Diocese of the Arctic Bishop Defies National Church over Hot Button Issues
By David Virtue, Virtueonline.
An exclusive interview with Arctic Bishop David Parsons as he reflects on the Anglican Church of Canada and his place and role in the increasingly progressive and revisionist Church. He recently spoke out at the ACoC Synod over hot button issues affecting the Church, his diocese and the wider culture.
VOL: Bishop David your diocese is one of a small handful of evangelical dioceses in the Anglican Church of Canada. Is this a threatening situation for you as you see the majority of your denomination buy into the most progressive issues of the day parroting an increasingly secular, post-Christian culture?
BISHOP PARSONS: It is a sad situation but not threatening. The majority of our denomination is solid. The Diocese of the Arctic is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. People fail to remember that the revisionists in Canada and the USA are the minority in the Anglican Communion. They just have a loud voice and often use that voice to monopolize, or bully. As an Anglican, I’ve grown up reciting psalm 95 to warn me about not having a hard heart. I’ve read the book of Judges, when the people often turned back to the world, and I’ve read the prophets, who warn us to not follow the gods of this age or past ages.
Two of the saddest parts that I have read in the New Testament are found in John 6:66 (“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him”) and 2 Timothy 4:10. In John chapter 6 Jesus tells us He is the Bread of life and many of Jesus’ disciples turn back, and no longer follow him after hearing Jesus’ declaration. St. Paul speaks of Demas, who left him because of Demas’ love for the world.
It seems to me that the revisionists do not love the word of God, nor do they receive it as the bread of life, and so rather than living under the authority of Jesus Christ, and His word, they choose to be an authority unto themselves.
VOL: At the last synod you boldly spoke out in opposition to Resolution A122, authorizing Pastoral Liturgies for Journeys of Gender Transition and Affirmation. You said, “it’s not correct to be politicizing the church so that we are in opposition. We’ve been fighting one another for so long because of these types of differences of thoughts and differences of opinion … The word of God does not give you permission to become political.” Did you get both immediate and a later response or reprimand from Archbishop Nicholls or revisionist bishops for this statement?
BISHOP PARSONS: I reminded General Synod of Joshua and said, “…as Joshua stood before the captain of the Lords army. Joshua asked, whose side are you on, ours or theirs? Joshua was told neither. The question is, are we on the Lord’s side?”
The word of God has given me permission to speak to those who are in opposition, and outside the will of God. I do not intend to be confrontational however, the fact remains the gospel creates conflict within our minds. It is because our ways are not God’s ways.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
