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"I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Daniel 7:13-14 KJ21
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, During the last several weeks, the American Anglican Council staff and I have read the letters from the Primate of Rwanda, other Rwandan bishops, AMiA Chairman Bishop Chuck Murphy, AMiA members in Washington DC, and other assorted news postings. We have refrained from commenting until more of the story emerged, and even now there is the sense that there is still more to be put on the table. From our perspective this is so very sad, and with personal friends in AMiA, and a long time acquaintanceship with Bishop Murphy and retired Archbishops Kolini and Yong Ping Chung, the pain that so many are feeling is real and has faces that I recognize. At this point it is hard to know what to make of this - well, let's call it what it is, a spiritual mess - and to know exactly how to unring the many bells that have now already been rung. I will note for the record that I am a bishop of CANA/Nigeria and of the ACNA, and that as President of the AAC, my organization is comprised of AMiA and non-AMiA members, and I will further note that at GAFCON, MaryAnne and I chose to ride on the bus that had all AMiA (except us) members on board, because we enjoy their company. When AMiA decided to move from ACNA member status to "mission partner" status, I was disappointed in the distancing that I felt. With all of this said, I first sensed alarm when the letter of the Washington, DC AMiA members was posted publicly, as it gave evidence that all was not well in the Anglican Mission, as it is currently called. Then additional letters, most of which have been posted on Stand Firm in Faith or TitusOneNine websites began to come in, some from Rwanda, and some from Chairman Murphy in response. There has been a communications train wreck unfolding in slow motion. It would seem that Rwanda is not pleased with the new direction that +Chuck Murphy wishes to take the Mission, and in taking it out of Rwanda proper. They told him to stop his action and repent or resign from the AMiA chairmanship.
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Some also questioned where a large sum of money ($1,200,000) went that was allegedly sent to Rwanda, but is not accounted for. +Murphy was told to bring his financial people with him and explain to the Rwandan House of Bishops, but when he arrived, he was not permitted to make the presentation that had been requested of him. I can understand how that made +Chuck feel. On the other hand, when +Chuck responded to the Rwandan House of Bishops contrary to their instructions, keeping the AMiA chairmanship but resigning without permission from the House of Bishops itself, and then in a another letter making the unfortunate comparison of the AMiA departure from Rwanda to Moses taking the Israelites out of Egypt and thusly comparing the Primate of Rwanda to the Egyptian Pharaoh, things went from bad to worse.
When I was consecrated as a member of the House of Bishops of Nigeria, I signed an Oath of Canonical Obedience which placed me under the authority of the Primate and House of Bishops of Nigeria. I cannot resign or retire on my own. The proper approach in most Anglican provinces is to request permission to ask for either retirement or resignation; this is the Anglican Communion way of doing things.
It appears that most of us are observers watching a seemingly beautiful relationship come undone, and it is just sad. Some pundits are connecting the dots and surmising one thing, others saying something else. I just want to encourage all involved to "do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God," (Micah 6:8) and we will continue to lift up the situation in prayer.
May all of us receive our Lord's blessing and peace as we move to Gaudete Sunday and light the rose-colored third candle of our Advent Wreaths.
Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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Chaplain's Corner
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Canon Ashey
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The Chaplain's Corner
By The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey, J.D.
Chief Operating and Development Officer, American Anglican Council
Canon Ashey's comments this week may be viewed in our Anglican Perspective video:
Recently, some Episcopal Church leaders requested a meeting with the bishop of South Carolina. They claim to be using the guiding principals found in Matthew 18 for dealing with conflict within the church; however, they overlooked an important step. This week, Canon Ashey examines the text of Matthew 18 and how we can possibly win our brothers over when in conflict with them.
Watch Anglican Perspective here. Back to top |
Invitation to last service at Christ Church Savannah
| Source: Gulf Atlantic Diocese via email
December 6, 2011
YOU are invited to participate in the final service and processional to the new temporary home of Christ Church.
The final service at the historic Christ Church building in Savannah will be on Sunday,
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Christ Church Savannah
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December 11th. Handel's Messiah will be offered with orchestra as the Liturgy of the Word at the 10:30am service. After the Eucharist we will go out, following a wooden cross and bagpiper down Bull Street to Independent Presbyterian Church where their congregation will be waiting to greet us. This processional will be at approximately 11:30am to 12:30am, depending on the length of the service.
Bishop Neil will be with us also for 9:00am Sunday School and worship.
Christ Church directions are here.
Please do not park near Independent Presbyterian Church. We do not want to overwhelm them!
We look forward to having you join us!
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| Anglican Mission (AMiA) statement to its members | Source: Anglican Mission website
December 8, 2011
A Statement to the Clergy and Laity of the Anglican Mission
As you may know, on December 5, in response to unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances, the Anglican Mission in the Americas withdrew from the pastoral oversight of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. In addition, Bishop Chuck
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Bishop Murphy
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Murphy resigned as Primatial Vicar and Bishops Murphy, Sandy Greene, Todd Hunter, TJ Johnston, Philip Jones, Doc Loomis, John Miller and Silas Ng, as well as retired Bishop John Rodgers, resigned from the House of Bishops of Rwanda.
During this interim period, the Anglican Mission is under the oversight of our founding Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini, Moses Tay and Yong Ping Chung until we have a new provincial home within the Anglican Communion. Bishop Murphy is meeting with these overseeing archbishops in London next week to discuss options for the best way forward.
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Archbishop Rwaje
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While these events came as a significant surprise to all of us, and circumstances beyond our control have necessitated rapid decisions and actions, we are very encouraged about our future in the Anglican Mission and see a powerful missional opportunity to move toward formation of a missionary society. Since we highly value continuity, this is a logical, consistent progression of what God has been doing in and through the Anglican Mission since 2000. The missionary society concept provides the appropriate structure for us to be...a mission, nothing more, nothing less and in many ways represents "a long obedience in the same direction."
We ask and encourage you to pray for our brothers and sisters in Rwanda, offering thanksgiving and praise to God for the way they, and the Province of S.E. Asia, once took us in as "spiritual refugees." The Anglican Mission will be forever grateful for our partnership in the Gospel with Rwanda and for providing a spiritual home for us.
Look for more information in special video messages tomorrow....
The rest of the letter may be found here.
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| Ft. Worth: TEC Threatens Diocese Over Parish Seeking Ordinariate | Source: Diocese of Ft. Worth
Change of plans at St. Timothy's, says Bishop Iker
Dec. 8, 2011
On Dec. 2, leaders of the Diocese announced they had received a request from the Bishop's Committee at St. Timothy's, Fort Worth, asking that members of the mission congregation, as well as Fr. Christopher Stainbrook, the vicar, be permitted to become part of the Roman Catholic Church's Anglican Ordinariate while continuing to use the real property of the church for worship, instruction, and fellowship activities. It was announced that a forum would be held on Sunday, Dec. 11, to discuss the situation, and that a vote of the qualified members would be taken the following week in order to
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Bishop Iker
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ascertain the wish of the majority of the congregation.
On Dec. 6, lawyers for The Episcopal Church (TEC) parties delivered a letter to our legal team inquiring about the situation at St. Timothy and commenting that the proposed use of the St. Timothy property by a body from another denomination would not be a "normal course of business use" in compliance with the order of the 141st District Court signed Oct. 20, 2011. The team was asked to explain how the situation would be handled to be in compliance with the order to avoid a hearing before the court, or the TEC lawyers indicated they would proceed to bring the matter to the court's attention.
Our attorneys have therefore informed Fr. Stainbrook and the Bishop's Committee that "Bishop Iker and the diocesan leadership ... cannot jeopardize the entire Diocese as a result of your desire to join the Ordinariate." It is imperative that all parties to the proceedings in the 141st, including St. Timothy, obey the October 20 order.
As a result, the Dec. 18 vote of the mission congregation has been canceled. The Dec. 11 forum will be held as planned, so that the congregation has an opportunity to ask questions and share its concerns. Bishop Iker will accept Fr. Stainbrook's resignation from Anglican orders as part of his stated intention to seek re-ordination for service in the Ordinariate.
"We regret," Bishop Iker says, "that the desires of the St. Timothy's Ordinariate group to continue to use the facilities after Jan. 1, 2012, would be contrary to the court order and subject all of us to unnecessary legal proceedings that the TEC lawyers have stated they are prepared to pursue. Sadly, this prevents a pastoral solution to a sensitive issue of spiritual discernment. We are grateful to Bishop Keith Ackerman for his willingness to provide Sunday services at St. Timothy's beginning on the first Sunday after Christmas Day."
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TEC Province IV Bishops Seek a Meeting with South Carolina Bp. Lawrence
| Source: Kendall Harmon
December 5, 2011
The Right Reverend Mark Lawrence
The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
126 Coming Street
Charleston, South Carolina 29413
Dear Mark,
I write to you following the regular annual meeting of the bishops of Province 4, gathered this year in Memphis, Tennessee. We missed you and understood your need to stay at home and close to your diocese.
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Bishop Lawrence
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The meeting covered a variety of topics: the Denominational Health Plan; the beginning of a search process for a new dean of the School of Theology at Sewanee; the upcoming Provincial Synod in June and the General Convention in July; ministry to retired clergy and their families; Daughters of the King; a prison ministry network in our province; ongoing concerns about the sin of racism in our world and church; and immigration, among other topics.
We also considered, with some concern, recent publicly reported actions regarding quitclaim deeds given to parishes in the Diocese of South Carolina. Since we have had no direct communication from you regarding these reported actions, we determined that it is our duty as bishops of this province to address these concerns in direct communication with you, as Jesus exhorts his followers in Matthew's Gospel (18:15-20), and in accord with our ordination vows regarding the unity and governance of the church. What we seek in the coming weeks is a face-to-face meeting with you and and a representative group of your fellow Bishops Diocesan of Province 4 in order to have a clarifying conversation and to address the concerns raised among us:
A. We have heard and read reports that you have given a quitclaim deed to each congregation in your diocese. Is this true? If this report is true, under what canonical authority did you proceed? Did you involve the Standing Committee and are the members of the Standing Committee in accord? Who signed the deeds? Would you provide a sample copy of a deed and the letter of explanation that accompanied it?
B. In order to better understand your action, the Bishops of Province 4 gathered in Memphis respectfully request that you meet with several of your fellow Provincial Bishops Diocesan in Charleston, or elsewhere if you desire, to discuss what has been noted above. We make this request in a spirit of collegiality and fellowship as well as out of concern for the people of the Diocese of South Carolina and concern for the well-being of The Episcopal Church.
I have contacted you earlier today by telephone and shared with you the content of this letter, as well as seeking a date in the very near future for our proposed meeting. I will send you an email and hard copy of the letter. I am also releasing this letter to Episcopal news organizations today after our conversation.
Faithfully yours,
Dan
Clifton Daniel, 3rd
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina
Vice President of Province 4 of The Episcopal Church
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| Presbyterian parish will appeal property dispute to U.S. Supreme Court |
Source: The Layman
December 2, 2011
A Georgia Presbyterian church announced plans Thursday to appeal a property dispute with the Presbyterian Church (USA) to the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorneys representing Timberridge Presbyterian Church of McDonough, Ga. filed a motion on Dec. 1 to stay a recent decision by the Georgia Supreme Court that could effectively eject the church from its property.
Last week, the state Supreme Court reversed an appellate court ruling that declared the PCUSA's property trust clause null and void with respect to property owned by the Timberridge.
In a notice of intent filed Thursday, Timberridge attorneys stated the church plans to appeal the state ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court and have asked the Georgia Supreme Court to defer its decision until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether or not to consider the appeal
In a 4-3 opinion, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals that favored Timberridge based on neutral principles of law. The appellate court found no evidence that Timberridge had agreed to place its property in trust for the PCUSA.
"In the absence of some showing of intention and assent on the part of Timberridge, neutral principles of law cannot support the unilateral imposition of a trust provision drafted by the purported beneficiary of the trust and the resulting deprivation of the opposing party's property rights," the appellate court stated....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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| Tell the Scottish Government to Protect Marriage! |
Source: National Organization for Marriage
December 8, 2011
Dear Marriage Supporter,
(Today, Dec. 9) the Scottish Government closes a public consultation period on the question of same-sex marriage.
In what appears to be a desperate attempt to sway the outcome, the Scottish Government has been persuaded to accept responses from outside the UK, allowing gay marriage groups to organize supporters from around the world in their campaign to rewrite Scotland's marriage law.
Please help give the Scottish Government an accurate perception of world opinion on same-sex marriage! ScotlandforMarriage.org has set up an approved web portal at which you can answer the six questions being asked by the Scottish government. All responses will be sent directly to the Scottish Government.
Time is short. Please take action today! Go here to make your response.
Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage
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