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The Prayer Book Society of Canada Newsletter Michaelmas 2004 The Way Forward INSIDE The Essentials Conference, Ottawa, 1 The Way Forward August 30 – September 1, 2004 The Essentials D. Scotchmer Conference This article appeared in a slightly different version in the Michaelmas edition of The Lamp. 3 The first thing that conference. Above all, I was the last week in summer! Correction: impressed me as I pulled impressed by the We’ll be lucky to get Typographical error into the grounds of Bethel organization, anybody to come, even if all in Article by Pentecostal Church on determination, dynamism, the planning gets done in Dr. Packer Fisher Avenue in southern commitment, and time!” 6 Ottawa, where the Anglican friendliness of the large No Theology Essentials Conference was number of disparate But I was quite wrong. Please, We’re being held, was the large Anglicans who had come Here it was. Well-organized, Anglicans number of volunteers here to a Pentecostal with teams of eager young 7 directing the steady stream Church in Ottawa at the helpers - and an attendance The Current Crisis of cars into the parking lot. end of the summer because of well over 700 delegates. in Anglicanism Immediately afterwards, I they felt something needed Wow! Impressive was the 9 was impressed by two other to be done about the state operative word. New Books of things: the parking lot was of the Anglican Church in Common Prayer huge, and it was almost Canada. Why was it now available completely full. necessary? 9 Pulling off the Something More to Think About I was to see many Essentials Conference “The So, why had it been impressive sights during the Way Forward” was a necessary to organize a 10 remarkable feat in itself. conference on such short Address by the The conference had been, Rev’d Canon notice? Dr. Robert Crouse after all, conceived and planned during two months As most Anglicans are in summer, and summer is aware by now, the General not always the best time Synod of the Anglican plan a large undertaking Church of Canada, which with a volunteer workforce. met in St Catharines in Even more remarkable was May, was set to vote on a the timing of the controversial motion which conference - the week would have given individual before Labour Day. I dioceses the authority to remember thinking, when I permit same-sex blessings. PBSC National Chairman heard of the projected dates Michael Edward addresses The matter is highly The Way Forward Conference, for the first time, “Oh, dear, Ottawa, August, 2004. – Continued on Page 2 Michaelmas, 2004 The Prayer Book Society of Canada Newsletter The Essentials Conference… “General Synod’s opinion is in error – Continued from Page 1 and contrary to the teaching of Scripture and the tradition of the divisive, and contradicts Scriptural undivided Church, the clearly teaching and classic Anglican expressed conviction of the norms. The international Primates Anglican Communion at the of the Anglican Communion Lambeth Conference of 1998, the throughout the world had warned overwhelming ecumenical that to proceed down such a path consensus of the Church inside would be to create divisions at the Canada and abroad, and the 1997 deepest levels within the Anglican Guidelines of our own House of Communion. A delegate from the Bishops.” Reaction to the motion Archbishop of Canterbury came to from abroad was swift, as well. the Synod, and warned of the Writing from a theological ramifications to Anglican unity if consultation in the Bahamas, General Synod were to proceed. Archbishop Drexel Gomez of the The Rt. Rev’d Donald Harvey, Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and West Indies criticized the action In the event, General Synod Labrador takes the podium at The saying “In our view, the Way Forward Conference, Ottawa, deferred the motion until 2007. In amendment is much more serious August, 2004. the meantime, the matter will be than even the original form of the referred to the Primate’s Theological whether in association with the motion…in employing expressions Commission, which will consider structure of the Anglican Church of which Scripture uses to describe whether it represents a change of Canada or not, an organization marriage (Eph. 5:25-33)”. doctrine. The Archbishop of which could speak for them, and Canterbury welcomed the decision would have the ability to speak to Many Anglicans were dismayed to defer the issue, saying that the the wider Anglican Communion at the resolution, deeming it decision to hold back “offers hope beyond Canada. prejudicial to any decision by the for the continuing collegiality of Theological Commission. For the Anglican Communion” (i.e., So, the idea for the conference others, it is a sign of how far the that it offers hope for unity within was born, and carried through to a Anglican Church of Canada has worldwide Anglicanism). reality, here in Ottawa, in the last drifted from its Scriptural, week of the summer. Apostolic, and Catholic roots, and However, the very next day, from classical Anglican norms. General Synod passed, amidst a The Conference began by Many Anglicans felt a need to certain amount of confusion and affirming its determination to work repudiate the actions of the Synod, procedural manoeuvering - and by for (1) a renewed Canadian and to distance themselves publicly. a show of hands - a resolution Anglican orthodoxy that will affirming “the integrity and sanctity recover the principles of our So, amidst all the confusion, of committed adult same sex heritage (2) the support and disunity, and uncertainty, relationships.” expansion of orthodox Anglican traditionalist Anglicans put their ministry, through faithful witness to heads together. An organization was At the close of the session, the truth of the Gospel, and then needed which could hold all Donald Harvey, Bishop of Eastern (3) re-affirmed its unity with faithful Anglicans in Canada Newfoundland and Labrador took faithful Anglican believers together, in communion with the the stage to read a statement on world-wide Anglican Communion, behalf of nine Canadian bishops: – Continued on Page 3 2 Visit our web site: www.prayerbook.ca The Prayer Book Society of Canada Newsletter Michaelmas, 2004 CORRECTION PLEASE NOTE A typing error appeared in Dr. J. I. Packer’s article “1966 and 2002: or Why I Walked in 2002”, which appeared in the Eastertide 2004 edition of the Newsletter of the Prayer Book Society of Canada. On page 6, column 3, the words “women as” were omitted from the sentence which incorrectly appeared as “That, for instance, is how many with whom I sympathize accept the ordination of presbyters and bishops.” Dr. Packer writes “This wrecks my argument and makes me a Quaker, Salvationist, or Plymouth Brother.” The sentence in its context should have read: “Theological, pastoral and constitutional missteps of secondary importance can ordinarily be accepted under protest. That, for instance, is how many with whom I sympathize accept the ordination of women as presbyters and bishops. But when a primary Christian doctrine that is part of the gospel is negated, integrity calls for direct non-acceptance, which the suspending of communion expresses.” Our apologies to Dr. Packer, and to all our readers. The Essentials Conference… the principle of universal and revival of orthodox – Continued from Page 2 Christianity, what C S Lewis called Anglicanism, with representation “mere Christianity”: that principle from laity, clergy, and bishops from throughout the Anglican which has always been at the heart all four of the ecclesiastical Communion world-wide. of Anglicanism, the desire to hold provinces of Canada. only to that which has always been PBSC National Chairman believed by Christians “ubique, In order to realize this goal, the Michael Edward put it well: “we re- semper, omnibus” (“everywhere, Conference then agreed in principle affirm what is quintessentially always, and by all”). to the establishment of two new Anglican, what Anglicans have national bodies, and set in place a always believed.” He then quoted The Conference then set about steering committee to oversee their its main task: birth. These two bodies have been the creation of given the interim, working names new structures of “The Federation” and “The for orthodox Network”. The likelihood of Anglican changing the name from the “The believers in Federation” at some time in the Canada. The future was mentioned. As one vision is for a speaker wryly noted, there had new, national, been far too many jokes flying grassroots around about Klingons and federation of Vulcans. orthodox Anglican In essence, the old Essentials individuals and Coalition will be absorbed into a Some PBSC members at The Way Forward Conference: left constituencies new organization, which will be a to right, Desmond Scotchmer, Editor PBSC Newsletter; Naomi Luth, Federation Representative for the Ecclesiastical committed to Federation of all Canadian Province of Ontario; Walter Raybould, PBSC President, the recovery Niagara North Branch. – Continued on Page 4 Visit our web site: www.prayerbook.ca 3 Michaelmas, 2004 The Prayer Book Society of Canada Newsletter The Essentials Conference… around the world to know that, – Continued from Page 3 whatever the shenanigans of This group will likely grow, General Synod, there still exists a and grow rapidly, as there are a Anglicans committed to the centre of orthodox Anglicanism; number of dioceses across the recovery and renewal of the people who re-affirm and believe country where moves are afoot to orthodox faith of our tradition. the principles of the Solemn put in place a process similar to This Federation, unlike the old Declaration of 1893, the founding that which resulted in the blessing Essentials Coalition, is not limited document of the Anglican Church of same-sex unions in New to the three original founding of Canada, set out in the beginning Westminster.