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News – ANiC and AEN
From our Moderator
THE LORD IS RISEN….HE IS
RISEN INDEED!
The long season of Lent
is past, and we have learned much from our studies and devotions. Passion Week,
wherein we contemplated step by step the Way of the Cross, culminating with the
Three Hour Watch on Good Friday when we became so aware of how our salvation
was won for us, already is becoming a memory...
Because… Easter Morning has dawned, and once again we marvel at the empty tomb and
become aware of His Resurrected Presence among us in the Breaking of the Bread
just as surely as the apostles did at Emmaus.
May the joy of the Risen
Lord be so evident in us that it will spread to those we encounter in the
coming days.
A glorious Easter to you
all!
+Donald
ANiC
and ACNA events calendar
April
14 – Good Shepherd,
Vancouver celebration and
consecration service
April
23-27 – GAFCon Leadership Conference, London, England
June 7-9 – ACNA Provincial Assembly, Ridgecrest, NC
June
11-12 – Asian & Multicultural Ministries in Canada (AMMiC) conference,
Vancouver
November
14-16 – ANiC synod, clergy day and lay conference in Ottawa
Building
relationships with Lutheran Church-Canada (LCC)
ANiC’s
moderator, Bishop Don Harvey was featured in a recent Canadian
Lutheran online magazine article. The article featured the growing
relationship between ANiC and our Lutheran counterparts. The article noted that:
“Friendly relationships between LCC and
ANiC have begun to develop at a grass roots level as well. Bethlehem
Lutheran Church in Vancouver, for example, welcomed disaffected Anglican
congregation St Matthias and St Luke’s Church to share its facility after the
congregation lost its property to the [Anglican Church of Canada]. Bishop
Harvey thanked Bethlehem Lutheran for their generosity and hospitality,
suggesting that the mutual congeniality between LCC and ANiC “comes from
the discovery that our faith is built upon the same basic principles.””
The
Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) website
reports that leaders from both the ACNA and the North American
Lutheran Church (NALC) met recently to begin an ecumenical relationship. Future
meetings are planning to strengthen the relationship and explore opportunities
for joint mission and service work through Lutheran and Anglican relief
agencies.
ANiC
delegates appointed for the ACNA Assembly 2012, June 7-9
ANiC representatives
at the 2012 Provincial Assembly in North Carolina in June by the following
delegates:
Clergy
delegates: the Rev Jonathan Gibson, the Rev Keith Ganzer, the Very Rev Archie
Pell and the Ven Michael McKinnon (alternates: the Rev Dwight McPherson, the
Rev Dr Joy Vernon and the Rev Tom Carman)
Lay
delegates: Claus and Heather Lenk
While these
are ANiC’s official delegates, all ANiC members are welcome. Full information on
speakers and the agenda is on the ACNA
website. A youth gathering for ages 13-22 will run in conjunction
with the Assembly as well. You can register
online now. If you wish to promote the Assembly in your parish, you
can download resources – such as bulletin inserts and bulletin
announcements – from the ACNA website.
The ACNA says, “Attendees
can expect powerful worship that embraces the fullness of Anglican worship and
identity and the beauty of our liturgy. Assembly 2012 will feature keynote speaker, Dr Ed Stetzer, and Bible
teacher the Rt Rev Rennis Ponniah along with several other wonderful guests.” An
interview with keynote speaker Ed Stetzer is posted on the
ACNA website.
Parish
and regional news
Good
Shepherd (Vancouver, BC) has invited the Rev Sean Love, rector of St John’s
Richmond, to hold a Bible-in-a-day
workshop on April 21, 9:30am – 3:30pm. Registration is only
$25. Email Isabella Shen, Good
Shepherd’s evangelist, or call 604 872-1884 for information and to register.
Ontario
men’s breakfast – Photos from the recent men’s breakfast are posted online for your viewing pleasure.
St Hilda's (Oakville, ON), after a full schedule of
Holy Week activities, celebrated Easter Sunday with a Sunrise service at a
local park, followed by breakfast and the Easter service. Photos of the Sunrise
service are posted
online. The congregation is planning a Women's Chocolate PJ Party
and Movie Night in the near future, as well as their annual Garage “Sale”
Give-away on May 12.
Holy Trinity (Marlborough, MA) was featured in
the community newspaper recently as the congregation expanded its
outreach by opening a new chapel – a
second meeting location in another part of the city – as an extension of
the church's growing ministry.
St John’s Vancouver’s old building has a new
rector. The Anglican
Samizdat blog notes that Bishop Michael Ingham of the Anglican
Church of Canada Diocese of New Westminster has appointed the Rev Michael
Fuller as incumbent for St John’s Shaughnessy. The Rev Fuller comes from the
Church of England and prior to his ordination served as CEO of Philip Morris Overseas Incorporated. See the Diocese’s
website for more information.
Manitoba parishes – Bishop Don Harvey and
Archdeacon Paul Crossland traveled over 3000 kms recently as they visited
church leaders and congregations in Manitoba and Northern Ontario, including
Church of the Resurrection(Brandon, MB), Church of the Redeemer (Dauphin, MB), St
Bede’s (Kinosota, MB), Good Shepherd House (Sioux Lookout, ON) and St David’s
the Faithful (Winnipeg, MB). The highlight was a joint worship service for the
Manitoba churches on Sunday, March 18. Photos are posted online.
St James (Lennoxville, QC) – An editorial
introducing “A new Anglican Church at work in the Eastern Townships” was published in the Sherbrooke Record just in time to invite community members to the launch
of regular liturgical services, beginning Easter Sunday. The Rev Jess Cantelon
rector of St James also prepared a
short video “commercial” inviting people to church services –
as well as an e-poster.
Also, St James has launched a community gardens initiative that will help provide food for those in need in
their community.
St
David’s the Faithful (Winnipeg, MB) has a new website. Check it out!
St Paul’s
Anglican Bible Church (Stoney Creek, ON) also has a new website.
Please email parish news to Marilyn or call 1-866-351-2642 ext 4020.
ANiC Synod
2011 audio files online
If you
didn’t make it to ANiC’s synod last November – or even if you did and
want to refresh your memory – audio of key sessions is now posted on the ANiC website.
Upcoming ordinations
Please pray for the Rev Anson Ann who will be
ordained to the priesthood and Shihoko Warren who will be ordained a deacon,
both on Pentecost, May 27, at 3pm at Good Shepherd (Vancouver).
Did you
know?
| • |
ANiC’s
graphic designer, Daniel Hartwig, has created logos for our parishes, plants
and projects that incorporate ANiC’s crest. These are available on our
website. |
| • |
Also,
Daniel has created a variety of communication tools for parishes, including
templates for parish certificates, signage, invitation cards, letterhead and
business cards. These templates, which are posted online – can all be adapted – both text and images – tor parishes at
no or minimal charge. |
| • |
ANiC
offers two template parish websites which can be adapted by parishes, projects
or plants at very low cost. See the ANiC website for more information. |
| • |
ANiC
parishes may use the ANiC logo as long as the graphic standards guidelines are
followed. See the ANiC website for information. |
| • |
ANiC
encourages all parishes to appoint a communication liaison. The parish
communication liaison relays news from the parish that would be of interest or
encouragement to members of other parishes. Parish news should be sent to
Marilyn Jacobson via email or by calling 1866-351-2642 extension 4020. |
News
– Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
Archbishop Bob Duncan’s
Easter message
Our Primate, Archbishop Bob
Duncan focused his Easter message on the insurmountable task faced
by the women who wanted to anoint Jesus’ body but did not know how to move the
heavy stone sealing the tomb. He says, “Followers
of Jesus often face what seem to them insurmountable problems… God addresses
our human challenges both naturally and supernaturally. He is God, after all. Our
chief attitude needs to be to trust him, no matter what we face… There is now,
with Jesus, no challenge we cannot face, not even death. For now the last
challenge has been swallowed up in victory, and – for those who put their
faith in him – no stones that cannot be rolled away… Rejoice this Easter
Day! Rejoice like never before! Rejoice for the stone on the tomb proved no
problem to our God.”
Writing about the joys of being a
faithful Anglican
The next edition of our
Province’s biannual publication, The Apostle, will focus on what it means to be
Anglican. The editor is looking for short 250 word submission on one of these
two topics:
| • |
What it means to me to be
Anglican; or |
| • |
How my life has been impacted by
my involvement with my parish/ANiC/ACNA. |
Photo submissions are also
welcome. Deadline for all submissions is April 18. Email your submissions to Marilyn.
Find out what other ACNA
congregations are doing…
The Anglican Church in North
America website has an inspiring article about Church of the Savior (Ambridge,
PA) and its ministry in a local housing development that is seeing tremendous
response. Now 100 children participate in the weekly program that includes
games, singing, Bible teaching and a hot meal.
Anglican
Fourth Day (A4D) Province-wide conference
This
year's Provincial Grand Ultreya and Conference will be held at Christ Church in
Montgomery, Alabama, June 22-23. See the online flyer for full details
on lodging and registration. Anglican 4th Day is a worldwide movement which
seeks to bring people to Christ, helps Christians grow in discipleship and
offers warm fellowship.
“Playbook” for disposing of troublesome
conservative clergy
Bishop David Anderson, writing in the American Anglican Council’s (AAC) weekly
email newsletter, exposes a process used by the Episcopal Church for
removing “troublesome conservative priests”, saying that the AAC has counseled
many priests over the years who had “discovered that their bishop, feigning
genuine concern for the priest, was working to deftly remove him”. Bishop
Anderson outlines the process used step by step. The process starts with a
meeting called by the revisionist bishop who claims parishioners are worried
about the priest’s emotional health; it then moves to a psychiatric evaluation;
and ends with suspension from active duty. Bishop Anderson offers concrete
actions the priest can take to thwart this maneuver.
Litigation in the US
The Anglican Curmudgeon, aka
canon law expert A S Haley, offers an excellent “primer”, in layman’s terms,
on property lawsuits in the US. He notes that state laws vary widely and the US
Episcopal Church has won in nine states, but has been unsuccessful in eight
others. Currently three cases are pending before the Supreme Court with a
decision on whether they will be heard expect some time after June. He
estimates that about $25 million has been consumed in more than 75 legal cases
to date. He concludes: “Frankly,
it's madness. Despite their protestations, the leaders of the [Episcopal]
Church have not managed to preserve any assets "for future
generations", and they have consumed far more of the Church's endowment on
lawsuits than they will ever replace through sales of property.”
ACNA Diocese of Pittsburgh calls
Assistant Bishop
Bishop Frank Lyons, bishop of
Bolivia for the past 11 years, has accepted to serve as assistant bishop to
Archbishop Duncan in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The diocese’s
website states that “As
Assistant Bishop, Lyons will assist with pastoral care and oversight to clergy
and congregations in the Diocese of Pittsburgh during Archbishop Duncan’s
tenure as archbishop. Bishop Lyons will also exercise a special superintendence
of diocesan congregations located beyond the Pittsburgh area… During his eleven
year tenure as bishop of Bolivia, Lyons has seen that very small diocese triple
in their number of churches and ordained clergy. Bolivia is the poorest country
in South America. During the crisis in the Episcopal Church, Lyons also assumed
responsibility for 40 congregations across the U.S. and their clergy.”
Developments related to the
Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA)
The North American parishes
remaining within the Anglican Province of Rwanda have successfully petitioned the Rwandan House of
Bishop for permission to set up a North
American missionary jurisdiction within that province. An article in Anglican Ink discusses
the proposed relationship of these churches to the ACNA.
The
Rwandan House of Bishops has written the AMiA bishops who have purportedly resigned from the Province, saying that:
“According to our Provincial Canons, there are
only three ways that we may “release” clergy affiliated with us:
1. By transferring them to another jurisdiction within
the Anglican Communion;
2. By their voluntary renunciation of orders;
3. By formal ecclesiastical discipline.
“Today we wrote to those AMiA missionary bishops
who resigned and asked that if they wish to continue in episcopal ministry
within another Anglican jurisdiction, that they please inform us of that
jurisdiction immediately so that we may translate them appropriately… We encourage all North American clergy credentialed in the PEAR to join
PEARUSA, which is our missionary district in North America, unanimously erected
by our House of Bishops in our today’s meeting.”
An
American Anglican Council Encompass article provides an overview of the schism.
The April 2 edition of Anglican Unscripted discusses the most recent developments with the sad schism in the Anglican
Mission in the Americas.
Other
news in brief
Fellowship of Confessing
Anglicans
An Encompass article says that the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Leadership conference in London April 23-27 will,
among other things, plan for a 2013 Global Anglican Future Conference. Please
pray for this important gathering of global orthodox leaders and for Bishop Don
Harvey and the Rev Ray David Glenn who will represent us at the event.
England
The Church of England has announced that “Any person wishing to comment on the challenges and opportunities that
should be taken in to account in considering the appointment of his successor
or who wishes to propose candidates should email, by Monday 30th April, to abc.vacancy@churchofengland.org.”
Further information on this consultation and the process for appointing the
next Archbishop of Canterbury is provided by
the Anglican Communion News Service.
Egypt
Bishop Mouneer Anis, Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East,
discusses the politics and deteriorating religious situation in Egypt on last week’s
Anglican Unscripted video newsmagazine.
Myanmar
(aka Burma)
The military continues to harass Myanmar’s Christian
minority, the Anglican
Journal reports, ransacking and pillaging churches, burning Bibles,
shooting at worshippers and conscripting Christians into forced labour. Christians
comprise only four per cent of the population in the predominantly Buddhist
country.
Global South
Canon Phil Ashey of the American
Anglican Council (AAC) and a speaker at ANiC’s last synod discusses ”the recent attempt by activists for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender
(LGBT) causes to move their agenda to the continent of Africa”. He asks us to
pray that our Global South brothers and sisters would not be drawn into the
deception of endless dialogue on matters that Scripture clearly identifies as
sinful. A detailed
article on these attempted inroads into Africa is in the AAC’s Encompass
publication posted online.
Soul
food
Just for fun
Copyright Gospel Communications
International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com
Church planter interview
You can
watch an encouraging and thought-provoking 15-minute
interview with the Rev Josh
Wilton, a church planter in Victoria, BC planting an innovative congregation
known as The Table.
Thought
Living
on Earth may be expensive, but it includes an annual free trip around the Sun.
And now
a word from our sponsor
Incline
your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor
and needy.
Preserve
my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my
God.
Be
gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden
the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For
you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who
call upon you.
Give
ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for
grace.
In the
day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.
There
is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.
All the
nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall
glorify your name.
For you
are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
Teach
me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your
truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
I give
thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name
forever.
For
great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the
depths of Sheol.
Psalm
86:1-13
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