The Anglican Church of Canada’s Province of British Columbia and Yukon has blocked the consecration of a priest elected to become the Bishop of Caledonia over his views regarding ecclesiastical oversight and permission when priests from one province of the Anglican Communion serve in another.
“The Bishops met several times as a Provincial House of Bishops since the ecclesiastic election in the Diocese of Caledonia, reviewed the materials before them, and met the Revd. Jacob Worley,” said the Most Revd. John Privett, Archbishop and Metropolitan for the Province of BC & Yukon. In coming to this conclusion, the bishops reviewed the Revd Worley’s past actions, what he has written directly to the House, and what he said when meeting with the Provincial House of Bishops.
“After many open and prayerful conversations, the majority of the House concluded that within the past five years the Revd. Worley has held – and continues to hold – views contrary to the Discipline of the Anglican Church of Canada,” said Archbishop Privett. “The view he held and holds is that it is acceptable and permissible for a priest of one church of the Anglican Communion to exercise priestly ministry in the geographical jurisdiction of a second church of the Anglican Communion without the permission of the Ecclesiastical Authority of that second church”.
The question of his views arose from a review of his exercise of priestly ministry when he served in the Anglican Mission in America under license from the Province of Rwanda in the geographical jurisdiction of The Episcopal Church without permission of The Episcopal Church. …
“The Provincial House of Bishops of BC & Yukon ask for your prayers during this extraordinary time,” said Archbishop Privett, “especially for the Worley family, for the Diocese of Caledonia and all those who worship and minister there.”
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