The Anglican Double Standard

Urgent Action Required – Let Your Voice be Heard

The Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck, Director of the Saskatoon Native Ministry is about to have his license removed by the Anglican Bishop of Saskatoon the Rt. Rev. Rodney Andrews. According to the Anglican Church Web News, this action was taken after Rev. Beck announced that he would marry gay couples. According to the report Bishop Andrews said that this was not a disciplinary action. It should be noted that an unlicensed priest is unable to perform baptisms or celebrate communion.

Our question then is how is Rev. Beck to earn a living as a priest.

Note the double standard being applied here. When Archbishop Finlay officiated at a gay wedding only his license to perform marriages was suspended and just for 3 months. Recently he served as chaplain to the Canadian House of Bishops Meeting. To our knowledge Rev. Beck has only said he will perform gay marriages and has lost his license as a priest.

The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd. Commends Rev. Beck for standing up for his faith beliefs. We can all learn from Rev. Beck’s courage and faith in action.

Show your support for Rev. Beck by contacting him before March 31, 2007 at :

Saskatoon Native Ministry,
808 – 20th Street,
Saskatoon, SK S7M 0Y3
244-1381
snm@sasktel.net

Please also consider supporting the Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd. As we seek to develop a resource center for clergy who are being treated unjustly. See the article about this program on this web page.

Help for Religious Leaders

Help Us Support Clergy Who Have Been Mistreated or Denied Justice

The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd is in the process of developing a Canada wide resource base to assist religious leaders of all faith groups who have been abused, denied natural justice, bullied, or denied fair access to the internal justice structures of faith groups.

We invite lay and ordained members of all faith to communities to help us in developing these resources by:

• sending us copies of faith group laws, rules and structures which you consider to be unjust, abusive or discriminatory;
• examples of progressive faith representatives whom you believe have been silenced by religious authorities;
• encourage individuals who believe they have experienced first hand such unjust treatment to send us their stories and any supporting documentation;
• provide us with the names, addresses and other contact of lawyers and legal firms who have had experience representing individuals who have experienced such injustice or have been treated unfairly and may be willing to do so again.
• the contact information for other individuals and groups who are engaged in a similar work.

It is helpful if this information can be provided to us by email or in a pdf or doc format.

We can be contacted at:

The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd.

Frank Doe, B.E.S., M.Div. Director

340 Hoodoo Crescent

Canmore, Alberta T1W 1A9

1-403-678-5503

faithtowork@yahoo.ca

Other Helpful Links:

Pastors in Pain: A web site to help Christian ministers in pain.

http://www.pastorsinpain.com/

Pastoral Advocacy Center:

http://www.gardenministries.com/pastoral_advocacy_center.htm

Bullied and Abused Lives in Ministry:

http://www.balmnet.co.uk/

Clergy Abuse Net

http://www.clergyabuse.net/resources.html

Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Christian Faith and Works Ltd

Share your story and suggestions with us. Please let others know about our site.

http://centerforprogressivefaithandworks.blogspot.com/

CAW - United Church Clergy Initiative

www.caw.ca/unitedclergy