VANCOUVER: NEW WESTMINSTER BISHOP FACES TRIPLE CRISIS

By David W. Virtue

VANCOUVER, BC – The revisionist Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, faces a triple crisis that could derail his plans to depose—or at minimum put on hold—his desire to remove 11 biblically orthodox priests from their parishes and seize their properties.

He faces a legal ultimatum from leaders of St. Martin’s parish in North Vancouver, who argue that unless the parish is allowed to control its own finances and staffing, it will ask the B.C. Supreme Court to overturn the firing of two church wardens last year.

In a letter delivered to Bishop Michael Ingham on Friday, former Trustee and spokesperson Linda Taunton said, “We want our church and we want to be able to control our own destiny. Ingham has until Feb. 23 to respond,” she told Virtuosity.

Last September, Ingham invoked an obscure piece of church law to remove the wardens. Parishioners maintain that as a legally incorporated organization, they have the right to make decisions for themselves and that Ingham’s actions violate the provincial Societies Act. The parish has voted twice to seek alternative episcopal oversight. Late last year, Ingham closed one church.

The second crisis is that four parishes have now obtained Temporary Adequate Episcopal Oversight (TAEO) from four international Anglican primates, with immediate oversight by a U.S.-based AMiA bishop. This is a temporary measure until a more permanent solution can be found. Seven of the 11 parishes have not yet signed on but are weighing their options.

“All the conservative Canadian bishops have been informed of the TAEO offer,” a source said, “as well as Yukon Bishop Terry Buckle, who had offered alternative Episcopal oversight and then withdrew it. Everybody is acting in good faith. Some parishes just felt they could not wait any longer. We should not view this as a break-up of the ACiNW coalition. It isn’t.”

The third crisis stems from the Canadian House of Bishops Task Force, which could recommend some form of oversight for the 11 beleaguered parishes. If Ingham refuses, he will be at odds not only with the Anglican Church of Canada but also with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the 38 Primates of the Anglican Communion.

To date, Ingham has not responded to either crisis. Those close to him say he will never accept a recommendation for alternative oversight because it would diminish his ecclesiastical authority. “He is a power-driven person, not gospel-driven,” said the source.

The following Anglican clergy have already accepted the four Primates’ offer of TAEO:

The Revd Charles Alexander, Timothy Institute of Ministry, Calgary, Alberta

Dr. David Bowler, Comox, Vancouver Island

Revd Paul Carter, Immanuel Church, Westside

Revd Ron Gibbs, St. Simon’s, Deep Cove

Revd Ed Hird, St. Simon’s, Deep Cove

Revd David Hollebone, Living Waters Church, Victoria

Revd John Lombard, St. Simon’s, Deep Cove

Revd Barclay Mayo, St. Andrew’s, Pender Harbour

Revd Silas Ng, Emmanuel Church, Richmond

St. Martin’s (North Vancouver), St. Matthias & St. Luke (Vancouver), St. Matthew’s (Abbotsford), Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Andrew’s (Pender Harbour), St. Simon’s (North Vancouver), St. John’s (Shaughnessy), Church of Emmanuel (Richmond), Holy Cross (Vancouver), Immanuel Church (Westside), and Vancouver Holy Cross (Abbotsford) have not yet agreed to outside primatial oversight.

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