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News Analysis By David W. Virtue ST. CATHERINES, ONT (5/31/2004)--Canadian Anglicans known more for their passivity and less for their sanguinity chose, on the fourth ballot, a bi-lingual liberal from the Diocese of Montreal, Archbishop Andrew S. Hutchison, 65, who failed to win a clear majority on the first three ballots. He won decisively on the fourth ballot, defeating the Evangelical Ronald C. Ferris, 58, Bishop of Algoma. 144 lay members and 117 clergy members voted. A majority in both houses was needed to declare a winner. On the fourth ballot Hutchison got 68 clergy votes and 97 laity. Ferris got 44 clergy votes and 41 laity. Ferris ran second in the voting, on all four ballots. A flip of eight votes would have had Ferris as the winner by clergy order. He could not summon the laity vote. The voting patterns followed much the same as in the American Episcopal Church. "They wanted a middle way to the right of Hutchison but couldn't find it", said a knowledgeable watcher. What it does say is that Victoria Matthews, Bishop of Edmonton would have won had she been available. She is in hospital facing surgery for breast cancer. Hoping to break the log jam after four ballots, the two houses moved quickly to choose Hutchison. On the first ballot Hutchison got 48 clergy and 72 laity with Ferris obtaining 24 clergy and 38 laity. Caleb Lawrence, 63, Bishop of Moosonee, got 25 clergy and 38 laity. On the second ballot Hutchison got 55 clergy and 78 laity, (a majority of laity but not clergy). Ferris got 39 clergy and 34 laity. Caleb got 20 and laity 28. The Bishop of Moosonee was forced out of the race following the second ballot. With no clear winner the chairman called for new nominees. Ninety minutes later in the Sean O'Sullivan theatre, Bishop D. Ralph Spence, 62, Diocese of Niagara was nominated. His resume, when publicly read prompted laughter when it was announced that he had one of the largest flag collections in Canada and is involved in a museum of flags. He was elected coadjutor bishop in 1997. The failure of Hutchison to win clearly and decisively was a set back; albeit temporary, for the more revisionist element in the church, and another gob smack at Michael Ingham the pro-gay Bishop of New Westminster, who saw in Hutchison a sleeper candidate for his views. It was a desperate maneuver to stop liberalism in its track and oust Hutchison. Clearly the synod was looking for a Victoria Matthews type to hold it together; someone less ideological than Hutchison. In Ralph Spence, the portly, moderately liberal Bishop of Niagara, the hope was that he would provide it. On the third ballot, Ferris got 38 clergy votes and 33 laity. Hutchison got 53 clergy and 70 laity votes, Spence got 25 clergy 40 laity. Spence was gone. A fourth ballot was called which saw Hutchison and Ferris duking it out for the top slot. Two moves from the floor for more nominations were quickly squelched. The stop Hutchison movement was running out of steam. When the fourth vote came in Hutchison was the clear winner. It was a vote for a continuation of, if not an acceleration of, the policies of former Primate Michael Peers. An insider with knowledge of the history of Canadian Anglicanism believes that within a few days Hutchison will reach out to the orthodox of the church in a gesture of good will. It will inevitably be seen as too little late. Few doubt that the new Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada will continue the liberal tradition of his predecessor Michael Peers, who resigned as Primate prior to General Synod. Mandatory retirement for a Primate is 70. In his acceptance speech, Hutchison said that he, as the Primate elect, accepted the job with a profound sense of accountability recognizing the complexity of Anglicanism from coast to coast with its multiplicity of cultures. With a nod to the orthodox in the church, Hutchison said he would strive for unity, citing our Lord's words that we all may be one so that the world may believe. "More energy needs to be directed but we must ask what our purpose is? I shall use my every ounce of energy to increase and build the unity of this church so that the world may believe, so that people across thisand look to us and see how these Christians love one another." Chris Hawley a spokesman for the orthodox movement Essentials Canada said he was disappointed by the result, but said that he believed that the job of the Primate is to bring both sides together. "We want to give him the opportunity to connect with orthodox people. The onus is on him to do so. We can't prejudge anyone, he needs a chance. The orthodox want to be heard in the councils of the church." Hawley said Hutchison would be seen as liberal. "It matters more that a Primate represents both sides of the church. The orthodox view is significant in the pews but less significant in the leadership. Essentials would have preferred to see Ferris win." Prior to the election, Acting Primate David Crawley said, "We stubbornly gather in General Synod believing that the Spirit will guide us." The days ahead will prove whether or not that is true. END

GENERAL SYNOD TO CHART COURSE OF CHURCH THIS WEEK Francine Dube National Post Friday, May 28, 2004 Anglican leaders from across Canada begin meeting in St. Catharines tomorrow to chart the course of the Church for the next three years and address an issue that is threatening to tear it apart -- the blessing of same-sex unions. Parishes in B.C. have begun breaking away from the national Church over the issue and a wider schism is feared. Debate on a motion affirming that each diocese can decide whether to bless same-sex unions begins at the meeting tomorrow. A vote on the motion takes place next week. "There's a good deal of anxiety within the Church," said Rev. Canon Eric Beresford, consultant for ethics and interfaith relations for the Anglican Church of Canada. "The emotional temperature of this debate seems very, very high." The Anglican Church in Canada has faced the threat of schism before. Numerous parishes broke away after the decision in the 1970s to ordain women. Although many parishioners subsequently returned, others remain estranged to this day. Veterans of those days say the climate over the blessing of same-sex unions is even more charged. In B.C., three churches have broken away from the Anglican Church of Canada and are instead under the direction of an Anglican Church leader in Southeast Asia. Holy Cross, in Abbotsford, B.C., was ordered closed by Bishop Michael Ingham, of the Diocese of New Westminster, after the parish refused to fall in line with his decision to allow blessings of same-sex unions. The church's funding, including the priest's salary, was withdrawn. Since then, parishioners have continued to meet weekly, supporting themselves financially with the help of sympathetic Anglicans from other parishes. "In some ways it's been freeing," said acting church warden Bill Glasgow. "We feel that we've stood up for what we believe in." Says Mr. Glasgow, 48, a graphic designer and father of six: "If we go along with all of this, then what's our sense of what's right; what do we use as an authority; what's the purpose of the Bible anyway; does it have any purpose in our life at all?" The closed church's priest, Reverend James Wagner, his wife, a part-time physician, and their three children, ages nine, five and 20 months, have had to cut back on household expenses to compensate for the loss of his salary. He used to receive $24,000 a year plus $1,000 a month in housing allowance. Mr. Wagner believes an important principle is at stake. "What I think we're doing is creating a right that we don't really have the permission to create, biblically or even traditionally," he says of same-sex unions. One priest has left the Church over the matter. Timothy Cooke, 44, was the rector of Saint Martin's Church in North Vancouver when the issue of blessing same-sex marriages emerged in New Westminster. He quit in 2002. "I don't doubt the sincerity or the compassion of the proponents of the same-sex blessings, but it seems to me unmistakable that the fabric of Anglicanism in Canada and globally has been torn apart over this issue. Mediators, legal panels and synods will not weave it back together because the underlying issues of scriptural authority and the moral tradition of the Church cannot be brokered," he wrote in an e-mail to the National Post. Mr. Cooke decided to follow his Swiss-born wife back to her country, where he is now a pastor in the Swiss Reformed Church. Bishop Ingham did not respond to a request for an interview from the National Post. But he has described opposition to homosexuals as "irrational" and "based on a history of discrimination." The motion to be debated at the general synod -- the Church's chief governing and legislative body -- this week and next, will not create any new powers. There is nothing to prevent any diocese from allowing same-sex blessings now -- but if the motion passes at the meeting, the feeling is that dioceses that may have been waiting for some kind of official word on the issue may follow in the footsteps of New Westminster. The diocese of Toronto has a motion coming up at a special synod in November, and the dioceses of Niagara and Ottawa are considering similar actions, Mr. Beresford said. Meanwhile, at least 13 bishops of the 30 dioceses in Canada have repeatedly expressed opposition to the idea of blessing same-sex unions. "In a time of tension and division, we ask all Anglicans to stay loyal to the truth of the Scripture and to the Church," they wrote together in a letter, bearing the names of the bishops of Caledonia, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, and Fredericton, among others. Representatives from each of the 30 dioceses across the country are taking part in the general synod, including lay people, priests and bishops. The synod runs to June 4. © National Post 2004

By Peter Mitham "To see the changes that happened in me and some of my friends happen to others" – it's a phrase the Rev. Duke Vipperman says with all the seriousness of a mission statement. But a warm voice indicates that it's a genuine expression of what motivates Vipperman, who at 21 left behind the mysticism of the hippie movement for a new freedom in Christ. Thirty-three years later, he continues to see changes, not just in people but entire congregations. The rector of Toronto's Church of the Resurrection, Vipperman has assisted in reviving a parish that had just 57 regular worshippers a week four years ago into one with 215 on any given Sunday. "I can't put my finger on precisely what the attraction is," he said. "Our intent was not really to grow, it was to be healthy. And in God's world, healthy things grow." Vipperman's career in ministry had far more humble origins. Following his conversion, he embarked on a series of jobs with telephone and construction firms as a way of earning enough to pursue youth ministries in and around Fairfax, Virginia. But juggling multiple jobs while engaged in ministry didn't make long-term sense. Following his marriage in 1981, he and his wife Debbie took courses at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry with the aim of launching into full-time ordained ministry. But on graduating in 1983, Vipperman found there were only two positions available in Virginia for 14 candidates so he moved to London, Ontario. "I guess I fit better up here than down there," he says, with a warm laugh. Vipperman initially served as an assistant at St. George's Anglican Church in London, afterwards becoming rector of Exeter and Grand Bend, a two-point parish also in southwestern Ontario. Shortly after his arrival in Canada, he also became involved in the work of Barnabas Anglican Ministries, a network formed in 1984 to draw together Anglican evangelicals across Canada. Soon enough, in 1991, Vipperman became associate rector of Little Trinity in Toronto. The church was growing, and by 2000 had 600 regular worshippers. Meanwhile, attendance at Church of the Resurrection was dwindling. Five other churches in the neighbourhood had closed in the previous decade, and the Resurrection knew it had to attract members or face hard decisions about its future. Vipperman accepted the challenge of fostering a revival and, taking about 60 members of Little Trinity, he left for the Resurrection. He also took with him a respect for what he calls the Anglican church's "high theology of place" and the structure of parishes that shows people where they should focus their efforts. Looking at the kinds of people who were in the neighbourhood surrounding the Resurrection, Vipperman found that as seniors in the area moved on — either to nursing homes or beyond — young professionals just starting families were moving in. Cornerstones of the revival became an active children's ministry and multimedia presentations that used the traditional language of the Book of Common Prayer but complemented it with contemporary graphics and music. This drew in both Anglicans and people unfamiliar with Anglican practices. But the congregation wasn't content to simply minister within its building. It distributed flyers, letting people know they were welcome to drop by the church, and undertook coffee houses in local pubs. Members talked with people on the streets and engaged with the community. A summer day camp using materials from Montreal-based Crosstalk Ministries also drew in a family or two as word got around that the Rez (as it's known) was a good place for kids. Today, kids — mostly preschoolers and primary school students — dominate the Sunday school, which has grown to about 60 kids. That's well over a quarter of the congregation size. Vipperman acknowledges that the growth hasn't been easy. "We had to learn, as a parish, how to readjust our life," he said, but notes that the readjustment in practice wouldn't have worked if Jesus hadn't been at the heart of the change and what the Resurrection was about. "Jesus' name is being honoured, and people need to take it seriously," he said. Looking to the future, Vipperman hopes to ultimately send a tenth of the Resurrection's members to revive another church just as members of Little Trinity helped revive the Resurrection. "Only God can do a resurrection," he says, repeating a line he told the congregation on his arrival in 2000. "God has brought us back from the brink. If God can do it for us, he can do it for other people." Doug LeBlanc is a contributing editor of Christianity Today and is working for ESSENTIALS Canada and orthodox group at Canadian Synod.

On June 2, when General Synod will be in its sixth day of difficult deliberations, Bishop Victoria Matthews of Edmonton will be undergoing surgery for breast cancer. She will be in recovery when the new primate is installed at Christ Church Cathedral in Hamilton. Prior to her sudden diagnosis, Bishop Matthews was a strong contender for the primacy and her withdrawal from the election shocked everyone. If elected, Bishop Matthews would have been the first female primate in the worldwide Anglican Communion. In a letter to her diocese sent May 19, Bishop Matthews said the diagnosis was "a surprise." But she added, "I am at peace with what must be done. The love of God is everlasting and I am strong in my faith in Jesus Christ, the great physician, and the healing power of the Holy Spirit. "Of course I ask and welcome your prayers, and I'll make sure you are informed, on a timely basis, about my progress," she said. "There is the expectation of full recovery. As far as I'm concerned I have lots more ministry ahead of me." Chemotherapy and probably radiation treatment will follow. She is expected to be on medical disability leave for up to one year. She also withdrew her name as a nominee for the office of the diocesan bishop of Toronto. And her own diocesan synod might be postponed until May, 2005. "Victoria is a person who faces adversity with steadiness and grace," said Ron Ferris, Bishop of Algoma and one of the remaining candidates. "She is deeply rooted in the life of prayer, radiating serenity, and pointing us to Christ." In her "Vision of the Primacy" Matthews wrote, "At this time relationships within the [worldwide Anglican] Communion are threatened. Recognizing that every province has something to teach and much to learn, I believe we need to strengthen our commitment to the Communion and our common faith." She wrote of the dioceses and parishes of the ACC, "There is a distressing tendency to think that we don't need each other…. Moral and prophetic leadership are especially important in times of crisis. "Canada is not a Christian country," Matthews continued, but that doesn't mean there is no place for the prophetic call to peace and justice. It is the Church's vocation in Christ to waken the conscience of Canada." A native of Toronto, Matthews was the first female bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada and is the country's only female diocesan bishop. Her manner with her episcopal colleagues is firm but gracious. Blessed with a fine intellect, Matthews received her Masters of Divinity from Yale and her Masters of Theology from Trinity College, Toronto. But she has also taught twice in an inner city school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As a single woman she enjoys reading, swimming and hiking. She has led young people in various pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostelo, Spain, Taize, France, and Iona, Scotland. When the youth were weary and ready to drop, Matthews would urge them on, setting the pace. Now is the time to encourage the Bishop in her personal pilgrimage, when the journey is particularly rough. Please pray for Bishop Matthews: Almighty God, giver of all health and healing: Grant to this thy servant Victoria, such a sense of thy presence that she may have perfect trust in thee. In all her suffering may she cast her care upon thee, so that, enfolded in thy love and power, she may receive from thee health and salvation according to thy gracious will; though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP p. 580)

By Douglas LeBlanc Of the many legislative decisions to be made by members of the 37th General Synod, blessings of gay couples will attract the most intense media scrutiny. Amid such media attention, Synod members need to see the highest degree of clarity from those who propose such blessings. The Rev. Canon Eric Beresford, General Synod's consultant on ethics and interfaith relations, has written a background paper on what Resolution A134 seeks. If Canon Beresford's paper is any indication, the resolution shrouds a radical proposal in the vocabulary of process, charitable dialogue, and changes of only slight increments. Canon Beresford begins by making a distinction between same-sex blessings and same-sex marriage: "A same sex blessing would be a pastoral act that would publicly recognize a same sex couple and bless God for all the ways in which the life of the couple reflects love and faithfulness, companionship, care and concern in good times and in bad. . . . For many Anglicans, marriage also has a sacramental quality that goes beyond this[;] it teaches us something about the relationship of Christ and the Church. Some Anglicans who support 'blessing' would be uncomfortable talking about same sex marriage". Compare this with A134's companion, Resolution A135, prepared by the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee, which would authorize "resources for the church to use in addressing issues relating to human sexuality, including the blessing of same sex unions and the changing definition of marriage in society". Resolution A135 states the matter with a greater candor: the discussion about blessing gay couples is related to a "changing definition of marriage in society". The civil culture, as reflected in certain courts and the mass media, often depicts gay couples as another form of family, which are now suffering the same opposition once faced by interracial couples. Some Canadian Anglicans, most notably in the Diocese of New Westminster, believe the church should endorse, with its pastoral blessings, this redefinition of marriage. That some advocates of gay blessings are "uncomfortable talking about same sex marriage" is a matter of feelings, not of determining facts. The discussion always has been about marriage, and that reality would become more explicit if General Synod were to approve A134. Canon Beresford writes that A134 "does not address the substantive issues" of blessing gay couples, but instead is "the starting point of what is essentially a procedural motion which sets forward ways of living with disagreement and calls for further study". This understates the effect of authorizing dioceses to bless gay relationships as each sees fit. A134, despite Canon Beresford's belief to the contrary, codifies local option. Beresford favorably cites—as precedent—the vote of the Episcopal Church's General Convention, which said last summer that "local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same sex unions". In other words, the Episcopal Church already has endorsed local option regarding gay blessings. To understand the effect of local option on gay blessings, consider the effect of local option on gay ordination. Although the Episcopal Church never formally endorsed local option regarding the ordination of noncelibate gay clergy, it allowed a de facto local option by never banning such ordinations in its canon law. The results of this double-mindedness are now clear: noncelibate gay clergy have become rectors, reshaped hundreds of congregations, ascended in diocesan and national bureaucracies, and—in the case of Gene Robinson—joined the House of Bishops. In short, local option on gay ordination achieved what gay activists could not achieve through nearly 30 years of General Convention deliberations and votes. Local option established facts on the ground, and those new facts shaped the discussions of each successive General Convention. Local option was not merely a holding pattern. It was an active revision of church order and theology. So, then, let the advocates on both sides of this debate address one another with loving clarity. General Synod faces a resolution that would affect the church's definition of marriage. Synod will vote to remain faithful to the church's historic, orthodox understanding or it will not. General Synod is asked, during this session in St. Catherines, to endorse local option on gay blessings. Accepting local option would increase the number of congregations willing to defy the consensus of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It would hasten the day when another resolution says, in effect, "Since various dioceses have approved local option on gay blessings, now is the time to prepare a formal rite for authorized blessings throughout the Anglican Church of Canada". This is not a merely procedural vote to enable better study and dialogue. It is a vote for the best that gay advocates in the ACC can hope for in 2004. It is a resolution of despair, which assumes that local option is the most honorable way for a divided Anglican province to live in an ersatz peace. The best pastoral response to Resolution A134 is to give it a dignified burial in St. Catherines. Douglas LeBlanc is a contributing editor for Christianity Today.

The Spectator Hamilton, Ont. Anglican Bishop Ralph Spence predicts the fiery debate over same-sex blessings won't be decided at the church's general synod this week. Instead, he thinks the 300 bishops, clergy and lay church members who will meet in St. Catharines starting Friday for the Canadian church's triennial synod will vote against handing the issue to the country's 30 dioceses. That would effectively postpone a decision on the issue many predict will fracture the 77-million-strong world-wide Anglican communion. "My gut hunch feeling as an old hand at watching this kind of stuff is I'm not sure there are enough votes for the local option to pass at this time," Spence told The Spectator. The local option would enable each diocese, with the agreement of its bishop, to bless "committed same-sex unions." The five-part motion to be voted on June 2 would also allow for so called "flying bishops" to minister to dissenting parishes within dioceses that approve same-sex blessings. An independent study for the church's national executive last March concluded the issue shouldn't be dealt with now because so many Canadian Anglicans are at odds with it. "I personally don't have a problem with this. I feel that God created all of us," said Spence, who will vote in favour of the local option. "If, as a church, we move to the blessing of same-sex unions, I can accept this. But my role as bishop is to be pastor to all the people in the diocese." In the larger debate surrounding same-sex marriage, Anglican churches possibly blessing committed gay and lesbian relationships may seem tame. Courts in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and now Massachusetts have recognized gay marriage as a matter of equal rights. But Anglicans are agonizing over whether to allow clergy to bestow blessings on such couples and for congregations to embrace them. Even if the motion passes, same-sex couples could still not be married in the Anglican Church. Although several European countries and the state of California have introduced what are called registered domestic partnerships for same-sex couples, only Belgium, the Netherlands, three Canadian provinces and one American state permit gay and lesbian couples to marry. The Supreme Court of Canada is reviewing federal marriage law after the Ontario Appeal Court ruled it unconstitutional by discriminating against same-sex couples. In 1995, the Canadian church moved to accept celibate gays and lesbians in the life of the church. But that changed in 1998 at the Lambeth Conference, the once-per-decade meeting of Anglican bishops from around the globe that sets policy for the church's 38 self-governing branches. A majority at Lambeth upheld marriage as being between a man and a woman, ruled homosexual activity incompatible with scripture and closed the door on gay clergy and same-sex blessings. But there is dissent within the church: In 2002, Anglicans in the Diocese of New Westminster voted to allow their clergy to bless same-sex unions; Last summer, The Very Rev. Peter Wall, dean of Niagara diocese and second-in-command to Spence, was disciplined for marrying a lesbian couple; Last fall, the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated the first openly gay bishop, Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson. Chris Ambidge, the spokesman for Integrity Toronto, part of a 3,000-member international group of Anglican gays, lesbians and their supporters, says the Canadian church has been talking about gay issues since 1979 when the House of Bishops decided it would not call into question the ordination of a celibate homosexual. "The rest of the church can't say we haven't had long enough to discuss it," said Ambidge. "It's been a generation." Having visited dozens of parishes in and around Toronto, Ambidge said the "yes" camp inevitably includes gays, lesbians and their friends and families, while the "no" camp is populated by those who maintain scripture denounces homosexuality. Ambidge calls the scriptural argument "selective literalism" because those who uphold it are simply refusing to change their minds. Meanwhile, the debate may gather steam if the issue isn't tackled at general synod, said Rev. Daniel Brereton, vicar at Christ's Church Cathedral and co-founder of the local Integrity chapter. END

Special Report By David W. Virtue ST. CATHARINE'S, ON (5/26/2004)--The Archdeacon of Lincoln in the Diocese of Niagara, the Venerable Bruce A. McPetrie, has written a letter to the Brock University Campus Police and the Niagara Regional Police in what appears to be an indirect attempt to undermine the orthodox movement called Essentials Canada from being present at the upcoming Synod. In a letter to the university campus police, McPetrie charged that the group tried to get accommodation at the Brock University residences and failed but was able to get into nearby Concordia Lutheran Seminary. McPetrie also charged that another unnamed group from Texas might also appear at the General synod to cause a disturbance during debates over same-sex issues which will dominate General Synod. In his letter the archdeacon said, "Although we do not anticipate any difficulties from this particular group, their presence represents an indication that we should expect more than a passing interest in such a controversial issue." General Synod is being held at Brock University campus in St. Catherine's, Ontario. "We didn't know whether to laugh or cry. We were very surprised to have been referenced in a letter to police that seemed to imply that Essentials is disruptive or would not act in a decent and dignified manner," said Chris Hawley, an Essentials spokesman. "We rented Concordia Lutheran Seminary (a seminary on the campus of Brock) to provide lunches and prayer space for delegates, as well as a meeting space for Essentials." "Essentials have an authorized booth at General Synod, as we have had at the last two General Synods. Essentials' member groups have been at General Synod for many years prior to that. Essentials had been told there was not enough additional space for them outside of the booth, so we rented Concordia," Hawley told Virtuosity. Essentials, as an orthodox and loyal ministry within the Anglican Church of Canada plays a similar role at General Synod as the American Anglican Council did at the last General Convention in the American Episcopal Church. Hawley said that he had received a call from a reporter asking if Essentials was intending to fly in Southern Baptists to General Synod to support our protest against same-sex rites. "I said of course not." Neither the archdeacon nor Essentials could identify the Texas group. Following the archdeacon's letter, a leader in Essentials was called in by Brock University for an urgent meeting with the organization and Concordia Seminary. "At that time meeting we were told that there had been a letter to both Brock Campus Police and Niagara Regional Police and without directly naming Essentials, referred mysteriously to a group that was coming to General Synod. "The Brock and Concordia people were very concerned about what might happen in open debate, but we assured them that the Essentials people were harmless." Essentials have never been a part of any protest or incident in the past that would even raise eyebrows, said Hawley. "The fact that Essentials was isolated in this letter to police raises concerns about possible protests and alleged disturbances are both alarming and highly inappropriate. It amounts to a whisper campaign. There is no reason at all why anyone would expect Essentials to be the cause of a problem any more any other group at general synod." "The letter states our presence is linked to the debate over the blessings of same-sex unions, but Essentials attends every General Synod, same-sex blessings or not, always without incident. We're the largest orthodox group in Canada, and here we are the subject of a thinly veiled letter to police." "Everyone in the Anglican Church of Canada knows Essentials is a peaceful group. I am certain this incident will deepen the impression that there are people trying to marginalize and minimize the orthodox voice in Canada. We want the same thing as any other group, to make our voices heard. That's what General Synod is supposed to be for," said Hawley END

Helpless children have been Obergefell’s silent victims for years. But now, conservatives are coming together with a new campaign to push the Supreme Court to reverse the decision.   The United States Supreme Court in Washington D.C.   By Doug Mainwaring LIFESITENEWS Jan 28, 2026   (LifeSiteNews) — On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court took a sledgehammer to the bedrock of Western civilization when it instituted homosexual “marriage” across the land.   Through its Obergefell ruling, the immutable definition of marriage – which had been revered by every religion and society around the world for millennia – was undone, doing untold damage.   Long before the court delivered its disastrous anti-science, anti-nature decision denying the plain truth about the complementarity of man and woman, it was clear to me as a then-homosexual man that in handing over a constellation of new “rights” to homosexual adults, rights would be unfairly stolen away from kids, and their very most basic needs denied.   And that’s precisely what has happened. Children – who have no voice in political, legislative, and judicial matters – have been Obergefell’s silent victims with only a few adult voices “crying out in the wilderness” on their behalf.     TODAY, THAT CHANGES.   A massive coalition of conservative leaders and organizations has now banded together under the banner of “Greater Than,” a not-so-thinly veiled swipe at the chief proponent of homosexual “marriage,” the LGBTQ+ Washington powerhouse lobbying organization, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), whose logo is an equal sign.    The message is clear: Children’ s rights must be greater than those of adults. It’s hard to imagine anyone not getting behind this movement.   While having a deep desire to have and raise children is completely natural for any adult, to do so while purposefully, willfully denying a parent of the opposite sex to children is an appalling outrage.     In the summer of 2003, five years after my wife and I had separated and divorced, I bought an engagement ring and was ready to “propose” to a man I had been dating.     But before I could do so, I got smacked in the face by reality: My sons didn’t need another Dad in their life; They needed one thing and one thing only: For their Mom and I to get back together and love each other “‘til death do us part.”   It took nearly a decade, but my wife and I put our marriage back together again. That was 15 years ago. Last July, we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.    Over the years, I became a marriage and children’s rights activist, defending the definition of marriage before state legislatures, writing numerous articles on the topic for national newspapers and journals, and even originating and co-authoring an amicus brief – known as “Same-Sex Attracted Men and Their Wives“ – for the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of marriage. It urged the justices to allow states to maintain the immutable definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.     For nearly nine years now, I’ve been a journalist for LifeSiteNews, where I’ve been able to continue to battle against the LGBT juggernaut, especially regarding its infiltration of the Church and within conservative circles; against government overreach; medical tyranny; and most importantly, to defend the lives of the most vulnerable.    I’ve prayed to God many times to not let me die until I see Obergefell overturned and marriage restored to what it has always been: A foreshadowing of and participation in the reality of Christ and His Bride, the Church.    In March 2013, Rush Limbaugh quoted my speech at the National March for Marriage in Washington, D.C., when I pleaded with government forces to cut off attempts to change the definition of marriage, as if that were even possible.   The Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision was a colossal mistake, inflicted on our country and our country’s children by just five men and women robed in black.    Like Roe v. Wade, which was similarly disastrous for children, resulting in the killing of upwards of 60 million in their mother’s wombs in the U.S. since 1973, Obergefell must be overturned. Otherwise, shame on us, and may God have mercy on our nation.   Doug Mainwaring is a journalist for LifeSiteNews, an author, and a marriage, family and children's rights activist.  He has testified before the United States Congress and state legislative bodies, originated and co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and has been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs.  Doug and his family live in the Washington, DC suburbs.

Rwanda Archbishop Laurent Mbanda Church of England Archbishop Sarah Mullally By Ven. Alex Uzor GAFCON January 28, 2026 Today, the Church of England formally confirmed its new Archbishop of Canterbury through the legal process that marks the beginning of her tenure. This confirmation gives her full authority within the Church of England, while her public enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral will take place in the coming weeks. It is an important moment for the Church, yet it sits within a much larger global conversation about the identity, mission, and direction of Anglicanism in our time. While some may be celebrating her confirmation, we must also recognise that the worldwide Anglican family is passing through deep transitions. The landscape that surrounds the office she now occupies is no longer simple or unified. Instead, it reflects a Communion wrestling with profound theological differences and searching for clarity about its future. The Anglican Communion is living through one of the most significant seasons in its history. Anyone paying attention knows that the shape of worldwide Anglicanism is shifting. What once looked like a single global family gathered around Canterbury now looks more like two distinct expressions of Anglican identity. One is centred in the historic institutions of the West. The other is rising from the Global South with strong conviction, missionary zeal, and a firm commitment to the Scriptures. This development did not appear suddenly. It has been building for more than twenty years. The debates around human identity and marriage only exposed what was already weakening. At the heart of the tension is a simple question. What does it mean to be truly Anglican in the twenty first century? The Growing Weight of the Global Anglican Communion. There is no doubt about where the numerical and spiritual strength of Anglicanism is today. Places like Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, parts of South America, and Asia carry the vibrant life of the Communion. These churches are experiencing real growth. They remain rooted in the authority of Scripture. Their worship is alive with the joy of salvation. Their leadership is shaped by mission, evangelism, and pastoral urgency. Many believers in these regions look at the decisions made in some Western provinces and feel confused, disappointed, or even betrayed. For them, the Anglican identity they received is clear. Anglicanism is built on the Scriptures, the historic formularies, the creeds, and the call to holy living. It is a tradition that takes the Bible seriously as the final authority for faith and conduct. When any province sets these foundations aside, something essential is lost. This is the conviction that gave birth to GAFCON in 2008. It began as a response to theological drift but has gradually grown into a global fellowship that carries the heartbeat of orthodox and authentic Anglicanism. The Role of GAFCON in Shaping the Future. GAFCON is no longer a protest movement and it's never schismatic. It is a global mission movement with bishops, clergy, and laity who share the same vision of Anglican faithfulness. Its Jerusalem Declaration has become a kind of doctrinal compass for millions. It lays out what many Anglicans have always believed but had no place to articulate together. Now the movement is preparing for the G26 mini conference in Abuja in March 2026. Many expect this gathering to set the course for a more defined structure of the Global Anglican Communion. The Global Anglicanism Communion is not about breaking away from Anglicanism. It is about keeping Anglicanism faithful to its roots. It is about preserving the teaching of Scripture and the authority of the historic formularies. And it is about supporting churches and leaders who want to remain orthodox without being pushed to the margins of global Anglican life. If the conference gives clearer shape to this global body, it will be a major turning point. It will place the centre of Anglican gravity firmly in the hands of the provinces that have remained faithful to the Gospel. What Does This Mean for Canterbury? For centuries, Canterbury has served as a symbol of unity. The Archbishop of Canterbury has held a place of honour and respect. However, symbols only hold influence when they carry moral clarity. Many provinces now feel that Canterbury has struggled to speak with a clear voice on the issues that matter most. This is not about hostility. It is about conviction and truth. The future of the Canterbury aligned Anglican Communion will depend largely on whether Canterbury recovers a strong biblical centre. If the leadership of the Church of England continues to follow cultural pressures rather than scriptural teaching, its global influence will continue to decline. Respect for history cannot sustain unity without shared doctrine. Unity that ignores truth becomes fragile and confused. What we see today is a Communion where Canterbury still has a historical place but no longer speaks for the majority of Anglicans. Most Anglicans now belong to churches that stand with GAFCON and the Global South Fellowship. These churches have made it clear that authentic Anglican identity comes from faithfulness to Scripture, not from institutional loyalty. A Kairos Moment for the Church. This moment calls for courage. It calls for deep humility and firm conviction. The Global Anglican Communion must remain strong. It must stay focused on mission, discipleship, evangelism, and truth. It must resist the temptation to be reactionary or combative. Instead, it must continue to model a joyful, confident, and biblically grounded Anglicanism. The world is watching. Many Christians outside Anglicanism see in GAFCON the clarity they long for. They see a church that is not ashamed of the Gospel. They see leaders who stand on Scripture without apology. They see a movement that is serious about holiness, mission, and pastoral care. If this movement continues with unity, grace, and strength, Anglicanism will not only survive these global tensions. It will flourish. It will regain its missionary heart. And it will offer a credible witness to a world hungry for truth. The Anglican Communion is changing, but God is at work. The future belongs to a church that stands on His Word with humility and boldness. The Global Anglican Communion represents that future. It is a gift to the Church and a sign that God is renewing Anglicanism for a new generation. Ven. Alex Uzor is Digital Archdeacon for the #GlobalAnglicanCommunion #AnglicanCommunion #GAFCON

As government-aligned troops return to Sudan’s capital, its Anglican cathedral begins its recovery from years of civil war. All Saints Anglican Cathedral in Khartoum prior to the civil war. (RNS photo/Fredrick Nzwili) By Fredrick Nzwili January 28, 2026 NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — After it was converted into a paramilitary base, its pews chopped into firewood by soldiers and its compound turned into a graveyard, All Saints Cathedral in Khartoum, the war-ravaged Sudanese capital, is rising again. In October, the cathedral, the seat of the Church of Sudan, a member of the Anglican Communion, resumed activities, albeit with only a few people, according to Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo. “At present, it is a small congregation and people are returning. I am very pleased,” Kondo told Religion News Service. Those congregants are believed to be some of the 1.2 million Sudanese people who have returned to Khartoum and other cities after troops aligned with Sudan’s government pushed out the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces nearly a year ago. Driven by hope and resilience, the returning population is braving devastated infrastructure, lack of basic services and security risks. Despite the government forces’ victory last March, the political leadership has only recently returned to the capital, which it abandoned in April 2023 amid intensified fighting, relocating to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan. “Today, we return. The government of hope returns to the national capital,” Prime Minister Kamil Idris told reporters in Khartoum in January. The cathedral was among the five out of 33 Anglican churches in the country that were forced to shut down in the early phase of the civil war, and though All Saints was not bombed, it suffered severe damage, with the archbishop and the dean’s residences and offices completely destroyed. “So far there is no power. The security is not perfect, but there is a police station nearby,” the archbishop said of the cathedral, adding that the crosses that marked Christian graves in the cathedral’s cemetery have all been destroyed. In an earlier interview, Kondo told RNS that it will cost the church millions of dollars to repair the damage. Fighting for control of the northeastern part of the country continues. No exact numbers are available, but local agencies and human right organizations estimate that the war and its related causes have killed between 20,000 and 150,000 people. The International Rescue Committee estimates that an additional 12 million people have been displaced and 33.7 million people — approximately two-thirds of the country’s population — are in need of humanitarian assistance. “Sudan is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. It is also the largest and the fastest displacement crisis,” said the organization. At least 150 churches have been damaged or attacked in the country. In el-Fasher, the capital of the state of North Sudan, churches belonging to the Church of Sudan, the Africa Inland Church and the Roman Catholic Church came under attack during an 18-month siege that ended with an RSF victory last October. Sudanese church leaders have been calling on “all parties to the conflict in Sudan to cease hostilities and agree to dialogue,” noting that the war has claimed countless innocent lives and forced large numbers of Sudanese men, women and children to flee their homes. “We see and hear stories of women, children and the elderly and large numbers of communities displaced from their homes, their lives reduced to poverty and misery,” said Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku, the Catholic bishop of el-Obeid, in a Christmas statement. “At the same time, our leaders continue saying: We fight to the last person.” Trille Kuku said this situation of despair should not be allowed to obscure the people’s future and that of the country. Despite faith leaders’ persistent calls for peace and dialogue, several attempts at peace have failed, leaving a large area of the country insecure and inaccessible to humanitarian groups. In November, President Donald Trump announced plans for the United States to work with other members of the Squad — the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — along with partners to end the war in Sudan.

By Aine Fox, PRESS ASSOCIATION Press Association Social Affairs Correspondent The Confirmation of Election ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral The first woman appointed to the Church of England’s top ministry role has been officially confirmed in her post as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at a historic London service. Dame Sarah Mullally legally took up the position in a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday, before her installation – or enthronement – at Canterbury Cathedral in March. Ahead of the service, she spoke of her hopes to lead with “calmness, consistency and compassion”, in what she described as “times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world”. A heckler, who appeared to be dressed in religious clothing, briefly interrupted proceedings and was escorted from the cathedral – although it was not immediately clear what they said. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said “full opportunity” had been given for lawful objections, but none had been received and the process would therefore continue. Dame Sarah served as Bishop of London for almost a decade, and is also a former chief nursing officer for England, and was officially named in October as the first female to be chosen as the top archbishop. While, technically, the King is head of the Church of England, the person holding the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. There were an estimated 1.02 million regular worshippers across the Church in 2024, up from 1.01 million in 2023. Meanwhile, there are said to be 85 million people in more than 165 countries around the world forming the Anglican Communion. Those gathered at the St Paul’s service – including bishops and clergy, local schoolchildren and those from across the Church and the Anglican Communion – heard that Dame Sarah “steps into history” as the first woman to take the top ministry role. In a statement before the ceremony, Dame Sarah said: “It is an extraordinary and humbling privilege to have been called to be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. In this country and around the world, Anglican churches bring healing and hope to their communities. With God’s help, I will seek to guide Christ’s flock with calmness, consistency and compassion. “These are times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world. I pray that we will offer space to break bread together and discover what we have in common – and I pledge myself to this ministry of hospitality. “I want us to be a Church that always listens to the voices of those who have been ignored or overlooked, among them victims and survivors of church abuse who have often been let down. “I am committed to equipping the Church to be a kind and safe place that cares for everyone, especially those who are vulnerable, as we rise to the challenge of God’s call to justice, equity, peace and the care of creation.” Between the St Paul’s service and her installation at Canterbury Cathedral, Dame Sarah will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of other Christian denominations and other faiths in the UK. She will also meet with Charles at some point in the intervening period, to pay the traditional homage to the King. On Sunday, she was pictured speaking with Charles after she delivered a sermon at a service on his Sandringham Estate. She did not preach at Wednesday’s service and is not expected to before her installation in March, although she will appear at General Synod – the Church’s parliament – in February in London where she will give the presidential address. On being named last year, Dame Sarah promised to tackle safeguarding failures in the Church, saying the “dynamics of power” must be confronted. She replaces Justin Welby in the Church’s top ministry role after he resigned more than a year ago over safeguarding failures in the handling of the notorious case of prolific abuser and Christian camp leader John Smyth. Earlier this month, a complaint against Dame Sarah over her handling of an abuse allegation by a man known as survivor N against a priest in the Diocese of London was dismissed, although it is understood the complainant might appeal against the decision. Dame Sarah has been described by the Church’s lead bishop for safeguarding, Joanne Grenfell, as having “full commitment to safeguarding – strengthening systems and processes, and improving the culture across a large, complex organisation”. Ms Grenfell said while “scrutiny is right”, Dame Sarah must also be given “room to lead as we work to grow a safer Church that serves communities across England”. Mr Cottrell, who has been leading the Church in the interim between Mr Welby’s resignation and Dame Sarah’s official start in the new role, paid tribute to her as having a “clarity of thinking, wisdom, grace and holiness”, which he said “is what the Church needs right now”. END

By Dr Tom Goodfellow THE CONSERVATIVE WOMAN January 28, 2026 LET me state from the outset that I regard anti-Semitism to be horrific. The sight of Oxford students marching in London shouting ‘globalise the Intifada’ or ‘from the river to the sea’, implying that all Jewish people should be exterminated, makes me ashamed of my country. The attack on the Manchester synagogue, and Jewish children too frightened to go to school is beyond the pale. The October 7 massacre and the atrocity on Bondi Beach are simply the most dreadful manifestations of ‘the oldest hatred’. Innocent Jewish victims of this behaviour have my sympathies and fullest support. However, it is concerning that while the media focus on such dreadful things, a bigger picture is ignored, which is the appalling persecution of Christians in many parts of the world. This is confirmed by latest World Watch List annual ranking of the 50 countries in the world where Christians face the most extreme persecution just published by Open Doors. The numbers are quite dreadful. In November for example hundreds of children were abducted by terrorists from their Catholic school in north Nigeria. Since the notorious Chibok abduction in 2014, when more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped, such abductions have escalated, almost exclusively Christian children. Many of the girls taken in 2014 were forced to convert to Islam and married to terrorists (ie raped). There are a number of terrorist groups in Nigeria, and Christians are repeatedly targeted, tortured and killed, and church buildings destroyed. Nigeria is not alone in Africa. There is extreme violence against Christians in Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Eritrea. In Pakistan and India Christians are regularly persecuted. If a Muslim does not like his Christian neighbour all he needs to do is accuse him of disrespecting a copy of the Koran, and he will be immediately arrested and tried for blasphemy, almost certainly found guilty and imprisoned, and his family expelled from their home. The very worst country in the world however for persecution against Christians is North Korea where the only worship tolerated is that of the evil little fat man who leads the country. No public profession of Christianity of any sort is permitted and secret believers are regularly betrayed, arrested, tortured and confined in concentration camps. Their families, even if not Christian, may also be rounded up and imprisoned. Bibles are illegal, as are secret radios for believers to listen to Christian broadcasts. Children are encouraged to betray their parents. The list of oppression is endless. The Iranians traditionally are a very spiritual nation with a deep love of poetry and music. Despite an Islamic regime which is virulently hostile to Christianity many Iranians are becoming Christians in face of the severe risks this involves. Believers from a Muslim background are regarded as apostates and may be given long prison sentences where they are treated worse than other prisoners in terms of small rations of food, long interrogations, sexual abuse and torture. Historical groups such as Armenian and Assyrian churches are tolerated but treated as second-class citizens. I have touched on only a few countries. The charity Open Borders covers more than 60 countries where Christians are persecuted. They state that worldwide 380million Christians face persecution and discrimination, a staggering number. Of their watchlist of the worst 50 countries, 13 have extreme levels of persecution, and the rest are rated very high. It makes sombre reading. Part of the reason that we in the UK are largely unaware of this is because we do not experience anything remotely like these other countries. Nevertheless, you may get arrested for silently praying outside an abortion clinic. Silently praying: that is thinking, which becomes thought crime. Now where have we heard of that before? A street gospel preacher may be arrested for speaking ‘hate crime’ if someone chooses to be offended (God only had one Son, and he made him a gospel preacher; Mark 1:38). There is clearly an undercurrent of latent hostility to Christianity in this country, shown in many subtle ways. Where will it lead? I am not trying to suggest a league table of atrocities – all are vile. But, world-wide and on a purely numerical basis, the atrocities inflicted on Christians – violence, eviction, abduction, captivity, rape, imprisonment, murder – far exceed crimes committed against any other group because of their religious faith. I am convinced that, although there may be other factors involved, anti-Semitism and anti-Christian hostility are primarily from the same manger – literally. Christ was a Jew, fully immersed in the historic Jewish scriptures. In spite of the tinsel-clad nativity scenes ‘in the bleak mid-winter’, with shepherds with tea-towels on their heads, and three kings from the orient (they weren’t kings, but astrologers/astronomers, and all we know is that there were more than one), the baby grew into a man who was ‘despised and rejected’. In the traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, the last lesson is from John 1:10-14. ‘He was in the world, and though the world was made by him, the world did not recognise him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.’ We now live in a world which has rejected Christ, who told his disciples: ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first’ (John 15:18). I am convinced that this is the real ‘oldest hatred’, as demonstrated throughout the world today, whether it be anti-Semitic or anti-Christian. END