Dear friends

On the 8th of September this Autumn, the biggest Anglican congregation in Canada moved out of its large and landmark church building (St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver) where it has met for nearly 100 years. It is now holding its services in other buildings. Why? Because of a dispute between this church and its diocese. The dispute ended up in the Supreme Court of Canada in June, and the result is that the congregation have to hand back their building to their diocese, and move out of it.

On the surface this dispute is about the blessing of same-sex unions. The Anglican diocese of New Westminster began to authorize services to bless homosexual couples in 2002, and the clergy and people of St. John’s Shaughnessy believed this to be against God’s will revealed in the Bible, and against the theology and practice of the Anglican Church. On the surface it’s about homosexuality, but under the surface is the far bigger issue of authority in Christian faith. Where do we look for authoritative teaching on what is right or wrong in doctrine and ethics? The congregation of St. John’s Shaughnessy believe that God has spoken - and still speaks - through the Bible, and that we must trust what he has said, on sexual ethics as on all matters.

We should pray for this congregation and its ministers, seeking to teach and preach the historic Christian faith, in the midst of this distressing turmoil. Their Rector is Canon David Short. They also have on the staff a Church of England minister, writer and theologian called Jim Packer (The Revd. Professor J.I. Packer to be accurate!). Jim Packer’s writings have been hugely influential across the Christian world; he was once Associate Principal of Trinity College Bristol. Wikipedia says, ‘he is considered one of the most influential evangelicals in North America.’ And now he and his church have been forced out of their church building by their own diocese.

These are uncomfortable days for the Anglican Communion around the world. The disputes between the more liberal and the more orthodox parts of the Church are tragically hotting up. We each need to ask ourselves: What are we at liberty to change in our Christian faith? There are many issues of church style, culture and language that can and must continue to change if we are still to communicate in our modern age. But we cannot and must not change our understanding of God, the Gospel, and the way of life to which he calls us, as laid out for us in the pages of the Bible.

Will disputes such as this one in Canada come to England? I pray and pray that they will not. But in smaller ways they have already begun in some dioceses here, and we should not be complacent. The first key is to know where your loyalties lie – to Christ and his church, or to men and theirs.

So we pray for real Christian faith to flourish in Yeovil. Pray for those recently confirmed. Pray for a newcomers’ evening on Saturday 12th November. Pray for our Remembrance Sunday services. Pray for an important discussion in St. Andrew’s Church Council about growth and the future on Saturday 19th. Pray for our services for the Hospital and the Hospice later in the month. Pray for discussions about a possible regular evening service at St. John’s. Pray for the love and truth and grace and glory of Christ to be made known in our churches.

With all best wishes

James.