Church denied leave to appeal
Anglican Network in Canada, 11 July 2008:
Today, a judge of the BC Court of Appeal, Madam Justice Rowles, denied a request by the congregation of St. Mary of the Incarnation in Metchosin (St. Mary’s), for leave to appeal an earlier decision related to use of their church building. Read more
What’s wrong with Women Bishops?
Reform London has posted on their website a helpful talk given at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in 2006 by Professor Gerald Bray. He shows there are good theological reasons for opposing the introduction of women bishops – and also raises many other worthwhile topics.
Dr Gerald Bray is Director of Research for the Latimer Trust.
– Hear the 40 minute talk (and 12 minute question time) in this 9.1MB mp3 file (direct link) from Reform London.
Archbishop Greg Venables on BBC TV
Archbishop Greg Venables was the guest of Stephen Sackur on BBC-TV’s HARDtalk programme on Thursday.
Video of the 24 minute interview (in RealVideo format) is available from the BBC. (Image: BBC.)
Why Wright is wrong and Rodgers is right
Two very distinct and contrary views of the recent Global Anglican Future Conference have emerged following the Jerusalem gathering where some 1,200 world class Anglican leaders from 38 countries, including more than 300 bishops met to contemplate the crisis in the Anglican Communion.
The first view is from former seminary dean and now a Bishop with the Anglican Missions in the Americas, John H. Rodgers Jr. He was present at the gathering and observed the conference first-hand. …
– Commentary from David Virtue at VirtueOnline.
(Bishop Rodgers’ photo: Trinity School for Ministry.)
Hong Kong primate criticises GAFCON
The Anglican primate of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui has criticized the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), held in Jerusalem this June, for bringing ‘severe harm’ to the Anglican Communion.
Archbishop Paul Kwong said that Anglicans with different opinions on human sexuality issues should address their concerns through dialogue. …
– News item brought to you by The Episcopal News Service.
(Photo: Anglican Communion Office.)
Certainty during WYD
“A city-wide chalking campaign led by a Sydney Anglican minister is being used to reach Roman Catholic pilgrims as they arrive in town for next week’s World Youth Day.
The Rev Mark Gilbert, who is a former Roman Catholic and currently an assistant minister at Holy Trinity, Kingsford is calling on Christians to ‘follow in the footsteps of Arthur Stace’ and boldly proclaim the certainty they have in Christ’s death for their sins as the only means for their salvation. …”
– Article from SydneyAnglicans.net. (And who was Arthur Stace?)
Themelios Journal now a free resource
The well-known evangelical theological journal Themelios is now being published by The Gospel Coalition. The General Editor is D A Carson.
The first fully digital edition (May 2008) has been graciously made available as a free download (5.8MB PDF or as streaming iPaper).
Get it from the Gospel Coalition.
All you need is love – in the Diocese of Niagara, anyway
“Here is the video the Diocese of Niagara is sending to Lambeth. I am trying to think of something nice to say about it.”
– Anglican Essentials Canada’s blog on the video being sent from the Diocese of Niagara to Lambeth. (5 minute, 15.7MB wmv file – direct link.)
Choosing a Bible: free download
If you read Tim Challies’ article Every word of God (yesterday), arguing for an essentially literal translation of the Bible, you may also find this book by Leland Ryken, Professor of English at Wheaton College, helpful –
His 32 page Choosing a Bible: Understanding Bible Translation Differences is available as a free PDF download, through the generosity of Crossway Books.
“The persistent, detonating logic of Lee Ryken’s pen will educate and convince any fair-minded person that the primary Bible for study and preaching must be an essentially literal translation.” – Kent Hughes.
“A masterful and convincing argument for literal, that is to say, transparent translation of the Holy Scriptures.” – J. I. Packer.
You can get it from this page. (Direct link to the 310kb PDF file here.) Printed copies may also be ordered. Dr Ryken is also Editor of the forthcoming ESV Literary Study Bible.
(Crossway, a not-for-profit Christian ministry, publishes the ESV.)
Why Traditionalists must not wait to act
… it is an undeniable fact that it is radical principled action which changes the Anglican church, not debate and dialogue. The Oxford Movement demonstrated this in the nineteenth century, the churches of North America have shown it in the last and in this, first by illegally ordaining women, then by ignoring the pleas of the Communion not to consecrate Gene Robinson. …
– John Richardson calls for decisive action at the Ugley Vicar.
See also David Virtue’s post at VirtueOnline –
“Church of England traditionalists got their single biggest wake-up call, yesterday, when the Synod decided to consecrate women bishops, rejecting compromise proposals for new ‘super bishops’ that would have offered a safety net for those opposed to women’s ascent to the episcopacy. …”
Reform predicts Synod vote will ‘further rouse the sleeping giant’
Reform predicts Synod vote will “further rouse the ‘sleeping giant’ of evangelical Anglicanism”
This initial response from Reform to the C of E General Synod vote has just been issued –
Reform members who took part in the Synod debates are very disappointed that no legal provision has been made for those who cannot in conscience receive oversight from a female bishop. We note that the opinions of four out of the five most senior bishops on both the content and timing of this measure were swept aside in the course of the debate.
We will scrutinise the proposed code of practice in February’s debate carefully, but remain very sceptical as to its usefulness.
By giving no legal provision Synod has effectively said: “We don’t want people like you in our Church of England.” This message will no doubt further rouse the ‘sleeping giant’ of orthodox and evangelical Anglicanism in the UK and around the globe.
– from Reform.
Catholic and Post-modern at Lambeth
“There will be a strong ecumenical presence at the 2008 Lambeth Conference. The Archbishop of Canterbury will welcome more than 75 representatives from a wide variety of churches and Christian communities.
Two of the principal speakers at the conference come from the ecumenical world.
Cardinal Ivan Dias is head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples … [and] Brian McLaren… an American evangelical … and an internationally recognised contributor to post-modern thought and culture. …” (emphasis added)
– From an ACNS press release. See also these earlier posts mentioning Brian McLaren.
(Photo: brianmclaren.net.)
Every word of God
“Imagine, for a moment. You wake up one morning and, as you stumble downstairs to grope for the coffee maker, you notice that the front door of your house is wide open, the brisk morning air blowing into the room and clearing your mind just a little bit. You stare at the door for a moment to process the fact that it is open. Your first thought, of course, is for your family. …”
– Tim Challies shares some helpful thoughts on the reasons for an essentially literal translation of the Bible. At Challies.com.
Further reactions to the C of E decision
Both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican have issued statements about the Church of England General Synod’s decision to allow the consecration of women bishops –
“This decision is of course painful in the inter-Christian dialogue, as it is further alienating the Anglican community from the Apostolic tradition,” Priest Igor Vyzhanov, secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, said in an interview with Interfax-Religion on Tuesday… – via Interfax.
“The decision will be ‘a new obstacle to reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England,’” – Vatican spokeman – via ABC News. Update: see also this.
Forward in Faith UK reacts to C of E vote
Forward in Faith and the Catholic Group in General Synod note with regret that, despite the clear advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Durham, the Bishop of Winchester and other Bishops, the Prolocutor of the Province of Canterbury and the Chairman of the House of Laity and the obvious lack of consensus, today resolved to make no meaningful provision for those in conscience unable to receive the ministry of women bishops. There must now be a period of prayerful reflection. However, members of both the General Synod and of the Church of England will understand that actions always have consequences.
– An initial reaction to the Church of England General Synod vote from the large Anglo-Catholic group Forward in Faith.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…