Sunday 2 March 2008

Packer Packing?

Some clergy have two months to tell Bishop Michael Ingham whether they intend to stay with the Anglican Church of Canada or not. This is called a "notice of presumption of abandonment of the exercise of ministry" The churches are St. Matthew's Abbotsford and St. John's Shaughnessy and among the eight individuals named is the Rev. James I. Packer, because of his involvement in GAFCON.

With Bishop Donald Harvey active from the Southern Cone, and with precious little help via any specific statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury (not that it would make much difference), the Anglican Church of Canada is taking a tough line and a number of bishops are demanding loyalty statements from clergy.

It won't be long before some in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland might be asked about their futures: not because of what they do, particularly, but because of what GAFCON and its associates decide in June when launching itself in Bishop Sulheil Dawani's diocese and who here will be seen as having direct and clear sympathy. Witchhunts are always to be avoided; but you can't have it both ways - it depends on what GAFCON does and then people can decide where they want to be.

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