Parishioners at an Anglican church in Canada voted unanimously on Sunday to join a conservative network and essentially leave a denomination they feel is abandoning traditional Anglicanism.
By a 109 to 0 vote, St. Aidan's in Windsor, Ontario, has realigned with the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) – a breakaway body of now 19 parishes that is under the jurisdiction of the conservative South American Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, one of 38 Provinces that make up the global Anglican Communion.
"We are delighted to welcome the people of St. Aidan’s into a faithfully Anglican and unabashedly Christian organization," said the Venerable Charlie Masters, Executive Archdeacon of the ANiC. "They join a growing movement of North American Anglicans seeking to remain in full communion with the global Anglican Church."
Since February, the Windsor congregation of about 250 members was part of another conservative coalition called the Anglican Essentials Canada which offers support to those concerned with the liberal direction of the Anglican Church of Canada – the Canadian arm of the Anglican Communion. As a member of that coalition, however, St. Aidan's remained within the Anglican Church of Canada.
By realigning with ANiC on Sunday, St. Aidan's has left the national church.
"The people of St. Aidan’s acted because they are determined to remain biblically faithful, true to historic Christian orthodoxy and long-standing Anglican teaching," according to a released statement. "Unfortunately, the Anglican Church of Canada continues to abandon mainstream Anglican teaching and doctrine, particularly in relation to the authority of the Bible, breaking with the vast majority of global Anglicans."
Although the conservative bloc is still small in Canada, ANiC pointed out that orthodox Anglicans are the overwhelming majority worldwide.
Controversy erupted when the Diocese of New Westminster approved same-sex blessings in 2002. Other dioceses in Canada followed. In 2003, divisions widened across the global church body when The Episcopal Church in the United States – the American arm of Anglicanism – consecrated its first openly gay bishop.
A number of congregations in the United States are voting at their annual conventions this year to disaffiliate from The Episcopal Church. The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas – which will hold its annual convention in November and vote to ratify a proposal for disaffiliation – believes orthodox Anglicans have exhausted every possibility over the past several decades and that now is the time to separate from The Episcopal Church.
"Many leaders of TEC (The Episcopal Church) are teaching a false Gospel and leading people astray," Iker said in his latest statement. "Now is the time for us to take a bold, public stand for the biblical faith and practice of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church."
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When the Anglican church broke away from the Roman Catholic church they kept the property. I think in this tradition the congregations should be able to keep the property they have paid to maintain and go with the coalition they are in sink with.
St Johns,
Interesting. thanks.
wbmoore, parochial property is held in trust for the Diocese, so a congregation cannot expect to take their building and endowment with them, even if they join another Anglican Diocese. Secondly, there has been no recognition by the larger Anglican Communion that any of these parishes are still part of the Anglican Communion, especially since this is a violation of the Windsor Agreement not to cross diocesan boundaries. The more interesting question is whether a whole Diocese can leave the National Church. That question has yet to be decided by the courts.
St John,
I agree if a church body leaves the Anglican church, the building should remain with the denomination, based upon my understanding of church polity. However, does this hold true if you leave one group of Anglicans for another, since officially they are all part of the same body?
Anglicans are not congregationalists, as much as they would like to be at times. The people, however, are free to leave and form a separate congregation for any reason, at any time. But they are not allowed to take the church building and property with them. This is another fruitless attempt to do so, and the courts will once again, as they have for the last 200 years, return the building and property to the diocese, after both sides spend a fortune on litigation which money that could have been used in a better way.
As an Ex Anglican I can only say Bravo, I have not lost hope that the worldly churches can enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit, but certainly the leadership lacks tolerence for those offended by today's values, what an irony.
"As a member of that coalition, however, St. Aidan's remained within the Anglican Church of Canada."
I guess the Anglican Church of Canada (and other such "churches" in other countries) can add "deaf and blind" to their list of problems.
May God embolden more people to stand up for His truth, regardless of church or denominational affiliation.