Posted on 07/13/2004 10:19:15 PM PDT by ahadams2
The following link is to the streaming video of the news report on CBC TV’s July 12th Monday Night 6:35pm about St. Simon's.
http://Vancouver.cbc.ca/clips/Vancouver/ram-lo/040712_angli.ram
Title: Anglicans: Church Divided
Gloria Makarenko, TV News Anchor: A North Vancouver Parish has been told it should find a new home. St. Simon’s Parish has been asked to leave its building because its minister refuses to fall in line with the church’s policy on same-sex marriage(blessing). Dana Bales has the details.
Dana Bales (Reporter): St. Simon’s Parish is raising a question of biblical proportions. Who owns the church: the parishioners, the priest, or the diocese?
Reverend Ed Hird: We don’t see any need to leave the building because we own it. Our lawyer (Bob Kuhn) says that we have a good case for it.
Gay Marriage Clip: I, Tom, take you to be my…
Dana Bales: In June 2002 the New Westminster Diocesan Synod voted to allow same-sex blessings. St. Simon’s parishioners didn’t agree with that decision. So this March they officially split, leaving the Anglican Church of Canada.
Ed Hird+: The Bible clearly says that homosexual practise is contrary to God’s will.
Dana Bales: Agree or disagree, the diocese say that if you are going to leave the church, leave the church. The diocese says that the building belongs to the Anglican Church of Canada. In a letter, Bishop Ingham suggests that Reverend Hird seek out alternative worship space.
Ed Hird+: It appears to be a very gentle letter. But it basically means “get out or we’ll throw you out.”
Dana Bales: The bishop sent the same letter to an Anglican Church on the Sunshine Coast, also split over same-sex blessings.
George Cadman (Diocesan Chancellor): They don’t have the right to stay.
They have chosen to leave the Anglican Church of Canada. St. Simon’s is a parish within the Anglican Church of Canada.
Dana Bales: The legal title to the church is in the name of St. Simon’s and the congregation says: that means them.
Alex Yule (parishioner): It’s our church. We own it; we’ve been here; we’ve worshipped here; and this is where we belong.
Bev Gibbs (parishioner): I think it’s very sad that the Anglican Church has gotten to this point. I think it’s very sad that we’re faced with losing our building simply because we’re following the truth that God has put into His Word, which we’ve been doing all our lives.
Dana Bales: Reverend Hird says that he’s received calls from Anglican priests across Canada who disagree with same-sex blessings. Many haven’t split because they don’t want to lose their places of worship. If St. Simon’s wins its fight, it could open the door for parishes across the country to leave and try and take their churches with them.
Dana Bales, CBC News, North Vancouver.
video clip is located at
http://Vancouver.cbc.ca/clips/Vancouver/ram-lo/040712_angli.ram
Ping.
Congregations have started splitting from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, which has a common communion with the ACC. However, parishes definitely own their buildings, lands, and other assets. They can also make their own local decisions on matters such as gay marriage without having to leave or have bishops impose.
I pray those ACC parishes get their assets. It will be quite a deserved setback to their bishop.
Just out of curiosity - where are the ELCC parishes going? Do they have their own organization, or are they joining other established Lutheran groups in their areas?
So far, all I've heard of is the departures. Some are looking for another denomination and some want to remain independent.
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