National Alliance of Covenating Congregations within the United Church of Canada

The NACC has taken an interest in the recent developments in the New Westminster Diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada. 

1. After consulting with representatives of the parishes protesting the bishop's authorization of services of blessing for same sex couples, we wrote to the dissenting parishes as follows:

Member Parishes

Dear Friends in Christ,

The National Alliance is one of three renewal groups within the United Church of Canada, the only one that is congregationally based.  We have been watching with concern the hard decisions you have had to make these past few days as parishes, and we admire the stand you have taken over “services of blessing”. 

The members of our Executive Committee have asked me to express our readiness to support you in whatever ways we can.

As you may know, several years ago our denomination was directed to go in much the same direction as your diocese is now.  We have been where you are, so we have some sense of how trying these times are for you.  We also know they will likely remain so for some time.

It is now about two years since we and our member congregations (and some others in the United Church) were forced to stand publicly against what the national church proposed regarding same sex unions. Doubtlessly, our reasons for doing so flow from many of the same principles upon which you have decided to take a stand - not least the teachings of Scripture and the long traditions of the church.  Hence we see this as in many respects a joint struggle in which you and we are engaged as members of the wider Christian community.

The NACC's roughly one hundred congregations are spread across the country, from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, and, in the difficult times likely facing you, we hope it will be of some help to know that this community will be kept abreast of how things are playing out for you.

Indeed, each of our NACC contacts across the country today received an email advising of your situation and asking that prayer support begin immediately in their various congregations.  The attached list will give you some sense of how broad the involvement will be.

This issue is an important one.  Much depends upon how it is decided.

God bless you for the stand you have taken.

In Jesus' name,      Geoff Wilkins, Chairman

Attach.

NACC MEMBER CONGREGATIONS

Newfoundland: Arnold's Cove; Bay Roberts; Coley's Point; Epworth; First (Shoe Cove); New World Island East Central; Lewin's Cove; MacDermott Memorial (Pool's Cove); Nipper's Harbour; Pacquet; Port Albert; Shearstown; Stoneville; Twillingate: Central; Victoria; Woodstock; Zion (La Scie).

Maritimes: Beacon [Associate]; Bethany (Halifax); Bethany (Ingomar), Breadalbane; Cape Negro; East Gore; Kennetcook; Port Clyde; St. Matthew's (Clyde River); St. Paul's (Carleton); St. Paul's (North Noel Rd.); Tabusintac.       

Central and Eastern Ontario: Alderwood; Blackheath; Calvary (St. Jacobs); Cayuga; Central (Port Colborne); Cheltenham; Chinese (Ottawa); Collier Street (Barrie); Elmvale; Fork's Road East; Haliburton; lngoldsby (Haliburton); Lochlin (Haliburton); Morgan's Point; Mount Olivet (Cayuga); Newburgh; Oneida; Parham; Pelham Centre; Sandhill; Selkirk: Sherkston; Streetsville; Westmount; Wilmar Heights; Zion (Hamilton).  

London Region (Ontario): Arkona; Bethel (Maidstone); Byron; College Avenue (Woodstock); Edys Mills; Epworth (Kingsville); Fletcher; Gesto; Komaka; Merlin; Metropolitan (London); Oakdale; Port Lambton; Ravenswood; St. Paul's (Aylmer); Shetland; Sombra; Wellington Street (London); Wheatley; Wilkesport.  

Manitoba: Chinese (Winnipeg); Oak River.     

Alberta: Craigmyle; Delia; Kitscoty; Lac La Biche, Lougheed; Marwayne (Kitscoty); Milo; Pleasantview; Sedgewick.  

British Columbia: Brighouse; Cliff Avenue; Cranbrook; East Burnaby; Grace  (Coombs); Lillooet; North Lonsdale; Richmond-Sea Island; St. Paul's (Kelowna); Steveston.  

2. At the request of the same representatives we emailed our member congregations and other interested parties, asking that they offer prayer that the matter be settled in accord with God's wishes:

Friends -

This is a request that our member congregations - indeed all listed above - pray for the Anglican diocese of New Westminster, and in particular for those parishes that have taken a stand against the bishop's recent decision to authorize services of blessing for same sex couples.  The dissident parishes have adopted a position similar to that taken by the NACC several years ago, when the UCC authorized such services. The parishes' present options are limited, and they have hard choices to make. Formal discipline is a possibility. Your corporate and personal prayers for them and for the diocese would be much appreciated.

Please bring this matter to the attention of your Session or equivalent.

Many thanks, and God bless -- Geoff Wilkins, NACC Chairman

3. Most recently (July 6) we were able to report the following by email:

Friends -

Thank you for holding the Anglican Communion folks up in prayer re. their stand on the New Westminster Diocese action over same sex services. If you have not been able to follow developments, I am happy to report there has been an international surge of support within Anglicanism for the dissidents, led by many influential people. One of these is the Archbishop of Canterbury, who, just before preaching in Oxford yesterday, said,

"I refer to the New Westminster diocese, and I'd like to make a few comments, comments that I made to the theologians and teachers in the seminar before [this meeting], and I want to say very firmly that my sympathy and concern are with the minority - but a very, very significant minority - in that diocese who believe, in my view rightly, that the issue is a most serious one, and I said in that group, that there are two problems about that particular motion of same-sex blessings. It, first of all, undermines marriage. And secondly, it is schismatic - in terms [that] it divides the Communion. It also makes us a very embarrassing partner in ecumenical circles as well. And the dilemma for all of us [is] what can we do?."

For the rest of the Archbishop of Canterbury's sermon, go to http://www.prayerbook.ca/cann/2002/07/cann0463.html.

God bless -- Geoff