Profiles in Anglican Courage: In REMEMBRANCE of St. John’s Anglican Church,
Vancouver, Canada
The story originally ran on the website of the Anglican
Church of North America (ACNA).
See: http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/306. St. John’s Anglican Church, Vancouver, Canada is a profile in
courage. Rather than acquiesce to the
waywardness, theological illiteracy (we mean that), apostasy and incompetence
in the Anglican Church of Canada...and after a series of repressions by the huffing
bishop, Michael Ingham...St. John’s established a new federation of old school
Anglicans in Canada. They walked away
from an old property. They took the
losses on their historic investment in the property. Why?
The old faith mattered and matters to them. Again,
we cite this as a profile in courage, an odd, unusual and infrequent thing in American and
Canadian Anglicanism!
Here is the ACNA story at:
http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/306
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Photo caption: St.
John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church in Vancouver, now the property of the
Diocese of New Westminster. (Photo credit: The Vancouver Sun)
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St. John’s Anglican Church in
Vancouver Leaves Historic Property instead of Compromising Anglican Beliefs
In a move to protect
its Christian beliefs, St. John’s Vancouver Anglican Church, the largest
Anglican congregation in Canada, chose to walk away from its historic church
property instead of compromising its orthodox Anglican heritage and faith.
After many years of litigation with the local Diocese of New Westminster, the
large congregation will continue with its ministries, preaching and teaching of
the Gospel from a new area location. More on the congregation’s plight here.
J.I. Packer, the prominent Canadian
Christian theologian, author and public speaker, is a leading member of the
congregation of St. John’s.
Archbishop Duncan
offered the following prayer for St. John’s, as well as all congregations who
are in the position of walking away from their physical houses of worship for
the sake of protecting the faith:
“O God of unchangeable
power and eternal light, look favorably upon your whole Church, and especially
on the Clergy and People of St. John’s Shaughnessey in this hour of great
witness. By the effectual working of your Providence carry out the plan of
Salvation in tranquility. Let people everywhere see and know that things which
had been cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are
being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by
Him through whom all things were made, even Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord;
to whom with You and the Holy Spirit be all Honor and Glory, forever and ever.
Amen.”
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Largest Anglican Church Congregation in Canada Leaves Buildings, Puts Faith
into Action
• St. John’s Vancouver leaves 100-year historic location
• Prefers to ‘keep the faith’ and give up prime real estate
• Mixed emotions as congregation moves to new location
• Prefers to ‘keep the faith’ and give up prime real estate
• Mixed emotions as congregation moves to new location
VANCOUVER, BC – September 22,
2011 – St. John’s
Vancouver Anglican Church, the largest Anglican congregation in Canada, will
begin Sunday services at a new location after moving from its historic location
on Granville Street and Nanton Avenue. The congregation, through a lengthy
legal action, chose to leave their buildings rather than compromise their
beliefs.
St. John's Vancouver, which had been meeting at the
Granville Street location for almost 100 years, will begin Sunday services on
September 25 at Oakridge Adventist Church, at West 37th Avenue and Baillie
Street in Vancouver.
Disagreement over basic Christian beliefs has separated
Anglican congregations around the world into two camps, usually labeled
orthodox and liberal, with those holding to historic, Bible-based values and
beliefs in the vast majority. The St. John’s Vancouver Anglican congregation
has aligned itself with the mainstream global Anglican Church, rather than
continue as part of the local, more liberal Diocese of New Westminster.
“It is remarkable to be part of a Christian community
which is putting faith into action in a way that seems inexplicable to those
who love the world,” explained Canon David Short, Rector of St. John’s Vancouver.
“We are doing something countercultural and counterintuitive for the truth of
God’s word, losing something very valuable for the surpassing worth of Jesus
Christ, holding the unity of faith by acting together as one, and joyfully
accepting the confiscation of our property.”
The underlying, central issues of belief are: the
authority of God’s Word in the Bible, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and the
need to be saved by Him. St. John’s, along with the majority of Anglicans
worldwide, joyfully upholds the historic biblical faith, expressed in the
founding Anglican affirmations.
The move was the result of a court action to determine
whether the Diocese of New Westminster or the St. John’s Vancouver congregation
was conducting the ministry for which the buildings were intended, and is a
result of an on-going world-wide upheaval in the Anglican Communion, the 80
million member Christian Protestant denomination formed 500 years ago.
St. John’s Vancouver’s final Sunday services at the
Granville Street location on September 18, attended by over 1,100 congregants,
included prayers to bless the Diocese of New Westminster and those that would
occupy the buildings after the congregation had left. Congregation members both
wept and smiled as they left the church to travel the short distance to the new
location. There, they joyfully sung hymns and prayed together.
“It is inexpressibly sad that we are forced to choose
between God’s final word and these wonderful buildings,” said Canon Short, “but
we feel relief and much joy in God’s faithfulness and provision for us."
St. John's Vancouver will continue to be led by its
present clergy, Canon David Short, Rector, Venerable Daniel Gifford, Associate
Minister, Rev. James Wagner, and Rev. Aaron Roberts, assisted by Canon Dr. J.I.
Packer, Honourary Assistant Minister and a world-renowned published theologian,
a staff of 15, and by the Trustees of St. John’s Vancouver Anglican Church.
The new location secured by St. John’s Vancouver is at
West 37th Avenue and Baillie Street and belongs to Oakridge Adventist Church,
which has graciously offered to share its building. St. John’s Sunday services
will start in Oakridge on September 25, 2011 and all other mid-week activities
are planned to continue as normal in the new location.
All those who visited St. John’s Granville Street
location in the past, new neighbours in the Oakridge location, and all visitors
and residents in Vancouver are welcome at the services, prayer times and church
events. Special events are planned during the transition period and special
welcoming services will be held.
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