The Anglican Fringe

On Monday, the B.C. court of Appeals ruled that Anglican congreagtions that have aligned themselves with the Anglican Network must leave the buildings that they have worshipped in all their lives. This conflict has been brewing for some time ever since the Anglical Church of Canada voted to extend their blessing to same-sex unions. Christians within the church who believed in the authority of the Word of God felt in good conscience they could no longer support a denomination that had changed the essence of it's teaching. So, when a congregation decided to stand on the word of God and oppose such teaching, the denomination took the position of "if you don't like it then you are free to leave". The church members, who paid to buy and maintain these building all their lives argued that the diocese and the denomination broke faith with them by changing the essentials of what it meant to be Anglican and therefore they should give up the right of ownership. The essence of the ruling, recorded in the National Post, read  

“The plaintiffs cannot … remove themselves from the bishop’s oversight and the diocesan structure and retain the right to use properties that are held for purposes of Anglican ministry in Canada.”
Lesley Bentley, a trustee at St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church, said the court has essentially ruled that it is “okay for a church to change its faith” without incurring consequences."
Bishop Michael Ingham ( of this Diocese) was the first Anglican Bishop to perform a same-sex blessing and labeled these dissenting churches in B.C. as a "fringe group". Well, yes, unfortunately that is what believers are in this world and always will be. Jesus said in Matthew 7:12-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
The decision reminds us that a church's identity is not wrapped up in a building but in it's identification with it's head, Jesus Christ. What makes a group of believers a church is that they are united to Christ by faith in His shed blood and submit to The Word as the final authority for their lives.


Read more: http://life.nationalpost.com/2010/11/15/dissident-anglicans-cant-keep-churches-court-rules/#ixzz15SUs9rIj