Dr Garry Williams on William Tyndale

Dr Garry Williams, Director of the John Owen Centre at London Theological Seminary, recently spoke at Ballymoney Baptist Church in Northern Ireland. His topic: “The Life and Death of William Tyndale: Loving God’s Word”.

The 49 minute (14MB mp3 file) talk gives an excellent insight into Tyndale’s passion to see God’s Word translated into English. Most encouraging. (via Colin Adams at Unashamed Workman.)

United Church of Canada: ‘celebrating post-theism’

“The United Church of Canada, which was formed 86 years ago with the grand vision to bring Protestants together “in one glorious national church,” is undergoing one of the most precipitous slides in modern religious history.

In the midst of a breathtaking erosion in its membership, the church is undertaking what some call a great experiment to redefine itself through an intense engagement with the surrounding secular world; whether it be through advocating for the environment, fighting for the rights of homosexuals to marry or taking on the cause of the Palestinians, the church has attempted to blur the boundaries between religion and the broader society.…”

– Opinion-piece by Charles Lewis in the National Post of Canada.

(As the Anglican Essentials Canada blog points out, it makes the Anglican Church of Canada “look like a bastion of orthodoxy”. Example. Photo: UCC Moderator Mardi Tindal from her Easter message.)

Egyptian Church: update

Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower, has links to the latest from Egypt at his blog. Food for prayer.

Anglicare promo video

Anglicare Sydney has releases a 4 minute promo video highlighting a range of ministries and the foundation for their work. See it at YouTube.

A prophetic word to the PCUSA

In 2010 an Orthodox Arch-priest from Belarus, Siarhei Hardun, spoke plainly to the PCUSA General Assembly as they debated gay marriage and ordination. Worth watching, even if the advice was not heeded.

Justin Taylor has the story and some useful links here.  (Related posts.)

‘Sydney and Anglican: A Fresh Look at Mission’

A Conference “organised by a small group of like-minded Sydney Anglicans” is set for for Friday June 17th, 2011, at St. Philip’s York Street.

Details here.

Scripture — God Speaks

The audio files of this year’s Clarus Conference, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have been made available by the organisers at Desert Springs Church.

G. K. Beale and Carl Trueman — both from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia — spoke on Scripture. (h/t Justin Taylor.)

Shadow Gospel: an uncertain faith

We’ve noted Charles Raven’s book – published in September 2010 – before, but it’s worth drawing attention to it again.

This week’s GAFCON Primates’ Statement from Nairobi includes these words:

“We continue to be troubled by the promotion of a shadow gospel that appears to replace a traditional reading of Holy Scriptures and a robust theology of the church with an uncertain faith and a never ending listening process. This faith masquerades as a religion of tolerance and generosity and yet it is decidedly intolerant to those who hold to the ‘faith once and for all delivered to the saints’.”

Charles Raven’s book, Shadow Gospel: Rowan Williams and the Anglican Communion Crisis, is important reading for all who want to understand the theology of the Archbishop of Canterbury and how it is informing his leading of the Anglican Communion. He writes in his introduction:

“Although I seek to show that Rowan Williams’ theological vision is so problematic that a biblically faithful future for the Anglican Communion will have to come from elsewhere, I have not set out to portray him as an Antichrist or even to suggest that the current crisis is simply ‘his fault.’ He is interesting as much for what he illustrates about the Anglican Communion and its governance structures as for what he generates, being deeply shaped by the same theological and social trends which were straining the Communion well before he came to Canterbury.”

The book is published by The Latimer Trust in the UK, and can be ordered from them, however Australian readers might find this link useful.

Notice of the ACL’s 2011 AGM

For our members — please note:

The Annual General Meeting of the Anglican Church League will be held on Thursday 16th June 2011 at  6:00 pm at The Mission to Seafarers, 320-334 Sussex Street, Sydney.

More details closer to the date!

Naviget: GAFCON Unfurls its Sails

“I sense that the GAFCON Primates’ Nairobi Communiqué issued this week has about it this quality of divine summons; it is an expression of obedience to the call of the gospel. The GAFCON Primates who met in Nairobi last month have plenty to occupy them in their own backyards. They have growing vibrant churches which need vigilant oversight, many have to grapple with pressing issues of poverty, some of their Provinces are on the frontline of militant Islam and in an African context they are also often called to act as statesmen too.

The temptation to focus on their own immediate challenges and disengage from a Communion which is in a crisis not of their making must be very powerful. But it has been determined that GAFCON must unfurl its sails for the sake of the gospel and I see the Nairobi Communiqué unfolding the vision established at Jerusalem in 2008 in two areas which are vital to the re-evangelisation of the West.…”

– Charles Raven comments on the latest developments from GAFCON.

‘GAFCON throws down gauntlet to Dr. Williams’

“The tone of the Nairobi statement from the Gafcon archbishops: Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, West Africa, the Southern Cone, Rwanda, Sydney and Archbishop Robert Duncan of the ACNA, speaks to the mounting frustration the reform movement’s leaders feel with the course of events taken by the London-based instruments of the communion, one insider told The Church of England Newspaper.

Given the African church’s historic deference to the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and their cultural predisposition not to air their differences in public, the Nairobi letter was a remarkably frank document, CEN was told…”

– George Conger reports for The Church of England Newspaper.

Presbyterian Church (USA) votes for gay ministers

“After 33 years of debate, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has voted to change its constitution and allow openly gay people in same-sex relationships to be ordained as ministers, elders and deacons…”

– Story from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Press release from the PCUSA.

Albert Mohler writes:

“But even beyond the specific issue of homosexuality, the church faced two of the most fundamental questions of Christian theology — the authority of the Bible and the Lordship of Christ. In making this change, the church clearly affirms that one may submit to the Lordship of Christ without submitting to the clear teachings of Scripture.…”

(Photo: PCUSA.)

Music from Mark Peterson

Mark Peterson, Music Director at Holy Trinity Adelaide, is generously making two of his albums – When We See You and Whatever Happens – available as free downloads.

The offer ends on May 23! Find the songs here.

Plans announced for GAFCON 2 and London and Africa offices

“GAFCON primates meeting in Africa have announced plans for another international conference as well as opening offices in London and Nairobi.

The council of Anglican leaders was established by the Global Anglican Future Conference in 2008, representing more than 35 million Anglicans.

Now, the Primates are planning for a second GAFCON in 2013 preceded by a leadership conference in New York in 2012. …”

– Read more at the GAFCON website.

Lessons from History

“Today there are groups like the Pentecostals who have grown remarkably. Sydney Anglicans have not witnessed comparable growth but we have an important role to play in Australian Christianity. In particular, we can provide a theological and ecclesiastical stability that will buttress and support Christianity in our nation…”

– Wise words from Bishop Paul Barnett – over at SydneyAnglicans.net
(Photo courtesy Paul Barnett’s blog)

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