Free Republic

One of the world's most famous evangelical theologians quit the Anglican Church of Canada this week because he believes many of its bishops are "arguably heretical" for adhering to "poisonous liberalism." James (J.I.) Packer, whom Time magazine recently named as one of the planet's 25 most influential evangelicals, said he hesitated before using the harsh terms to describe the Anglican bishops, but believed he must do so in the name of truth. Vancouver-based Packer, who has sold more than four million copies of his many books, said he and 10 other B.C. Anglican clergy left the national denomination this week...

B.C. group opposes decision to bless same-sex unions A group of Anglican churches in British Columbia opposed to the blessing of same-sex unions has become so intransigent that reconciliation is almost impossible, their bishop, Michael Ingham, said yesterday. He said a task force being established by the Canadian House of Bishops on the problem of the dissenters should now focus on separation. The dissenters claimed the bishop was persecuting them and accused him of threatening to lock them out of their churches. In a statement released yesterday, Bishop Ingham of the diocese of New Westminster accused the breakaway churches of...

VANCOUVER - In a Canadian first, clergy in six Anglican parishes in British Columbia have been cleared to use a special rite to bless same-sex unions, a landmark development in a dispute that has rocked the world Anglican Church. Bishop Michael Ingham, head of the Diocese of New Westminster representing 25,000 worshippers across Vancouver and southwestern British Columbia, yesterday announced his approval for a rite and said details of the procedure would imminently be released. Bishop Ingham is believed to be the first Anglican bishop in the world to formally approve such blessings, although some U.S. bishops have informally allowed...