Results from the Vestry meeting of St. John’s Shaughnessy on February 13 and St. Matthew's, Abbotsford, on Feb. 17, indicate that members of those parishes plan to leave the Anglican Church of Canada.

The parish congregations voted to request that Donald Harvey, a retired bishop who left the Anglican Church of Canada in November, give them episcopal oversight, as a bishop in a South American Anglican Church. Harvey's jurisdiction is not recognized by the Canadian Church or the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Similar resolutions have been passed in six other Anglican congregations across Canada, including congregations in the Dioceses of BC (Vancouver Island), Ottawa, Niagara, and Toronto.

Dean Peter Elliott, speaking for the Diocese of New Westminster while Bishop Michael Ingham is out of the country, said: “We regret the decision of any person to leave our Church.”

He called the congregations' action “unnecessary.” The Dean’s statement following the first parish meeting is below, along with a brief question and answer sheet which he authorized.

“The over 70 congregations in the Diocese of New Westminster continue in their proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their mission of care of parishioners and outreach to their communities,” the Dean added.

Dean Elliott’s statement:

Statement from Dean Peter Elliott

Commissary of the Diocese of New Westminster

Results from the Vestry meeting of St. John’s Shaughnessy on February 13 indicate that members of that parish plan to leave the Anglican Church of Canada.

We regret the decision of any person to leave our Church.

The Anglican Church of Canada is in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has recently said that he can neither support nor sanction the intervention of a Primate from another jurisdiction into the life of a Province of the Anglican Communion.

The Anglican Church of Canada and its House of Bishops have established a model of Shared Episcopal Ministry, which has been commended by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference. Therefore it is unnecessary for a parish to seek episcopal ministry beyond Canada.

We are sorry that the leadership of St. John’s did not commend this model of Shared Episcopal Ministry to its membership rather than recommending that they come under the jurisdiction of a foreign Primate, whose jurisdiction is not recognized by the Canadian Church or the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The over 70 congregations in the Diocese of New Westminster continue in their proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their mission of care of parishioners and outreach to their communities.

Note: Dean Elliott is Commissary of the Diocese (Acting Bishop) while Bishop Michael Ingham is on business out of the country.

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Questions and Answers

Why will the Diocese insist on retaining the property of St. John’s Shaughnessy?

Legally, the Diocese has a duty to protect the assets of the Diocese to ensure they are used for furthering our mission, as a diocese within the Anglican Church of Canada. Otherwise it could and likely would be sued.

(This is called a “fiduciary responsibility”—that is, the obligation the officers of an organization have when the organization has been given assets in trust for a specific purpose.)

Along with Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church in Canada, our hope is that no one will force the Diocese to take action that would result in a property dispute in the civil courts. If anyone tries to take the Diocese’s assets, and civil litigation seems inevitable, funding for the Diocese’s legal fees will come from reserve funds. Current donations to parishes or the Diocese for ongoing mission will not be touched.

Will the action of St. John’s Shaughnessy affect diocesan finances?

Regretfully, St. John’s and three other dissident parishes have not been paying their diocesan assessment since diocesan representatives walked out of Diocesan Synod in 2002. After an interim use of reserve funds, the Diocese adjusted to its current income level, and has a balanced budget. The action of St. John’s will not affect the Diocese financially.

Has the dispute affected the mission of the Diocese and the Anglican Church of Canada?

The Anglican Church of Canada in the Diocese of New Westminster uses its assets to continue its work of community outreach and care for its parishioners. We are reaching thousands of people every week through parishes and the agencies we partner with. We are working for social justice and environmental sustainability. We are housing the homeless and feeding the hungry. We provide pastoral care not only to our own members but also to many others.  This will continue to be our mission.

The Anglican Church in the Diocese of New Westminster continues to respect differences.

The Anglican Church of Canada’s Diocese of New Westminster will continue to be a Diocese that respects differences. There is a conscience clause regarding the blessing of same sex unions, and the Bishop continues to insist it is our practice that there be no discrimination for or against clergy or others because of their position regarding the blessing. A limitation on the number of parishes where blessings may take place (currently eight) continues.

Whatever one’s position on the blessing of same sex unions, the Diocese of New Westminster believes that the departure of individuals or congregations from the Anglican Church of Canada is unwelcome and unnecessary.

It is unwelcome because it violates the Gospel’s hope “that we may all be one.” Unnecessary because no Canadian Anglican is being compelled to act against their conscience, and a generous offer of alternative episcopal (bishop’s) oversight was offered through a process that was approved not only by the national Church but also by the Anglican Communion via a panel of reference that reported to the Archbishop of Canterbury. We deeply regret that in the case of St. John’s, the offer was not taken up.