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Stabbed in the back by the Church...
17 years ago
General
Most people don't know, but my dad's an Anglican priest. And quite the orthodox Christian too. So I'm sure you can imagine that caused all sorts of issues between us, especially with the regards to the whole gay issue. My dad's a lot more intelligent than those Westboro Baptist twits and doesn't go around claiming, "God hates fags, burn in hell!!" But at the same time he is utterly convinced that homosexuality is wrong, unnatural, not in accordance with God's "plan" and the Church should absolutely not bless any kind of "Same Sex Marriage".
Well, it would appear that the Anglican Church of Canada disagrees with his more traditional views on the faith, and it would appear they've also had enough of my dad preaching against the direction the Anglican Church of Canada of going...
So they fired him. Not only did they fire him, they set it by putting his Parish under a review but decided to omit telling him anything about it, including not telling him several key procedures he had to undertake during this process, so that in the end it looked like he was fired for not taking care of his parish.
My family, including my 15 year old brother who has yet to finish high school, have been told they have until the end of June to leave the Rectory or they'll be forcibly removed. My family does not have enough money to buy a new house. Nor do they have enough money to rent. They have no one they can really move in with. My dad has no qualifications for any kind of job except as a pastor...
So to sum up, the Anglican Church of Canada has just thrown my family onto the streets over my dad's personal religious convictions. You know, I used to be rather optimistic over how the Church seems to have been getting more and more "tolerant" lately... evidently it was all one big lie.
Well, it would appear that the Anglican Church of Canada disagrees with his more traditional views on the faith, and it would appear they've also had enough of my dad preaching against the direction the Anglican Church of Canada of going...
So they fired him. Not only did they fire him, they set it by putting his Parish under a review but decided to omit telling him anything about it, including not telling him several key procedures he had to undertake during this process, so that in the end it looked like he was fired for not taking care of his parish.
My family, including my 15 year old brother who has yet to finish high school, have been told they have until the end of June to leave the Rectory or they'll be forcibly removed. My family does not have enough money to buy a new house. Nor do they have enough money to rent. They have no one they can really move in with. My dad has no qualifications for any kind of job except as a pastor...
So to sum up, the Anglican Church of Canada has just thrown my family onto the streets over my dad's personal religious convictions. You know, I used to be rather optimistic over how the Church seems to have been getting more and more "tolerant" lately... evidently it was all one big lie.
That really sucks.. A lot. I thought Canada was cool (was just at the border for the DEMF). Hope you find something to sort this out.
the irony is brutal...and I love irony...as a writer
...but this is still grossly unfair, the way they went about it was unprincipled, and the fact that they apperenty made no accomodations for severence pay and showed none of the traditional Christian virtues in the process is grossly offensive
its just as foul and wrong as the people in other churches who get excommunicated or ejected for refusing to preach against homosexuality
i hope you and your family are okay!!!
But dad's still having trouble finding work (and it's been over four months now). Problem is, when you're over fifty and all you have behind you is a degree in theology and twenty five plus years clerical work, not very many people are willing to hire you. Most bishops, even in the American Episcopalian Church, are too afraid to hire him, for fear of getting in trouble themselves.
it occurs to me that there might be some opportunities in teaching theology...maybe at a small college?
altho...if they're still up in Athabasca (i read that journal...and I'm probably the only american who knows how where that is lol...but only because I read poetry by Robert W Service...who wrote 'Athabasca Dick' ...about a guy who truly loved his whiskey)...they may have to scout around for possibilities near cities and try a new life somewhere else.
theres also the possibility of changing churches to one slightly more conservative in nature...but thats a hard choice for a lifelong Anglican to make
(although I knew an elderly catholic bishop who started off as Roman and became Greek Orthodox...so that he could marry and raise children...and remained GO the rest of his life...so hey...a life of faith shouldnt be restrained by a title or a church name...Im sure God understands)
I wish them luck!!!