‘Tearing the Fabric’ — 2012 edition

An updated edition of ‘Tearing the Fabric’ (‘The Episcopal Church: Tearing the Fabric of communion to Shreds’) has been produced by The American Anglican Council.

It’s a very useful resource – and a sobering reminder of how a denomination can lose the gospel.

It can be downloaded from the AAC website (PDF file).

The main sections:

Catalog of Heresies: Quoting Episcopal Church Leaders
Fruits of TEC‘s Theology
Declining Membership
Litigation, Uncanonical Acts, and Harassment

The uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ

Dr Mike Ovey, Principal of Oak Hill College, preached on Hebrews 1:1-4 at the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Conference in London this week.

Watch his most encouraging, edifying and challenging exposition – at the GAFCON website.

Missing the biggest story of the week

Each week, the Anglican Communion News Service publishes a weekly roundup of news from all around the Communion. Interestingly, this week’s roundup makes no mention of a meeting in London of  two hundred leaders from thirty countries – representing the majority of Anglicans worldwide.

FCA Leaders Conference concludes — and the movement begins its mission

Media Release
Leaders Conference, London
23 to 27 April 2012

“After some 450 years it is becoming clear that what some have called the ‘Anglican experiment’ is not ending in failure, but is on the verge of a new and truly global future in which the original vision of the Reformers can be realized as never before…”

Media Release:

The movement begins its mission

GAFCON 2008 declared it was ‘not just a moment in time but a movement of the spirit’. Now, at a conference in London, 200 Anglican leaders committed to mission and mutual support.

The Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem established a Primates Council representing the majority of the world’s Anglicans and set up a global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans as a movement within the Communion.

The leaders met at St Mark’s Battersea Rise in London for five days of prayer, planning and plenary sessions. Seminars ranged over key topics such as evangelism, family, economic empowerment, the Gospel, church and spiritual leadership under pressure.

Opening the event, GAFCON/ FCA Chairman Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya, told the delegates they were called to “a great prophetic purpose at this critical point in the life of our communion.” The Archbishop outlined the extent of unbiblical teaching in the communion and declared “The heart of the crisis we face is not only institutional, but spiritual.”

“After some 450 years it is becoming clear that what some have called the ‘Anglican experiment’ is not ending in failure, but is on the verge of a new and truly global future in which the original vision of the Reformers can be realized as never before” the Archbishop said.

In a plenary address, Bishop Michael Nazir?Ali concluded that the Anglican “Instruments of Unity” have failed dramatically and that the FCA is called to model an alternative way for the churches of the Anglican Communion to gather and relate to one another in such a way as to carry out the Great Commission in the coming decades.

In their final conference ‘Commitment’, the leaders resolved to work together in an ever?strengthening partnership, to stand by each other and to engage in a battle of ideas on behalf of the Biblical Gospel.

The next Global Anglican Future Conference was also announced. The event, with invitees including clergy and lay people, as well as bishops, is scheduled for May 2013.

“One delegate came up to me and said ‘Now I know that I am not alone’. Though they are the majority, the orthodox often feel isolated.” said FCA general secretary Archbishop Peter Jensen. “There are people everywhere who believe the same gospel, preach the same thing and stand for the same truths. That is the dynamic of this conference. People who felt powerless have now been given confidence.”

April 27, 2012 AD.

See the Statement and Commitment from the meeting with a brief introduction to GAFCON (PDF file).

Text here via Anglican Mainstream.

 

 

You Have to Get Religion to Get Religion

“Charles (Chuck) Colson got religion, but those people who haven’t got it, do not get it. They keep missing the point of his imprisonment as they retell his story. Sometimes they even get the chronology wrong – and in this case the chronology is important.

Chuck wasn’t converted in gaol, but beforehand. In fact he was gaoled because he was converted. Not that he was a martyr; persecuted and imprisoned for his faith. He went to gaol as a criminal because he had ‘got religion’. If he had not got religion he most likely would never have gone to gaol. …”

– Phillip Jensen’s weekly column tells the real story behind Chuck Colson’s imprisonment.

Gambling is not a numbers game

“I applaud Mr. Wilkie for his efforts in championing poker machine reform amidst broken promises from the Federal Government.

However, the fact that this issue is only on the agenda because Mr. Wilkie holds a controlling vote demonstrates a sad state of affairs. The Government should repent of its opportunism…”

– The Bishop of Tasmania calls for a radical change in politics.

Statement from the Anglican Mission in England

“Statement at the Celebration of the Anglican Communion at Emmanuel Centre, Westminster

The next few months will increasingly reveal the direction being taken by the Church of England regarding two matters:

We have established, and this week confirmed the principle that orthodox Anglicans who despite repeated efforts cannot receive oversight in the Church of England can continue to belong together with other orthodox Anglicans and minister with recognition within the global Anglican communion.   Read more

We should elect our chair, say Primates

“The Primates of Nigeria and Kenya suggested this week that the Archbishop of Canterbury should no longer chair the Primates’ Meeting. The chairman should instead be elected by the Primates themselves, they said…”

– Church Times reports on the FCA meeting which concludes today in London.

Long to reign over us

“It is characteristic of the Queen that, on the eve of her jubilee year, she should address the Commonwealth not by drawing attention to herself, but by preaching the Gospel in her annual Christmas broadcast. She has done this before, most notably at the turn of the millennium, but never as clearly as last year, when she spoke quite directly about human sin, the forgiving power of Christ and the need for each of us to be born again.”

– In his Editorial for Churchman Spring 2012, Gerald Bray writes about Queen Elizabeth II and her legacy. (PDF.)

How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens

“This is a charming little book that gives an overview of every book of the Bible and how it relates to Jesus. … I wish all students would read a book like this before they came to Seminary…”

– Michael Bird (Crossway College, Brisbane) draws attention to Michael Williams’ book ‘How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens’. Availability.

Anzac Day: Damien Parer

“Last time I was in Canberra I visited the National Film and Sound Archives. While there one particular exhibit caught my attention. It featured the first Australian Academy Award winning film … ‘Kakoda Frontline’.

The film images are now iconic. The ‘diggers’ fighting their way across the steep, mountainous terrain, hampered by dense jungle, continuous rain storms, river crossings but ever by their sides helping; sometimes carrying the wounded are the New Guinea natives, the legendary ‘fuzzy wuzzy angels’. It was little wonder the film won an Academy Award…”

– BCA Missioner Rod Oldfield on King Island shares an ANZAC Day reflection.
(h/t Bishop John Harrower.)

Abp Wabukala’s FCA Conference keynote address

“I believe that our time together here is a key moment in the unfolding purpose of God for our beloved Anglican Communion and its great encouragement to have leaders drawn from some thirty different nations as we gather here this evening. We are indeed a global communion for the twenty-first century…”

– Archbishop Eliud Wabukala is the Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council and Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Read the text of his keynote address from the FCA Leadership Conference in London.

FCA Primates Council media release at start of Leaders Conference

April 23, 2012

“With great anticipation we greet the delegates to the first FCA Leaders Conference as they gather in London. Over two hundred leaders from thirty countries will hear God’s word and commit to one another for the preaching and defence of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in and through the Anglican Communion.”

Media Release
Leaders Conference, London
23 to 27 April 2012

The Primates Council of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans met over three days, April 19th- 21st in London.

With great anticipation we greet the delegates to the first FCA Leaders Conference as they gather in London.

Over two hundred leaders from thirty countries will hear God’s word and commit to one another for the preaching and defence of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in and through the Anglican Communion. From this meeting will emerge key networks and commission capable of strengthening the worldwide churches and delivering the Christian message to the world.

We pray for those responsible for the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury that they will look for a godly leader of God’s people. We believe that in the future development of the Anglican Communion the chair of the Primates Meeting should be elected by the Primates themselves. We believe that the future of our Communion relies on adherence to Scriptural authority, faithful and Christ-centred preaching of this word, the blessing of God’s Holy Spirit, godly leadership and the spiritual commitment of God’s people. These spiritual realities and the reality of worldwide Anglicanism should be reflected in the structures of the Anglican Communion.

From the beginning the thrust of our FCA movement has been forward-looking. We have therefore confirmed the decision to call GAFCON II for May next year in a venue shortly to be announced. We believe that the joyful meeting of orthodox Anglicans from all over the world will be a dynamic force for restating the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of revisionist attempts to change basic doctrines and turn Christianity merely into a movement for social betterment. It is the preaching of the Gospel of Christ crucified which saves men and women and transforms the world.

– available at the GAFCON website.

Converted Anglican church now Taoist temple

A new use for a former Diocese of New Westminster church building –

“After renovations by the Chinese Taoism Kuan-Kung Association in Canada, which purchased the property in the fall of 2010, the building has been transformed…”

– story and image from BC Local News. Another story from Burnaby Now.
(h/t Ed Hird.) 

QandA — or Question Un-answered?

“Were you disappointed by the Dawkins/Pell debate? You’re not alone – all Christians I know, were unhappy. Not because our ‘gladiator’ lost the contest to the atheist ‘gladiator’, but because he seemed to lose the plot and mangle the gospel…”

– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen comments on the recent episode of ABC TV’s Q&A.

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