The ESSENTIALS for the Canadian Anglican Essentials Movement

Reflections and Suggestions offered to participants in the Ottawa Conference

One of the persistent dangers facing any group, that has its back to the wall and is fighting what it sees as a great danger in church or society, is getting things out of perspective and of majoring on minors. In this mood, it may do or state things that seem in the heat of the moment to be necessary and right, but afterwards, in the clear light of day, are seen to be not on target, thus out of balance and perspective.

Facing the possibility that the same-sex agenda will spread through the Canadian Anglican Church, become generally acceptable and then an item of belief, there are those in the Essentials Movement, who, I fear, are in danger of allowing opposition to the same-sex agenda to form, indeed to dominate, their perspective on Christianity and on the Anglican Church in 2004 and for the immediate future.

In the modern church situation in North America, any “prophet” or “prophetic” group that believes it is called to oppose the same-sex agenda has to take a very deep breath, engage in self-examination, in order to be sure that this opposition is flowing from a right perspective – that it is, for Christians, based upon the full biblical, doctrinal, liturgical and moral basis and tradition of the Anglican Way and not really on a guts reaction to what is not liked. Otherwise this opposition in a culture (such as Canadian) which exalts diversity and choice will simply be seen as one, and only one religious, cultural alternative in the variety of sexual expressions. The chances of a reforming group getting it wrong, that is of over-heated reaction, are high, very high, simply because an opposition movement under pressure tends to feed on itself, persuade itself and motivate itself and in the rush and the heat does not take time, does not have the time, to meditate, ponder and think clearly and deeply in the presence of the righteous, holy Lord.

Opposition to the same-sex agenda in North America is surely for Christians part of the opposition to all sexual immorality and at the same time must include as its major component a gracious, firm stand for purity in sexual relations. And this approach is closely integrated with the Christian doctrine of man, male and female made in the image of God, and thus man in relation to and in communion with God, Creator, Redeemer & Judge, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true image of the invisible God, and the one Mediator between God and Man.

Looked at this way, the opposition, which is also most definitely proclamation and pastoral care, carries with it a great sense of penitence and sorrow before God. The opposing and the preaching are done with tear-filled eyes and with repentant hearts because there has been and remains within “orthodox” circles in North American Anglicanism grave and serious failures in terms of sexual relations and sexual purity before God. Fornication is common; divorce and divorce followed by remarriage is also common – and amazingly common amongst the clergy; and there are very few Christian couples who marry in church who are not living together as partners before the marriage. And let us be honest, some of those most vocal in opposition to the same-sex agenda speak as divorced or divorced and remarried persons (and see no problem with this).

The introduction of the same-sex agenda in the Canadian Church was not a surprise to seasoned observers of the religious scene. Further, it should not be a surprise that the Bishop in Vancouver, Michael Ingham, who has pioneered the new sexual agenda was also chosen back in 1985 to commend the new prayer Book, the BAS of 1985, to the Church in the book, Rites for a New Age (1985). There is in this book everything in embryo that is now embraced by the new liberals of the Diocese of New Westminster and elsewhere. But many who call themselves “orthodox” use it and believe it is an orthodox prayer book!

Essentialists, as the rest of us, need to consider the possibility that there is a reasonably straight line to the same-sex agenda from such things as: –

• the innovations in sexual relations (i.e. relaxation of marriage discipline and the adoption of the divorce culture & the birth control culture) begun in the 1960s;


• the introduction of new liturgies wherein quality of language and doctrine was lacking and variety and choice at the local level exalted, leading to a major dumbing down and the exaltation of CHOICE as a virtue;


• the use of forms & types of music in church that have the effect of raising the emotions and passions and leaving them raw;


• the use of versions of the Bible based on the theory of dynamic equivalency which allow moderns to make the Bible say what they want it to say – and, simultaneously, the rejection of the classic and old theory of the literal translation, the word for word, rather than the thought for thought approach;


• the introduction of not only women deacons but also women as presbyters & bishops and the making of their introduction a near "article of faith";


• the adoption of politically correct language in worship which encourages the acceptance of a secular agenda;


• the change in how people dress in church, with the casual clothing pointing to a general lack of the sense of the Transcendent God and the encouraging of the sense of the friendly parental Deity who accepts me “Just as I am!”


• the converting biblical and theological talk into the categories and terms of modern human rights language;

and so on.

Therefore, merely to oppose the same-sex agenda, and to do so while holding to all or some or all of the innovations that have led to the arrival of this agenda, is foolishness and a waste of precious resources and time.

I suggest that the Essentialists need to find a way to embrace the whole of the Anglican Way and then place the contemporary fight against the same-sex agenda, in that perspective. Happily the Canadian Church has, in its Solemn Declaration of 1893, a very firm foundation in terms of Anglican polity, doctrine, worship and discipline (it is printed on page viii of The Book of Common Prayer, 1962, Canada). But I hear very little about it and its relevance to the current turmoil. Let it be recovered with zeal and wisdom and applied to the present situation.

What is needed in biblical terms is a digging again of the wells of Abraham in order to discover fresh, living water (see Genesis 26:17f.). The Anglican Way in Canada needs to recover her full living tradition of worship, doctrine, discipline and evangelism in a way that is appropriate and vital for the new millennium in a very secular Canada. Let the aim be to glorify God the Father through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit by our worship, confession of faith, holiness of life, pastoral care and evangelization.

The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon.)