Posted on 06/15/2005 5:53:51 PM PDT by sionnsar
My dear Archbishop Hutchison:
As a life-long Canadian Anglican who has served as widely in our church as most priests, and probably much wider than the great majority (92 Diocese in 33 countries and in well over 500 parishes), I now know that I must, regrettably, accept the invitation extended to me by the last meeting of General Synod, and resign my membership in our Anglican Church of Canada.
When General Synod passed the motion to "affirm the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same sex relationships" it, thereby, clearly, extended to all those who did not, and could not, agree with that motion to do one of two things namely: (1) to accept the motion as a true expression of the will of the church, and to support it in putting into effect both the letter and the spirit of the motion, or (2) those who could not support the motion were invited to live with it within the church and make the best of it or, to resign---to get out.
Most of the bishops, if not all, together with the majority of the clergy, and a goodly number of the lay delegates who voted in favour of that motion, did so with the clear understanding that many clergy, myself included, and a goodly number of laity throughout our church, would of necessity have to resign.
Many have done so, and I do so now. I do so because I can no longer hold up my head and with any sense of pride, declare myself to be a member of the Anglican Church of Canada, a church which in my opinion has not only ignored the teaching of God's Holy Word, but has at one and the same time discarded the traditional teaching of our world-wide Anglican Communion.
Knowing that I might be seen by some as homophobic, and by others as unkind and unloving, I would conclude this resignation letter on this note.
I have, for many years, had a very gifted and godly team member, a healed, restored, homosexual, who has served with me in my ministry across the country and overseas.
Paul tells us that when we give our lives to Christ, "ALL things become new." Surely, that is why the church exists, to offer that newness of life to all who sincerely seek the same, including the homosexual and lesbian.
Archbishop, I have no desire to continue to be a member of, nor a priest in, a church which compromises that message, and there can be do doubt that, as seen in the recent Primates meeting in Ireland, the vast majority of our brothers and sisters in the World-wide Anglican Communion are convinced that our Anglican Church of Canada has compromised the faith in recent years and continues to do so, as was so clearly evident in our most recent General Synod meeting, a meeting which left me with absolutely no other alternative but to resign. I do so now, today, in this letter.
In all sincerity, I am,
Rev. Dr. Marney Patterson
President
Invitation Live Live Ministries
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Wow, God bless her. I hope she finds a church where she can find commonality of belief.
God bless her.
God bless HIM - :) - Marney Patterson is a very fine evangelist who's preached a clear message of the Gospel for many decades - I've met him on several occasions, and he's a man of integrity and faith.
Oops. I read quickly, and thought I saw "Mary" Patterson. I thought it was a bit odd that a female evangelist would be holding up the conservative position. Not at all unlikely in the general evangelical world, but not usually to be seen in Anglicanism.
Why did he stay so long? Surely this has been coming for a very long time... And is the case in Canada similar to that in the U.S., where most remaining traditional-leaning clergy in ECUSA are of the "evangelical" persuasion?
Welcome to the club, Dr. Patterson. Hopefully you can find refuge somewhere in the Anglican Communion, unlike some of us who for lack of any Anglican alternative have had to join another denomination.
Maybe not, but we've had a couple on the Anglican ping list.
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