Tackling climate change a ‘moral imperative’
“The Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a meeting of faith leaders and faith-based and community organisations at Lambeth Palace to discuss the response of faith communities to the environmental crisis. With 40 days to go before the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit the participants have pledged to work together to raise awareness about the effects of ‘catastrophic climate change’ on the world’s poor…
In the first statement of its kind, signed by leaders from every faith community (including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Baha’i, Jain and Zoastrian) the signatories recognise ‘unequivocally that there is a moral imperative to tackle the causes of global warming’…”
– Press release from the Anglican Communion Office.
(For a summary of contrary views on global warming, see this article from The Telegraph. Here’s a greater imperative. Photo: Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.)
‘ABC outdoes BBC’
– says Russell Powell in his weekly roundup of media stories at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Has ‘the Anglican Experiment’ really failed?
Charles Raven: “The Anglican Communion crisis is not about Anglicanism in itself, but a crisis of faithfulness. Failure to maintain Anglicanism’s doctrinal and moral integrity precipitated GAFCON and is the root cause of the Pope’s offer of the Ordinariate.”
– Charles Raven responds to a statement by Forward in Faith UK’s Chairman (and also Bishop of Fulham), John Broadhurst, that ‘the Anglican experiment is over’. At SPREAD.
(Photo of Bishop Broadhurst: Diocese of Fulham.)
Responsible gambling?
Opinion from Peter Brain, Bishop of Armidale –
“From time to time I enjoyed watching Friday night football on the telly (quite an admission from one brought up on the other rugby!)
What surprised me was the statement by the commentators (at half-time, I think it was) that advised us that we could ‘get $1.18 for St George and $4 for Parramatta by ‘phoning … – but please remember to gamble responsibly.’ Read more
The latest from the national capital
Stuart Robinson, Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, has released his latest ‘StuTube’ video.
He speaks of the encouragement of Back to Church Sunday and exhorts the churches of his diocese to continue to be ‘missional, engaging, and loving’.
He also commends the book “Facing the Future: Bishops Imagine a Different Church”, edited by Bishops Stephen Hale and Andrew Curnow, and reads an extract. (Related.)
See also “Starting Mission-Shaped Churches” by Stuart Robinson. (Moore Books, Gospel Outreach Ministries, Ridley Bookshop.)
The video runs for 8:38 at YouTube.
Timothy Partnership to be launched
A new joint project of Anglican Youthworks College and Presbyterian Youth.
“In 2010, we are proud to launch the Diploma of Theology by Distance: practical theological training made accessible to every Christian, everywhere. This unique collaboration brings together the expertise of two experienced and trusted ministry organisations to offer the best possible ministry education and formation experience for students. We also work with local church ministers on the ground to train up a generation of leaders.”
Read about it at timothypartnership.com.au.
Sydney welcomes ACNA
“On the final night of the 2009 Synod, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has passed a resolution embracing the new Anglican province, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
In the words of the resolution, ‘Synod welcomes the creation of the Province of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) under the leadership of Archbishop Bob Duncan and notes the GAFCON Primates’ Council recognition of the ACNA as genuinely Anglican and its recommendation that Anglican Provinces affirm full communion with the ACNA. Synod therefore expresses its desire to be in full communion with the ACNA.’…”
– Russell Powell writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
The Resolution reads –
Synod –
(1) welcomes the creation of the Province of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) under the leadership of Archbishop Bob Duncan and notes the GAFCON Primates’ Council recognition of the ACNA as genuinely Anglican and its recommendation that Anglican Provinces affirm full communion with the ACNA and –
(a) therefore expresses its desire to be in full communion with the ACNA, and
(b) furthermore, requests that Standing Committee seek to have a motion brought to the General Synod affirming that the Anglican Church of Australia be in full communion with the ACNA,
(2) welcomes Archbishop Duncan’s assessment that the recent Vatican offer of a Personal Ordinariate ‘will not be utilised by the great majority of the Anglican Church in North America’s bishops, priests, dioceses and congregations’ and urges all Anglicans to reject the Vatican’s proposal, and
(3) asks the General Synod Standing Committee to –
(a) bring the Anglican Covenant to the September 2010 General Synod in such a manner as to enable each diocesan synod to consider the document, and
(b) bring a motion to the General Synod noting the publication of the Jerusalem Declaration and to encourage its study as a means to Anglican identity and cohesion.
Here I Stand — free audio download
To mark Reformation Day (October 31), Martin Luther’s Here I Stand, a 24 minute recording by Max McLean, is available as a free download from The Listener’s Bible.
“In the late afternoon of April 18, 1521, in the city of Worms, Germany, Martin Luther, a 37 year-old Catholic monk was called to defend himself before Charles the Fifth, the Holy Roman Emperor. The speech he delivered that day, Here I Stand, marked the beginning of the Reformation…”
The offer exprires on November 1st. To receive the download, simply create an account and follow the links. (h/t Andy Naselli.)
Columbo-style connecting
On two recent episodes of the White Horse Inn broadcast, Greg Koukl from Stand to Reason ministries shares some tips on connecting helpfully in an apologetic situation. He thinks we can learn from Lt. Columbo.
Hear the discussion (“Tactics” parts 1 & 2, October 4 & 11 2009) in the White Horse Inn archives. (Part 2 repeats about 10 minutes of the first episode.)
Global South Primates: Pastoral Exhortation
The Global South Primates Steering Committee has issued this “Pastoral Exhortation” —
“The Vatican announcement on Apostolic Constitution… gives us an occasion in making the following pastoral exhortation.”
A Pastoral Exhortation to the Faithful in the Anglican Communion
1. We, under-shepherds of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church of Jesus Christ, bring greetings to the faithful in the Anglican Communion. Read more
Keith Condie on Richard Baxter
Earlier this year, David Höhne and Michael Jensen interviewed Moore College Dean of Students Keith Condie about his research on Richard Baxter.
It’s a light-hearted but very interesting introduction to one of the key English Puritans – at The Common Room.
‘Battle of the Bishops’
‘Battle of the Bishops’ is the title of tonight’s edition of Compass on ABC-TV at 9:40pm AEDT.
“Follows the head of the Anglican Church in Nigeria as he leads a boycott of the once-a-decade Anglican leaders meeting in London, to hold a rival summit in Jerusalem. Archbishop Peter Akinola and other disaffected Anglicans, including Sydney’s Archbishop Peter Jensen, want to “restore traditional family values” and remain “faithfully committed to the scriptures”. Will this split the church in two?”
Sixteen months after GAFCON, how will it be portrayed? Since people may be discussing it tomorrow, it’s worth having a look.
(Archbishops Henry Orombi, Uganda and Peter Akinola, Nigeria, at the GAFCON closing session. Photo: Joy Gwaltney.)
Connect09 Halloween idea
Next Saturday, October 31st, is Halloween (and, November 1st is Reformation Sunday!).
If you live in an area where young people are likely to knock on your door for Trick or Treat, consider having some copies of the Colin Buchanan DVD on hand to give away with your confectionary. (Ideally, hand the DVD to their parents if they are present.)
What Will Rowan Do?
“What will Rowan do?” That’s the question posed by Bishop David C. Anderson President of the American Anglican Council as he reviews this week’s moves by the Vatican:
Beloved in Christ,
The news that has overtaken much of the Christian media (and a good bit of the secular as well) is the announcement from Rome that they are opening up a personal prelature for orthodox Anglicans. This would allow Anglicans to maintain much of their liturgy and custom, and for many of the Anglican clergy, it would offer the option of becoming a Roman Catholic priest. Read more
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s solution?
From the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans – 23 October 2009.
The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which has previously been denounced by liberals of ‘splitting’ the Anglican Communion, could be the solution for an Archbishop of Canterbury who wants to keep ‘Orthodox’ Anglicans within the Church. Read more
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…