St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church members voted to leave The Anglican Church of Canada over same sex marriage last night.

495 votes were cast, with 11 against and 9 abstentions. The congregation is now under the authority of The Diocese of the Southern Cone, which includes Argentina and Paraguay.

Bentley said that despite a letter from the Anglican Church of Canada on Wednesday stating that if a parish decides to separate, property disputes will be costly, congregants are prepared to fight.

“We don’t see why we should have to go,” said Bentley, adding that churchgoers have been supporting the parish since 1932.

She said the church had a commitment from people to pay legal fees should they need to defend the property in court.

In Wednesday’s letter, the archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada urged people to reconsider the idea of separating.

“In our Anglican tradition, individuals who choose to leave the Church over contentious issues cannot take property and other assets with them,” wrote Archbishop Fred Hiltz.

“My hope is that no parish will take action that would compel parish ordioces n leaders to resolve property disputes in the civil courts. Such actions would not only be costly in terms of financial resources but also destructive of the witness of the Church in the world.”

The church is one of 80 in the lower mainland of B.C. It’s property (assets) are worth 16.2 million dollars. Less than 2% of Anglican/Episcopalian churches are chosing to split in North America despite the popular perception that comes from extensive media coverage.
It is expected three other churches in Hope, Vancouver, Richmond and Abbotsford B.C. will also vote to split. 
Hope and Richmond have accepted the authority of The Southern Cone bishop.
Abbotsford is voting next week.
An Anglican Church that left in 2004 did not fight over property.

The United Church of Canada lost 60 congregations in the 1990’s over same sex issues, none of the congregations retained the church properties.Members aligned with Reformed Church of Canada and Congregational Churches of Canada.
No minister or priest in Canada is forced to conduct same sex blessings.

Acting Bishop, Diocese of New Westminister statement to St. John’s

Statement from Dean Peter Elliott

Commissary of the Diocese of New Westminster Results from the Vestry meeting of St. John’s Shaughnessy on February 13 indicate that members of that parish plan to leave the Anglican Church of Canada.
We regret the decision of any person to leave our Church.

The Anglican Church of Canada is in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has recently said that he can neither support nor sanction the intervention of a Primate from another jurisdiction into the life of a Province of the Anglican Communion.

The Anglican Church of Canada and its House of Bishops have established a model of Shared Episcopal Ministry, which has been commended by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference. Therefore it is unnecessary for a parish to seek episcopal ministry beyond Canada.

We are sorry that the leadership of St. John’s did not commend this model of Shared Episcopal Ministry to its membership rather than recommending that they come under the jurisdiction of a foreign Primate, whose jurisdiction is not recognized by the Canadian Church or the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The over 70 congregations in the Diocese of New Westminster continue in their proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their mission of care of parishioners and outreach to their communities.

Bishop Michael Ingham November 2007 statement
Bishop Michael  Ingham - February 6, 2008

Blogs: felix hominum, Anglican Essentials, Raspberry Rabbit

The Anglican Network of Canada met in November to plan their strategy for leaving the communion. They are accepting the authority of The Southern Cone and are lead by a retired Newfoundland Bishop.
Archbishop Fred Hiltz -  February 13, 2008

 
February 13, 2008
Dear Friends in Christ:

In this holy season we pray in the words of the Litany for Lent, “For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.” In doing so we remember every expression of the Church’s life local, diocesan, national and international. I realise that the witness of the whole Church is very much dependent on the work of the local Church and I give thanks for the faithful witness of clergy and laity in every parish across Canada.

The month of February is an important time for the Church “local” as parishes come together in annual meetings. It is a time to give an account of the stewardship of the gifts God has given us for ministry and to consider emerging needs and priorities for mission within and beyond the parish.

Please know that I hold you in my prayers as these meetings take place.

We are currently living with considerable tensions over issues of sexuality and unity in the
Anglican Communion. My hope is that we will continue to speak with one another in such a way that our tensions do not give way to separation, that none of us will say to another “I do not belong” or “I have no need of you.” My prayer is that we will never lose sight of Paul’s teaching about our membership, one with another, in the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12)

Given this understanding of Church I am very concerned that there are a few parishes that may be considering a motion to withdraw from the fellowship of the Anglican Church of Canada, and to place themselves under the jurisdiction of another Province of the Anglican Communion. It is not necessary for any parish to consider such action. The House of Bishops has designed a model for Shared Episcopal Ministry. This model enables a diocesan Bishop to share his or her Episcopal oversight with another Bishop for parishes finding themselves in conscientious disagreement with the Bishop and Synod over the matter of the blessing of same sex unions. With this provision in place there is no need for pastoral interventions by bishops from jurisdictions outside of the Anglican Church of Canada. Such interventions in fact are inappropriate. Indeed the Archbishop of Canterbury in a recent letter to me said he cannot “support or sanction” such actions.

In our Anglican tradition, individuals who choose to leave the Church over contentious issues
cannot take property and other assets with them. My hope is that no parish will take action that would compel parish or diocesan leaders to resolve property disputes in the civil courts. Such actions would not only be costly in terms of financial resources but also destructive of the witness of the Church in the world.

In my travels I hear many people struggling from a variety of perspectives over issues of human sexuality, but I also hear their intentions to remain within the fellowship of our Church. They trust in the comprehensiveness that has been so long a characteristic of Anglican tradition. They know that there continues to be a place for them in this Church and they know it to be a home for many people with very different views who faithfully remain members one of another in Christ.

Across our beloved Church I see strength, vitality and a genuine commitment to the Marks of
Mission of the entire Anglican Communion:

· To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God,
· To teach, baptise and nurture new believers,
· To respond to human need by loving service,
· To seek to transform unjust structures of society,
· To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
I pray these Marks of Mission will continue to draw us together in the service of the Gospel.
In him “in whose love we are forever one,”

I am sincerely yours,

Fred J. Hiltz
Archbishop and Primate