Ten Elements of Historic Anglicanism

“It is important to begin with two comments:

1) This paper was inspired by something J.I. Packer wrote in 1995, ‘Speculating in Anglican Futures’. I have added to it, but Dr Packer must not be blamed for my additions, or the final form this brief paper has taken.

2) I need to define ‘Anglicanism’. You will notice that I qualify it as ‘historic’ Anglicanism. What do I mean? I mean the Anglican way – the way of the Church of England as defined by the three historic documents: the Book of Common Prayer (1662); the Ordinal (for Bishops, Priests and Deacons); the 39 Articles of Religion. We find the doctrines, beliefs and ethos of historic Anglicanism in these documents.

Let me now turn to these ten elements.

First and foremost this Anglicanism locates its final authority in matters pertaining to salvation in the Holy Scriptures.

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article  of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation  (Article 6).

This places final authority for faith and salvation in “Holy Scripture”. By contrast the church is the “witness and keeper of holy writ”, but not the source of “Holy Writ”. The articles recognise that various “rites” need to be authorised and adjudication given in matters of “controversy” and the church has “power…and authority” in such things  (Article 20). Nonetheless, churches may err and have erred within history; they are not infallible.

So, to begin, Holy Scripture is the basis and touchstone of faith.

Thus the church must defer to the Bible in all matters relating to salvation and, indeed, in the ultimate in all matters relating to rites, ceremonies and controversies. Thus the Anglican Church is biblical as to the basis of its authority.

At ordination the minister is given a Bible as the instrument of ministry. The Bishop’s charge in the Ordinal, along with the questions and answers, make it abundantly clear that Christian ministry has the Bible as the basis and means of ministry.…”

– Read the full paper at Bishop Paul Barnett’s blog.

Simplicity and Integrity: the KJV in the church and the world

A Conference to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.

Thursday July 7th 2011, 9.30am – 4:00pm at Moore College in Newtown.

Details here.

Joint statement from St. John’s and the Diocese of New Westminster

“During the transition ministry and services will continue to be administered by St John’s Vancouver clergy and staff. While there are still some legal matters to resolve all parties present expressed the wish to avoid further litigation and find a mutually acceptable way forward which will glorify God and care for his people.”

– from a brief statement posted on the St. John’s website.

Why did Jesus have to die?

In a new 5 minute video from The Gospel Coalition, David Short is asked, “Why did Jesus have to die? and What actually takes place on the Cross?”.

Also see his discussion of the question, “If homosexuality is simply another sin, why is it treated differently in churches?”.

(Worth reading in conjunction with the first video are these excerpts from an interview with John Piper.)

‘New York bishops praise state passage of same-gender marriage’

“At least one Episcopal Church bishop in the state of New York has said that clergy in his diocese may solemnize same-gender marriages as soon as the state’s recently passed Marriage Equality Act goes into effect.

‘Diocese of Western New York Bishop William Franklin said in a statement welcoming the law’s passage that he will be holding meetings soon ‘for members of our diocese to listen to how Episcopal churches in Western New York might integrate this decision into our life.’…

The New York State Senate voted 33-29 on June 24 to pass the bill making New York the largest state in the United States to allow same-gender couples to wed.”

– The Episcopal News Service reports. Bishop R William Franklin’s full statement here. (The Roman Catholic bishops take a different view. h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

‘Church followers find a new home’

“It was a historic moment in Ottawa as a subdued crowd of about 300 filed out of St. Alban’s Anglican Church on King Edward Avenue on Sunday, leaving behind a place where some have roots going back to Confederation. …”

– Story from The Ottawa Citizen. (Photo: The Rev. George Sinclair and the old St. Alban’s building.)

The Anglican Mission in England – Seeing the Church of England again for the first time

Charles Raven provides insights into the launch of the Anglican Mission in England –

“Revisionists will no doubt express various degrees of outrage at the emergence of the AMiE, but it is in fact a godly and gracious initiative which offers some hope that the Church of England may yet avoid the same fate as TEC.”

“Yesterday afternoon I was privileged to be present at the inaugural event of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) at St Peter’s Cornhill. Today the AMiE was introduced to a wider audience at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly meeting in St Helen’s Bishopsgate with fulsome support from The Revd Rod Thomas, Chairman of Reform. In these two churches, at the heart of the City of London, English church leaders launched a mission society unlike any others the Church of England has seen in its long history.

The AMiE is not only committed to adventurous church planting and the re-conversion of England, but is also prepared to provide alternative episcopal oversight in cases where it is clear that diocesan bishops are failing in their canonical duty to uphold sound teaching. The key institutional innovation is a panel of bishops formed by Bishops Michael Nazir Ali, John Ball, Colin Bazley, Wallace Benn and John Ellison which enjoys the support and encouragement of the GAFCON Primates’ Council…”

– This is a major development and Charles’ article is worth reading in full.

New Anglican Mission Society announced

“The Anglican Mission in England (AMIE) held its inaugural event on Wednesday June 22 during an evangelical ministers’ conference in central London.

AMIE has been established as a society within the Church of England dedicated to the conversion of England and biblical church planting. …

The AMIE has been encouraged in this development by the Primates’ Council of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON) who said in a communiqué from Nairobi in May 2011: ‘We remain convinced that from within the Provinces which we represent there are creative ways by which we can support those who have been alienated so that they can remain within the Anglican family.’ …”

– Read the full news release on the GAFCON website. More background here.

New Principal for Queensland Theological College

The Queensland Theological College has announced a new Principal — from Ireland!

“Irish eyes smiling on Queensland Theological College

The Queensland Theological College (QTC) will appoint the Rev Dr. Gary Millar as its new principal from 2012.  Read more

St. John’s in transition

From the St John’s Vancouver website:

“Over the next two weeks we will be having two town hall meetings to discuss the transition. This will be an opportunity to pray, support and listen to one another,  ask questions, give suggestions, and voice concerns.”

– Please keep in your prayers the members of St. John’s (Shaughnessy) and the other three Vancouver churches having to vacate their properties.

When the Church bows to the State: Gay bishops in the Church of England

“As if the Church of England does not have enough troubles, word is leaking out of Lambeth Palace that the church is about to allow the appointment of openly gay bishops, so long as those bishops remain celibate.

The news has emerged in the form of a leaked internal memorandum prepared for the Archbishop of Canterbury by the church’s highest legal adviser…”

– Albert Mohler looks at the latest controversy facing the Church of England.

Bishop calls for Churchwide day of prayer, fasting for an end to Sudan violence

From the office of the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kadugli, Sudan

A Call To Prayer and Fasting to End the Nuba Genocide, and for the Peace of all Sudan! – Sunday June 26, 2011

To all my brothers and sisters in Christ,

On behalf of my people in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan we are asking all Sudanese Christians wherever they are, and the Church throughout the world to join with us in a day of prayer and fasting on June 26, 2011.    Read more

ACL Council members 2011–12

We’ve updated the list of members of the Anglican Church League’s Council, after last week’s Annual General Meeting.

Reform calls for legal advice on Bishops’ Appointments to be withdrawn

“The legal advice from Church House on whether clergy in civil partnerships can be appointed as bishops should never have been published and should now be withdrawn. This is the view of General Synod member and chairman of Reform, the Revd Rod Thomas. …”

– Reform responds to the highly publicised release of ‘legal advice’ on Church of England bishops in civil partnerships.

(Peter Ould takes apart the story at An Exercise in the fundamentals of orthodoxy.)

Pastoral letter from Bishop Don Harvey ANiC

This Pastoral Letter from Bishop Don Harvey of the Anglican Network in Canada was written just after the announcement last week concerning the Vancouver churches.

“But just as the events of this day, nine years ago, were a spark that ignited a flame that went beyond our wildest imaginations, so may the Christ-like manner in which we handle this decision be an encouragement to so many of our brothers and sisters who are struggling to find courage to take action against something they realize is dreadfully wrong in the church where they have remained.”

My dear friends in Christ Jesus:

When the history of our Church is written, the date of June 16th will receive very special mention. It was on that day, nine years ago that a relatively few members of the Synod of New Westminster made the fateful decision that they no longer were able to remain in a church that was showing itself unfaithful to the Word of God. They felt that as precious as unity was, it still came secondary to truth and that the time had come to put their strong faith into action.  Read more

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