The ACC and APCK Take Over ACCC (TAC) Parishes in Joint Venture

Opportunistic, but Continuing Anglicanism doing what it always seems to do, I suppose. Peter Karl T. Perkins brings us:

… a real shock

http://www.traditionalanglican.ca/

And more:

There now appears to be a four-way split, not counting those who may have simply slipped off to independent congregations (if any, or if many).  In B.C., Canon Sinclair (now called ‘Fr. Stan’) in Victoria and Fr. Peter Sandercock at Nanaimo, both on Vancouver Island, are part of the Anglican Province of Christ the King, under Abp. Provence.  The group at Victoria celebrates its services at St. Mark Church, which happens to be the Orangemen’s Hall.  The Orangemen are sort of Freemasons who prefer violence, no?

Former TAC groups in Ontario and the Mainland of B.C. are now part of the Anglican-Catholic Church, Original Province, under Abp. Haverland.  Fr. David Marriott is their priest for Halfmoon Bay and Pitt Meadows, B.C.  In Ontario, they have groups at Belleville, Chapleau (former TAC group before its priest died), Ottawa, Parry Sound and Thunder Bay.  The priests are Frs. James Gibbons, Peter Jardine, Robert Mansfield, Frank Moore, and James Chantler. Some or all of these were once TAC priests.  The names are all familiar to me.

There is confusion even on the local level.  For instance, Holy Cross Parish at Nanaimo is already renamed St. Athanasius on its own website.

It would appear that the two Provinces are about to merge…

It would appear that Haverland and Provence have scooped up the TAC in Ontario.  In the Vancouver area and the Victoria area, there are now groups staying in the TAC, going to Haverland-Provence and going with the Ordinariate. I joke about Anglicans worshipping in callboxes but you should see their ‘chapel’ at Halfmoon Bay.  It does indeed appear to be about thrice the size of a telephone booth.  It is a potent symbol of the future of the TAC, as is worship in fuernal homes.

With Bishop Peter Wilkinson and Bishop Carl Reid leading their flock to the safe home that is the Ordinariate this Sunday coming, I believe that leaves only Bishop Craig Botterill for the ACCC (TAC), with the ACC and APCK picking off of the remnant, seemingly at will.

Some may go as far as calling it: Good old fashion sheep-stealing.

Archbishop Mark Haverland (ACC) and Archbishop James Provence (APCK)

Trouble in St Mary of the Angels Parish (ACA)

According to Virtue Online the IRS has threatened to seize St Mary’s of the Angels Property in Hollywood because financial improprieties:

The priest of St. Mary of the Angels church in Hollywood, Fr. Christopher Kelley has been inhibited by Bishop Stephen D. Strawn of the Anglican Church of America (ACA) Diocese of the West on multiple charges of financial mismanagement and “conduct unbecoming a priest.”

A source has told VOL that Fr. Kelley would not comply with the inhibition “because God told me” and because he does not recognize Bishop Strawn as his bishop.

Kelley told VOL that Bishop Louis Falk is his bishop. Falk is the former Primate of the Anglican Church in America and is Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley.

St Mary of the Angels has had no budget for the past 2-3 years and a several church checks have bounced leading to the charges of financial mismanagement. Allegedly, there are also unpaid taxes to the IRS.

The unpaid tax matter is now in the hands of the Civil Courts who will determine in the coming days the final outcome of the parish and Fr. Kelley’s position. (St. Mary of the Angels Los Angeles was one of the first continuing Anglican parishes of the 1970s).

Notice of Inhibition documents were delivered Tuesday to Fr. Kelley by the Canon to the Ordinary and signed by The Rt. Rev. Stephen D. Strawn, Bishop of the Missouri Valley, Episcopal Visitor to the Diocese of the West.

“WE, Stephen Duane Strawn, by Divine Permission Episcopal Visitor of the See of the West within the Anglican Church in American did on the 2nd Day of April, in the Year of Our Lord 2012, with the Counsel and Advice of the Standing Committee did INHIBIT the Rev. Fr. Christopher Kelley …”.

The document says that Fr. Kelley must vacate the premises within 48 hours after receiving the letter and may not contact members of St. Mary’s of the Angels ACA in Hollywood in person, by mail, or by electronic means.

“This order is in violation of California civil codes, as the LAPD officers who responded to my call, explained. It is also a clear violation of my First Amendment Rights,” Kelley told VOL.

The parish has also sought and applied to join the Ordinariate. but all parties say this has nothing to do with the present state of affairs that now exists in the parish with the rector. The Canon to the Ordinary of the Diocese of the West said that the Patrimony of the Primate was dissolved on January 1, 2012 with the establishment of the Ordinariate. Those parishes like St. Mary’s that did not vote to leave the ACA and the Traditional Anglican Communion have gone back under the authority of their geographical dioceses until they are received into the Ordinariate.

(Then Archbishop Louis Falk reported at the meeting of the ACA bishops in Tucson — over which he presided — that the bishops passed a resolution on the Patrimony stating that it would continue to exist until its function had been fulfilled, and all who wished to to make the transition to the Ordinariate had had opportunity to do so.)

Kelley branded as “false and lies” that he refused to allow anybody to see the letters from the IRS or the Treasurer and that he misappropriated funds, and refused to share auditing information. “What grounds do they have for charging me with ‘conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy’?” Kelley added he has been in the parish for five years.

A source said ACA leaders have received complaints from parishioners one of which was that Kelley would go around telling people that there are devils in the eyes of a painting worth $35,000 because the eyes were devils. Kelley described this as “total rubbish.” Fr. Kelley is a staunch Anglo-Catholic…

Rest here, and its messy.

The St Marys of the Angels website is here. It’s a smart site, and they seem like a well organised lot.

On the blog there, the Rector, Fr Christopher Kelley, writes in an Official Statement - which David Virtue doesn’t seem to (but should have) mention(ed):

We are very disappointed that a coup has been attempted by a small handful of dissidents who adamantly oppose St. Mary’s joining the Ordinariate. They apparently decided to try to thwart the will of the vast majority of parishioners, and they tried to physically take over the parish.

St. Mary’s is a free-standing legal corporation under California law. During the entire history of the Anglican Continuum, parishes have been free to come and go as they please, and many have changed jurisdictions, not just St. Mary’s.

Bishop Strawn’s “inhibition” of Fr. Kelley, and Canon Morello’s appointment of any officers is invalid, as they have no legal authority over St. Mary’s.  The Patrimony of the Primate continues so long as there exist Anglicans who may formally contemplate transition to the Ordinariate.  (It did not expire January 1, 2012.)

Some were used by people who have a larger agenda and are trying to exercise power and authority they do not possess. This whole brouhaha has been a distraction to the majority of parishioners and visitors who just want to attend church and worship the Lord, and not get involved in the power trips and self-serving political ambitions and machinations of a few. All parish funds were and are presently properly handled and accounted for at the parish banks.

They formed a front in matters not clearly understood by them, and without benefit of involvement in the long history of St. Mary’s finding the most appropriate larger ecclesiastical home in which to practice the Catholic faith.

We continue as before in the Lord’s service.

Prayerfully in Christ,

Chairman of the Board, President, & Rector

Fr. Christopher P. Kelley +

St. Mary of the Angels

So, it’s all about them wanting to join the Ordinariate then? Could it be? We’ll have to see.

One thing is for sure, they’ll be doing their own thing, regardless of what the ACA Bishops think, say, or do…

 

Membership of the Ordinariate (UK) around 1,200

The Catholic Herald talks numbers:

… Last week around 250 former Anglicans were accepted into the ordinariate in a “second wave” of growth.

James Bradley, communications officer for the ordinariate, said: “There were about 200 receptions into new ordinariate groups with their pastors, and about 50 into existing groups.”

They bring the total membership of the ordinariate to around 1,200.

In Croydon, 65 former members of St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church, including the former vicar, the Rev Donald Minchew, were received into the ordinariate by former Anglican bishop Mgr John Broadhurst.

Over 50 were received into the ordinariate in Darlington by the Ordinary, Mgr Keith Newton; they included the Rev Ian Grieves, who hopes to be ordained in the ordinariate in the coming months.

In his homily Mgr Newton said: “The journey you embarked upon on Ash Wednesday through the days of Lent to your reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church this evening is a model of the whole of your Christian life.

“It has meant for each of you, in a particular way, leaving behind what has been comfortable and familiar and stepping out in faith, certain in the knowledge that we do so in company of Jesus who prayed the night before he died that his disciples might be one. It is a journey that must be total and complete. But like all journeys in the faith, it is one leading to joy and fulfilment.”

Other groups of former Anglicans were received into the ordinariate in Harlow, Essex, Portsmouth, Hampshire, Maidstone, Kent, and Blackpool, Lancashire.

In the United States communities of former Anglicans in Philadelphia and Indianapolis were received into the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter. In his Holy Week message the American Ordinary, Mgr Jeffrey Steenson, compared the journey to full communion for both individuals and groups of the ordinariate to the journey of Moses and the Chosen People from captivity to the Promised Land.

Nearly 40 former Anglican priests in America are currently studying to be ordained Catholic priests. The first ordinariate candidate was expected to be ordained to the diaconate today.

 

The Position of the Church of Torres Strait (TAC)

Writes the Vicar General of the Church of Torres Strait, Fr Gordon Barnier:

Allow  me to once again state our position: We ARE committed to the Ordinariate, hopefully an Ordinariate for the Torres Strait and there are encouraging signs this will happen, although there are difficulties, mainly of clergy education and training. The Catholic Church is being very supportive and generous to us.

Until the Ordinariate happens we remain a member church of the TAC and since Abp Hepworth himself said he resigned as of Easter Day we acknowledge Abp Prakash as Acting Primate and indeed we prayed  for him in that capacity in the Canon on Easter Sunday. I suppose it will depend on time as to how involved we will be in TAC affairs…

Personally, I think the sunlit vision of the revived TAC will always have an elephant in the room if it  completely turns its back on the Catholic Church.

Their website is here.

The Light of Christ shines brilliantly in the Church of Torres Strait.

 

Clergy Praying for Abortion?!

Accursed are these brazen, wicked people:

A local Planned Parenthood abortion business in California is copycatting the 40 Days for Life campaign, which recently resulted in saving the lives of more than 700 unborn children from abortion. The abortion business has set up its own 40 Days of Prayer for the local abortion center.

“We trust you to decide about your sexuality, having your children, and planning your family,” says a flier promoting the Humbolt County Clergy for Choice event. “We are religious leaders who value all human life.  We accept that religions differ about when life begins. We are here to help.”

“We believe that human life is holy. That’s why we believe in your right to choose to be a parent or not,” the pro-abortion religious leaders continue. “It can be helpful to talk with friends you trust, with licensed counselors, and with whatever religious person you choose.  Humboldt County Clergy are available to talk with you about the spiritual aspects of choice.  Find out more by calling Six Rivers Planned Parenthood.”

Rest here.

Abortion is evil as are the promoters thereof in a culture of death!

Some of the local “churches” participating in the pro-abortion prayer event include: Temple Beth El in Eureka, Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Bayside, St. Francis in Fortuna, Old Town Gazebo in Eureka, and Arcata United Methodist.

So that would be:  The Union of Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalist, Episcopal (naturally) and United Methodist. If you belong to any of those denominations, may I suggest you run away from your godless, lying ‘clergy’, while there is still a chance to vindicate your mortal soul!

The Church on abortion is (and should be) clear and unequivocal: Abortion is murder. It is an offence against God and there are no exceptions, no compromises. Choose life!

 

Is the Internet Real?

Second question: If so, can we save it?

And then from the conclusion:

Let me submit to you a conclusion from this data: We don’t think the Internet is real so we pretend that we can do whatever we want to do without consequence. If we lived in the real world like we do “online”, the world would be a miserable place. But notice what I just did. I set up the false dichotomy!

In reality, the Internet is a part of our “real world”, and it is a fairly miserable place to live — the real world that is. You know the one with the Internet, not the one without the Internet. That was like so 1981.

So, can we save it?

What?

The Internet.

Answer: No

(for review, the first question’s answer is “yes”, the second’s is “no”)

Instead, we should think about it another way. We should realize that we are in need of saving, and we now find “us” more unregenerate than ever living in a place we call “online”. But, online isn’t a place. The desk that I’m sitting at and writing this post is a place. Topeka, Kansas is a place. People in places need saving.

Christ didn’t die for the Internet. He died for you and me even while we pretend — online — that what we do there does not in fact harm our eternal souls. However, there is no virtual heaven and hell. Only the off-line version.

So let’s use the Internet to keep people out of hell.

Hey, that might save the Internet after all.

Do give the whole piece here.