Bishop Venables: GAFCON Ethics in Action.

Continental drift has claimed another parish: St. Aidan’s Windsor, Ontario (which is in Canada, for those of you who were home-schooled) has decided they’re part of little Greg Venables’ Southern Cone.

The manner in which this was decided stands as a beacon to responsible parish decision making: an announcement from the Diocese of Huron explains that was it the result of a vote taken by only about half of the congregation. Even more impressively, the Bishop’s two representatives were denied entry to the meeting, and refused any opportunity to present the case for doing something as outlandishly orthodox as acknowledging that an Anglican parish in the Diocese of Huron is in fact historically, logically and legally part of the Diocese of the Huron.

I’ve always said that the less informed anyone is when making a decision in my favour the better, and it’s apparent that his little Grace Venables shares this attitude. Never let your underlings find themselves bothered by facts, nor the shocking suggestion that there may well be another side to the argument. Just make sure they do what you want them to do, and then seize the spoils.

I was also please to see that both St. Aidan’s newsletter and the ANiC site have also taken steps to counter the shocking misinformation that they are opposed to women’s ordination. As they say, “the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone currently does not practice women’s ordination” but North American churches “are completely free to practice their consciences on this matter.” Unlike, of course, South American churches in the Southern Cone, who better damn well do what their Primate tells them if they value their toes and earlobes. This should end once and for all the shocking rumour that the Province of the Southern Cone expects Americans and Canadians to abide by the same rules and obligations as foreigners, when it’s so clearly obvious they’re in every way better Christians.

Besides, both sites make it clear that the Anglican Network in Canada has an extremely positive attitude to women’s ministry, stressing that “the prestigious role of assistant to Bishop Harvey” is actually held by a woman. Which ought to silence the critics for good: what could possible be more prestigious than making Bishop Harvey’s coffee, scheduling his meetings, and taking his stained vestments to the cleaners?

I’m Father Christian and I teach the Bible.