News archive October – December 2004
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Sunday 19th December 2004
“Cities ‘shun church at Christmas’” “Churches in England’s biggest cities see a “meagre” rise in attendance at Christmas, while it leaps 200% in rural areas, according to a study. Manchester had fewest churchgoers, followed by Liverpool, London, Sheffield, Bradford and Birmingham, a survey of Anglican dioceses found.” Full report from the BBC.
Tuesday 14th December 2004
“Top Anglican Advisor Issues ‘Apocalyptic Warning’ on the Future of Western Christianity” “A senior advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury issued an “apocalyptic warning” about the Anglican Communion and the Western churches in general, as she ended her tenure on the 19-member Archbishops’ Council. Jayne Ozanne, one of the more evangelical Anglicans, warned the Archbishop that the a time of “great persecution was coming.” Her statement, which was not meant for public view, was leaked to the Times in London on Saturday.” Full story from The Christian Post.
Tuesday 14th December 2004
Vancouver: Dissenting parishes invited to “come back to the table” “Bishop Michael Ingham has invited dissenting parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster to “come back to the table” to find out whether reconciliation is possible. The basis of reconciliation could come from a proposal titled “Shared Episcopal Ministry,” the bishop said. It was agreed to by the Canadian House of Bishops in November...” The full report on this latest move by New Westminster’s Bishop Michael Ingham is available from VirtueOnline.
Saturday 10th December 2004
“Little Calvin a miracle in the making” “Now that abortion is back in the news, we’re starting to hear things that haven’t been spoken about publicly before. One story involves Mozz and Sacha, a Sydney couple I know who’ve just been through an extraordinary experience.” Full story from the Daily Telegraph. Also listen to this interview on ABC Radio – click here – and then under “Recent programs and audio” click on the links next to “Listen” for Monday 6 December 2004. The interview starts around 1:50 into the audio.
(Direct links: listen in Real Audio or Windows Media.)
Friday 10th December 2004
American Church“ never likely to face discipline” “One of Anglicanism’s most senior leaders has signalled that the American Church is never likely to face discipline for its decision to consecrate the Anglican Communion’s first practising gay bishop. The Irish Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, warned that the Communion’s conservative provinces should not expect calls to be answered for the American Church and diocese of New Westminster, which authorised same-sex blessing rites, to be punished. .” Full story from The Church of England Newspaper.
Monday 6th December 2004
“French fatigue over Da Vinci Code” – BBC “The announcement this week from Hollywood that Tom Hanks will star in the film adaptation of Dan Brown’s thriller The Da Vinci Code may have excited the book’s millions of fans around the world. But in France, there was a collective sinking of hearts.” With all the interest about “The Da Vinci Code”, this article gives some light relief. From the BBC.
Sunday 5th December 2004
“Ugandan Primate says Anglican Communion could stay together” “The Primate of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi believes the Anglican Communion will stay loosely connected externally even though internally it will be deeply fractured, perhaps irreversibly. ‘The Anglican Communion is going to have global impact if it is preaching Jesus Christ. The communion is not a debating society or a comfortable lounge. 1988 was the beginning of the Decade of Evangelism. By 1998 it should have ended in great growth. It did not happen in the West; they lost it all in the sexuality debate.’ ” Full report here.
Saturday 4th December 2004
Recife, Brazil – Diocese suspended by Liberal Primate  “The Diocese of Recife continues to experience an extreme case of harassment of an orthodox bishop by a liberal Province.
Just two days before it was scheduled to meet (for the Provincial Convention, a date set a year ago), the Primate of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, bishop Orlando Oliveira sent a letter to the diocesan bishop Robinson Cavalcanti; communicating a “Decree” “suspending” Recife Diocese Convention...” Read the full story here – and pray for those who are standing for the truth of God’s word. Picture: evangelical Brazilian bishop Robinson Cavalcant.
Saturday 27th November 2004
“Gay issues slowly erode Episcopal membership” “Episcopalians aren’t making a mass exodus from their church, but dioceses across the country are doing a slow bleed as members realize that a much-anticipated report released six weeks ago has no teeth and that the denomination’s ordination of a homosexual bishop will go unpunished...” Full story from The Washington Times.
Saturday 27th November 2004
“PROFILE: Bishop Frank Griswold” Interesting profile of Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop of ECUSA – from the US Public Broadcasting Service. Read the story, or watch the video. Includes reactions to Bishop Griswold from Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh and Canon David Anderson of the American Anglican Council. Find it here.
Saturday 27th November 2004
“Church must make abortion case: Jensen” “The Church needed to win the moral debate and raise public awareness before it could persuade governments to outlaw abortion, the head of Sydney’s Anglicans has said. As Catholic bishops announced a taskforce to consider how to support women with unwanted pregnancies, Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen conceded the churches had, for now, no chance of winning political concessions. But abortion was a matter of national importance, could not be swept under the carpet and was not going to go away, he said.” Full story from the Sydney Morning Herald. See also this report.
Thursday 25th November 2004
“Fracture, betrayal and the chaos of belonging” – Bishop Rob Forsyth “... The question for all Anglican readers of the report is whether belonging is worth paying the price of that increased commitment or whether the more chaotic alternative is in the long run preferable. ... The Windsor Report seems to treat issues of church life as though the only Christians in the world were Anglicans and not seriously think of the theological consequences of our present multidenominational life.” This comment on the Windsor Report by Robert Forsyth, Bishop of South Sydney was posted on SydneyAnglicans.net last week. Read his full article here.
Thursday 25th November 2004
 November issue of The Australian Church record now online The November issue of the Sydney-based Australian Church Record is now online at www.australianchurchrecord.net. Worth downloading, reading, and passing on.
Tuesday 23rd November 2004
“Who’s Sorry Now?” – John Richardson on an apology for a report  “Almost a month to the day before the Windsor Report was published, I undertook a risky exercise. In an e-mail to those on the Chelmsford Anglican Mainstream circulation list, I made thirteen predictions about what it would and would not contain. So there was a certain holding of breath when high noon on October 18th finally arrived. ...
... the Report is destined for the dustbin of history. Indeed, it is already outflanked by ongoing developments and rendered impotent by the delay between now and the meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council after the Primates’ meeting next year. The Anglican Communion is like an incompetent parent with an out-of-control toddler. Cries of ‘If you do that again, I’ll kill you!’ are greeted with not even a flicker of hesitation.” Read John Richardson’s very helpful article from the current issue of New Directions.
Sunday 20th November 2004
“Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat” Wednesday 17th November 2004
“Author Keneally to debate Anglican Archbishop on Da Vinci Code” “Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen will debate Thomas Kenneally on issues arising from the best-selling book ‘The Da Vinci Code' tonight at Sydney University...” Full story from CathNews.
Tuesday 9th November 2004
“Evangelical Triumphalism: A Cautionary Note” – David Virtue An interesting comment by David Virtue on the results of the U.S. Presidential election. (Bearing in mind that the word “evangelical” isn’t used in quite the same way in Sydney.) From VirtueOnline.
 Monday 8th November 2004
Australian Church Record posts its ‘Special Report’ on The Windsor Report
“The Windsor Report, released on 18 October, was doomed long before it was released. It was doomed when the decision was taken to avoid addressing the substantial issue underlying the current crisis in the Anglican Communion. Whether this decision is tied to the mandate the Lambeth Commission was given (although it is happy to step outside of its mandate on other issues, e.g. structural questions concerning the Instruments of Unity §107) or to a conviction that the traditional and current teaching of the Anglican Churches on human sexuality is bound to change sooner or later, what has resulted is a report that has no chance of success because it is preoccupied with symptoms rather than causes.” – from the section by Dr. Mark Thompson. Contributions by Peter Bolt, Mark Thompson, Gav Poole and Liz Cox. Available as a pdf download from The Australian Church Record.
Saturday 6th November 2004
“Pittsburgh Episcopal Diocese votes for greater autonomy” Saturday 6th November 2004
“James Murray: Preachers well practised” “When Peter Jensen became Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, he was astonished by what was written about him. “I did not recognise myself,” he said. Whether it is a common media experience of archbishops I am uncertain, but I imagine Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell must feel the same way...” Interesting article about how preachers are perceived – in The Australian.
Wednesday 3rd November 2004
“Women Bishops – A response to the Rochester Report from the Council of Church Society.” “If the Church of England proceeds to consecrate women as Bishops then it will act ultra vires. The doctrines, canons and legal establishment of the Church mean that it has no power to establish something that is contrary to Holy Scripture...” Read the full statement here.
Saturday 30th October 2004
“The Windsor Report is bound to fail” – preliminary response from Archbishop Peter Jensen  “The Windsor Report is a document that stands for peace in times that are filled with turbulence. I admire the way in which it has resisted all calls for expulsion, disciplines and head-banging. Instead it offers a calm tone, a long term view, an endeavour to create space, a reconciling spirit and practical suggestions arising from a desire to hear and apply God’s word.
With regret, however, I think that it is bound to fail. Why is this so? Given the length and nuances of the Report, my response is provisional. I advance three reasons for further discussion...” Read the full article – written by Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Peter Jensen.
Saturday 30th October 2004
Google cache saves the day Although the “A Women’s Eucharist: A Celebration of the Divine Feminine ” (see story below) is no longer on the ECUSA website, you can see a cache, stored by Google on 25th October, here. See also this story by David Virtue.
Friday 29th October 2004
“Gay bishops will split us, says Jensen” – Sydney Morning Herald ‘In his first response to the report of the Lambeth Commission into homosexual bishops, Dr Jensen, who heads the conservative evangelical Sydney Anglican diocese, said the commission’s attempts to find peace “in times that are filled with turbulence” was admirable but bound to fail. He added its sidestepping of Biblical pronouncements on sexual morality were a fatal flaw. ... “The mandate for the commission was fatally flawed in not giving the commission the task of determining what the Bible says on this subject, or at least starting with what the Bible says,” he said.’ Full story in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Thursday 28th October 2004
“Obasanjo chides same sex marriage, homosexuality” “Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo Wednesday slammed same sex marriage and homosexuality as ‘unbiblical, unnatural and definitely unAfrican’.
... Obasanjo was speaking when he opened the first conference of African Anglican bishops in Nigeria’s economic capital city of Lagos, where the issue of homosexuality is expected to dominate discussions among the 300 bishops from the 12 Anglican African provinces attending the meeting.” Full story from the Sudan Tribune. See also the official website of the African Anglican Bishops Conference (October 26 – 01 November).
Thursday 28th October 2004
“Beyond the Episcopal Church’s Pagan Eucharist” “Guess what’s no longer linked on the Episcopal Church USA’s page for Women’s Worship Resources? Both items highlighted in yesterday’s Weblog: ‘A Women’s Eucharist: A Celebration of the Divine Feminine’ and the ‘Liturgy for Divorce.’ ” Followup story from Christianity Today.
Wednesday 27th October 2004
Some kind of sick joke? Afraid not... “Episcopal Church Officially Promotes Idol Worship” “Imagine for one moment that you’re a leader in the Episcopal Church USA. You know that within the next few days, a global commission is going to release a report on how the global Anglican Communion should respond to your church, and is likely to be critical of the ordination of an actively homosexual man as bishop. You know, and have said yourself, that the debate isn’t just about sexuality: It’s about how one views the Bible. And you know that all eyes will be on your denomination over the next few weeks. What do you do?  What the real leaders of the Episcopal Church did was to take an action that makes ordaining a homosexual man as a bishop almost a non-issue. They started promoting the worship of pagan deities.
This is not a joke nor an overstatement. In all truth and seriousness, leaders of the Episcopal Church USA are promoting pagan rites to pagan deities.” (emphasis added.) Read the full story from Christianity Today. (With thanks to our friends at Anglican Media Sydney for picking up on this staggering celebration of paganism.)
Wednesday 27th October 2004
“Keeping watch on Media Watch” by Ian Carmichael Monday night’s Media Watch on ABC TV, examined the controversy surrounding remarks allegedly made in the UK by the Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen. The segment was highly critical of Phillip, who was accused of defaming the journalist who wrote the initial story for The Guardian. All who were present and who heard the Dean’s statement at Sydney Synod last week will be interested to see how it was reported. Ian Carmichael has written this very interesting analysis of the Media Watch segment. “Let me explain why I think that David Marr is being unfair in his analysis and his accusations against Phillip...”
Tuesday 26th October 2004
“Anglicans on mission to expand” “The Anglican Diocese of Sydney is to embark on a recruitment drive for a new generation of church leaders to meet its ambitious plans to convert at least 10 per cent of Sydney’s population within a decade. Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen wants each of Sydney diocese’s five regions to send 50 students for training as clergy every year, more than doubling the existing student intake...” Full story from The Sydney Morning Herald.
Friday 22nd October 2004
Trouble for Evangelical Bishop in Brazil: “Liberals ask for Ecclesiastical Trial for Anglican Evangelical Bishop” “The evangelical Brazilian bishop Robinson Cavalcanti, known for his strong position in defense of the Scriptures authority and fight against legitimacy of homosexual practice and the ordination of practicing homosexuals, from the Diocese of Recife, has a disciplinary process open in the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, under the pressure of the liberal lobby...” Full press release here. (Point for prayer.)
Friday 22nd October 2004
Windsor Report: American bishops rebuff call for moratorium “The crisis in the Anglican Church remained as desperate as ever this week as it emerged that American bishops were refusing to heed the call of the Lambeth Commission for a moratorium on same-sex blessings. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of USA, Frank Griswold, expressed regret for the pain caused by the consecration of the Communion’s first openly gay bishop, but would not apologise for the action...” Full story from The Church of England Newspaper. (See also this story.)
Tuesday 19th October 2004
 Dean Phillip Jensen challenges media inaccuracies “We are engaged in a spiritual warfare and if the first casualty of war is truth you can be assured that a war with the father of lies must inevitably be encased in falsehood, rumours and lies.” This evening, at the meeting of Sydney Synod, the Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Phillip Jensen sought leave to make a personal statement about the reporting of his just-concluded visit to the UK to speak at the Reform National Conference. “Brothers and sisters in Christ thank you for giving me this opportunity to make a personal statement. I am sorry to take the time of Synod, but recent media reports concerning me have caused great and unnecessary alarm in our diocese. Worse still it has diminished our good standing in the eyes of some people that we are hoping to reach with the saving news of the Lord Jesus Christ...”
Reform Press Release
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES NOT FACED BY WINDSOR REPORT SAYS REFORM“In an initial reaction to the Windsor report, the evangelical Anglican network REFORM said that the issues dividing the Anglican Communion had not been fully addressed by the Eames Commission...” See the full press release from Reform here.
Time for a reality checkWith all the media coverage of the Windsor Report that is likely today, a very helpful thing to do would be to re-read the article “The Church and the Denominations” by Broughton Knox. There’s a slightly abbreviated copy here. Great to print out and use as the basis of a Bible study. (See also this interesting article in Churchman by Melvin Tinkler, Vicar of St. John’s, Newland, Hull.)
Early analyses of The Windsor Report: Underwhelmed“After much breathless anticipation, the Windsor Report was released today in London. An initial read suggests that the recommendations are considerably weaker than people expected – albeit they appear to be headed in a more conservative direction... The report does not recommend expelling the Episcopal Church of the United States of America for consecration Gene Robinson to be Bishop of New Hampshire last year. It also leaves Gene Robinson in place – a situation sure to be unacceptable to a majority of Primates.” – part of a preliminary analysis from Robert Stowe England in The Christian Challenge.
Archbishop Peter Jensen’s Presidential Address to Sydney SynodArchbishop Peter Jensen’s encouraging Presidential address to Sydney Synod, delivered this afternoon, is available here – well worth downloading and reading.
Monday 18th October 2004
The Windsor Report is released The Windsor Report (also known as the Eames Report, the product of the Lambeth Commission) has been released this evening in London. You can download a copy here. (700kb PDF.) “This Report is not a judgement. It is part of a process. It is part of a pilgrimage towards healing and reconciliation. The proposals which follow attempt to look forward rather than merely to recount how difficulties have arisen. A large majority of the submissions received by the Commission have supported thecontinuance of the Anglican Communion as an instrument of God’s grace for the world. ” (page 6, emphasis added.) See this report from the BBC.
Anglican Media Sydney launches new websiteAs part of the Sydney Diocesan focus on Mission, www.sydneyanglicans.net is to be the portal for all diocesan websites. This brand new website is now live – check it out.
Monday 18th October 2004
Letter of support for Phillip Jensen from leading UK clergy Sent to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald –
Dear Sir, As leaders of some of the largest Anglican churches in England, we wish to say that we fully support the position of the Dean of Sydney expressed at the Reform National Conference. He said that when those who hold high office and receive a stipend in the Church of England publicly uphold one set of beliefs while privately believing differently, they should resign. Because Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has publicly admitted this, two years ago we of Reform sadly also requested him to stand down, as Rowan Williams knows. Yours faithfully David Banting
Vicar of St Peter’s, Harold Wood, Essex Richard Coekin
Minister of Dundonald Church, Wimbledon Jonathan Fletcher
Vicar of Emmanuel, Wimbledon David Holloway
Vicar of Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne Angus Macleay
Rector of St Nicholas, Sevenoaks Hugh Palmer
Vicar of Christ Church, Fulwood, Sheffield
Rector-elect of All Souls’, Langham Place, London Vaughan Roberts
Rector of St Ebbe’s, Oxford William Taylor
Rector of St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, London Melvin Tinker
Vicar of St John’s, Newland, Hull. |
Monday 18th October 2004
Prayer is always needed – note from webmasterDear website readers, in the busyness of the week, please do not forget to pray for the meeting of Sydney Synod, which begins this afternoon. Please pray for all involved, that a clear focus on the gospel, and on the urgent need to see people come to Christ, will be the mark of all that is done and said. Please also uphold in prayer faithful servants of Christ such as Phillip Jensen that, despite hostility from some quarters, they may always continue to proclaim the gospel clearly (Colossians 4:4). Pray that they will never shrink from declaring the truth of God’s word.
Australian Church Record’s report on General Synod onlineMonday 18th October 2004
“Defiant Jensen stands by Bible ‘truths’ ”[ It’s amazing how the media are able to portray division when those involved didn’t know they were divided. :-) ] “We have many differences of opinion amongst us, and that’s good and that’s healthy,” the controversial Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, told the congregation in St Andrew's Cathedral yesterday. “But on the big truths of the Bible... we should be united.” Mr Jensen may have been preaching unity in his first sermon back in Australia since lambasting the Archbishop of Canterbury for “theological prostitution”, but it will be a divided Sydney Synod he attends today.” Report from The Australian.
“Christian parties have a role: Jensen”“...The proposal is contained in the long-awaited Windsor Report by the Lambeth Commission set up by Dr Williams to find a universal church position over homosexuality. The full report will be released tomorrow. Dr Jensen said the question of gay ordination has dogged the church in the past two years, and hailed the proposal as an affirmation of ‘biblical truth’. However he said attempting to impose such a covenant on the 38 Anglican provinces worldwide could undermine fiercely guarded local autonomy...” Full report in The Sun-Herald.
“Reform seeks alternative episcopal oversight”“The conservative pressure group Reform will seek alternative episcopal oversight in a number of dioceses in protest at the liberal drift of the Church of England... The seven liberal bishops who wrote an open letter supporting the appointment of Jeffrey John last year as Bishop of Reading could be the first to be targeted by Reform members. The Bishops of Leicester, Newcastle, Ripon & Leeds, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich, Salisbury, Truro and Worcester might all receive letters from Reform churches asking them to declare their position...” Full story from The Church of England Newspaper.
The Lambeth Commission to be released on Monday night (Australian time)The long-awaited Lambeth Commission is due to release its report on the implications for the Anglican Communion of the consecration of an actively homosexual bishop in the Episcopal Church of the USA last year. For some of the background, there’s an FAQ about the Commission posted here on Anglicans Online. As soon as the Report is released, Anglican Mainstream in London will have reactions and analysis.
Archbishop’s job ad in the UK papers“For the first time in over 1,300 years, the job of the Archbishop of York has been advertised in the press. The successful candidate will be the Church of England’s second most senior clergyman, with pastoral oversight of bishops in half the country. The notice, inviting worshippers to propose candidates, is part of the Church’s effort to be more democratic in choosing its bishops...” (Any suggestions?) Report from the BBC.
Letter from Phillip Jensen to The GuardianThursday 14th October 2004
“The Calling of the Church” – Jim PackerAn encouraging lecture given by Dr J.I. Packer at the Oak Hill School of Theology in 1999. On 1 Peter 1 and 2. Read it here on the Oak Hill website.
“Gay bishop dismisses Anglican report”New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Church’s first openly homosexual prelate, predicted yesterday that an upcoming report judging the effect that his consecration has had on the world's 70 million Anglicans would not lead to a split. “I think the communion will be a stronger place for having had this conversation,” Bishop Robinson said during a visit to the downtown Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, which attracted 315 persons, three times the normal Sunday-morning attendance. “I think it will stay together.” Full report from The Washington Times.
Saturday 9th October 2004
Appointments overseas – Paul Zahl installed at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry
Hugh Palmer to be Rector of All Souls Langham Place This weekend, Paul Zahl is being installed as Dean and President of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Paul was Dean of the Cathedral Church of the Advent (Episcopal) in Birmingham, Alabama, and has been a leading Biblical voice in ECUSA. Also, the Church of England Newspaper is reporting that Hugh Palmer, currently Vicar of Christ Church, Fulwood, in Sheffield, will succeed Richard Bewes at All Souls, Langham Place in London.
Friday 8th October 2004
“Anglicans oppose gay clergy, gay marriage” “Australia’s Anglicans yesterday rejected blessing gay marriages and ordaining ministers in gay relationships, voting to uphold the traditional position that sex outside marriage is wrong. In a second rebuff to liberal Anglicans in three days, after Tuesday’s rejection of women bishops, the General Synod meeting in Perth upheld by a significant margin the stance taken by the Lambeth conference of the world’s bishops in 1998...” Full story from The Age.
Thursday 7th October 2004
News from Fremantle on the Women Bishops debate Here’s a little more detail on Tuesday’s debate on women bishops at General Synod in Fremantle – sent by members of the Sydney team. “After five hours of debate the Women Bishops Canon failed to gain the necessary 2/3 majority in each House to pass. The count was: | House | For | Against | | Bishops | 17 | 6 | | Clergy | 63 | 43 | | Laity | 67 | 39 |
This result was suggested from the voting figures at the “approved in principle” stage of the debate: | House | For | Against | | Bishops | 17 | 6 | | Clergy | 67 | 41 | | Laity | 70 | 36 |
Two members of the working group, Bishops Driver and Farrar introduced and seconded the bill. Peter Jensen had equal time to put the opposition case – which he did in a gracious and masterly fashion. 42 speeches were made at the second reading, 26 in favour, 15 against and one undecided. Narelle Jarrett and Martin Trotman (Armidale) made notable contributions.” |
Thursday 7th October 2004
“Anglicans rebel on bishop vote” “Rogue dioceses in the Anglican Church will seek legal advice about the ban on the consecration of women bishops, with at least one high-profile bishop poised to defy the General Synod’s ban. The Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn George Browning -- whose diocese last month voted overwhelmingly in favour of the consecration of a woman -- said there was a strong possibility there would be a woman bishop by the next General Synod in three years.” Story in the Australian. Also see – “Synod supports women Anglican bishops” “In a first for the nation, Anglicans in the diocese of Canberra and Goulburn have voted in favour of women bishops. About 300 representatives of the diocese made the decision at their annual Synod, held in Wagga Wagga, in southern NSW, at the weekend.” Report from ABC Riverina.
Thursday 7th October 2004
“Assistant bishop role for women” “A female bishop could be a reality within three years under a proposal put forward by the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Peter Carnley, to create assistant women bishops. Dr Carnley discussed the idea – which would create a woman assistant bishop who was equal to her fellow assistant bishops but still answerable to a male diocesan bishop or archbishop – after the General Synod voted against the ordination of women on Tuesday.” Story in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Wednesday 6th October 2004
Archbishop from Africa wants U.S. churches “In a direct challenge to the leadership of the U.S. Episcopal Church, an influential Anglican archbishop from Africa is exploring ways to allow American congregations upset over the election of a gay bishop to realign themselves under his jurisdiction.” Read the full report from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Wednesday 6th October 2004
Nigerian Primate rips ‘New Religion’ of the Episcopal Church  The Primate of Nigeria, Peter Akinola yesterday told orthodox Episcopalians that the Episcopal Church was out to create a new religion and “I say no. I am quite happy with the faith as it has been received. In it I have found peace. I don’t need a new religion.”
Holding his Bible aloft, the Evangelical Primate of 18 million Anglicans, and the second most powerful person in the Anglican Communion told members of All Saints’ Church, Chevy Chase in the Diocese of Washington, “We [in Nigeria] are completely satisfied with this historical and biblical faith. Whatever is not in line with the authoritative Word of God we reject it, the Bible is the final authority. I have chosen the integrity and authority of the word of God over human interpretations.” ... Read the full report from David Virtue on Virtuosity.
Wednesday 6th October 2004
“Anglicans reject women bishops” – The Age “... Archbishop Jensen, opening the debate for the no case, told the synod that objections were to the principle and the practice, and were based on the Bible and the unity of the church.”
“The objections do not arise from motives such as misogyny. It is not about the power of the clergy, it is not ‘the boys’ club’, nor is it about ‘Sydney’,” he said. “What is at stake is the whole of our belief system – that is what holds us in place as a church. We are on the precipice.”. Story from Barney Zwartz in The Age.
Wednesday 6th October 2004
“Rift likely after ban on female bishops” – SMH “The Anglican Church in Australia has rejected legislation paving the way for the country's first women bishops, after the bill collapsed on the general synod floor last night. It is now widely expected that individual dioceses will ordain women as bishops anyway, further deepening the rift between the powerful conservative diocese of Sydney, and most of the remaining church...” Story from Kelly Burke of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Tuesday 5th October 2004
Women Bishops legislation fails to pass General Synod Tuesday 5th October 2004
“Register of all church employees” “The Anglican Church will set up a national commission to oversee a register of all clergy and paid church employees, including details of any disciplinary action taken against them. But the register will remain confidential, with only bishops and commission-approved diocesan officials authorised to access the information. ... Sydney is expected to dominate today’s debate on women bishops, with the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, leading the case against admitting women into the Australian Anglican episcopate.” Report from the Sydney Morning Herald.
Monday 4th October 2004
General Synod legislation moves “a further step towards a merger with the Lutheran Church” “The Anglican Church of Australia has taken a further step towards a merger with the Lutheran Church after passing new legislation that will allow some non-Anglican clergy to more easily become a minister in an Anglican church. ... The bill was strongly opposed by a number of Sydney delegates...” Read the full story by Jeremy Halcrow (Anglican Media Sydney) here.
Monday 4th October 2004
General Synod endorses new standards for child protection “The Anglican Church’s General Synod, meeting today in Fremantle, has adopted a series of measures for professional standards in child protection. The Synod voted unanimously to adopt a safe ministry policy to screen clergy and church workers; act promptly on complaints of abuse and to offer pastoral support to anyone suffering abuse. It has also adopted a national ‘safe ministry check’ for the screening of clergy and church workers in contact with children and a national code for personal behaviour and practice...” See the full press release here on the General Synod Media Releases page.
Monday 4th October 2004
Australian Church Record recommences publication
The evangelical periodical, The Australian Church Record (first published in Sydney in 1880), has recommenced publication – and is available only via the Internet. It’s available now as a free download from www.australianchurchrecord.net. On the site, it is possible to register for updates and to be notified when each edition is available for download.
Saturday 2nd October 2004
Equal but Different site relaunched “Equal but Different had its genesis in the 1992 debates about the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Anglican Church of Australia. But much has happened since then. Now just over ten years on, the worldwide Anglican Communion is in turmoil following the blessing of same-sex unions in Canada and the appointment of a practising homosexual as a bishop in the Episcopal Church in the USA. Even here at home, the Uniting Church of Australia has recently voted to accept practising homosexual and lesbian clergy.”
While still in its early stages, on the website you can find resources and book reviews, and background to the debate on Women Bishops taking place at General Synod this week.
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Read
John Woodhouse’s talk given at the 2003 ACL Synod Dinner
“The
unity that matters is the unity of the new humanity God has
created by the death of his Son, and that he is bringing into
being by the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ...
The
other unity is what humans in their pride and arrogance create.
It is the unity of man-made institutions and structures. In
itself it is worse than worthless. It is Babylonian unity, and
will fall under God’s judgment.”
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See
Archives of earlier news here
and
here (January – May 2004).
and
here (October 2003 – January 2004).
Need
the Acrobat Reader? Get a free copy here - 
See
also archived Earlier News here.
See also
for quick links to select sites that are “Sydney” and Anglican
“