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By Jim Coggins
 | | Retired anglican bishop Don Harvey. |
THE ANGLICAN Church of Canada is in "full-blown schism," said Michael Ingham, controversial Bishop of New Westminster, to the Anglican Journal this week.
Ingham was responding to the November 15 resignation of Donald Harvey, retired Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, from the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC). Harvey has been accepted as a bishop with the Southern Cone province of the worldwide Anglican communion, which covers much of South America.
Harvey has been serving as moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC), a theologically conservative movement within the ACC, since he retired as bishop three years ago. ANiC has been critical of "liberal" trends in the ACC, including the blessing of same-sex unions.
The ANiC is holding a conference November 22 - 23 at the Crossroads Conference Centre in Burlington, Ontario, where it will consider a proposal to "provide a place for Anglicans who find themselves unable to stay in the Anglican Church of Canada but want to stay connected to the Anglican communion."
Although Harvey refused to be specific, the proposal would apparently set up some kind of alternative, theologically conservative Canadian Anglican church under the authority of Harvey as a bishop of the Southern Cone Anglican province.
The Council of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, meeting in Mississauga, Ontario November 16 - 18, issued a statement saying that Bishop Harvey's resignation was "a source of sadness." The statement also said that the plans of the Southern Cone province to "intervene" in Canada are illegitimate, "inappropriate and unwelcome," "not a valid expression of Anglicanism and . . . in contravention of the ancient and continuing traditions of the Church."
Fred Hiltz, newly elected moderator of the ACC, told the Council that, having transferred to another Anglican province, Harvey no longer has authority to minister in Canada.
While not using the word "schism" as Ingham did, Hiltz conceded, "What we have here is a break. We have pain, and we have sorrow."
Roots
The roots of the schism go back to 2002, when the Diocese of New Westminster approved the blessing of same-sex unions.
The clergy and many parishioners at some parishes left the diocese in protest, and formed the Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC) in 2004 under the authority of the Archbishop of Rwanda. There are now 12 churches in this group, spread across Canada.
Others unhappy with the decision formed the Anglican Network in Canada in 2005 and chose to stay in the ACC and fight for change. It is this group that is now thinking of leaving as well.
Harvey told CC.com that when the ACC's General Synod passed a resolution last June that the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the core doctrine of the ACC, "I knew the game was over as far as reforming the ACC is concerned."
While many Anglicans may hang on for another three years to see what the next General Synod does, "I've given up," said Harvey. He said it was important to act now to minister to those who are already "completely disaffected" with the ACC.
The General Synod that took place in June turned down a resolution that would allow individual dioceses to bless same-sex unions. However, since October, three dioceses -- Ottawa, Montreal and Niagara -- have passed resolutions approving such blessings, although only the Bishop of Niagara has agreed to implement the decision.
Harvey said the November ANiC conference was planned three months ago, after General Synod, and not as a result of the dioceses' recent actions. However, he noted that recent registrations from parishes in these dioceses have pushed expected attendance at the conference above 200.
Among other things, the conference will discuss the legal and financial implications of leaving the ACC. Because most church buildings and other financial assets are held in the name of a diocese, the parishes in the ACiC had to leave their buildings behind when they left the ACC. The same may be true of parishes in the ANiC which choose to leave. However, Harvey said it might be possible to negotiate some division of assets with the ACC, or the ACC might be willing to sell a building to a departing parish at a reasonable price.
The ACC has been experiencing financial difficulties in recent years. The 2008 national church budget is predicting a $1.3 million deficit on expenditures of $10.2 million, although the deficit will be covered by an expected $4 million bequest. Some disaffected parishes have stopped contributing to the denomination.
Because of the financial considerations and because of varied local decision-making processes, Harvey said it is likely that churches may leave the Anglican Church of Canada one at a time rather than as a group.
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"We are not going to be recruiting," said Harvey, who added the ANiC is merely fulfilling a promise to offer a solution.
Those parishes which choose to accept the ANiC proposal will not become part of any new structure until next spring, when an international gathering of conservative-minded Anglicans will take place in the Vancouver area.
A question of church unity
Bishop Ingham said the ACC can tolerate a wide variety of theological opinions but it cannot tolerate schism, the setting up an alternative church.
However, Ed Hird, a leader in the ACiC, told CC.com that those leaving the ACC are still very committed to remaining in the worldwide Anglican communion, particularly with those provinces in the "global south who still believe what Anglicans have always believed."
He noted that the majority of the primates -- the archbishops who lead the 34 Anglican provinces around the world -- may refuse to attend the next worldwide gathering unless the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the USA repent of their approval of homosexuality. In that case, the Canadian dissidents would be still in communion with the majority of Anglicans worldwide even if they are out of step with the ACC.
The main issue is not homosexuality but "the authority of Scripture and the lordship of Jesus Christ," said Hird, who placed the blame for the schism on the church leaders who chose to change Anglican doctrine. "Heresy and immorality always break church unity," he said.
While he is passionate about Christian unity, Hird said that unity should encompass unity with Christians of other denominations on the basis of orthodox Christian theology. "The world is bigger than the Anglican Church," he said.
With the ANiC apparently coming under the jurisdiction of the Southern Cone, the ACiC under the jurisdiction of Rwanda, and other dissident Anglican groups in North America under the jurisdiction of Nigeria, Uganda and West Africa, there is considerable confusion.
"We are all quite concerned with the fragmentation," said Harvey.
The ACiC and the ANiC and eight other groups have joined together in the Common Cause Partnership, which met in Pittsburgh at the end of September and agreed to work toward some sort of joint organization.
Harvey said the current fragmentation is a transitional thing and he is "very, very hopeful" that a unified conservative Anglican organization may be formed in North America.
Hird said he is equally supportive of conservative Anglican unity -- he noted that the groups often meet together -- although he is "not interested in creating more bureaucracy."
However, he agreed that the current situation is temporary. "The Titanic has hit the iceberg. It's sinking. A number of lifeboats have been launched, and they don't all leave at the same time," he said, adding that the ACiC affirms the ANiC's decision to leave the ACC at this time. "We're praying for them."
Related stories:
Anglicans okay 'local option'
A seismic shift in the way Canadian Anglicans are treating same-sex blessings has made its way to the Diocese of Niagara. In a historic weekend vote, Anglicans in the diocese moved overwhelmingly to adopt the so-called local option, allowing clergy "whose conscience permits" to bless the marriages of gays and lesbians. The Right Rev. Ralph Spence said he will allow same-sex blessings in the Niagara diocese, which includes Hamilton, Burlington and Guelph as well as the Niagara Region, once a protocol has been worked out. . . . The Niagara vote followed news that the head of a conservative Anglican movement has broken all ties with the Canadian church to affiliate with the more orthodox Province of the Southern Cone, the Anglican church for much of South America.
Toronto Star, November 18
Bishop gives Anglicans new option
A retired bishop has defected from the Anglican Church of Canada over the issue of same-sex blessings and said he expects others will soon make the same decision, raising the spectre of a schism forming in the national Church.
National Post, November 19
'Full-blown schism' in church, Anglican bishop says
Diocesan turf-poaching is the biggest bureaucratic sin in the decentralized Anglican Communion, the world's third largest Christian church. Authorizing same-sex blessings may represent a theological difference of opinion, but one bishop taking his episcopal authority into another bishop's diocese is clearly a schismatic act. Bishop Ingham also warned 10 priests in his diocese who are pastors of conservative parishes that he will discipline them if they take part in the ordinations planned by retired bishop Don Harvey.
Globe and Mail, November 21
November 22/2007
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I was just wondering if it is an abundance of Anglican readers that causes these kind of articles to frequent your most prominent headlines or if it's just that people like controversial topics and request this of you?
I think it might be more edifying to the body of Christ to place something else at the top of your mailouts. Busy people don't have time to wade through this kind of stuff to find what God is doing (versus what man is doing) in the body, so it would be a great benefit to see that kind of stuff at the top. I'm not saying 'don't report it', because it is worth reporting, but the location you consistently choose to place these articles in is, in my opinion, far too prominent.
How about the idea of moving it down to the bottom of your mailout? Or at least a few from the top...
There you have it. That's how I and a few of my friends feel about this topic and your focus thereon. I hope this leads to something beneficial.
Thanks for your efforts.
If we as Christians cannot tell the truth; speak the truth and live by the truth then we may as well accept that the current catastrophic decline of Christianity will continue to the point where Jesus of Nazareth’s ministry and sacrifice for humanity was all for nothing.
The truth with regard to this particular issue within the Anglican Church is as follows:
1] Archbishop Ingham and Dean Peter Elliott have been driving the Same Sex Blessings [SSB] issue from New Westminster and Christ’s Church Cathedral in BC since the nineties. [Way before Elliott 'came out' so dramatically at the General Synod of the Anglican Communion in the UK a couple of years ago.] Elliott is now listed by MacLean's magazine as one of Canada's most influencial gay men.
2] A huge degree of hypocrisy surrounds the SSB issue. The Cambridge dictionary defines hypocrisy thus: “when someone pretends to believe something that they do not really believe or that is the opposite of what they do or say at another time.” Personally, I have no issue with any person’s sexual orientation; however, when an Anglican priest holds strong opinion and indulges in activist behaviour using his [or her] position within the church regarding SSB and does not declare his or her sexual orientation that is hypocrisy. That is the truth, pure and simple.
3] The SSB issue has now arrived at a point where, as I predicted, the process of schism is underway within the ACC [as it is within the Episcopal Church south of the border]. There is more to this schism than simply issues involving the Gay and Lesbian community. Canadian Christians would be incredibly naive to think otherwise: it is about power and control; money and property; episcopal rank and privilege and much more besides.
4] The ACC has a recently enthroned Primate, who has very limited political experience: I refer to church politics. As a diocesan bishop in Nova Scotia and PEI Fred Hiltz did not display the qualities of leadership that were needed to reverse the process of decline within the Anglican church; in fact, I have a letter on file from Bishop Hiltz written in 2002 in which he denies that congregational depletion is a reality. His focus has been on fundraising, but not innovation or restoration of the church's position in community. The movement that Ingham and Elliott set in motion is now so convoluted and powerful that any possibility of reversal has long past and the ACC needs a Primate with incredible political skill to protect the interests of Canadian Anglicans and guide the ACC through the process of schism with the minimum of damage, pain and embarrassment. Fred Hiltz does not have the experience, nor does he have the advantage of neutrality because he is a firm open supporter of SSB.
Call this opinion if you will; however, it is reasonable and honest opinion and by censoring it Canadian Christianity becomes part of the problem not the solution. We do not live in a perfect world; however, censorship and its hand-in-hand companion oppression are an extremely high price to pay to suppress the truth or silence the opposing point of view.
I challenge Canadian Christianity to delete this too and show myself and the world that rather than being an impartial and honest Christian organization, you are in fact operating with a hidden agenda!
The Rt. Rev. Fred Hiltz, Primate,
The House of Bishops,
The Council of General Synod,
As a result of the report in the December issue of the Anglican Journal
regarding the November Meetings of the House of Bishops, I find it most
distressing that the House of Bishops and Council of General Synod has been
totally dishonest with themselves by publically condemning the Rt. Rev. Don
Harvey.(retired Bishop of Eastern NL.) for causing the Schism which now
engulfs the Anglican Church - with serious ramifications to the World Wide
Anglican Communion (WWAC). If the honoured clergy and their
representatives would truthfully examine the history of the difficulty, they
would realize that the current schism in the ACC was precipitated by the
Rt. Rev. Miclael Ingham (Bishop of New Westminister) who unilaterally
decided, some ten years ago, to allow within his diocese, the blessing of
same-sex relationships and marriage; contrary to Anglican Church Canon,
and the law of the land.
For a minister of the Church, let alone a Bishop of the ACC, to blatantly
disregard the law of the land, as well as the Canon of the Church and its
traditional faith and teaching, is nothing short of scandalous and
schismatic.
The dispute never should have occurred, let alone taken over a decade of
debate and chaos within the whole church, but should have been settled
immediately by prudent dismissal of the perpetrators of such illegal action.
Today the WWAC is in deep turmoil by the failure to deal expedically in
this crucial matter of Faith and Doctrine.
The fact remains, the Schism occurred a decade ago within the diocese of New
Westminister, and not recently through the actions of Bishop Don Harvey.
It is time we all realized the truth of the matter.
Alan N. MacGowan, B.Arch., MRAIC,
Red Bank, N.B., E9E 2P3
Parish of Chatham,
Diocese of Fredericton.