The Most Rev Terrence Buckle, Archbishop and Metropolitan of BC and Yukon, has issued a statement in response to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference report on the Diocese of New Westminster.

October 20, 2006

I join our Primate, Archbishop Andrew Hutchinson in saying thank you to the Panel of Reference for care, diligence and clarity in the report published October 13, 2006.

That report includes recommendations for temporary pastoral care and for Episcopal oversight pending resolution of underlying issues.

One specific recommendation is that a bishop be appointed from the list maintained by the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon.

As Metropolitan of the Province of British Columbia and Yukon I will respond willing [sic] and fully to any request for assistance in implementing the recommendations of the Panel of Reference in concert with the Parishes concerned, the Bishop of New Westminster and the Provincial House of Bishops.

In the next weeks and months in our ecclesiastical province some among us may be responding to the report of the Panel of Reference. All of us in our ecclesiastical province have the unique opportunity to work towards reconciliation and healing "that the world may believe." I ask all within our province to pray for those who may be taking leadership roles in this work. And I ask all within our province to consider prayerfully the contribution each of us can make to this work we all share.

Yours in His service,
The Most Rev T. O. Buckle
Archbishop and Metropolitan of BC and Yukon

The Panel of Reference established by the Archbishop of Canterbury to deal with divisions with the Anglican Communion reported last week on the situation of parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster that objected to actions of Bishop Michael Ingham and the Diocesan Synod.

Following the decision of the Diocese to permit the blessing of same-sex unions a number of clergy walked out of the Diocesan Synod (including Professor Jim Packer) and subsequently several churches have distanced themselves from the Diocesan Bishop to various degrees. These churches petitioned the Panel of Reference because they desire Episcopal oversight which is recognised within the Anglican Communion but cannot now accept the Diocesan Bishops.

The panel recommended that the orthodox parishes return to Synod, pay the Diocese their withheld assessments, and be provided temporary episcopal oversight while negotiations continue with a view to reconciling the differences.  This would appear to be very thin gruel for the orthodox parishes.

Both Primate Andrew Hutchison and the Diocese of New Westminster welcomed the report.  Others, however, were not so welcoming, including Anglican Network in Canada and Anglican Coalition in Canada.

Let’s hope and pray that Abp Buckle can help make a silk purse out of this sow’s ear.

The Panel of Reference report is available here as a poorly formatted pdf document and here in plain text.