Another Candian parish takes action.
RICHMOND EMMANUEL CHURCH,
Office: #201-6191 Westminster Hwy. Richmond, BC, V7C 4V4,
Church: #120-6751 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC, V7C 4V4,
Tel: 604 214 0321 Fax: 604 214 0320 E-mail:
emvoice@telus.net April 1, 2004
The Rt. Rev. Michael Ingham,
Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster,
Anglican Church of Canada,
#580 - 401 West Georgia St.,
Vancouver BC V5B 5A1
To the Bishop & Diocese of New Westminster
Bishop Michael,
Your leadership and the decisions and actions of the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster in relation to the issue of the blessing of same-sex unions, coupled with your own open support of and participation in the Consecration
of a practising homosexual for the office of Bishop in the Anglican Communion, have regrettably brought the congregation of Richmond Emmanuel Church to the place where a very difficult decision has become necessary.
Therefore, at a legally constituted Annual General Meeting of the congregation of Richmond Emmanuel Church on Sunday, February 29th of 2004, the following motions were presented and passed:
Motion 1 Naming of our New Ministry
Be it resolved that our Anglican ministry in Richmond, BC be called Richmond Emmanuel Church
Carried unanimously
Motion 2 Offer of Temporary Adequate Episcopal Oversight
Whereas, a crisis of faith and leadership has been created in the Diocese of New Westminster by the passing of a motion to bless same-sex unions, and the actual performance of the same in a church with the authorization of Bishop Michael Ingham: and
Whereas, a special October 2003 meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion called upon the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada to provide "temporary adequate Episcopal Oversight" to those churches and clergy who, because of their refusal to accept the revisionist direction of the diocese, are now in a state of broken communion; and
Whereas, said Episcopal Oversight was to have been offered in consultation with the global Primates through the Archbishop of Canterbury; and
Whereas, to date no such Episcopal Oversight has been offered, but instead church members have been lost, leadership has been threatened, and churches have been closed and their standing threatened; and
Whereas, the clergy and congregations of New Westminster cannot be left to fend for themselves while the task force of the Canadian House of Bishops and the Communion appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury are doing their
work.
Be it resolved, that the congregation of Richmond Emmanuel Church (formerly "Church of Emmanuel (Anglican)) does hereby accept the offer from the Primates of the Provinces of Congo, Central Africa, Rwanda, Kenya and South East Asia of Temporary Adequate Episcopal Oversight (TAEO) made available to the clergy and congregations of New Westminster, and to other Canadian clergy and congregations who seek such covering, on the following basis:
1. The Temporary Adequate Episcopal Oversight, as contemplated by the Primates Meeting of October 2003, will be offered in consultation with the Primates and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
2. The Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung has been requested and will serve as Chairman of the sponsoring group of Primates.
3. The Rt. Rev. Thomas Johnston, with the support of the administrative resources of the Anglican Mission in America, will coordinate the provision of this oversight on behalf of the undersigned.
4. Representatives of the Canadian clergy and congregations seeking oversight will meet with Archbishop Yong and/or Bishop Johnston to work out the administrative details of this offer.
Carried unanimously
Motion 3 Breaking Communion with the Diocese of New Westminster Whereas the Diocese of New Westminster and Bishop Michael Ingham have continued to defy God by teaching and promoting practices that are expressly forbidden by Holy Scripture, and
Whereas, they have repeatedly ignored and intentionally misinterpreted the clear call of the leadership of the world-wide Anglican Communion for the Diocese and Bishop to cease their approval and promotion of same-sex blessings, and
Whereas, the Bishop and Diocesan leadership have willfully and unrepentantly disobeyed Article 1 of the Constitution of the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster, in that they no longer hold and maintain the Doctrine of Christ as the Lord has commanded and the Anglican Church has received them, and
have changed, without the authority or approval of the Anglican Church of Canada the formularies of the church, and
Whereas Bishop Michael Ingham has not guarded the faith of the church, and has therefore set aside his ordination and consecration vows, and finally,
In response to Bishop Michael Ingham's defiant participation in the invalid and desecrating consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire,
Therefore, be it resolved that the congregation of Richmond Emmanuel Church (formerly "Church of Emmanuel Anglican)"), including its Rector, The Rev. Silas Ng, hereby declares that communion with the Diocese of New
Westminster, its Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Michael Ingham and all who agree with him and support their position, has been hereby broken by their actions. We also declare that these relationships must remain severed until and unless
there is an equally deliberate repentance and return to the orthodox faith of Christ as the world-wide Anglican church has received and continues to declare it.
Carried unanimously
Therefore, and regrettably, as of this date, your services as our Bishop are no longer required and our relationship with you and with the Diocese of New Westminster is hereby severed. We are in a state of broken communion.
Given that the trust relationship between the people of Richmond Emmanuel Church and the Bishop and the Diocese of New Westminster has been broken by the actions of the Diocese and Bishop, and given that our resources have
been acquired, and maintained wholly by the Anglican constituency of this community, it is our congregation's intention to retain the beneficial ownership of the said resources for present and future orthodox Anglican ministry in this locale.
For and on behalf of the congregation of Richmond Emmanuel Church
Stephen Cheung, Rector's Warden ______________________
Anna Cheung, People's Warden ______________________
Letter from the Rector, Silas Ng
April 1, 2004
The Right Reverend M Ingham,
Bishop of New Westminster,
#580, 401 West Georgia Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 5A1
Dear Michael,
I am writing to inform you that I have accepted the offer of Temporary Adequate Episcopal Oversight from the Primates of SE Asia; Congo; Rwanda; Central Africa and Kenya. I am now canonically resident in the Province of
Rwanda. The Primates have invited Bishop TJ Johnston from Little Rock Arkansas to act on their behalf as my Bishop. I have now come under his authority.
As I have left the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)terminating all my benefits, I would be most grateful if you could instruct your Diocesan Officers to close my file and return any documents to the address above.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
The Rev Silas Ng
The interesting thing here is their comment about the land, buildings, etc. Does that mean bishops in the Canadian Church do not have title over individual parishes in the same way they do in the ECUSA?