From here (H/T to a Twitter correspondent)
"The Candidates
Listed in alphabetical order, the eight (8) candidates which the Committee recommends to you for consideration are:
- Ven. Ellen Clark-King, Vicar, Christ Church Cathedral, Diocese of New Westminster (Ph.D., M.A., C.T., B.A.)
- Rev. Canon Dawn L. Davis, Incumbent Priest, Trinity Church Aurora, Diocese of Toronto (CHRP, M.Div., B.A.)
- Rev. John Hebenton, Vicar, Anglican Parish of Gate Pa, Tauranga, Diocese of Waiapu, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (M.Min, BSc, LTh [Hons], B.A.)
- Rev. Richard G. Leggett, Incumbent Priest, St. Faith's Anglican Church, Diocese of New Westminster (Ph.D., M.A., M.Div., B.A.)
- Ven. Lynne E. McNaughton, Incumbent Priest, St. Clement Anglican Church, Diocese of New Westminster (D. Min., M.Div., B.A.)
- Rev. John Oakes, Hon. Assoc. Priest, All Saints Episcopal Church, Belmont, Diocese of Massachusetts, TEC and on leave with permission to officiate, Diocese of New Westminster (Ph.D., M.Div., M.A., M.C.S., Dipl. C.S., B.A.)
- Rev. Canon Melissa M. Skelton, Canon for Congregational Development and Leadership & Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Diocese of Olympia, TEC (M.Div., M.B.A., M.A., B.A.)
- Ven. John R. Stephens, Incumbent Priest, St. Philip's Anglican Church, Diocese of New Westminster (M.Div., B.Sc.)
John writes an interesting and upfront account of himself and his ministry. (Anyone reading this from New Westminster, he is a good bloke).
I disagree with him when he writes, "The Anglican Church is God’s concern.".
I have never received convincing evidence that God has any regard specifically for the Anglican church!
6 comments:
"I disagree with him when he writes, "The Anglican Church is God’s concern."."
Well Peter I have heard several clergy here in England, looking at our current state, who have declared " The C of E must be under God's special protection!"
Perry Canterbury England
That, Perry, is definitely an apposite and opposite view to my own!
"So Francis was able to embrace the most hated and despised people of his age, the leper and the Muslim. And in each he saw the risen Christ. To follow Francis’s footsteps, who walked in the footsteps of Christ, means to live to make our Lord known and loved everywhere, to spread the spirit of love and harmony and to live simply. It means to try to see the naked, crucified and risen Christ in those who are on the edge, those who are despised today, and to know that God loves us all."
- Fr. John Hebenton -
First of all, congratulations to John on being considered for the post of a bishop in the Canadian Anglican Church.
As a fellow priest, with personal connections with the Society of Saint Francis, I quite see why John would offer himself on the same premise as St. Francis - with an eye to God's love of the poor and marginalised of society.
John obviously believes, Like I do, that if this is the will of God for him, it will most likely happen. If not, he will remain in ACANZP to continue to serve God and the Church. My prayers are for the right discernment.
Yes
Prayers
Blessings
Bosco
Hello Peter
I think that, in an otherwise supportive blog, you are a little unfair on John Hebenton in disagreeing with his statement that "the Anglican church is God's concern". Yes, it is a somewhat odd sentence taken out of context, but as part of its wider paragraph, it makes perfect sense, and John is quite right.
Here it is in context:
"As I have struggled with others on how to engage with young people I have become aware of the need for the church to be a lot more missional. This is not so that the church can survive. The Anglican Church is God’s concern. I believe we need to be engaged in God’s mission because that is why we exist as God’s people, as God’s church."
Surely you would agree that if our motivation for missional thinking is our desire to save the Anglican Church, then both we and our mission are in trouble. But if we trust the issue of the survival of the church to God's provision, and get on with the call to mission because that is what Christ summoned us to do, we will have a much better chance of getting the mission right.
As a friend of John and Bonnie Hebenton, and a former Vicar of another parish in the same city, I can say that John becoming a Bishop in Canada would represent a grievous loss to the Waiapu diocese. The good folk of New Westminster should grab him quick. If in fact they hear the Spirit saying something different, then John is likely to find himself on a shortlist at the Waiapu electoral synod in the New Year.
I am not sure, Edward, that it is unfair to 'disagree' with someone. It might be to say a statement (especially taken out of context) was wrong. John may well be right!
But if he means, 'the future of the Anglican church is in God's hands' then I won't disagree!
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