First, I am attending a global meeting of Anglican priests and bishops who wish to honour and uphold our consecration vows to “be ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God’s Word; and to use both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick as to the whole, within your cures, as need shall require, and occasion shall be given…”
My answer to the second question is longer but needs to be given.
I am a bishop of the church. I am the Diocesan Bishop of The Arctic. I am a bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada. I am a bishop of the Anglican Communion.
The bishops I fellowship with are bishops I recognize as part of the Anglican Communion.
To honour my vows at conformation and the baptism covenant and when ordained as deacon, priest and bishop, I humbly caution the many other bishops in Canada and in other countries who have chosen to publicly stand in opposition to Jesus’ authority, to biblical authority and the doctrines of the Anglican Communion, to listen to and return sound doctrine and reason and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Many priests and bishops in Canada and in our Anglican Communion have chosen to reject their vows and ignored the exhortations given them to … “be ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God’s Word; and to use both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick as to the whole, within your cures, as need shall require, and occasion shall be given”.
Sadly here in Canada few deacons, priests and bishops hold to the teachings and doctrines of our Anglican Communion, our Anglican Church of Canada and are trying to convince me and my suffragans to reject our 39 Articles of Religion (found in the BCP), the three Creeds, and the Canons of our Anglican Church of Canada.
Many deacons, priests and bishops have chosen to ignore the Primates of the Anglican Communion and the other instruments of Communion who had called on us all to repent and return to the biblical doctrines of our Anglican Communion.
Sadly rather than repent many have chosen the way of independence to be an authority onto themselves and create such a schism that they have fractured
the foundations of our worldwide Anglican Communion.
These actions have impaired our Communion, hindered our hope filled Gospel message of salvation and reconciliation in and through Jesus alone and have caused our people to lose faith in the Holy Bible the Word of God.
I know Jesus and how He saved me and sent me to bring a message of hope to those know the consequences of living self centered lives. Those of us who know the bad news of life wish to share the good news that Jesus lives us even while we are deep in sin. I do not offer philosophies or rules, but Jesus. Jesus came to me while I tried to live the Christian life following the old covenant, yet the more I triedm the deeper sin entangled me. My heart’s desire was to repent of my own sinful desires to be self governing. If I could have repented and cleaned myself I would have… but couldn’t and I can’t.
Yet, while deep in sin and dead in spirit, while I was still following a spirit of disobedience, Jesus came and with love asked me to come follow Him, learn His ways, His truth, and His life.
Without theological training or seminary Jesus has taught me and sent me to call everyone to come to Him and to stand up and be counted with Jesus.
This message I received is a message of hope for the world. Jesus provides hope, peace, and a rest from the condemnations of Satan and our own inner voices.
So I choose to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible to guide my life and teach others. I have always been a church attender and member. The church asked me to lead them as an evangelist, then as a deacon, a priest, and then as a bishop. Now that I am those four should I deny my LORD Jesus and follow lord bishops who now challenge Jesus, His Word and His Church the Bride of Christ? NO I cannot deny Jesus nor follow the mutinous rebellion that us being organized against the KING of Kings and LORD of lords!
I cannot support those who wish to exercise their personal authority over the Anglican Church of Canada. Nor can I support them by being silent.
We have and need safe church protocols, however in an attempt to censor and prevent bishops and others to speak in favour of upholding our biblical directives, doctrines and formularies, many who now exercise their power over the Anglican Church of Canada say it is “not safe” for them or others to hear me speak in favour of upholding biblical directives, doctrines and formularies.
In 1979 God redirected my life and said ‘you have been silent it is now time to speak…” I have encouraged “conservative” bishops to speak but they sit in silence obediently following the revisionist rebellion. Rebellion as in the sin of witchcraft: in Canada I have seen Wiccan books on goddess worship sold in some Anglican conferences. I have viewed very strange symbols and objects of worship in the chapel of the National Anglican Church. I have heard the news of anti-Christian services happening in Anglican Churches in Canada. What I have not heard is the cry of repentance.
As I end my long answer let me ask a question. It is a question that needs to be asked of me and of others.
Do you know which God and which authority your deacons, priests and bishops are submitting to?
David W Parsons
Bishop of The Arctic
