Well the biographical details are easy. I am a fourth generation Tasmanian,
born in Launceston 67 years ago. Valerie and I have been married almost
40 years, and have two children, Mary and James. In recent years Mary and
her husband, Chris Grummet, have given us the joy of two grandsons, Billy
and Alfie.
I am a Certified Practising Accountant and
a Chartered Company Secretary. I retired early, nine year ago, after twenty
seven years at Launceston College of TAFE. Over the years, misguided publishers
have commissioned me to write several books in the business studies field, all
with soul-destroying titles, but they have sold over 100,000 copies in
total. Mr
Bruce Proverbs
For the past five years Valerie and I have been involved in two stints
of full-time voluntary church work, but we have now retired. for the third
time. Now for the difficult part - my spiritual journey - (to use the current
jargon). At age 4 months I was baptised in the mother church of Launceston
(St. John's Anglican). As a child I was exposed to the usual encounters
with Christianity including regular attendance at the local Sunday School
in the village where I lived. The teachers were sincere but inept e.g.
we spent a whole year learning hymns by rote! Then there were the chaotic
sessions at primary and secondary school. After the usual lapse from church
attendance during my teens I "came back" and was confirmed in
1950. Dare I say, it stuck.
During 1953, on a
working holiday in New Zealand I had my first experience of Catholic worship
in the Anglican tradition - and this while living with a Baptist aunt!
I have never recovered, I am happy to say.
All
my adult life I have taken an active part in the church at both Parish
and Diocesan level. I have served as a Parish Treasurer, Lay reader, member
of Diocesan Council, Diocesan Treasurer etc. In the late 1980's, like so
many others, I grew increasingly disturbed at what was happening in the
Diocese of Tasmania, and indeed in the wider Anglican church. The debate
about women priests was only part of it, but it was disconcerting, to say
the least, to be told in an address by an earnest young priest that my
objection to women priests stemmed from my horror of the menstruation process
and my fear of blood. As a blood donor for 30 years I felt that was a bit
rich!
Among
all the many factors that culminated in my final departure from the Anglican
Church of Australia (ACofA) in late, 1992, probably the major one was "the
silence of the shepherds". Anglo-agnostics like Bishop Spong and several
other pseudo-theologians proclaimed their non-beliefs and were invited
in to Anglican pulpits to do so. Our then Fathers in God remained, and
remain, silent, and in communion with such heretics, putting "episcopal
collegiality" ahead of apostolic faith and gospel truth.
Another factor was the "newspeak"
used in liturgy. It's called selective language. When I hear one of the
innovators talking about "the devil and all her works" I shall
take them seriously. The feminists of both sexes only want the nice bits.
At a service on what was to be my last Good Friday in the ACofA, the priest
read "If I be lifted up I shall draw all people to me" - and
then went on "and Jesus was delivered in to the hands of wicked men."
I have dined out on that one many times. But the priest was backing the
right bishop - he is now one of the youngest Archdeacons in the history
of the church. The only other aspect which influenced my departure, that
I shall mention, was the strong evidence of nepotism, neo-corruption, and
secularism within the church. The career clergy were gradually taking over
from the pastoral priests. The story is told of the priest who vehemently
opposed the idea of women priests until be became a Canon, then he was
not so sure. Once he became an Archdeacon he felt the innovation could
be acceptable. His is not an unusual case.
Gradually
I began to shed the offices and responsibilities I held at both Diocesan
and Parish levels. I remember vividly walking home in the dark one winter's
evening after a heavy day-long meeting of Diocesan Council which culminated
in a session of belittling anyone who could not "see the light"
about women priests. Subsequently I received a letter, virtually of apology,
from one of the female members of Diocesan Council. But I decided that
God had made it clear I could no longer sit on the fence, and I resigned
from D.C. and as Diocesan Treasurer.
Yet I
continued to attend St. John's every Sunday. I did not receive communion
and no one, but no one, asked why? It was not a show of "look at me"
but a long sad "Goodbye". Finally one Sunday afternoon I walked
into the vast empty church and knelt in the chapel and said my farewell
prayers - I have recorded that afternoon in detail, especially my meditation
on the crucifixion window over the chapel altar, but that's not for publication.
To
move on. At the end of 1992 a friend and I began attending a Sunday Eucharist
in a sympathetic priest's house, under the auspices of Bishop Haley. On
25th March 1993 the Parish of the Annunciation was inaugurated and I was
one of the two founding wardens. Ever since, I have had the joy of worshipping
in the beautiful chapel at Cosgrove Park in South Launceston. Cosgrove
Park is a large privately owned Nursing Home. At first we met only monthly,
then fortnightly, but by August 1993 we were gathering every Sunday at
11. 15. And we still do!
Meanwhile the wheel
has turned full circle - I am once again a Parish treasurer, a Lay reader
and a member of Synod and Diocesan Council.
It has
been said over and over again that the Traditional Anglican Communion is
not for the faint-hearted - and I can relate to that. At Annunciation we
have had our share of detractors, posturers, hypocrites, deserters, users,
abusers and excuse- makers - but so did our Lord. Alongside that we have
a core of faithful Christians who in all humility can claim to uphold the
Anglican Tradition of the Catholic faith.
When we look at the wider church we have
so much to thank God for. To mention but four exciting developments :
* The sound reputation and rapid growth of our school on the Gold
Coast - St. Stephen's College.
* The excellent standards and professionalism of our National (and
now an International) newspaper The Messenger
* The welcome emergence of our sister church - The Church of
Torres Strait.
* The increasingly cordial and close relationship with
other authentic parts of the Church Catholic.
Yes we have left behind the stained glass, the pipe organs, the associations
of faith and friends spanning decades. And yes, it's not easy, but it has
been worth it to know we are inheritors of "the faith once delivered
to the saints".We are not caught up in the fleeting fancies of the
age. We have shed the baggage that "being with it" and "newspeak"
and "priestess" bring. And what of the future? I have never been
any good at predictions - although, having persuaded the Diocese of Tasmania
to prepare its budget before the financial year started, I drafted the
first two such. But I digress.
We certainly live in "interesting
times" and I. simply wait upon the Lord, while at the same time doing
all in my power to proclaim our message to any who will listen. The Day
of reckoning is surely coming for many Anglicans who said they could never
accept women priests, "Mother God" etc., etc. While bitterly
disappointed they have remained in what I believe an apostate church, we
continue to pray for them.
But above and beyond that I believe
our mission is to witness to apostolic faith and tradition, to shake off
the notion that we are just fossilised Cranmer addicts, and to offer Anglican
liturgy as best we can.
As well we must continue to care for
each other, and above all reach out to the "great unwashed" who
know not the joy of the Faith. How we best do that I do not know, but I
do know God is on His Throne and in Him we trust. After all this is not
the local Lodge or Garden Club we are talking about. This is the Church
of God.