The Anglican Journal article that Peter blogged yesterday has gone international. Not only is it picked up by Bishop Michael Ingham’s favourite newspaper reporter, Michael Valpy of the Globe and Mail, Agence France-Presse also brings a report.
The Anglican Bishop of New Westminster says the division over homosexuality in the Canadian church is now “a full-blown schism” and a conservative Anglican faction has hinted at an announcement this week on the formation of a breakaway body.
So, Anglican Network in Canada drops a hint and Ingham goes into overdrive: It’s a “full-blown schism”. I think that’s a tad melodramatic at this point.
Right Reverend Michael Ingham, whose Greater Vancouver diocese became the first Anglican jurisdiction to formally authorize the blessing of same-sex unions, reacted forcefully to a retired Newfoundland bishop’s intention to come into the diocese and ordain priests who oppose the blessings.
Mr Valpy says “forcefully” where others might prefer to say “hysterically”.
Valpy does this get right, however:
Diocesan turf-poaching is the biggest bureaucratic sin in the decentralized Anglican Communion, the world’s third largest Christian church.
That says it all. Ingham’s tirade is all about a “bureaucratic sin”—breaking man-made ecclesiastical rules—not a matter of biblical teaching or doctrine of the faith.
The Agence France-Presse reporter spoke with Bp Ingham’s spokesman Neale Adams who, apparently, is not required to have basic knowledge of Anglican history.
“Historically, the Anglican Church came from a split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1400s,” Adams conceded. “But afterwards it became a big tent church … open to a wide variety of theologies, and we think that’s good and we’d like it to remain that way.”
Mr Adams’s ignorance of church history does not inspire confidence in his other statements. In particular, I’m curious to know which Anglican council or conference mandated the transformation of the Anglican Communion into a “big-tent church” that accepts blessing of same-sex unions.
Bp Ingham and Mr Adams may like it that way, but the problem is that the leaders of the Anglican Communion do not. (See, for example, the Windsor Report, Dromantine Communiqué, and Dar es Salaam Communiqué.)
Finally, there is an intriguing contrast between Bp Ingham’s revelation of a “full-blown schism” and the Virginia trial in which The Episcopal Church claims that there is no “division” in the church. Come on, people, which is it?
The amazing thing about Michael Ingham’s comment is how he seems to be acting as if this is all new and sudden. Four of his own parishes have evaporated, and are under Rwandan bishops, who have been in Metro Vancouver to ordain and confirm frequently. His oen diocesan council had to pony up $250K to keep 2 of the parishes “active” on the rolls.
But now, all of a sudden, there’s a “full blown schism?” I don’t get it.
Indeed, & over night it seems, there are metastasizing cries of “schism” amoung Inghamite enclaves everywhere. Make no mistake, “schismatic(s)”, the new brand name of choice, has become the shrill mantra that is now being directing toward ‘anyone’ who dares question the agendas of so-called progressive Canadian Anglicans. + Michael, have you forgotten that it was you who started this fire in Canada by okaying schismatic ssb in your own back yard? But if the Anglican Left is going to continue to run with the theme of schism, have not Anglicans been in schism from Rome since the 16th century, who have been in schism since the 1054 Split?
Schism is only possible if the new branch is walking away from traditional/scriptural teachings…In actual fact it has been the ACC who has walked separately for the past 30 years…it has been a long time coming but Thank God there is relief in sight for those of us who have been in the spiritual desert created by the ACC over 30 years ago..
The new wave agenda is not really new is it? Since the beginnings of the Apostles, there have been schisms created and it was given, as part of the ecclesiastic duty of Bishops of the Church to defeat what is in opposition to Biblical teachings….So where are the Bishops today? inventing new ways of approach instead of treading the Devil under their feet…tango with the evil one? For sure!