Further to this post, a second Anglican vicar has left the Anglican Church of New Zealand over the church’s decision to bless same-sex couples.
From here:
The church’s perceived obsession with homosexuality has seen an Anglican pastor break camp and lead his flock into the religious wilderness and find a new home in the city.
Reverend Michael Hewat, the vicar of West Hamilton Anglican Parish on Rifle Range Rd, was the second high profile Anglican leader to leave the Anglican Church in opposition to Motion 30 – a national declaration by the governing body to bless same sex relationships.
He said homosexuality had dominated the church’s agenda for two decades and “it amounts to an obsession”, he said in a letter to Waikato Times.
His refusal to submit to General Synod on the motion passed in May that aimed to recognise same-sex relationships meant a forfeiture his licence to practice as an Anglican pastor.
In May, former Auckland pastor Charlie Hughes walked away with his congregation and Hewat said more would come.
In a letter to the Waikato Bishop, the Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, and the Bishop of Taranaki, Rev Phillip Richardson, Hewat said Motion 30 would “prove to be a disaster” to church unity and by 2016 “the flood gates will open”.
His last service in the Dinsdale church he administered for 20 years was a harrowing time for his congregation.
“It’s an emotional day but we always say the church is the people and not the buildings,” said Hewat.
He surrenders his licence this Friday, July 25 – a move he called a formality – and will vacate church property.
A special general meeting was held earlier in the month where he received 94 per cent support from parishioners and a further postal vote brought that figure to greater than 95 per cent.
Notice that the article refers to a “perceived obsession with homosexuality”. A phrase like that is often used to imply that someone is seeing something that isn’t there. In this case, though, the perception is a reliable view of reality: the Anglican Church really is obsessed with homosexuality. What is more, the church accuses those who refuse to share its obsession of being obsessed with rejecting its obsession. A clear case of projection born of institutionalised narcissistic personality disorder.
On a side note, I will be visiting Auckland, Waikato and a few other places in a couple of months; I will be boring everyone with photographs.
I salute the Reverend Michael Hewat for having a spine to back up the courage of his religious convictions. Either stand against heresy and immorality, or perish with the multitudes who do not.
I fully agree. The Anglican Communion is rapidly sinking into the mire of apostasy and the worship of that deceitful phrase “political correctness”. All so-called bishops who refuse to stand up to this apostasy should be removed from office until they make a public confession and return to the Gospel. What we are witnessing is allowing society to witness to the church rather than the church witnessing to the fallen world.
Very true, Frank. The church is meant to be in the world to change it, not the world in the church to change IT. Just like a ship that is made to be in the water, but when the water is in the ship, havoc follows. It is difficult today to distinguish a church worship service from a rock band concert.
Why do I have the premonition that before long, same-sex relationships and even marriage will become compulsory?
These men have turned the world right side up – from down under!