J.I. Packer leaves the Anglican Church of Canada

[J.D.]

J.I. Packer, one of the world's most renowned evangelical theologians, left the Anglican Church of Canada, citing "poisonous liberalism" in the church body.

Packer, 81, who was named one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in the world by Time magazine in 2005, quit the Canadian arm of the global Anglican Communion with 10 other B.C. Anglican clergy last week, he said, according to The Vancouver Sun. They joined the more conservative and orthodox Province of the Southern Cone in South America.
The Oxford-trained theologian said he can no longer serve under Vancouver-area Bishop Michael Ingham, arguing that he "appears heretical." Ingham had sanctioned in 2002 same-sex blessings in the British Columbia diocese of New Westminster, sparking international uproar.

Read the rest here:
http://www.christianpost.com/articl...heologian_Quits_Anglican_Church_of_Canada.htm

My question is: What took him so long? And the moral of the story is: Liberals will keep demanding compromises until Satan rules the Church if it were possible. Mr. Packer should never have taken a seat with them to begin with.

 

[trustitl]

My question is: What took him so long? And the moral of the story is: Liberals will keep demanding compromises until Satan rules the Church if it were possible. Mr. Packer should never have taken a seat with them to begin with.

My question is: Why do we even care who this guy associates with. There are all kinds of "smart" guys who can right really deep books who go to churches that are way off base.

 

[Joseph M. Smith]

My first reaction to this post was to think it was judgmental ... but then I realized that I have often wondered much the same thing. I know some wonderfully spiritual and vitally intellectual people who are Catholics and who have written excellent books. But I always have to wonder how they can believe all the Marian mythology, among other things. And then I go on to think about very intelligent Mormons and Seventh-day Adventists that I know, and am astounded that they can apparently buy in to very unorthodox theologies.

All I can really suggest in terms of explanation is that there is security in remaining in the religious configuration of one's youth. It may be a dysfunctional family, but it is their family and is not lightly cast aside.

 

[J.D.]

Well, my intent is not to be judgmental against Mr. Packer but to expose the folly of trying to appease liberals. The Anglican/Episcopal Church stands as the epitome of a denomination that has fought most valiantly to preserve its unity through compromise. But the liberals would rather destroy the denomination that they supposedly love than to actually compromise in favor of the conservatives.

My advice: Talk to liberals and see if you can win them, but don't start a church with them.

 

[peterotto]

The first time I heard about Packer was his willful ignorance of the Reformation. Instead he and other well known writers....i.e. Chuck Colson....made a pact with Catholics, as if that made a bit of difference. Since then I stayed away from his writings and ignored the preacher when he quoted from one of his books.

Hearing today for the first time what denomination he belongs to. I'm not surprised, it matches his thinking.

 

[FriendofSpurgeon]

I don't think it was a folly to appease liberals. It was probably a very difficult decision for him. If he was trying to appease anyone, he would have simply stayed in.

Dr. Packer is an author and a professor at a non-denominational college (Regent College in Vancouver). He is not an active pastor of an Anglican church (though he is ordained). Rather, he is member in Anglican church, which recently left the Anglican union.

Personally, I think there may be some truth in Mr. Smith's response. Also, I would guess that he stayed in the denomination as long as he could to try to change the denomination's position. Perhaps after seeing no change (and no change forthcoming), he then made his decision.

Like Mr. Smith, I think it is often best to give our brothers & sisters the benefit of the doubt in such issues.

 

[Revmitchell]

He is a great man of God.