A new congregation has formed in Edmonton, under the Rev Roy Dickson. The congregation held their inaugural service April 21 and has now selected a name – Christ the King. They currently meet in a community hall and average about 100 on a given Sunday. Please pray for the people of Christ the King as they work through the emotions and relationship issues associated with leaving their former parish – something many of us in ANiC have also experienced.

Those gathered in Vancouver for the Western and Asian & Multicultural Assemblies were able to sign and send welcome posters to the people of what is now Christ the King.

On February 19th 2008, the Diocese of Niagara served St. Hilda’s with legal papers with the intention of taking possession of St. Hilda’s building and freezing our bank account.

On February 19th 2013, exactly five years later, I was served personally with a statement of claim for defamation of character from the Diocese of Niagara’s Bishop Michael Bird.

The claim is seeking:
•$400,000 in damages plus court costs and their legal costs.
•An interim and permanent injunction to shut down Anglican Samizdat.
•An interim and permanent injunction prohibiting me from publishing further comments about Michael Bird.

The claim quotes – with sporadic accuracy – 31 blog postings that are alleged to be libellous.

Contrary to what one might expect in such circumstances, I did not receive a cease and desist letter in advance of the suit.

Initial negotiations for an early settlement have been unsuccessful.

I have filed a statement of defence, the pleadings are now closed and we have commenced the Discovery process.

Stay tuned.

I’m closing comments here, please click the link and comment at his blog, thanks! And, most importantly, please pray.

UPDATE: News articles here and here.

UPDATE 2: Feel free to comment on the Journal article here.

The Diocese of Rupert’s Land have now published, here, their guidelines. It starts thus:

The Bishop and clergy of Rupert’s Land have completed preparation of a protocol for the pastoral practice of blessing same-sex unions. The protocol says why same-sex unions may be blessed in Rupert’s Land parishes and how this should be done. It acknowledges the differences of view among faithful Anglicans about blessing of same-sex unions. It directs each parish that wishes to explore this practice to follow a careful process of prayer, study and consultation before deciding to bless same-sex unions.
The protocol arises out of a vote at the 2012 Rupert’s Land diocesan synod. The synod voted to ask the Bishop to allow clergy whose conscience permits to bless the relationship between same-sex couples whose union has already been civilly registered, in parishes that have decided to offer this pastoral practice.

The diversity part is worthy of comment – it’s nothing new but it follows a time-honoured formula and needs to be made clear:

Diversity: Diversity of views is honoured and appreciated. (actually, not at all, but they will say this for now) Congregations and individuals are called to show pastoral generosity to one another. No cleric
and no parish is required to participate in same-sex blessing. (YET – but it will come) Clergy opposed to same-sex blessing should refer couples to the bishop. (your conscience is already proscribed) Clergy favouring same-sex blessing should exercise pastoral sensitivity to those opposed. (meaning very little in practice)

Also note. Blessings are not a marriage. Really, and honestly. Until a few years, when they will be. Maybe just before marriage is neutered by being defined to be pretty much anything anybody wants it to be.

Limitations to the rite: In order to be clearly distinguished from a marriage liturgy, the rite of blessing for a same-sex union will not include an exchange of legal consents, an opportunity for objections, a declaration of union, a rite of civil marriage, a signing of the parish marriage register or a nuptial blessing.

What now for those orthodox remnant in the Province of Rupert’s Land? You may say it’s not coming to you. But you would be deceiving yourself. The writing is on the wall. Whether you are to assimilate with the Anglican Church of Canadian Culture, or rejoin the majority of the Anglican Communion that has not been infected by cultural relativism will be and in many cases is right now – your choice.

Not yet named, with approximately 80 members, they have their first meeting at the North Glenora Community Hall at 10am on April 21st with Pastor Roy Dickson presiding.

For further information, post in the comments and somebody will contact you.

When it meets this July, the Anglican Church of Canada’s General Synod will not be asked to either accept or reject the proposed Anglican Covenant.

Instead, the governing body will consider a motion that continues the conversation and delays a final decision on the Covenant until the next General Synod in 2016.

[The Covenant is a set of principles recommended by the 2004 Windsor Report as a way of healing relationships severely damaged by divisions over human sexuality among member provinces of the Anglican Communion.]

At its spring meeting, Council of General Synod (CoGS) agreed to recommend that General Synod ask the Anglican Communion Working Group (ACWG) to “monitor continued developments” around the proposed Covenant. It requests that the ACWG render a report to the spring 2016 meeting of CoGS, and directs CoGS “to bring a recommendation regarding the adoption of the Covenant” to the next General Synod in 2016.

Not that it matters a lot – the Covenant is pretty much a dead letter anyway after it was rejected by the Church of England.

The congregation at Christ Church Cathedral has voted more than 90 per cent in favour of blessing married homosexual couples.

On Sunday, at the annual general meeting of the parish, members voted 148 to 14 in a secret ballot to seek permission to bless the unions.

Rev. Logan McMenamie, dean of the cathedral, said he was pleased with the result of the vote and proud of the way the cathedral’s parishioners came to the decision.

….

Premier tells private Christian gathering about the importance of attending church, and being kind

Even though Premier Christy Clark recognizes it’s politically “risky” in British Columbia, she took another stab at talking about her religious faith this week.

The Liberal leader addressed a group of about 130 Christians at the private Vancouver Club on West Hastings Street on Tuesday night.

…

“For me it’s been kind of an interesting experience to realize, for the first time in my life, that perhaps being a Christian is something that I should not talk about. But I reject that,” the premier said.

…

When a member of the audience asked, through a written question, why some of Clark’s political policies “contradict the Bible,” the premier retorted that “the Bible contradicts itself.”

She added: “I’m an Anglican. This is what we learn in church. The Bible is not a static document. It’s a teaching document. Which is why we debate its contents so vigorously.”

The premier acknowledged some of her policies do not satisfy the Anglican bishop for Vancouver, Michael Ingham.

“I met with Bishop Ingham and said, ‘What are your views on what we should be doing as government?’ And he said, ‘Well, I think you should raise the minimum wage and not allow the Enbridge pipeline’,” Clark told the audience.

“I said, ‘Well, OK, I’ve already raised the minimum wage and we’ve set in place strict conditions for the Enbridge pipeline. So I am following my understanding of my faith. But my bishop (still) doesn’t agree with me.”

An audience member also asked Clark’s views on same-sex marriage, an issue which bitterly divides conservative and liberal religious people.

“I support them,” she said. “Family comes in many different forms … so I support the principle (of same-sex marriage) politically and personally. But, of course, I know we have a broad debate about it.”

Read it all here.