ABBA MINISTRIES OF CANADA OPEN LETTER FROM THE NATIONAL PASTOR - SPRING 2010 - TO THE MOST REVEREND ROWAN [TAFFY] WILLIAMS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

May Almighty God the Creator bless you all in the Year of our Lord 2010.

I would take a minute to welcome our newest pastor, Reverend Clifford Blake, to the Abba Ministries team: you can read about his calling to ministry on our Ministry page. As always, we are extremely happy to welcome you to the Lord's vineyard and we can promise you the pure joy and satisfaction that a life of dedication to Jesus of Nazareth offers His faithful servants.

CRITICISM: IS IT GOOD OR BAD?

I have been criticized by some for pointing out the errors of the megachurches; in particular the Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Well, I am Irish and I grew up with the Church of Rome and the Anglo-Irish Church and so I really expect them to live up to Jesus' program and continue it. Therefore, to my critics [of my criticism] I say this: firstly, I have an entitlement and, secondly, if nobody speaks out then these churches are entitled to continue merrily on their way happy and content in the assumption that they are doing nothing wrong.

The days of supposition that God speaks to us through Canterbury, the Pope, or Brigham Young [or any of their anointed] are over, and hopefully that means no more Crusades, Inquisition or Mountain Meadows massacres. Yet we live in fluid and difficult times; times when free speech is of critical importance. In these times, it behooves everyone to make their own intelligent; intuitive; researched and accurate; unbiased; cross-referenced and studied decisions, and to these ends you [the reader] may not agree with that which you hear, read or discover, but you have a responsibility to defend the source's unalienable right to disburse the information. Once 'freedom of speech and expression' is eroded, society begins to slide down a slippery slope towards oblivion.

And remember: the truth may not be popular; however, it remains the truth.

ANGLICAN COMMUNION GENERAL SYNOD - HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA 2010

Wow, Taffy Williams and all the Anglican Princes and Princesses from around the world will be descending upon our humble coastal city of Halifax, Nova Scotia [Canada] in June of this year. Tourism needs a boost and the gala junket will certainly help. Taffy, if you are reading this, I would really appreciate an opportunity to address the General Synod if you could free up, say, ten minutes perhaps from the Gay Blessings debate, which we both know is a waste of everyone's time.

Here is my agenda, so that everyone can be prepared: let's start with the hot potato.

1] Gay Blessings and the Canadian Schism.

Taffy, remember we talked when you were the Bishop of Monmouth? You had a lot of Gay and Lesbian friends back in those days. You were also firmly of the opinion that there was no resolution to the Gay Church issue despite the fact that about sixty to seventy percent of the Anglican priesthood in Europe and North America are in fact Gay or Lesbian; even if many are still in the closet.

As for the Canadian Schism: it's all over but the church divorce lawyer's feeding frenzy over property and assets.

So what should we do? Simple: no more time-wasting debates, no more charitable money misspent on lost causes [the total must be over half a billion charitable dollars down the drain thus far?]. Back-burner the issue and leave it entirely to the individual pastor's conscience.


2] Charity - What does this mean?

The Oxford Dictionary defines 'charity' as follows: A] an organization set up to help those in need. B] The voluntary giving of money or other help to those in need. C] Help or money given in this way. D] Tolerance in judging others.

Your Anglican bishops know this definition well, they also know that the Anglican Church worldwide is no longer meeting that definition of 'a charity', and dishonestly, they hang on to the old cliche "Charity begins at home..." This means in reality they look after the Anglican Church first, foremost and if there's anything at all left over, maybe a trickle, a few copper pennies, might [just might] get to those wretched souls who need a Good Samaritan and a helping hand.

Ask your pal Financial Fred. Canadian Primate Hiltz inherited the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund [PWRDF] a couple of years ago after gaining much fund-raising experience by bleeding Nova Scotia and PEI dry to, "Pay for the Anglican Churches sins in the First Nation's Residential Schools" [Albeit he spent most of the money elsewhere e.g. cathedral repairs, new robes, priestly perks etcetera]. These days he brays loudly from whatever pulpit will have him of the PWRDF's achievements and this then serves us as an illustration of the reality of this prominent charity.

Yes Taffy, I have been critical of the PWRDF; here is why.

First we have the brag; for a recent example "The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund is sending $50,000.00 to the Episcopal diocese of Haiti, which has been caring for about 23,000 Haitians..." Then we have the actuality: if true that would be about two bucks per Haitian, but how do we know what in point of fact happens with the money?

Go to the PWRDF website and try and find the accounts: these mysterious and highly illusive documents are referred to directly in FAQs but the link "annual report" takes the reader on a wild goose chase to another confusing glossy page with no accounts and no report. [Y'know accounts, Taffy, old pal... Columns of figures that that give clear concise financial information? They are just not available.] However, there is a very clear statement that the PWDRF administrative costs are, "around 7% of total budget".

Most folk do not realize that because the PWRDF is a charitable organization with access to public money their accounts are a matter of public record, if you know exactly where to look. Believe me when I tell you that in 2009 total expenditure was $7.9 million of which only $4.4 million [55%] was spent outside Canada and $2.5 million [31%] was spent on wages and administration. Emphatically not 7% as they claim! The PWRDF also owns property valued at over $5million, which has absolutely no charitable purpose whatsoever. $3 million drops into its coffers from 'other charities' mostly Anglican, while the Federal Government forks over $1.25 million of your hard earned tax dollars and at the same time $1.5 million comes from the Anglican faithful who get a 22% break on their 2009 taxes for donating.

Asked if the PWRDF donates only to Anglicans, Fred Hiltz would wax poetic about this and that while dancing the Dance of the Seven Veils; however, the answer is clearly 'yes' the majority goes to Anglicans. [Remember the truism: Charity begins at home...] Back to our 25,000 Haitians who received two bucks per capita: I suggest that based on the evidence at hand the reality is very, very different.

Interestingly, the PWRDF has an amazing list of some twenty directors who do not apparently receive remuneration; however, junkets here and there do not count in the reckoning and that's the way the money goes; pop goes the weasel!

And what of the Roman Catholic Church and the proselytizing Panzer Pope himself? See for yourselves how the princes of the church live. Critical of Vatican extravagance, Mother Teresa [1910-97], an Albanian-born nun and missionary said, "Charity begins today... Yesterday has gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today."

God bless you, sister in Christ, for that!


3] Clergy Benefits.

The Canadian General Synod has been spending much time on this issue. Now, it is pretty obvious that the Anglican Church did not lose too many priests to the RC Church due to Benedict XVI's recent blatant proselytization campaign. The reason being Anglican Priests get much better pay and benefits than Catholic priests. It might be mentioned that boys living openly with boys and girls living openly with girls is a bit of a no-no too; although much 'goes on' being closed rectory doors.

Isn't it reasonable to expect that in these hard times, Anglican priests should they be happy with what they are getting? Soon, it seems, like their United Church compatriots, they will be joining the Canadian Autoworkers Union.

C'mon Taffy, even to find an Anglican priest these days we have to follow the money. We never see them anywhere that could constitute a freebie like the care homes; the hospitals; the prisons and the morgue. Frankly they are not pulling their weight in the community, but rather ministering to the few fare paying pew warmers that are left within fixed Anglican congregations.

There is a better model of service: designed and demonstrated over two thousand years ago by one Jesus of Nazareth; I know that you have heard of Him! Amazingly, that model of service still works today, but of course there are no benefits, no salary; on the other hand there were no rules, no dogmas and no traditions either in that pre-Constantinian Christian world.

Just wholehearted love for God and love and compassion for all of humanity; so Taffy, old bean, can you give me that ten minute slot? Do you DARE to give me that ten minute slot?

By the way, Rev. Josephine and I would love to see you for dinner if you get fed up with all that pomp and circumstance!

Blessings in Christ,

+Malachy

National Pastor and Bishop
Abba Ministries of Canada

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