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ANGLICAN COMMUNION NETWORK DEAN CALLS FOR ACTION NOW
By David W. Virtue
in Ottawa
OTTAWA, ON-(8/31/2004)--A dean of the U.S. Anglican Communion Network told more than 700 orthodox Canadian Anglicans at the 2004 ESSENTIALS conference that they need to get out of their foxholes and start taking some of the hills in front of them.
Referencing the spiritual and moral chaos in the American Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, the Rev. Bill Murdoch, Dean of the New England Network, said that the time for reflection, analysis and self-criticism is over and overcoming needs to begin.
"When that time does come, we will begin to shape our message and dominate our proclamations with what we are for, not what we are against."
"We can do a better job of articulating our message to a lost world. Can we exercise enough faith to articulate and believe in a vision for what the Anglican Church in North America might look like? Can we see a biblically orthodox Anglican church, a Great Commission Church, a church planting church, Spirit filled, Holy Spirit empowered church, a church where the people are starving for a real experience of Christ's love."
Fr. Murdoch, who is rector of All Saints' Episcopal Church in West Newbury, Massachusetts, told the orthodox gathering of bishops, clergy and laity, that it was a time for orthodox Anglicans in the US and Canada to work together and support one another.
"If they [revisionist bishops] come after you to take and close your churches and inhibit your priests call us; we will come. When that happens, we need to show up in numbers in voice and stature and stand together. You cannot do this alone. If we have a future together, we need to take first steps together."
Murdoch said it was a new day. "It is time to turn the battle around and contend for the faith and no longer talk about it."
"The definition of renewal is a recovery of apostolic life in both doctrine and practice."
Murdoch apologized for any imperialism that Americans had shown towards their Canadian Anglican brothers and sisters.
The dean then issued a thundering call for Anglican unity across geographic lines, and blasted idolatry in the church.
"We need to get over that Jesus died for church buildings. He didn't. We stand for orthodoxy and we worry that people say mean things about us. Get over it. We need to overcome our idolatry of the bishop. They can't without the help and exhortation of clergy and laity who love and respect the office and the people. But right now we need leadership not maintenance. We need apostles not bureaucrats. We need to recognize the cultural and bureaucratic captivity of the office of the Bishop."
"We don't want it to be said of us, 'here I am Lord send my wife.' We need to stay in the fight till we win the war and it is not just in the church; it is a cultural war for the very soul of our nations."
Murdoch said that Gene Robinson lived less than 10 miles from his parish and when he was becoming a bishop he knew there had to be a faithful remnant. "Our church has sullied the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and our church has dishonored the gospel. But when I went to pastors in three other denominations, I found 24 pastors who tore up their own agendas and stepped up to offer their churches to us. We chose Durham Evangelical Church as witness of Holy Eucharist and preaching. 500 Anglicans showed up. Some 600 Baptist, Methodist and Congregationalist clergy and laity stood outside and prayed for us."
"We need to get out of our fox holes and take back the hills. This is a conflict. And in a conflict you are going to take some hits. We are biblically orthodox Anglicans. I want to see an Anglican Church like that in every community. It can be done. To do it we need you and one another, together we are smarter than anyone alone; as dean stand with us."
END
BREAKING NEWS: Orthodox Canadian Anglicans announce formation of new Federation and Network for impaired Anglicans at ESSENTIALS 2004 conference....
