As evidence of the escalating crisis in the global Anglican Communion, today one of the of the world’s most esteemed Christian theologians, Dr. J.I. Packer, received a letter threatening suspension from ministry by the controversial Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham.
Read it all.
UPDATE with further details:
Dr. Packer together with the other clergy at St. John’s have been served with a Notice of Presumption of Abandonment of the Exercise of the Ministry under Canon XIX. According to Bishop Michael Ingham of the Diocese of New Westminster, the notice is based on the following “facts”:
1. that he has publicly renounced the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Church of Canada; and
2. that you have sought or intend to seek admission into another religious body outside the Anglican Church of Canada.
The notice also states that if Dr. Packer does not take advantage of provisions under the Canons to dispute the facts stated above, Dr. Packer’s spiritual authority as a minister of Word and Sacraments conferred in ordination will be revoked on April 21, 2008.
The legal team of ANiC is reviewing and considering the validity and alleged consequences of such a “Notice of Presumption of Abandonment”.
This has to be the most outlandish move Bsp Ingham ever entertained! Surely the Primate would not be pleased? Bsp Ingham and I know not the same God.
Nothing more need be said than the following which was said by Our Lord.
John 15:26 – John 16:1-4
The Coming Rejection
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
John 16
1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you[d] because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the[e] time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.
“Dear Father in Heaven, watch over your servant J.I. Packer who is now being persecuted along with so many others within ANiC, this we pray in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.”
He is 82 years old, and his only “crime” is to attend the parish that voted to join ANiC. I think Ingham’s actions are disgraceful.
Your coffee cup is down isn’t it Kate? But I’m afraid Mike Ingham isn’t even worthy to carry Jim Packers jock strap!
I am discussed by this action and that anyone who proclaims Christ as their personal Saviour can be turned away for a supposedly “Christian ” Church. I would like to know from Fred Hiltz, when did the Anglican Church of Canada decide not to follow the teaching of Christ and pursue worldy possession instead.
Steve : Check it out…..long before Fred Hiltz there was another named Hutchinson and some other liberal/revisionist before that…this has been going on for decades now and is only now surfacing fully because the liberal/revisionist have gained heirarchal powerholds.
I agree with others here. Ingham should be ashamed, but then I am not sure that he knows the meaning of the word.
Very difficult to find anything charitable to say here on this one.
Another thought here:
I think we can all be sure that Dr. JI Packer was and is fully aware of what ingham would likely do in this instance. Dr. Packer, can do nothing other than what he is doing. The same thing that Bishop Bob Duncan (Pittsburgh) said “I can do no other, here I stand” (not verbatim).
Ingham shows no respect for this wonderful Theologian, but then ingham has shown no respect for The Gospel, For the Holy Bible or for the Christian Faith for a long time now.
Alan, you obviously know me – who are you??
Or have I just used the “I’m glad I wasn’t drinking coffee when I read that” line a few too many times?
Is this a paraphrase of Mark 1:7?
Seriously, this has got to be a PR disaster for Ingham. Surely it will backfire!
John K: The ACoC seem to be living in another age; perhaps even another dimension. Their talent for PR appears to be similar to their ability to evangelize.
Just spotted on an evangelical group blog (the owner is ordained in the Southern Baptist Convention, and the other contributors are from many backgrounds):
Sorry for this, but this bishop is seriously ****** up!
Daryle: I know that I am blunt but not to your extent. I would think that your post is one that could be partially edited…..
Thanks Gerry,
The post, as written, HAS been adjusted. Also, I do not know how to ‘edit’ here. For now, lets call it “seriously messed up”! Perhaps a moderator can fix this. (I did edit it a bit. –Kate) And yes, some time ago, I lost all patience with error, and with the leadership that both spawned and perpetuated it.
Commenters can’t edit here. Only Peter, Scott and I can.
Daryle: Hey, wouldn’t that be something if all of us could edit!!
You could post and if I didn’t like it, I’d just change it….yikes.
I think Kate, Scott and Peter do wonderfully….oh, the odd thing skips past them, but then, we can always add to that thread a recommendation for some editing and they do it….they’re great.
Thanks Gerry.
I meant that IF we could edit our own work, it might make this forum a bit more ‘user-friendly’. But hey, I’m the “new-bie”.
When in Rome…