"Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:20 NASB
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Dear Friends in Christ, In shaping a church, one of the important ways you build for the future is how you prepare the leaders, and how you impart your expectations to them. Those who wished to change the doctrine and practice of the American Episcopal Church began years ago to put like-minded teachers in the seminaries in order to shape the minds and spirits of the clergy-to-be. Pressure was also bubbling up for a new prayer book to replace the 1928 version, and to revise it in fairly decisive ways. An example could be found in the ordinal of the old 1928 American Episcopal Prayer Book, where the Presiding Bishop, speaking to the bishop-ordinand asks "Are you ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away from the Church all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God's Word; and both privately and openly to call upon and encourage others to the same?" In the new prayer book of 1979 this was left out! With changes in words came changes in direction, and then changes in expectations for bishops. Today the American Episcopal Church seems to expect bishops to ride in Gay Pride Parades and to promote changes in Holy Matrimony to include same-sex couples. Part of this change came about with changes in the Baptismal promises from the 1928 to the 1979 Prayer Book. A smooth sounding phrase was added to the promises that surely no one should object to: "to respect the dignity of every human being...." This phrase was the wedge, and the goal was to rebuild the missional understanding of the Episcopal Church around this phrase, which when "properly" interpreted means that one should support the normalization of homosexual practice, its supposed natural and honored status in God's eyes, and the reasonableness of having Christian marriage be as equally between two men or two women as between the traditional and Biblical male-female union. To fail to support the homosexual agenda of "full equality" and "full inclusion," and not to give opportunities to advance their point of view in the general public as well as in school curricula, is to fail to respect their dignity and therefore a failure on our part to live up to our baptismal promise. Those baptized under other and older prayer books did not, of course, make such a promise.
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While some Anglican bodies are inadvertently picking up on some of the American Episcopal Church's 1979 Prayer Book phraseology as well as dropping the charge to bishops to drive away erroneous doctrine, it is noteworthy that the most recent Reformed Episcopal Church's Prayer Book does continue to ask that of their bishop ordinands. I would commend its reintroduction to all Prayer Books, for the larger church has strange and erroneous doctrines aplenty that need banishing and driving away.
Now to a positive note, this Sunday is the Feast of Pentecost, one of the feasts each year that required all male Jews to journey to the temple and be present, even from distant ports of call. Because this was a season for safer sea travel, if one were going to come to only one festival, this was likely the one. For those who follow Jesus Christ, it recalls the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early church as it was gathered together in a large room in Jerusalem. There was a sound like the roar of a violent wind and what looked like flames of fire that separated and seemed to rest on each one there. In some new way, the Holy Spirit of God came to rest on each of them, and as they spilled into the street they were praising God and seemingly speaking in languages not their own. Some writers have postulated that the disciples were given the gift of foreign languages so they could go to distant lands and spread the Gospel. That would have been helpful, but I don't think that is what happened. I think a miracle or gift of interpretation occurred, because as the disciples were speaking, Jews present from all over the known world were amazed that each one of them understood all of the speakers as if all the speakers were speaking in the hearer's native language from back home. Read the passage carefully, and you will see that each foreign listener was amazed to hear all of them speaking his own language, and he understood what they were all saying.
The purpose of this miracle or gift of interpretation on Pentecost morning was so that the devout Jews from all over the known world would hear the truth about Jesus Christ and what he had done, and have an opportunity to come to faith. The Apostle Paul identifies various gifts of the Holy Spirit that God gives to believers to use, some for worship, some for evangelism, some for ministry, but always it is for the building up of the body of believers, both in maturity as well as in numbers.
As you celebrate Pentecost this Sunday, think about where you are in your walk with the Lord. Is the Lord wanting to draw you closer? No matter how close you are to the Lord, nor how many spiritual gifts God has given you, God does not run out of gifts to bless you with and He seeks for those who love him to draw ever closer, to know him and be known by him in ways that we have not yet reached. Trust God that there is more....
Blessings and Peace,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson
President & CEO, American Anglican Council
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The Chaplain's Corner
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Canon Ashey
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Open letter to Bishop Benhase of Georgia (TEC) on misuse of TEC Canons
Dear Bishop Benhase,
Greetings in the Name of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ - who alone is unique and sufficient as our Savior and Lord (Col. 1:15-20; 2:9-10) and by whose name alone we may be saved (Acts 4:12; Article XVIII of the 39 Articles).
I have just received a copy of the letters you and your Standing Committee sent to the Rev. Donald Hutchens of St. John's Anglican Church, Americus, GA, a new church in the Anglican Diocese of the South in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). You seem to be following the same sad and shabby misinterpretation of TEC Canons that has resulted in the wrongful inhibition and deposition of over 400 former TEC clergy - bishops, priests and deacons - which we documented in our brief submitted several years ago to the Church of England (The Episcopal Church: Tearing the Fabric of Communion to Shreds). Like many, I had feared that the revisions at General Convention 2009 to the TEC Title IV Disciplinary Canons would accelerate the abuse of episcopal power and canons against clergy whose conscience cannot permit them to remain in TEC, and who would like nothing more (as they always have) than to be simply transferred to another Church that upholds the clear biblical and catholic norms for Anglican teaching on human sexuality and holy orders (see Lambeth 1.10 (1998))
Sadly, your letter, and the letter of your Standing Committee, confirm our worst fears.
For instance, you state in your letter that "in accordance with Canon IV.1(B).3 I have received a letter from the Standing Committee of the Diocese informing me of their unanimous vote determining that you have "abandoned The Episcopal Church" (italics added). But that is not in fact what the Standing Committee says in their letter. Based on the information supplied by your office, they accuse Rev. Hutchens of "abandonment of communion" not once but twice pursuant to the same Canon IV.16(b) (2009) and conclude that "Fr. Hutchens has in fact abandoned the Communion [capital C], as defined by Canon 16(B) of the Canons of the Episcopal Church." (emphasis added). And then to make matters even more confusing, you close your letter with the admonition that "If I do not hear from you in writing by July 18, 2012, I will on that date remove you from your orders in keeping with the canons and at the request of the Standing Committee."
Well, what is it you are accusing Rev. Hutchens of doing - abandoning The Episcopal Church? Abandoning the [small c] "communion" of The Episcopal Church (whatever that may mean)? Or abandoning "THE Communion," meaning the Anglican Communion? Did your Standing Committee understand what they were doing? Did you?
If you take a look at the new Title IV Canons, and specifically the one both you and your Standing Committee cite as authority for your actions-Canon IV.16(B)-you will find only a reference to abandoning The Episcopal Church. There is no reference to "abandoning the communion of The Episcopal Church" and certainly no reference whatsoever to "abandoning the Communion."
You may be interested to note that clergy from the Anglican Church in North America are being licensed by the Church of England under the Overseas and Other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure 1967 to exercise the Holy Orders into which they were ordained. These are clergy who were ordained bishops, priests and deacons under TEC, left for the same reasons that Rev. Hutchens left TEC, and were deposed under the old TEC canons for Abandonment (Canon IV.10) and the oxymoron of "Implied Renunciation" (a tortured interpretation of Canons III.9.8 and III.7.8). Whatever TEC did in "deposing" these departing clergy, and whatever you choose to do to Rev. Hutchens, it did not and cannot extinguish their Holy Orders. Accordingly, your threat to remove Rev. Hutchens from Holy Orders is empty. You would be better served to do what other bishops with respect for catholic order have done - simply release Rev. Hutchens from his office as a priest in TEC and transfer him.
All of which makes me wonder about your invitation to Rev. Hutchens to actually renounce his Holy Orders under Canon III.9.8-11 "as the most honest approach to acknowledge your apparent intention for your ministry." Really? The most honest approach - when such an act would be the equivalent of an utterly unnecessary suicide of Holy Orders?? Of course, such an act would make your job a lot easier, wouldn't it?
I doubt you will hear from Rev. Hutchens by July 18, 2012. I expect he is enjoying the spiritual freedom of being in a church that actually observes the authority of Holy Scripture, the Creeds, the 39 Articles, and Anglican Communion teaching such as you will find in Lambeth 1.10 (1998). He is enjoying the honor of being in communion with the majority of Anglicans worldwide, such as in Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, South East Asia and the Southern Cone, who recognize the ACNA as an Anglican church. When Rev. Hutchens receives the letter allegedly depriving him "of the right to exercise the gifts and spiritual authority conferred in Ordination," (Canon IV.16(B).4), I expect he will pass it along to the AAC. We will frame it on our "Wall of Honor" with similar framed letters of the hundreds who precede him.
Yours in Christ,
Canon Phil Ashey
American Anglican Council
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Anglican Perspective
| This week's Anglican Perspective was taken from a lecture given by the Rev. Mark Eldredge at a recent Sure Foundation session for churches sponsored by the American Anglican Council. Find out more about Sure Foundation at www.AmericanAnglican.org/SureFoundation
In this true story, Father Eldredge tells how successful efforts at evangelism brought people from all walks in to his church and a relationship with Jesus. One new convert was a former "enforcer" for a "biker gang" who, though well-meaning, sparked a fist fight after Sunday services. Hear how Father Eldredge handled this unexpected consequence of successful evangelism.
Watch this week's Anglican Perspective here.
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New Hampshire: Bishop Elected to Succeed Gene Robinson
| Source: Christian Post
May 21, 2012
By Michael Gryboski
A Massachusetts clergyman has been elected the successor to the controversial New
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Bishop-elect Hirschfeld
(photo provided by Louis Karno & Company Communications)
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Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, who is retiring at the end of the year.
The Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, rector at Grace Episcopal Church of Amherst, was elected in a vote taken on Saturday. Among three nominees, he received 145 of 252 votes. The other two candidates were the Rev. Penelope Maud Bridges of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Great Falls, Va., and the Rev. Dr. William Warwick Rich of Trinity Church in Boston, who is openly gay.
"I am honored to join you in the holy work of bearing witness to the power of Christ's forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection in this time and in this place," said Hirschfeld in a statement....
Hirschfeld, who is married with three children, was appointed rector at Grace Episcopal in Amherst in 2001. He was announced as a nominee for the bishop position in March. The vote that took place on Saturday was among the clergy and delegates of the New Hampshire Diocese's 47 congregations....
Hirschfeld will be ordained on August 4 as "Bishop Coadjutor" and then installed as the Tenth Bishop of New Hampshire Diocese on Jan. 5, 2013
The rest of the article may be found here.
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An announcement from Bonnie Anderson, President of the Episcopal Church [TEC] House of Deputies
| Source: Episcopal News Service
May 23, 2012
Bonnie Anderson has announced that she will not stand for re-election as president of the House of Deputies during the July 5-12 meeting of General Convention in
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Bonnie Anderson
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Indianapolis....
The following is the text of the letter:
May 23, 2012
Dear Deputies and First Alternates,
I write to you for two reasons: to thank you for your support, friendship, prayers, challenges, brilliance and love that has inspired and humbled me during these 6 years and second, to let you know that I do not plan to stand for election as President of the House of Deputies for another term.
The reason I am not seeking re-election is a simple one: I want to spend more time with my family. My husband, Glen, is retired. I want to be with him more. Our amazing son, Justin, lives with us and reminds us every single day, by his very existence, that God is a generous miracle maker. I want to celebrate Justin's life by being with him every day. I want to bake cakes with my grandchildren and go to all their band concerts, soccer games and school plays. I want to have leisurely phone conversations with my daughters. You get the picture.
By tomorrow, you will receive information on the process for electing a President and Vice President while we are in Indianapolis....
The rest of the letter may be found here.
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Notre Dame, other groups file lawsuits against contraception rule
| Source: Politico
May 21, 2012
By Jennifer Haberkorn
More than 40 Catholic institutions on Monday filed lawsuits challenging the Obama administration's policy that requires employers to provide insurance coverage of contraceptives, a coordinated strategy backed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The groups, including the Archdiocese of Washington, the University of Notre Dame and other Catholic schools and charities, filed 12 lawsuits in courts throughout the country. They join about 12 lawsuits already filed against the policy....
"The decision to file this lawsuit came after much deliberation, discussion and efforts to find a solution acceptable to the various parties," the Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, wrote in an email to the university. "If one presidential administration can override our religious purpose and use religious organizations to advance policies that undercut our values, then surely another administration will do the same for another very different set of policies, each time invoking some concept of popular will or the public good, with the result these religious organizations become mere tools for the exercise of government power, morally subservient to the state, and not free from its infringements."
The rest of the article may be found here.
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South Carolina: Presbyterian Church Votes To Join New Denomination
| Source: MSNBC
May 22, 2012
According to Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Richard Gibbons, 97 percent of the congregation of First Presbyterian Church of Greenville voted in favor of transferring into the ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
In an interview with WYFF4 on April 30, Gibbons said the downtown Greenville church wanted to switch denominations following a decision by the National Governing Body of Presbyterian Church USA that allows gay clergy.
"Changing the definition of marriage, changing ordination standards away from what we believe to be a Christian stance is not a healthy thing," Gibbons said.
In a press release sent to WYFF4, Gibbons describes ECO as "committed to a historic reformed faith while seeking to make vibrant disciples of Jesus Christ in a 21st century cultural context."
The press release also says ECO is a new denomination that has attracted more than 47 congregations as far apart as Washington state and Florida....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Church of England approves legislation on women bishops
| Source: Christian Today
May 22, 2012
The Church of England's House of Bishops has cleared one of the final hurdles to women bishops and approved draft legislation to enable them to be consecrated. The legislation makes clear that an alternative male bishop would not be independent of his female diocesan bishop but that his authority would instead be "delegated" to him.
It adds that delegation should not be taken as divesting the diocesan bishop of any of their authority or functions. The legislation states further that the Code of Practice will include guidance for diocesan bishops on the selection of male bishops and priests to ensure their theological convictions reflect those of the parishes that have requested oversight.
It reads: "Thus, the legislation now addresses the fact that for some parishes a male bishop or male priest is necessary but not sufficient.
"The House rejected more far-reaching amendments that would have changed the legal basis on which bishops would exercise authority when ministering to parishes unable to receive the ministry of female bishops."
The issue of women bishops has deeply divided the Church of England, although the draft legislation presented to the bishops was approved by 42 out of the 44 dioceses last year....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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