The followng letter to the editor was published in the Bristol Observer, April 24, 2009.
The Beauty of Worshipping in a Humble Setting
Easter season for a Christian is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that our Lord, Jesus Christ made for each one of us, and in the glory we share in His resurrection. As Christians we are, at times, asked to make sacrifices. The quiet congregation of the former Trinity Episcopal Church in Bristol was asked to do just that last May, when they stood united for the authority of scripture and aligned with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). The 254 year-old congregation had taken a stand against the revisionist teaching of The Episcopal Church, and were rewarded with lawsuits and the loss of their building. The very denomination that stressed “tolerance” and “unity” for all had no tolerance for anyone who stood for the authority of the Bible as God’s inerrant word. That congregation is now known as Holy Trinity Anglican Church, and we still worship in Bristol. Now, however, we worship not in a beautiful sanctuary, but in the humble setting of a school gym. Most people wouldn’t see the beauty of this church, but it is no less beautiful in God’s eyes. As God said in Revelation 3:8; “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” The building on Summer Street has remained vacant since May 2008—God no longer lives there. The actions of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut and The Episcopal Church meant us harm, but God has been faithful to Holy Trinity Church and has abundant blessings and opportunities waiting for those who remain faithful to Him.
Marie C. Bartz Senior Warden
HERNDON, Va. (December 3, 2008) The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) issued a statement of support for the provisional constitution that will unite orthodox North American Anglicans under a new province. CANA leaders, including Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns joined representatives of the Common Cause Partnership, a federation representing more than 100,000 orthodox Anglican Christians in North America, in Wheaton, Ill., on December 3 to introduce the provisional constitution for the new province.
³This constitution represents a major component of the new Anglican province¹s structural and spiritual foundation. We support this constitution as it reflects the very qualities that all of us in CANA and in Common Cause have hoped for in the new Anglican province: biblically grounded, Christ-centered, mission driven, outwardly focused, committed to evangelism and discipleship, and proudly Anglican.,² said CANA Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns.
Bishop Minns continued, ³There is a division in the Anglican Communion that we hope to overcome with this outlined set of traditional Anglican beliefs. We have already proven in North America that we can come together as Anglicans of faith with a passion for mission. We will continue to pray for Christ¹s guidance as we work to establish this singular province that will advance the Good News of Jesus for the least, the last, and the lost.²
The landmark Wheaton, Ill., event follows the June 2008 gathering of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in which leaders representing half of the world¹s 77 million Anglicans called for a new Anglican body in North America as part of a formal declaration of faith.
GAFCON Communication Office, Sydney; December 6, 2008
Primates of the GAFCON Primates Council meeting in London have issued the following statement about the Province of the Anglican Church in North America:
We welcome the news of the North American Anglican Province in formation. We fully support this development with our prayer and blessing, since it demonstrates the determination of these faithful Christians to remain authentic Anglican.
North American Anglicans have been tragically divided since 2003 when activities condemned by the clear teaching of Scripture and the vast majority of the Anglican Communion were publicly endorsed. This has left many Anglicans without a proper spiritual home. The steps taken to form the new Province are a necessary initiative. A new Province will draw together in unity many of those who wish to remain faithful to the teaching of God's Word, and also create the highest level of fellowship possible with the wider Anglican Communion.
Furthermore, it releases the energy of many Anglican Christians to be involved in mission, free from the difficulties of remaining in fellowship with those who have so clearly disregarded the Word of God.
