The assembly of the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior (APCI) has requested its bishop, Gordon Light, to allow clergy whose conscience permits to bless civilly married gay couples where at least one party is baptized. The assembly passed the motion when it met October 17-19.
A notice of a similar motion was filed at the synod of the Diocese of Ontario but was declared out of order by the diocesan bishop, George Bruce, who acted on the advice of the diocesan chancellor (legal advisor). The ruling was appealed at the synod held October 16-18 but was upheld by a majority vote of delegates.
At the APCI assembly, Light gave concurrence to the motion but suspended any action pending consultations with the Canadian House of Bishops, which meets October 27-31 to discuss, among other things, how best to respond to renewed proposals for moratoria on the blessing of same-sex unions, the ordination of persons living in same-sex unions to the episcopate, and cross-border interventions.
Since the 2007 General Synod, four dioceses have already passed similar motions—Ottawa, Montreal, Niagara, and Huron. The diocesan synod of New Westminster approved same-sex blessings in 2002.
Of the 50 clergy and lay delegates at the APCI assembly, 36 voted yes (72 percent), 10 voted no (20 percent), and four (8 percent) abstained. APCI is composed of 18 parishes (including 35 congregations) which was constituted after the former Diocese of Cariboo closed its diocesan office in 2001 because of financial pressures surrounding lawsuits about abuse at the St. George’s Indian Residential School in Lytton, British Columbia.
“We had a very respectful discussion. All voices were heard,” said the Rev. Susan Hermanson, rector of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Williams Lake, who moved the motion. She said that approval of the motion “allows us to accept gays and lesbians fully as part of our family and, as in all families, we can disagree with one another and still be part of the family.”
In a telephone interview, she added that the motion was also meant to “take a reading” of where APCI was on the issue. She noted that in 2000, the diocesan synod of Cariboo had approved a motion affirming the full inclusion of gay and lesbian couples in the life of the church. Since then, parishes have been discussing and studying the issue further, she said. “We have, in fact, been discussing this issue for the last 30 years now,” she said.
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Canada: CANADA: Central Interior Assembly Says ‘Yes’ To Same-Sex Blessings
Thursday, October 23, 2008 • 4:12 pm
5 Comments •
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It’s worth reading the whole ENS article, because it provides such a clear illustration of how the issue of the presence of rival Anglican bodies in the same area does pose such a huge problem for Anglicanism. People should take the time to read the whole thing, especially the final part that highlights statements by the Bishop of Brandon, Jim Njegovan. It’s not surprising that ENS emphasizes how +Njegovan blasts his orthodox predecessor, +Malcolm Harding, who left the ACoC and is now assisting +Donald Harvey in the ANiC as a bishop in the Province of the Southern Cone. In scathing language, +Njegovan refuses to recognize that +Harding is still a bishop at all, saying he has no right to use ministerial titles or wear clerical attire anymore. And he proudly points to a letter from ++Rowan Williams (that probably predates the recent departure of a small rural church from his diocese for the ANiC earlier this month) that states that he as the ABoC recognizes “one ecclesial body in Canada as a constituent part of the communion, that being the Anglican Church of Canada.” Alas, that may well hold true in the future, though time will tell. Certainly, Canterbury has so far refused to recognize Bp. Cavalcanti of Recife after the liberal Province of Brazil deposed him after he transferred to the Southern Cone. And so far, Cantaur has likewise refused to recognize +Minns, or +Atwood, or +Guernsey etc. But he did receive +Duncan in London and he will have to deal with whole US dioceses that have left, so the situation is getting more urgent and pressing all the time. But what is most striking to me is the ramped up language of disdain that +Njegovan shows for his predecessor, +Harding. Even +Jerry Lamb hasn’t used that language about +Schofield. So far only 14 congregations have left the ACoC and realigned with the Southern Cone, but you’d think this Canadian bishop was afraid that many more might follow. I only wish they would. David Handy+ |
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I served in the Diocese of Edmonton for 12 years until 1999. I have not heard of “Central Interior Assembly” until today. I got curious. First of all I was curious about the origins of such an ugly name for a diocese, or whatever its status is. This is the former Diocese of Cariboo, tragically forced into dissolution due to liability over the residential schools crisis. Here is an obit. If you doubt the importance of seminaries in shaping the doctrine of the church, look here. This diocese is chiefly served by VST (Vancouver School of Theology). Who feeds your diocese? It matters. Oh Yeah. It Matters! |
Don’t bet on it, Schnookums. |
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TEC’s little brother again - the Me Too Church.
They so want to please, bless ‘em.