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- Charles Perez
- 7 hours ago
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ENGLAND: ARCHBISHOP SHOULD DEMAND CANON JOHN'S RESIGNATION
Statement from the Council of Church Society:
We the Council of Church Society are shocked and appalled by the recent appointment of Canon Jeffrey John to be Dean of St. Albans. Mr John's open advocacy of same-sex sexual activity flies in the face of the clear teaching of the Bible and the Church of England and therefore ought to exclude him from ministerial office.
We are astonished that Archbishop Rowan Williams has apparently failed to oppose the appointment of a clergyman who so shamelessly flouts the teaching of Scripture that sexual activity should be confined to a man and a woman in marriage.
We therefore call on Archbishop Williams to urge Dr John to resign.
The text of a letter sent to the Archbishop is attached.
For further information please contact:
Revd George Curry (0191-273-4680 / 0775-287-2550)
Chairman of Council
Mr Duncan Boyd (020-7289-62650)
Council member and General Synod Representative for London Diocese
Revd David Phillip (01923-235111 / 07801-265049)
General Secretary and General Synod Representative for St. Alban's Diocese
Church Society exists to uphold biblical teaching and to promote and defend the character of the Church of England as a reformed and national Church.
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TEXT OF LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
4th May 2004
The Most Rev & Rt Hon
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Lambeth Palace
London
SE1 7JU
Dear Dr Williams,
We the Council of Church Society are profoundly shocked that you have permitted Dr Jeffrey John to be Dean of the Cathedral of St. Albans.
We had understood that after the appointment of Gene Robinson you had called for a moratorium on such appointments until the Lambeth Commission has conducted its work. We therefore see it as deeply hypocritical that you and the Bishop of St. Albans have failed to oppose the appointment as Dean of a man who openly advocates same-sex sexual activity.
The clear teaching of both Scripture and the Church of England is that sexual activity should be confined to a man and a woman within marriage. Anyone who teaches to the contrary is clearly unfit for ministerial office in this Church.
We therefore call on you to urge Dr John to resign.
Yours sincerely,
David Phillips (Revd)
on behalf of the Council of Church Society
CANADA: SAME-SEX DEBATE MUST HAVE "CLARITY AND HONESTY" SAY ORTHODOX ANGLICANS
CANADA: Orthodox Anglicans call for greater "clarity and honesty" in same-sex debate
Essentials Canada says motion will be a "plain endorsement" of same-sex blessings
May 5, 2004
TORONTO, CANADA — Canada's largest orthodox Anglican coalition is calling on church leaders to embrace "clarity and honesty" in the debate at the church's General Synod at the end of May regarding the blessing of same-sex unions.
In a written statement, the governing council of Anglican Essentials Canada, a coalition of the nation's three main orthodox groups, says it believes that Anglican Church officials are trying to downplay the meaning and importance of a controversial motion surrounding the blessing of same-sex unions.
"Our greatest concern lies with statements from our national church claiming that passage of this motion does not indicate an endorsement of the blessing of same-sex unions," the statement reads.
The same-sex motion asks the governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada to state that individual dioceses have the power to create marriage-like blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.
"In our view… General Synod can only affirm that which it endorses….Accordingly, we expect Canadian Anglicans will rightly see passage of this motion as a plain endorsement of same-sex blessings. … [T]his is primarily a question of Christian ethics and morals. Efforts to reframe the issue as one of institutional jurisdiction are at best unhelpful, and could serve to deepen the disenfranchisement many Anglicans experience with their national church."
"We call upon our national leaders to embrace a spirit of candor and transparency surrounding this issue and the debate, in plain and genuine language," adding that church leaders needed to acknowledge the "obvious and well-documented impact" on the future of the national church and the 77-million strong Anglican Communion.
The worldwide Anglican Communion has been in turmoil since June 2002, when the governing body of the Vancouver-based Diocese of New Westminster voted by a 62-per-cent majority to become the first in the world to develop a blessing ceremony for same-sex unions. In August 2003, the U.S. branch of the church narrowly approved the ordination of an openly gay man as Bishop. Both decisions repudiated a 1998 resolution of all 700 bishops in the communion, who voted by a nine-to-one majority against same-sex blessing or ordinations.
In October 2003, the world's 38 Anglican national leaders said the decision in New Westminster was contributing to a "tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level".
The Canadian and U.S. churches jointly represent about 4 percent of the worldwide communion.
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Contact: Chris Hawley, (604) 729-7557
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STATEMENT FROM THE ESSENTIALS COUNCIL OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
May 5, 2004
Many members of our church have been voicing their views recently regarding the upcoming debate over the blessing of same-sex unions, to take place at this month's General Synod. Much of this discussion involves the motion drafted by the Council of General Synod, which, simply put, states that individual dioceses have the power to bless same-sex unions.
The motion, and the General Synod process surrounding its debate, has generated considerable controversy in recent weeks. Some have criticized the motion because it appears vague and lacks substance. Others believe these blessings are de facto marriages and ought to be viewed as such. Others have expressed alarm that only two hours of open debate over the eight-day meeting have been allotted to consider the matter.
These and other criticisms are indeed legitimate. But as a Council, our greatest concern lies with statements from our national church claiming that passage of this motion is not an endorsement of the blessing of same-sex unions. The intention seems to be to soften and minimize the implications of this decision and its obvious and well-documented impact on the future of our church, nationally and worldwide.
In our view, and in the view of many Canadian Anglicans, General Synod can only affirm that which it endorses. Accordingly, we expect Canadian Anglicans will rightly see passage of this motion as a plain endorsement of same-sex blessings.
It is also our view that this is primarily a question of Christian ethics and morals. Efforts to reframe the issue as one of institutional jurisdiction are at best unhelpful, and could serve to deepen the disenfranchisement many Anglicans experience with their national church. It is entirely possible that our national church has been preoccupied with this particular issue for decades precisely because it cannot bring itself to address the critical questions directly.
We call upon our national leaders to embrace a spirit of candor and transparency surrounding this issue and the debate, in plain and genuine language. Whatever the outcome, let us not minimize the depth and seriousness of the issue, but face it with a renewed sense of faith and integrity.
The Essentials Council, Anglican Church of Canada
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