Letter to the editor: Wide tent ?

Notes: Editorial note: "Lesley Bentley is a spokesperson for St. John's Shaughnessy". Text of letter: "Re: 'Will the church be proud of its conduct in latest crisis ?' (February [2008] editorial). Grace, patience, charity and generosity. These are the traits called upon for the church to demonstrate during the coming months. So far I haven't seen it. As a member of a church which is holding onto biblical orthodoxy and the faith once delivered in a diocese which is leading the liberal push, we have felt anger and outright hostility from our diocese and simple neglect from the national church. The shared episcopal ministry that was offered for dissenting parishes is so ineffective that none of the churches that tried it decided to carry on with it. Even Bishop Bill Hockin who was appointed as the overseer, said it would not work and vacated the post. The national church has offered no alternative in the last four years. The church managed to figure our parallel jurisdictions for the military and First Nations, why not for the orthodox ? With no Canadian solution on the table we are forced to realign with other provinces still in communion with the worldwide church. Perhaps this was the Canadian churches plan all along ? And why ? Well, so they can take our land and buildings. It's like siege warfare. Wait them out and then loot their homes. Is this the wide tent of Anglicanism ? [Text of entire article.]

Subjects: St. John's Anglican Church, Shaughnessy (Vancouver, B.C.); Anglican Church of Canada - Parties and movements; Homosexuality - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Same sex unions - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Alternative episcopal oversight - Anglican Church of Canada; Hockin, William J. (William Joseph), 1938-; Conflict management - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada