Canadian Anglicans Becoming Extinct (due to its liberal agenda)

AgapePress ^ | 02/07/06 | AFA Journal

[Heartofsong83]

Canadian Anglicans Becoming Extinct

By AFA Journal February 7, 2006

(AgapePress) - A new, independent report on the state of the Anglican Church of Canada shows a staggering decline in membership over the last 40 years.

Between 1961 and 2001 the Anglican Church of Canada, the Canadian branch of the worldwide Anglican community, lost 53 percent of its members, from 1.36 million to 642,000. However, the report also ominously stated that the decline is accelerating. While membership dropped 13 percent between 1981 and 1991, it fell 20 percent between 1991 and 2001.

According to The Church of England Newspaper, the report was prepared by Keith McKerracher, a retired marketing expert. It was presented to the House of Bishops.

McKerracher said in subsequent interviews: "My point to the bishops was, 'Hey listen, guys, we're declining much faster than any other church. We're losing 12,836 Anglicans a year. That's 2 percent a year. If you draw a line on the graph, there'll only be one person left in the [Canadian] Anglican church by 2061.'"

The Anglican Church of Canada, like its sister branch in the U.S., the Episcopal Church USA, has been steadily trending liberal over the last four decades. That is probably the reason for the Canadian church's decline, according to Ted Byfield.

Byfield is a long-time observer of Canadian culture. He published a weekly news magazine in Canada for 30 years and now serves as general editor of The Christians, a 12-volume history of Christianity.

In a column for WorldNetDaily, Byfield spoke of the Anglican Church of Canada's "consistent departure from traditional Christian teaching, which has been going on throughout the whole 40-year period of decline.

"It began with the acceptance of serial marriage, progressed to the ordination of women, then to the funding of terrorist groups in Africa, and finally to the acceptance of homosexual practice. The church's latest foray is its tacit approval of homosexual marriage, which has seen it virtually disowned by the Anglican churches of Africa and Asia."

McKerracher did not think the Anglican leadership in Canada would respond to the new report with any significant changes.

"The church is in real crisis. They can't carry on like it's business as usual. They talk things to death," he said. "And my impression is that the bishops are not going to go around telling priests to shape up."

Almost as if to confirm McKerracher's impression, Canadian Archbishop Andrew Hutchison told The Church of England Newspaper that although the report was a "wake-up call," he hoped a new emphasis on social justice and ecumenical cooperation would stem the decline.

[Cronos]

Exactly what I was about to say.

[Cronos]

this is good -- the Anglican rite laity and clergy will help the Catholic Church rejuvenate (and yet move back to orthodoxy)

[Cronos]

The Anglican/Roman shift goes both ways. I am an Anglican, but I really can't see myself joining the Roman church. I am not willing to accept that the Pope is infallible, and I am not interested in the "Cult" of Mary.

Note that Papal infallibility is doctrinally noted as being very, very limited -- restricted ONLY to matters of the faith, dogmatic issues and ONLY when spoken ex-cathedra (i.e. on the seat of authority, San Pietro's seat). This means that the Pope is essentially letting himself be used by God as an arbitrator when dogmatic issues come up.

There is no "cult" of Mary -- I remember my parish priest saying "There's no special givt from attending novenas etc. -- but if people find it brings them closer to God, then GOOD!!" Similarly, I find myself under no obligation to go to the excesses -- I accord Mother Mary the respect due to her as Theotokos (the Mother of God) and the Church let's me -- the Catholic Church at the lowest, most simplistic level asks me to believe in the Nicene creed: do you follow this?

[Cronos]

We middle-aged former ECUSAers brought a few teenagers with us

Again, I repeat: WELCOME HOME!!! and Thank you! You have undoubtedly enriched the Catholic Church with your presence and enthusiasm. Thank you

[Clemenza]

Yeah, folk masses really worked, didn't they?

[AnAmericanMother]

We LOVE our church! (Choir practice rocked last night - our choirmaster is great, he believes in Bringing Back the Classics: lots of chant, lots of Renaissance polyphony. Last night we rehearsed Viadana's "Exultate Justi" (at a LITTLE slower tempo!) and Zingarelli's "Go Not Far from Me". Now THAT is music!)

Talk about coming home -- we just wish we'd made the move sooner. I've said several times that we were miserable in ECUSA, mourning beside a dead body, when all the while the Church was alive and joyous and waiting for us just around the corner . . .

[frogjerk]

>The same thing is going to happen to American Catholic >Churches. However it will not be due to conservative-liberal >underpinnings. It will be due to the fact that the church has >done little to engage children and young adults. I look at my >church on Sunday and it is filled with gray hair. I agree. I'm still a Catholic (for now) and I am in this group. In my case it is as if the church acknowledges that they have a problem connecting with youth but they refuse to modernize (not theologically, just presentation).

I totally disagree. It is the parents that are the first teachers of the faith to their children as the Rite of Baptism so rightly declares. Most parents don't care about educating their children in the faith and pawn it off to someone else.

[frogjerk]

Don't know where you are, but our Catholic parish is packed to the rafters with babies, young children, teenagers, and young parents enthusiastically presenting the parish with more.

Glory to God!

[Campion]

Re your #33: excellent post, and excellent point.