The Canadian national anthem has these lines:
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Bishop Donald Harvey, is the Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada, the coalition of orthodox Anglican churches who have withdrawn from the Anglican Church of Canada. Last month he spoke at an Anglican Mainstream gathering on the situation in Canada. For this blog I pick up some themes from his speech.
Canada is often regarded as more conservative than the United States of America, but in religious matters Harvey shows that it is the other way around.
First, "After 9/11 when all the major countries had commemorative services to remember the events, on Parliament Hill in Canada when everyone was gathered, by the express command of the federal government, no prayer whatever was said."
Second, "At the most easterly point of North America, we were supposed to have a service on January 1st 2000, welcoming the new era, the new millennium at the first place in North America where the sun would shine. The Government planned a big service at Cape Spear, which is the most easterly point. Word came from the Prime Minister’s office that the name Jesus Christ was not to be mentioned in that service which commemorated 2000 years of what? Jesus was not even to be given an honourable mention."
Third, the turning point for Harvey came at the 2007 Winnipeg General Synod, when a motion was passed "that indicated that same-sex blessings are not in conflict with the core creedal doctrines of the Anglican Church of Canada. When that was passed, for me it was game over - as far as being able to stay in the Anglican Church of Canada was concerned."
Fourth, on 30 January 2009, the four bishops of the Diocese of Toronto,"decided they were going to authorize certain parishes within the diocese to perform same-sex blessings without taking it to synod at all."
As for the Anglican Network in Canada, "We insist on asserting the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, that he is the way, the truth and the life. We insist that there is no other name by which you can be saved, there is no way you can water down the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord. Nor should you want to. We also insist on supremacy of Holy Scripture."
"And my friends the consequences have been extreme. There are different kinds of retribution that we have experienced. The one I found hardest is being sent to Coventry - which means you do not exist at all.
Bishop Malcolm Harding is the former Bishop of Brandon who joined the Anglican Network in Canada shortly after I did - a godly man, very active in the Anglican renewal movement across Canada. In his former diocesan offices are hung pictures of the six bishops of Brandon. One day someone noticed that “The Rt Rev” had been removed from the inscription under his picture. When some people protested, his picture was removed altogether. In its place was a notice that the fifth Bishop of Brandon, having relinquished his order and his ministry, is no longer displayed here."
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