A Plea For Help, Prayers

Mr. Curtis,

I am sorry to be emailing you out of the blue, but yours is the only email I can find of the RTBP blog and I think you may be interested in hearing this. As well, if this could be shared among fellow Anglican bloggers it would be appreciated, we are in dire straits here and wish to share our story with fellow Anglicans. I have been a reader of your blog and others you write for (RTBP) for some time, having found them when looking for coverage on the death of Father Robert Crouse (who taught at King's, Dalhousie, and mentored so many people in our community)

My name is Colin Nicolle and I am a student at the University of King's College, Halifax, Nova Scotia (www.ukings.ca). I am also the Assistant-Sacristan in the King's College Chapel (www.kingschapel.ca). We are Canada's oldest chartered University, founded by Loyalists in the 18th century. We were founded as an Anglican institution and still maintain strong ties to the Diocese even now.

The reason I am writing you is that lately the Chaplaincy at King's has come under threat of funding being cut from the Diocese. The Right Rev'd Susan Moxley, Bishop of the Diocese, in a letter addressed to the president of the University, announced that she plans to cut a majority of the Chaplain's funding by the end of December. In this same letter she describes the Traditional BCP liturgy at the Chapel as, "Antiquated," and the chapel only supporting a, "Male dominated clergy."

Her suggestion was that the Board of Governors create a committee to see what can be done to direct funding towards the Chapel, although the president and the BOG is maintaining that the University is a "secular" school and is having trouble figuring out how it can help the Chapel.  Forgetting, I think, that the Chapel is not just for "Anglicans" but for everybody on campus.

That said, it has become clear that the Diocese does not understand the importance of the Chapel or its Chaplain, Lt. Col. Rev'd Dr. Gary Thorne, to the students at this school. We have daily offices which are constantly attended, including compline throughout the week and a Solemn Eucharist service on Thursdays which, on average, has an attendance of 50-70 congregants. The chapel and our chaplain help so much with those fostering vocations to Holy Orders (at present about seven young men, myself included, are discerning a vocation). It has been a place of conversion for so many people, either through the liturgy, the music or the community. This, again, I know because I am one of them. I was received into the Anglican Communion this year at a service held at the local Cathedral alongside four others being confirmed and two others baptized; we were the only confirmations, baptisms and receptions in the Diocese at Easter this year, and all of us experienced our conversions through the Chapel.

Students are beginning to rally, write, and meet with representatives of the Diocese to discuss this issue, but at this point it will be a great fight for us to maintain Father Thorne's position as Chaplain at the University. I send this only to inform other Anglicans about this place of beauty and truth which is now in great peril. It would be so helpful and appreciated if you could share this with anybody you think may be interested in hearing it, we are in great need of prayer.

There is a group on Facebook entitled, "Save the Chapel," that has been created for people to share stories and experiences about the chapel. We are nearing 300 members within the first day of this group existing.

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

In Christ,

Colin