A request for help from Bishop Andy Lines.
Following the recent change in the doctrine of the prayer book of the Church in Wales [The big lie], Rev Josh Maynard handed in his resignation to the Church in Wales and is currently working out his notice. Josh and his family – his wife Rachel and three children – will be moving out of the vicarage in January.
Hat tip to Anglican Unscripted for this story.
Postscript [11.11.2021]
Vision Statement for the Wellspring Anglican Church
How sad that his prejudice and homophobia is such that he is willing to put the lives of his wife and three children at risk. In years to come, this young man will look back and regret that he put his family in such an invidious place.
ReplyDeleteRuthy
How wonderful that this gentleman has the courage of his convictions and complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to make a stand against the Church in Wales and its acceptance of every wind of doctrine that blows its way. Perhaps the plank sitters should resign en bloc, and we could have people of this calibre to replace them. His actions speak volumes about his faith. I admire him and wish him well. The walls of the CiW are crumbling bit by bit. Rumour has it that he is not alone, and another 8 clergy in the Diocese have also resigned. I know of a number of retired clergy who have sent their licences back to their bishops in disgust.
DeleteSeymour
You do realise ruthy don't you that you can not be in favour of the redefinition of marriage and not be homophobic? C S
DeleteGo peddle your drivel elsewhere untRuthy.
DeleteHe and his family are leaving the invidious place and will all be the happier for it.
The Church in Wales has become a cess pit of filth.
Well done Joshua.
DeleteYour courageous stance and sacrifice put your soon-to-be ex Bishopesse to shame.
Your namesake approves, I'm certain.
Only twisted logic and a deviant mindset could misinterpret sincerely held beliefs on the sanctity of Holy Matrimony of the union between one man and one woman as "prejudice and homophobia".
DeleteProbably the same sort of twisted logic and deviant mindset that defends an illegal economic migrant "willing to put the lives of his wife and three children at risk" in "such an invidious place" as an inflatable rubber boat to cross the English Channel.
But that's OK because he's just seeking a better life for his family.
Nothing but insults and criticism for the Christian but, no doubt, only praise and justification for the Muslim.
The Church in Wales voted to bless same-sex relationships and not redefine marriage. Joshua has left the Church in Wales not because of a redefinition of marriage but because he believes that same-sex relationships are beyond God's blessing. There is something homophobic in that, be definition. I admire his stance even if I believe it to be foolish.
DeleteRuthy
The "Church in Wales" hasn't voted for anything of the sort.
DeleteBarry Morgan's placemen, some sycophants, spineless politically correct "go with the flow" types and a host of gay infiltrators were bullied into "voting" by a show of hands - which in and of itself is undemocratic.
There are lots of reasons polls, referenda and elections involve voting anonymously!
Had every current member of the Church in Wales had a vote (all 15,000 of them), then it would be correct to say "The Church in Wales voted to....."
I maintain that had a properly democratic anonymous vote been held, the motion (and several before it over the years) would have failed, and failed badly.
As it is, we all know that byzantine Barry spent two decades loading the dice to achieve the required/correct outcomes and nothing has changed.
There is nothing intrinsically homophobic in refusing to accept the modern zeitgeist that "God blesses everything which means you can behave how you like".
By definition, "homo" (Latin) "phobia" (Greek) is oft quoted as a fear of homosexuality.
I perceive Rev Joshua Maynard and his wife Rachel fear nothing.
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DeleteToo close to the mark, even for the Ancient Briton?
DeleteBarry Morgan deserves much, much more.
It's sad to say, but nevertheless true, that Barry Morgan has earned every insult and humiliation directed towards him and much much more.
DeleteIf Joe and Joanna Public knew even the half of it he'd be lynched.
@ Ruthy:
Delete'... he is willing to put the lives of his wife and three children at risk. In years to come, this young man will look back and regret that he put his family in such an invidious place.'
This video doesn't detail the specifics of his reasons for resigning and leaving 'official' Anglicanism - sounds as if there's another one somewhere which does - but it's not too hard make an informed guess from what he does say as to what they might be.
You - or I - may or may not agree with him, but he seems to have made the decision in considered conscience. Suggesting that following an informed conscience is ever 'invidious' for a Christian is an eccentric notion which might need more explanation than you've provided!
The first of many. Yet still 10 days on no word from the bishop or the Bench after her return. No pastoral care, no support. Are we the church or not???
ReplyDeleteSt David's servant
She isn't for sure.
DeleteAt least he has the integrity to take his leadership elsewhere. Very Nice House at £650K. People I know of who have set up their own church usually rent a house and get an industrial unit or community hall.
ReplyDeleteSadly they often close after fallouts. I don't agree with him but hope it works out for them personally as a family.
Cymr'ur Groes, the homo in homophobia is Greek, not Latin (= same, fear of same [sex]).
ReplyDeleteAnd while we're about it the plural of referendum is referendums - referenda makes no sense in Latin.
Homo IS Latin but I concede has a Greek origin.
DeleteReferenda is the English plural of referendum.
Referendums makes no sense in English.
Rather like Stadium and Stadia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-59254677
Chambers English Dictionary allows referenda and referendums. Fowler prefers referendums.
DeleteRob
At least you are referring to the correct language Rob.
DeleteLatin 'homo' means 'man'. Greek 'homo' does not mean 'man', it means 'the same' and that is the etymology of homosexual (which I would concede is that nasty thing, a Greek-Latin hybrid - like television). Referenda would exist in Latin only as a gerundive, that is to say as a verbal adjective; I suppose you could import it into English, but surely only the pretentious (and Lady Thatcher) saw 'stadia'.
DeleteOld Nick
Referendum is a gerund and therefore has no plural (Kennedy's Latin Primer 107). CUP deals extensively with the question of referendum or referenda: "Scholars often use referenda as the plural for referendum. This choice is a hypercorrection -- it may sound like proper Latin but it is not, Referendum is always the correct choice." OED agrees.
DeleteWhen homosexual was coined by an Austrian in 1869 it was indeed that nasty thing a Greek-Latin hybrid. The homo being Greek for same and the sexual being Latin for cut in two. If the 'homo' was derived from the Latin homophobia (another nasty hybrid) would mean fear of a human being. Quite what the fathers at Nicea would have made of homo-ousios if it had been a Latin-Greek hybrid I shudder to think!
I see they have their sights on a rather grand residence for their 'church'. I also watched the resignation video and this guy is not the sharpest tool is he - total misrepresentation of the GB debate.
ReplyDeleteCults-R-Us
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DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteOne hardly needs to be the "sharpest tool in the box" to see through the queering agenda and process of the plank-sitters.
DeleteAn extraordinary degree of courage is required to take a stand against them though.
What you glibly describe as a debate was anything but. It was so obviously one-sided and stage-managed with the required outcome pre-determined, confirmed by the pre-booked celebratory lamb dinner.
It was interesting to watch Mr Maynard's resignation sermon video - even though it took some time to load due to our dubious rural connectivity round here, and though the sound quality wasn't that brilliant. And I still cavil at the 'prot. squat' style of praying, especially when it causes the supplicant to vanish into invisibility behind the pulpit!
DeleteBut these are trivial and peripheral matters. Clearly his perspective is that of a very conservative evangelical with a charismatic slant, and that's not a tradition with which I ever had much sympathy or understanding in my Anglican days - far too anti-rational. But his sermon - terribly long by contemporary Anglican expectations! - was clearly heartfelt, generous and open-hearted.
And he and his wife have the courage of their convictions, in venturing out into the unknown trusting in divine providence and the (hopeful!) generosity of others. Not many would have that courage, and even though nothing would tempt me, personally, into participating in their venture, I really can do no other than wish them well in it.
Unfortunately the history of 'continuing Anglican' separarist factions is generally one of bickering, personality-driven endemic schisms and re-schisms. The case of the late Archbishop Leslie Hamlett being a case in point. Hopefully Mr Maynard might prove an exception to that norm. His sermon suggests that he just might be, but that won't just depend on him. Presumably his new community will end up under the jurisdiction of a GAFCON bishop who will also have a say in how his new church on the Angle peninsula evolves.
Radio 4 news reported this morning that the tree eating Bishop of St Asaph, Gregorius Maximus, is due to carry out the Church in Wales' first gay blessing later today.
ReplyDeleteThe report also suggested that one of the "hapoy" couple just happens to be a Priest.
His --Darkness will be smiling like a Cheshire cat and Lucifer will be giggling with glee.
So much for the Church directing souls on to the straight and narrow.
Lucifer will indeed be gleeful. About two weeks ago I watched Michael Nazir Ali being interviewed on GB News. He was given plenty of opportunity to explain his background and why he was leaving the Church of England. I was struck by his comment that there is, in his opinion, senior people within the C of E, whose mission is the destruction of their own Church. 'Enemy within' (he didn't use that phrase but that is what he meant). It brought back my memories of the bishop of St Asaph when we were teenagers. He dabbled in the dark side (if I can put it like that) and I've long wondered (seriously) what is his agenda. He has done so much to undermine the Church in Wales. I ceased contact with him a long time ago. I disliked his obsession with status and money.
DeleteWhether he has his eye on being Archbishop, I don't know. He's possibly disappointed (remembering how ambitious he was after his Law degree, to be a lawyer in Hong Kong) to be in a backwater of N E Wales when a Times journalist spoke of him as a future Archbishop of Canterbury! Winchester will become vacant in February 2022 with a guaranteed seat in the House of Lords!
Lyn
Yes please, let Winchester have him and he can take his séances and Ouija board with him while he's at it.
DeleteThe bishop of St Asaph achieved UK-wide news coverage today - at least on Radio 4. Apparently he's travelling to the parish of one of his clergy later today to bless their same-sex civil partnership.
ReplyDeleteGregorius Maximus - making his play for the Archbishop vacancy?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59269916
Gay couple receive landmark Church in Wales blessing
"This is a landmark and a really big step - a time to rejoice," said Father Lee Taylor.
Father Lee and his partner Fabiano Da Silva Duarte have become what is thought to be the first same-sex couple to be officially blessed by the Church in Wales.
It comes after the Church's governing body approved a new service of blessing for same-sex couples in September.
However it stopped short of allowing gay couples to marry in its parishes.
The move has put the Church in Wales at odds with its sister Anglican church, the Church of England, which forbids clergy from blessing gay couples.
Father Lee said the service, at St Collen's Church, in Llangollen, Denbighshire, was "extremely special".
Isn't it amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe BBC have no difficulty in picking up on the latest cause celebre on the road to queering the Church in Wales.
But there's not been a whiff of the gay dean of Llandaff with his hands in the collection plate.
Stop paying the TV licence tax as well as your giving to the Llandaff swamp.