Day of Thanksgiving for Rain – Armidale
The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale, Dr. Peter Brain, has asked each of the churches in his region to take time on Sunday February 10th, to offer special prayers of Thanksgiving for the recent rains.
“Since we have set aside some special days of prayer for rain during the past 5 years of drought and God has been pleased to answer these prayers by graciously sending widespread rains, we want to give Him special thanks,” said Bishop Brain.
Kenyan pastors tell of surviving the violence
“At one stop, an entire village lay in shambles. Pastor Samuel, who had led the local Baptist church, quickly picks his way through piles of burned corrugated tin, keeping a watchful eye on the forest and hills nearby for signs of danger.
For weeks, this area was cut off from the rest of the country. Even the media and Red Cross didn’t venture into this dangerous territory. Gangs of youth blocked the roads, keeping anyone from coming or going. Samuel stops in front of a piece of charred, ashen ground. ‘Here,’ he says quietly. ‘Here is our Baptist church.’…”
This story from Baptist Press gives some idea of the effects of the violence in Kenya.
What is Anglicanism? – Archbishop Orombi
This 2007 essay by Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, Anglican Archbishop of Uganda is well worth reading:
“We would not be facing the crisis in the Anglican Communion if we had upheld the basic Reformation convictions about Holy Scripture: its primacy, clarity, sufficiency, and unity. Part of the genius of the Reformation was its insistence that the Word of God and the liturgy be in the language of the people — that the Bible could be read and understood by the simplest plowboy. The insistence from some Anglican circles (mostly in the Western world) on esoteric interpretations of Scripture borders on incipient Gnosticism that has no place in historic or global Anglicanism. …”
Read the full text at First Things.
Bishop of Central Florida: Church Litigation a Travesty
Bishop John W. Howe of the Diocese of Central Florida:
“There are those who simply have to leave The Episcopal Church for conscience sake… I understand that. I don’t agree, but I don’t believe we should punish them. We shouldn’t sue them. We shouldn’t depose the clergy. Our brokenness is a tragedy. The litigation that is going on in so many places is a travesty. And although some seem to be trying to do so, I don’t think you can hold a church together by taking everybody you disagree with to court.” …
Full report by George Conger for The Living Church.
(See also the Diocese of Central Florida.)
Agreement to be signed by local Anglican and Roman Catholic heads
In a sign of warming relationship between the Anglicans and the Catholics in NSW, a formal covenant will be signed between them with the Anglican Archbishop of Newcastle, Dr Brian Farran, saying it was an indication of the common value they shared together and a step towards ‘healing’ the differences. …
Story from Christian Today.
South Carolina Episcopalians get bishop
Just call him Bishop Lawrence, finally.
Mark Joseph Lawrence endured two elections in a year’s span and waited patiently for confirmation that he would be the 14th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. His election was approved in October, and on Saturday, he was consecrated in a liturgical ceremony at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul in downtown Charleston. …
Story from the Charleston Post and Courier.
See also this interview on Stand Firm, in March 2007, after the first election had been declared ‘null and void’ by the Presiding Bishop.
Who is running the Anglican Communion?
“Readers of the Anglican Communion Office’s website might begin to wonder who is running the Anglican Communion. …
Curious… that the ACO website lists the Diocese of San Joaquin as ‘vacant’ – curious, because it isn’t. …”
John Richardson is perplexed – at Anglican Mainstream.
San Joaquin Standing Committee not recognised
Presiding Bishop on January 25 wrote to inform each member of the standing committee elected at the last convention of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin that she does not recognize them as the standing committee of that diocese. She also assured continuing Episcopalians of financial and legal support in reconstituting the diocese. …
Report from Episcopal Life Online. The letter may be seen here (pdf).
Lambeth Conference to go ahead ‘with most of the bishops present’
“Seventy per cent of bishops have said yes to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s invitation to attend this year’s Lambeth Conference. …”
Full report from The Church Times
GAFCON Travel Plans?
“We have heard that GAFCON has aroused considerable interest and enthusiasm. We would encourage those who are planning visits to the Holy Land to coincide with GAFCON to await the announcement of the venue and the exact start and finish dates before making final plans.
The GAFCON Leadership Team.”
Latest news from the Global Anglican Future Conference website.
J I Packer on the state of the Anglican Communion
Widely respected theologian J I Packer has spoken about the current state of the Anglican Communion in an interview with VirtueOnline.
“I expect congregations in TEC and the ACIC being fed on liberal theology will continue to wither on the vine as they have done for the last half century. Liberal theology, without the gospel, proves to be the smell of death rather than of life.”
A Case Study in American Religion
Dr. Michael Horton and friends at The White Horse Inn broadcast are asking, ‘Why is Joel Osteen [Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston] so popular?’
In their online series on ‘Christless Christianity’, this week they examine the teaching given at one of America’s largest churches. Listen online at ‘The White Horse Inn’.
John Piper on A Common Word
John Piper from Desiring God discusses a loving Christian response to the “A Common Word Between Us and You” letter written by Muslim scholars in October 2007.
You can read the ‘Common Word’ letter here, and watch John Piper’s response here (9 minutes).
CoE complaint about churches with no Bibles
“They may be found in every hotel bedroom, and are widely available in prisons and hospitals, but members of the clergy claim one of the last places you will find a Bible is in a church.
The absence of the Word of God from the pews is of such concern to the Church of England that it is to debate the issue at the next meeting of its General Synod, or “Parliament”, next month. The complaint was raised by Tim Cox, a Synod member from Blackpool, who said he had been dismayed to discover that churches he visited “all too often” had no Bibles for worshippers to follow the readings and the sermon. …”
Full story from the UK Telegraph.
Evangelical Religion – J C Ryle
Written 130 years ago, Bishop John Charles Ryle’s tract on “Evangelical Religion” is still essential reading. The first Bishop of Liverpool in the UK, Ryle fought valiantly for the authority of the Scriptures in the Church of England.
“Since many religious disputes have arisen solely because there has been a lack of accurate definition, I am beginning this paper by explaining exactly what I mean by ‘Evangelical Religion’.”
The precise challenges faced by Ryle have changed, yet the need to ground the Christian life in the Bible remains. You can read his tract here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…