Communiqué reaffirms goals of GAFCON
Communiqué from GAFCON leadership meeting
We met in England as the leadership team of the Global Anglican Future Conference and Jerusalem Pilgrimage from March 10-12, 2008 and were encouraged by the support and enthusiasm of bishops, clergy and lay leaders around the Anglican Communion who have welcomed GAFCON and expressed their desire to attend.
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TEC to ‘depose’ Bishop Schofield of San Joaquin
‘It is a privilege to know that I am standing along side of one of the outstanding theologians of our time, J. I. Packer, who is under similar discipline…’
The meeting of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops has decided to consent to depose Bishop John-David Schofield, bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, even though he has resigned from the TEC.
As well, the House of Bishops voted to depose retired Maryland Bishop William Cox (now 87), who conducted ordinations on behalf of the Primate of Uganda, and who resigned from the Episcopal Church to join the Southern Cone a year ago –
Calling on the reconciling love of our Lord Jesus Christ and mindful of our call to be servants of one another and of the mission and ministry of the whole church, we have taken the action of consenting to the deposition of our two brother bishops, John-David Schofield and William Cox. … this action is… necessary for the ongoing integrity of The Episcopal Church. …
Full text from the Episcopal Church.
The Diocese of San Joaquin has published this press release with the response from Bishop Schofield –
Bishop Schofield responds to the HOB decision
The Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, a member diocese of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone of South America, was disappointed by today’s decision of the Episcopal House of Bishops but he was not surprised by it.
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TEC Presiding Bishop’s Easter Message
“We base much of our approach to loving God and our neighbors in this world on our baptismal covenant. Yet our latest prayer book was written just a bit too early to include caring for creation among those explicit baptismal promises. I would invite you to explore those promises a bit more deeply – where and how do they imply caring for the rest of creation? …”
The real message of Easter is about …?
Read the Presiding Bishop’s Easter message here (text) or here (pdf).
Setting the record straight about St Chad’s
The story written by Stuart Mann and posted to the Diocese of Toronto website March 6 contains inaccuracies and innuendo that demand a response. … In the context of diocesan intimidation and knowing the diocese had access to the keys, the priest-in-charge changed the locks on February 26, fearing the building would be commandeered by the diocese – a fear that proved well-founded. …
Read the full statement from The Anglican Network in Canada.
See also the original story on the Diocese of Toronto website.
Bishop Mark Lawrence upholds the uniqueness of Christ
After last week’s visit of the TEC Presiding Bishop to the Diocese of South Carolina, video files from the clergy day have been released. They are available on YouTube.
In parts 1 and 2, Bishop Mark Lawrence graciously but clearly speaks of the problems many in his diocese have with the direction of the Episcopal Church. In part 4, he turns to Colossians chapter 1 and the absolute supremacy of the Lord Jesus. (The other files are no longer available.)
See stevewood.cc for links to the video files. (With thanks to Standfirm for the link.)
Audio files here.
Lambeth invitation ‘not possible’ for Robinson
The House of Bishops was informed March 10 that full invitation is “not possible” from the Archbishop of Canterbury to include Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as a participant in this summer’s Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops. …
Robinson confirmed for ENS that he plans to be in Canterbury during the July 16–August 3 once-a-decade gathering, but not as an official conference participant or observer. …
Report from the Episcopal News Service. (Photo: Donald Vish.)
Making your life count for eternity
So often, those for whom this world has little regard are the ones the Lord uses to bring honour to Christ.
From our Resources section, here’s the story of one man who sought to make a difference for eternity.
Daily Accounts from the TEC House of Bishops meeting
The Episcopal News Service is posting “daily accounts” from the Episcopal Church’s meeting of its House of Bishops.
From the Episcopal Church’s website.
Man the lifeboats!
We are currently witnessing a dramatic ‘rescue operation’ in North America to save those drowning in a ‘disaster’ caused by a pagan heresy. …
Jeremy Halcrow has a good summary of recent events at SydneyAnglicans.net.
(Picture of Dr. J I Packer from the St. John’s Shaughnessy video.)
The Christ Files screening Good Friday
The Christ Files, a one hour documentary hosted by Dr. John Dickson, airs across Australia on the Seven Network at noon on Good Friday (March 21).
Many Sydney Anglicans will have heard of the Good Friday special, and also the accompanying 4 part series (now available on DVD), but have you considered how you could use them to speak with your friends about the Lord Jesus?
To watch a preview and to order the DVDs, visit thechristfiles.com.au.
Langham Partnership’s Chris Wright in Oz
Dr. Chris Wright, International Ministries Director for Langham Partnership, is in Australia this month to speak about growing a new generation of preachers and teachers around the world.
On the afternoon of Sunday 30th March he will be at an informal afternoon tea at St. Thomas’ North Sydney and he has several speaking engagements in Melbourne and Sydney. Dr Wright’s itinerary is available on the Langham Partnership Australia website.
About Langham Partnership:
“In 1969 John Stott founded the Langham Trust to fund scholarships for young evangelical leaders from the Majority World. Recipients would study at British universities, working toward doctorates in biblical and theological fields and then returning to teach in seminaries in their home countries. The name was taken from All Souls Church, Langham Place, London—the church where John Stott was Rector at the time. …
In 1971 John Stott founded the Evangelical Literature Trust, into which he assigned all the royalties from his extensive writings in order to provide books for students, pastors and theological libraries in the Majority World.”
Visitation Scheduled for San Joaquin Provisional Bishop Nominee
A single candidate chosen to be the provisional Bishop of San Joaquin will participate in a two-day walkabout visitation to the diocese immediately after the House of Bishops’ meeting concludes at Camp Allen in Texas on March 12. … Read more
‘Time to get our heads above the parapet’
Anglican Mainstream is reporting a letter to the Editor of the Church of England Newspaper from a senior layman, Professor Glynn Harrison of the University of Bristol –
“Sir,
The news that Dr Jim Packer has been served with a ‘notice of presumption of Abandonment of the Exercise of Ministry’ by the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada is a significant moment for ‘ordinary’ evangelicals in the Church of England. Read more
Same-sex dispute hovers over bishop vote
Allison Kydd is concerned delegates who will elect the 10th Anglican Bishop of Edmonton on Saturday don’t know where the nominees stand on same-sex blessings.
Kydd said she’s disappointed an Episcopal search committee didn’t press the seven nominees on their positions on an issue that’s caused a major rift in the church. …
At the time of her election, many assumed [the previous bishop, Victoria] Matthews, raised and educated in Toronto, was on the ‘liberal’ side of the spectrum because she was a woman, Kydd said, and it was such a new thing to have a woman as a candidate.
Kydd said that wasn’t the case, and Matthews, who went on to be nominated twice as primate or national leader, pulled the church in a more conservative direction. …
Full report from The Edmonton Journal.
John Stott’s ‘Final Public Address’
Though delivered last July at the Keswick Convention, many may not have read Dr. John Stott’s final public address before his retirement from public ministry at the age of 86.
His topic? ‘The model – becoming more like Christ’.
Read the text of his sermon from the Langham Partnership’s website.
Background story here. (Photo: Langham Partnership.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…