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From here<\/a>:<\/p>\nIn the days preceding this celebration, local and national newspapers and media spoke of the conflict and division in the life of the Anglican Church. The Toronto Star had a running commentary on the status of three breakaway parishes in our diocese.\u00a0 On February 20,\u00a0the headlines read as follows: \u201cBreakaway Anglicans asked to hand over keys.\u201d On February 28,\u00a0it was announced that \u201cTalks with dissident Anglican parishes end,\u201d and then on March 3, the day after my installation, a picture appeared in newspapers across the country with the caption reading: \u201cA House of worship divided.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Toronto Star article went on to say that: \u201cFor Niagara Bishop Michael Bird, the court case opened on his first official day in office \u2013 he spent the day in court and talking to reporters outside \u2013 [this issue] threatens to dominate his entire time in office.\u201d<\/p>\n
If this were not enough, 2008 was the year that the economy crashed or at the very least took a dramatic down turn. With this loss of investment money, mounting court and legal fees and a multi-million-dollar debt we had some major and painful financial decisions to make. One of the things that I am most grateful for, as we gather here today, is that we find ourselves in a sound financial position and that having stood our ground and brought our legal proceedings to a successful conclusion, not one cent of those court costs was paid for out of the collection plates of our parishes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michael Bird, having resigned as Bishop of the Diocese of Niagara, has just completed his final bishop\u2019s charge. In the charge, he laments the anxieties thrust upon him by dissenting Anglicans immediately following his consecration – during which he processed … Continue reading