New Canadian Bishops should be “worth a riot” – Archbishop Duncan
On Friday November 13, three new bishops were consecrated for the Anglican Network in Canada Diocese of the Anglican Church of North America. Archbishop Bob Duncan was the chief consecrator of Canon Charlie Masters, a graduate of St John’s College, Nottingham, as Bishop of the Eastern part of Canada. Rev Trevor Walters was consecrated as Bishop of the Western part of Canada, focusing especially on Vancouver and Victoria Island. Rev Stephen Leung, who came to Canada 20 years ago from Hong Kong and pastors a large Asian congregation, was consecrated as Bishop for the Asian community throughout Canada.
This, Archbishop Duncan pointed out in his sermon, made the house of Bishops in ANiC the majority of those newly consecrated in the Anglican Church of North America. Canada is one of 30 dioceses, mainly non-geographical, in ACNA which numbers 100,000 Anglicans in North America. He advised the new bishops that, following Paul’s experience in Thessalonica, they should at least be worth a riot.
Archbishop Duncan brought greetings from the six primates who form the Primates’ Council of GAFCON. Greetings were also sent to the new bishops from the Bishops of Chester, Birkenhead and Winchester. Bishop Benn of Lewes and president of the CEEC, and Bishop Michael Nazir Ali sent greetings with others from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales from the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in the UK and Ireland.
ANiC has grown in the last year from 18 parishes, two plants and one project to forty two parishes, six plants and ten projects. It has 80 clergy many of whom are working without pay since the parishes and plants are not in a position yet to pay them. The ANiC currently counts 3500 people in its churches on Sunday (the size of some dioceses within ACoC). The Anglican Church of Canada in reality counts 125,000 though often claiming many more.
The consecrations came as the climax to the second synod of ANiC, presided over by Bishop Don Harvey, the former bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. Bishop Harvey spoke at the February 2009 General Synod of the Church of England, where he recalled that he had been forbidden from taking any service in the Anglican Church of Canada, including even the funeral of his own former priests. The stories of some of the egregious actions of the Anglican Church of Canada are told in “The Bishop or the King” by Ron Corcoran (Essence Publishing, Ontario, 2009). Bishop Keith Ackerman, president of Forward in Faith North America, to whom the Archbishop of Canterbury has recently confirmed his recognition as a bishop with whom he is in communion, counseled ANiC clergy not to be like a twice-married husband always talking about his first wife, but to move forward.
The synod, meeting in a Mennonite Church near Niagara Falls, spent a great deal of time hearing reports from the thirteen new churches and projects established in the last year.
Their stories followed a very similar pattern. First a decisive step was taken when their former Anglican Church of Canada Diocese voted formally to approve same-sex blessings. The congregation took a time of bible-study and discernment prior to voting on whether to leave or stay. Between 50 and 80% of the congregation left, forsaking buildings, salaries and future pension arrangements. Those leaving would meet in car-ports, front rooms, offices, school halls, for mid-week Bible Study and prayer before progressing to rent a shop, or use premises of other denominations for regular Sunday worship.
Bible-study and mission outreach to their communities is at the centre of the being of these new churches which often number between 8 and 20 people. Involvement in the life of their communities and community events are at the heart of their outreach. This is developing a DNA of growth and outreach into the everyday life of Anglican churches in Canada.
Mrs Lorna Ashworth, a Canadian who is a member of General Synod of the Church of England has sponsored a Private Member's Motion that "this synod wishes to be in communion with the Anglican Church of North America", which may be debated in February or July 2010. Over 100 synod members, including diocesan bishops, have signed her motion.
Canon Dr Chris Sugden brought greetings to the new bishops from Anglican Mainstream and FCA (UK and Ireland). A version of this article appears in the Church of England Newspaper, November 20 2009
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