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Bless us, or we will curse you and
close you.
Report for January
17, 2004
Whatever happened to all of that freedom of
conscience, welcome and affirming, all God's children, can't we all just
get along stuff the sodomites in the Anglican Church of Canada used to
preach when they were on the outside looking in?
Bishop Shuts Down Anglican Mission Church for Remaining
True to Scripture
Also, ECUSA Leader Attributes Division Over Homosexuality to 'Arrogance'
and 'Sinfulness'
By Jim Brown, January 12, 2004
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/1/122004a.asp
(AgapePress) - An Anglican priest from British Columbia is speaking out
after his conservative mission church was shut down by its local diocese.
Bishop Michael Ingham of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster recently
closed Church of the Holy Cross because of its opposition to
homosexuality. Holy Cross rector James Wagner says a decision by the
diocese to create a rite to bless same-sex marriages was
"divisive" and a departure from scriptural truth. That is why
his church refused to perform same-sex "blessing" ceremonies.
"We felt that the closure or termination of our mission was
premature," he explains, "and that it actually preempted some
steps that were being taken to provide Episcopal oversight for churches
such as ourselves."
Wagner's church is still gathering to worship every Sunday, despite being
shut down by its liberal diocese. Holy Cross held its Christmas service in
Wagner's living room, but commonly meets in a public facility near
Vancouver.
Wagner says he has grown closer to God during the adversity. "The
greatest lesson for me is just a larger awareness of the greatness of God
and the way that He sovereignly rules in the world in which we live.
"So I see that a local church such as ourselves, as well as all local
churches throughout the world, don't have significance just in the little
place in which they worship -- but significance throughout the world in
which we live," the pastor says.
Wagner's church is part of a nationwide movement called "The
Essentials," which is similar to the new U.S. Network of Confessing
Anglican Dioceses and Parishes that is forming to protest the ordination
of Vicki Gene Robinson, the openly homosexual bishop who now oversees the
Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire.
Griswold on Division
Frank Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, continues to
downplay divisions in his denomination over Robinson's November
consecration, in which Griswold himself participated -- despite the
opposition of traditionalists in ECUSA and many Anglicans worldwide.
Associated Press reports that in his Sunday sermon at Washington National
Cathedral, Griswold said there have been disputes among Christians since
the days of the apostles. He blamed today's divisions on "fear or
arrogance and sinfulness."
Traditionalists say the Bible condemns homosexual sex, but Griswold said
Christians should value their differences. And he warned Episcopalians to
"beware of visions of an unblemished church built upon judgment
rather than love."
Meanwhile, conservative Episcopalians who oppose their denomination's
consecration of Robinson have gathered to discuss forming their own
network of dioceses and congregations -- a move that could become official
next weekend. The weekend conference outside Washington, DC, attracted
about 3,000 Episcopalians from 47 dioceses across the country.
They discussed forming the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and
Parishes, which hopes to realign itself with the worldwide Anglican
Communion without separating from the Episcopal Church. Another conference
is set for next weekend in Plano, Texas.
A leader of the American Anglican Council, Rev. Martyn Minns, says
conservatives are "currently inside" the Episcopal Church, but
are organizing amid uncertainty about the future.
Homo-Fascism
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