Canon Charlie Masters of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) has been elected as General Secretary of the Common Cause Leadership Council. The Common Cause Partnership is a federation of nine orthodox Anglican groups in North America. Three delegates from each of the partners gathered in Orlando, Florida Dec. 17-18 to form a Council which unanimously elected Bishop Bob Duncan as Moderator. Delegates also elected Mrs. Patience Oruh of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) as Treasurer. Canon Masters is currently rector of St. George’s Lowville in the Diocese of Niagara.

“Our actions today dramatically reversed the fragmentation and separation of the past,” they said in an official communiqué. “We stand committed to the ‘faith once delivered to the saints’ as expressed in our now ratified theological statement. The Common Cause Partnership is united in faith with the vast majority of members of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Each Common Cause Partner will continue to live out its unique role, maintaining its distinctive ministry and character.” But while each partner has autonomy, the new coalition anticipates “a growing number of joint mission initiatives that will strengthen our witness as united and faithful Anglicans in North America.”

See www.united-anglicans.org.

CBC REJECTS BOOKSTORE ADD

The owners of a Charlottetown bookstore that sells Christian books and music are frustrated by the CBC's refusal to air their television ad.

Roger and Bonnie May own and operate Maritime Christian Bookstore. The problem cited is the tag line at the end of their ad: "What goes into a mind comes out in a life."

If they dropped that line the CBC said it would run the ad.

The broadcaster's policy states that “Advocacy advertisements for or on behalf of religious organizations must not proselytize or promote religious ideologies or doctrines.”

Bonnie May said the bookstore was not a religious organization but a privately owned bookstore. “I can’t see how it’s proselytizing.”

The 30-second ad features a family on a road trip with two children fussing in the back seat, until their mother plays a CD purchased from Maritime Christian Bookstore and everyone relaxes. 

Her husband told Canadian Press that the final phrase is a general statement rather than a reference to any specific religion or to religion at all.

"The ad doesn't say, 'If you don't go to church, you are all going to hell,' " he said.

Jeff Keay, a CBC spokesman, told the press, "The line itself, I don't think, is a particular problem, but in the context of the overall ad, it suggests a religious theme."

Mr. May told CP, "I guess the push for us is we don't feel that we should be restricted because we sell Christian material. We are a business--and sure we promote Christianity--but is there a law against that?"

The Christian bookstore, the largest in Charlottetown, has been operating for 30 years, 20 in the May family. It carries more academic books than many Christian bookstores on the Island because it supplies Maritime Christian College.

The Mays have advertised on the CBC for ten years. They received mostly positive feedback from the local community when the story became public and it doesn’t seem to have hurt their business.

The rejected TV ad, which was created by Foulkes Productions, can be viewed at www.mcbookspei.com.  - Sue Careless