan of British Columbia, whose vote at last year’s Canadian General Synod showed he’s more of a “go slow” prelate when it comes to same sex-blessings, doubted that measures now being proposed by WCG to “minister” to churches that have left their dioceses “will have any more sway” than other groups created by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

One has sympathy for the current Archbishop of Canterbury: well-intentioned, gentlemanly, scholarly to the point of obscurity, and clearly someone who does not want the global Anglican Communion to fold on his watch. A fine writer, an accommodating leader, and an admirable man in many ways, but sometimes one wishes for the soldierly toughness of one of his predecessors, Robert Runcie.

The most felicitous words spoken at Lambeth were those of Sir Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of the Commonwealth. He recognized that, too often, religious groups have shown conflict “between faiths, and sometimes within faiths.”

But, he continued, “The Anglican Communion has held together quite different strands of Christian theology and practice more graciously and successfully than any other religion I know.”

One hopes this may continue. And yet, one knows the history of the Christian church is full of divisions, reaching back to the animosity between Saints Peter and Paul. Many schisms, separations, dissolutions, new “reformed” churches.

That may happen again, over this issue, but if so, let it happen. As Archbishop David Somerville said of the ordination of women to the priesthood, “If this is what God wants us to do, we must do it.” And the same can be said of this current brouhaha over the blessing of same-sex unions.

My feeling is, if there are parishes and dioceses that cannot accept the full inclusiveness of diverse sexualities, let them go. Staying together is not the most important thing about religious life.

The idea of Michael Ingham being ‘elegantly angry’ is an intriguing one. How does he do it? What does it look like? Does he temporarily conceal his – undoubtedly genetically acquired – bicorne nature with a rainbow mitre? It is a profound relief to know that a bishop of the Anglican church of Canada is not subject to the foot stamping, tooth gnashing temper tantrums of mere mortals.

Instead, he takes it out on the parishoners and priests in his dioscese who can no longer put up with his selling out to the Dark Side. If he were merely ‘letting them go’, he would not be initiating lawsuits, threatening a world famous theologian with trespassing, firing priests and seizing property that doesn’t belong to him – all done elegantly, of course.

Canadian Primate vigorously challenges and repudiates. But does anyone believe him?

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Canadian Primate disputes charge that church offers ‘false gospel’

The problem here, is that it is very difficult to pin any of the ACoC leadership down on exactly what they believe the gospel is; after all, no-one can accuse you of believing a lie when you refuse to divulge your beliefs. For example, in the recent debate on the Michael Coren show, Peter Wall, when asked whether he believes in the Virgin birth and the resurrection, waffled around the issue to such an extent that it wasn’t possible to figure out exactly what he does believe.

Bishop Michael Bird, when visiting a Niagara church this year refused to state what his beliefs are on the grounds that they are ‘personal’! The refusal of a Christian – especially a leader – to clearly state what he believes is, in itself, evidence of a false gospel.

And then we have Rev. Lynn Corfield, who doesn’t believe that mankind is sinful.

From the Anglican Journal

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, challenged the statement issued by a global group of conservative Anglicans accusing the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church in the United States of proclaiming a “false gospel that has paralyzed” the Anglican Communion.

“The Gospel of God in Christ is faithfully proclaimed by Canadian Anglicans today just as it has been by generations who have gone before us,” Archbishop Hiltz said in a press statement issued July 2. “I believe it is important to state this truth in response to the recent statement from the GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) gathering in Jerusalem which suggests otherwise.”

About 1,000 conservative Anglican leaders, at the end of their June 22 to 29 meeting, announced the formation of a network within the communion, which promised to be the alternative to what they call a “false gospel” on issues such as homosexuality. The network, called the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, is being spearheaded by primates and bishops opposed to the consecration in 2003 of V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay divorced father, as bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire, and the approval in 2002 by the synod of the Vancouver-based diocese of New Westminster of a motion asking its bishop to allow same-sex blessings.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has criticized the formation of the network as “problematic in all sorts of ways.”

Archbishop Hiltz said the GAFCON statement “is based on a premise that there is ‘acceptance and promotion within the provinces of the Anglican Communion of a different gospel which is contrary to the apostolic gospel.” He added:  “The statement specifically accuses Anglican churches in Canada and the United States of proclaiming this ‘false gospel that has paralyzed the Communion.’ I challenge and repudiate this charge.” (in all the ‘challenging’ and ‘repudiating’ that is going on, nowhere do we see any repentance or sorrow at the havoc wreaked by the ACoC and TEC; what we see is defiance)

Archbishop Hiltz said that in his visit to churches across Canada he has witnessed “a faithful proclamation of the apostolic gospel” and has met clergy and laity “who care deeply for the church, its unity and witness.”

Archbishop Hiltz also said that while he recognizes that “our relationships (within the Communion) are bruised and broken, the gospel calls us to be reconciled, to pursue healing and to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit.” He added: “I do not believe the Anglican Communion is paralyzed by a false gospel.”

The Canadian Anglican church, the primate added, values its role in the Anglican Communion. “We are committed to constructive dialogue on all issues facing our beloved church and the Communion, including the very difficult issue of the blessing of same-sex unions.” (Note: the ACoC is not commited to constructive dialogue: repeated offers from ANiC churches to negotiate outside the courtroom have been rejected)

He reiterated that Anglicans in Canada “remain convinced that, as contentious as this issue may be, it should not be a Communion-breaking issue.” (Generally speaking, ‘Anglicans in Canada’ aren’t convinced of anything much. Those that are have left the Anglican Church, joined ANiC or are desperately clinging on to an increasingly vain hope that things will change for the better eventually)

He also expressed the church’s support for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

c/p Essentials blog