Anglican Samizdat

Since the Diocese of New Westminster won the court battle for the buildings of parishes that left the diocese and joined ANiC, St. John’s Shaughnessy, once the largest Anglican parish in Canada, has gone downhill a little. Sunday attendance has dropped from 850 to between 3 and 13; the parish is running a deficit of $20,000 per month and in the week, the building, according to the treasurer, is like a mausoleum.

This was discussed is a parish meeting in November 2011.

Here is the mausoleum remark:

And the $20,000 per month deficit:

Who is paying for this deficit, you might be wondering? The well known philanthropist, Bishop Michael Ingham:

You can listen to the whole meeting here:

A triumph of Pyrrhic proportions for Bishop Michael Ingham.

The recent court decisions in the Diocese of New Westminster have left Michael Ingham with a number of empty church buildings. St. John’s, Shaughnessy had the largest congregation, so now Ingham is trying desperately to create the illusion of vitality in the empty parish.

From here (page 5):

The sounds of choral music filled the sanctuary of St. John’s, Shaughnessy (SJS) this past Advent, November 27th and Dec 4th-18th. Bishop Michael was able to make arrangements with Dr. Diane Loomer, one of Vancouver’s best-known and most respected choral music directors to have music in worship at the 10 am service of Holy Communion led by members of her newest ensemble, EnChor.

The article notes, “[t]he sounds of choral music filled the sanctuary of St. John’s, Shaughnessy” but it makes no mention of the pews being filled with people. That’s because they weren’t.

From here:

In an effort to bring St. John’s Shaughnessy, Vancouver, back to life following the departure of Canon Dr. David Short and 98% of the congregation, the faux congregation of remainers and ringers invited the Christ Church Cathedral Choir to a service of 9 Lessons and Carols. A VOL observer who was on the spot sent back this note, “St John’s is getting desperate in its attempt to fill empty pews. Steven Schuh, a graduate of Regent College and a former member of St John’s, has returned to the parish and has worked hard to encourage the gay/lesbian agenda in the Diocese of New Westminster.

From here:

Committee Chair the Rev. Paul Strudwick and Randy Murray, Communications Officer summarized the CommComm strategy for an increased communications presence regarding the returning parishes. Paul and Randy presented DC with plans involving, information gathering and sharing with people now worshipping at the parishes.
A major consideration is establishing a web presence for the returning parishes and how that can be achieved with optimum results. The new ideas will be used in the coming weeks to communicate Advent/Christmas worship and event information more broadly to the parishes themselves and to the catchment areas.

The congregations are small but they are energetic and enthusiastic.
Chancellor Cadman suggested that as this is a situation that is unique, CommComm and the Executive Officers would welcome ideas and suggestions from DC members and beyond.

The “returning parishes” are the buildings of St John’s Shaughnessy, St Matthias and St Luke, Church of the Good Shepherd in Vancouver, and St Matthews in Abbotsford. The congregations left pretty well en masse to join ANiC. Since the Diocese of New Westminster now has four buildings with congregations that have been diminished to the point of non-existence (St. John’s Shaughnessy used to attract over 800 people, now 27 diocesan stalwarts roam its echoing sanctuary every Sunday), it has to find a way to disguise its self-adopted role as dog in the manger. What to do? Use the medium that will demonstrate that the church is relevant because it understands technology: the Internet.

This is not the first time that the Diocese of New Westminster has used the Internet to trumpet propaganda. The diocese is the proud owner of http://www.samesexblessing.info/, dedicated, among other things, to convincing wary conservatives that, all evidence to the contrary, they are still welcome. 80% of the world’s Anglicans are now out of communion with the diocese, J. I. Packer, one of the world’s most prominent evangelical theologians, is no longer welcome on diocesan property and many Anglican primates will not only not take communion with Bishop Michael Ingham, but don’t even want to be in the same room as him. So that didn’t work.

Still, there’s always Facebook, Twitter and the diocesan blog, best known for its capacity to bore the balls off a buffalo at 40 paces even when the bovine victim is standing upwind.

The Diocese of New Westminster, having secured legal ownership of St John’s, Shaughnessy’s building, is looking for a new rector for the church. Such is the paucity of suitable contenders in Canada, that Michael Ingham on a recent trip to Canterbury, asked Rowan Williams for suggestions.

And now, according to this, Rowan Williams has come through:

Archbishop Rowan Williams has followed-up and recently sent +Michael a letter suggesting two possible candidates for the Interim Ministry position at St John’s, Shaughnessy.

It looks as if Rev. Giles Fraser or Rev. Graeme Knowles might have found a new job.

If anyone has any lingering doubt as to where Rowan Williams’ sympathies lie in the legal conflict between the Diocese of New Westminster and ANiC, this might be instructive:

Bishop Michael had two conversations with Archbishop Rowan who was well aware of the diocese’s situation regarding recent court decisions. Bishop Michael asked him if he would consider casting his eye around the communion for a possible interim appointment for St John’s, Shaughnessy. Archbishop Rowan said that he would and when he bid Bishop Michael farewell he told him that “thoughts were forming.” Since then, he has been very busy preparing for his African trip. Bishop Michael has followed up on the conversation with a letter.

The photo appears to be Rowan Williams and Ingham high-fiving each other, a little used Anglican greeting secreted somewhere at the back of the BAS.

It is encouraging that, having met with the ACoC’s foremost heretic bishop and progenitor of the cataclysmic mess that represents Canadian Anglicanism, Rowan has some thoughts forming.

Since the Diocese of New Westminster succeeded in removing the ANiC congregation that worshipped there, St. Matthew’s hasn’t actually had a viable congregation, so at Doerksen’s installation, everybody else was invited to enjoy the spectacle. All the clergy from the Regional Deanery of Yale were there, elected officials were there; even the mayor was there.

The only people missing were the congregation.

In his introduction, Bishop Michael Ingham, lamented the fact that he hadn’t been invited to the parish for 16 years; I imagine the wardens were afraid he’d bring a lock-smith with him.

Still, he ended his oration by declaring his repentance. Repentance for what exactly? Well, he doesn’t say. But we can be sure it was not for blessing same-sex unions or for turfing a thriving congregation out of its building.  He does give us a hint when he says “Our public divisions and disputes these last ten years have damaged the mission of God”, but he can’t be repenting of that, since his actions have been instrumental in rending the worldwide Anglican Communion asunder – and he’s still at it.

He is probably repenting of not being inclusive enough: despite Ingham’s best efforts, the remaining smattering of conservatives in his diocese have  not yet been driven to abandon ship by rampant maniacal inclusion – a bitter disappointment for Ingham.

It has been 16 years since I last entered this church. Normally, a diocesan bishop visits every parish about every two years, but the last invitation I received to St. Matthew, Abbotsford came in October 1995.

You will note this was long before any actions were taken by our Diocese that led to the events of the last decade. The process of separation from the Anglican Church of Canada had already begun. This has been a painful and agonizing experience for people on all sides, and it is appropriate tonight that we express our thanks to God that a new era of mission and ministry in the service of Jesus Christ has begun.

It is also important that we express our sorrow and repentance. On the last night of his earthly life, Jesus prayed that the church might be one. He prayed for unity so that the world might believe. Our public divisions and disputes these last ten years have damaged the mission of God. Words have been exchanged, and words have been written, by people on both sides, that should never have been said.

Tonight we repent, and ask God’s forgiveness. We extend the hand of friendship to those who have left this place and ask for mutual forgiveness. And as we move forward from these sad years into a new and better future, we ask that God’s grace and love be showered on this place, on all its people, on all who have worshipped here, all who have felt it necessary to leave, all who have felt welcomed to return, and all who might once again find the inclusive, welcoming love of God here in the years to come.

The Diocese of New Westminster is billing this as a “joyous event”; it will be, of course, since nothing – other than ordaining another homosexual priest – brings joy to Michael Ingham’s heart quite like acquiring a building he has absolutely no use for other than, after a decent interval has elapsed, to deconsecrate and sell.

As this announcement notes, “diocesan unity will be restored”, a relatively simple task since, after the event imports have dissipated, there won’t be enough people in the diocesan version of the parish to start a minor quarrel, let alone foment “disunity.”

You are invited to join in the celebration! On September, 7th, 2011 at 7:30pm at St. Matthew, Abbotsford, 2010 Guildford Drive, The Rev. Allen Doerksen will be installed as “Missioner to the Central Fraser Valley and Priest-in-Charge of St. Matthew, Abbotsford” by the Right Reverend Michael Ingham, Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster, Anglican Church of Canada.

This is a joyous time for St. Matthew! Diocesan unity and ministry is being restored! Helping us celebrate will be singers, servers and parishioners from parishes throughout the Deanery and Diocese. Bishop Michael will preside at the Eucharist, Missioner Allen will preach and Award-winning musician Cathy Hardy and professional accompanist Lloyd Bates and singers from around the D of NW will help us worship through song.

Now that the Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the leave to appeal made by four Vancouver ANiC parishes, the congregations are preparing to vacate the buildings.

Predictably, Michael Ingham’s response includes the familiar recitation:

I want to take this opportunity to repeat that no one is being asked to leave the church buildings in which they worship, except those clergy who have resigned their ministries in the Anglican Church of Canada. My hope is to work with each of these congregations to appoint mutually agreeable clergy who will be loyal to the Church in which they serve.

It’s anyone’s guess as to why he keeps repeating this: does he think a big enough lie repeated often enough will eventually be believed? Is Ingham projecting his own love of buildings over faith onto others? Is it a clumsy PR stunt?

What sane Christian would willingly attend a parish in a diocese run by a bishop whose beliefs are no longer recognisably Christian?

William Blake’s The Defiled Sanctuary is apposite:

I saw a chapel all of gold
That none did dare to enter in,
And many weeping stood without,
Weeping, mourning, worshipping.

I saw a serpent rise between
The white pillars of the door,
And he forc’d and forc’d and forc’d,
Down the golden hinges tore.

And along the pavement sweet,
Set with pearls and rubies bright,
All his slimy length he drew
Till upon the altar white

Vomiting his poison out
On the bread and on the wine.
So I turn’d into a sty
And laid me down among the swine.

I admit that explaining the existence of evil from a Christian perspective isn’t that easy. But, although even the best attempts tend to leave some loose ends and intellectual explanations are not necessarily emotionally consoling, Michael Ingham has not brought the Christian understanding of evil to new heights in his musings on the Japanese tragedies.

According to Ingham: “Natural evil is the result of things over which we have no control” and “We call them evil because they are evil” and “Natural evil is random. It is not planned”.  Eat your heart out, Thomas Aquinas.

From here:

Bishop Michael Ingham told the audience that disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are examples of “natural evil,” which happen randomly and can’t be explained by any divine plan.

“Natural evil is the result of things over which we have no control — earthquakes, tsunamis,” Ingham said during the 90-minute service.

“We call them evil because they are evil. They wreak havoc upon the innocent and the defenceless. … Natural evil is random. It is not planned. It afflicts us without reason and without human deserving.”

In the face of such unspeakable horror, Ingham said, the world must come together as a community of neighbours.

“We must cultivate the virtue of compassion,” said Ingham. “We cannot survive as isolated individuals or isolated societies. The pain of our neighbours is our pain. When neighbours suffer, neighbours respond.”

Has Ingham said anything the Humanist Canada society might not have said? No.

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Christians believe that when Jesus said “no-one comes to the Father except through me”, he meant it. If Jesus was wrong and, as Ingham says, “all the great religions are authentic pathways to God”, Jesus blundered rather badly, didn’t really need to die on the cross for our sins and suffered from delusions of grandeur.

Or perhaps it’s Michael Ingham who suffers the delusions.

It’s very difficult to see how someone can be a Christian and not take one of Jesus’ major claims seriously; it’s even harder to see how that person could be a bishop in a Christian church – but, then, he is a bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada.