Why the Creeds are good
“To too many the creeds are a dusty vestige of a happily distant past. They were written centuries ago, born out of abstract battles whose players we can’t even name. Isn’t it just better to love each other and not get caught up in all those silly questions?…”
– In an age where creeds play little part in many church gatherings, R.C. Sproul Jr says that creeds are good guards of the faith. (h/t Gary Ware.)
If you have no gospel, preach something else
The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, addressed viewers of a live webcast from Los Angeles last week. She spoke of the urgency of “choosing life”:
“a time of judgment …
We can choose to change our … ways …
We still have some opportunity to choose, but that kairos moment will not last long.
We have before us this day life and death. Which will we choose?”
The Presiding Bishop was not speaking of salvation through Christ from sin and death, but about “The Climate Change Crisis”. (Starting 3:30 into the video.)
Transcript of her talk. [Yes, the Bible affirms our stewardship of all creation, but without the gospel of Christ, no-one will be saved.]
Related: Anglican Bishops call for urgent action on ‘unprecedented climate crisis’
“A group of 17 Anglican Bishops from all six continents have called for urgent prayer and action on the ‘unprecedented climate crisis’. Their Declaration The World Is Our Host: A Call to Urgent Action for Climate Justice released today sets a new agenda on climate change for the 85 million-strong Anglican Communion…”
When to make a stand
“Three great ‘stands’ in the history of the church:
- the stand of Athanasius over the person of Christ;
- the stand of Martin Luther over the authority of Scripture and justification by faith alone;
- the stand of the GAFCON Primates over the priority of Christ and his mission, the authority of Scripture over denominational processes, revisionist theology, and ethical practice. …
Being prepared to make a stand has characterised genuine Christian leadership throughout the last two thousand years. But why? And when? And how?”
– Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson gave this talk at a seminar during the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Conference in Melbourne last week.
Very helpful. Download it here as a PDF file.
(Picture: Detail from ‘Luther at the Diet of Worms’, by Anton von Werner, 1877.)
The visible Church of God — Article 19
In his latest video on The Thirty Nine Articles, for the American Anglican Council, Canon Phil Ashey looks at Article 19 and the Visible Church of God.
The ACL celebrates the launch of FCA Australia
The Anglican Church League sponsored the launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), Australia at Scot’s church, Melbourne on 26 March 2015.
“The establishment of FCA Australia is recognition that we are not immune to the challenges of the wider communion. The ACL celebrates this launch and joins with you in praying for the newly formed FCA Australia board.”
The ACL’s President, Gav Poole, spoke at the launch reception —
“The ACL is a grassroots movement made up of lay and clergy members. We promote ministry that is reformed, protestant and evangelical.
By reformed we mean ministry that has its genesis in the sixteenth century reformers who recaptured the Biblical faith that we are saved through faith in Christ alone and that God is sovereign in life and salvation.
By protestant, we protest Biblical aberrations, name and warn against false teaching. Our unity is in the gospel, not structure and institution.
By evangelical, we fully trust in the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ which provides the only solution to human rebellion. The gospel is not just one of many messages but our only one.
This week, as we seek solutions to our many struggles, please be encouraged that faithful, clear and bold proclamation of the gospel along with earnest prayer to the Lord of the harvest is always rewarded.
One of the goals of the ACL is to promote the evangelical character of the Sydney diocese. Like it or not, the Sydney diocese is what it is today largely due to the work of the ACL.
It is a testimony to the fact that we can achieve far more together than apart.
Is a privilege to sponsor tonight’s event. The establishment of FCA Australia is recognition that we are not immune to the challenges of the wider communion.
The ACL celebrates this launch and joins with you in praying for the newly formed FCA Australia board.
Thank you for the opportunity to sponsor this event.”
Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Australia launched
“An Australian branch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans has been launched in Melbourne, watched by delegates from across Australasia at the Anglican Future Conference…”
– Russell Powell has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
And the GAFCON website has the text of Archbishop Eliud Wabukala’s address:
“… it is my prayer that FCA Australia will be powerfully used by God as an instrument of renewal and reform in the Anglican Church here. I long to see all orthodox Anglicans united in a common commitment to pioneering a new wave of evangelism which will have a deep and lasting impact on this nation.
However, I also want to encourage you to look beyond Australia. As you come together in this Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, commit to becoming even stronger partners with orthodox Anglicans throughout the world.…”
Related: Today David Ould published interviews he has recorded with Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and Dr. Ashley Null at the conference.
Anglican Future Conference opens in Melbourne
“The Anglican Future conference has opened in Melbourne with a call for faithfulness and clarity in proclaiming the Gospel in Australasia.
More than 400 delegates have gathered in Melbourne, from all over Australia and New Zealand…”
– Russell Powell has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Wesley Hill at Moore College
While in Australia recently for Liberty Christian Ministries, Dr Wesley Hill (Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania) visited Moore College.
He spoke with the Faculty, addressed the students, and also sat down for a guest interview with Archie Poulos.
Watch the interview (9 minutes).
Watch his lecture and Q&A session (52 minutes).
Good resources for pastoral ministry.
Around the Anglican Church of Australia — 25 March 2015
The Anglican Future Conference is getting under way in Melbourne today (March 25-27 2015). Please pray for all attendees, and for a renewed gospel vision for Australia to come out of this significant gathering.
In other news from around the country –
“Roof-wetting a milestone” – The Anglicare Women’s Hostel at Toowong celebrates milestone with a roof-wetting and blessing by Archbishop Dr Phillip Aspinall.
“Parishes rallying to pay Anglican Diocese of Bathurst’s legal bills” – Daily Liberal, Dubbo.
“Conversation with the Archbishop: Economics for a sustainable future” – Diocese of Melbourne.
“Pilgrims’ Service & Chrism Mass”, theme of “Called and Sent: a year of discipleship and apostleship” – Diocese of Ballarat.
St. Alban’s Cathedral in Griffith to celebrate 60 years – Diocese of Riverina.
Easter encouragement from Bishop Stuart Robinson – Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn.
‘The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s long and boring shuffle out of Christendom’
“The drift from biblical orthodoxy to spiritualized leftism has profound real-world consequences. The church isn’t just shuffling out of Christianity, it’s shuffling out of existence. The church has lost 37 percent of its members since 1992, and the trend is accelerating.”
– National Review. Photo: PCUSA.
Related: How to tell the difference between The PCA and PCUSA – Joe Carter.
Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism? — conference audio
On Saturday 21st March 2015, the Anglican Church League held the “Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism?” conference in the Chapter House of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.
Those present considered our Anglican inheritance, our current challenges and our potential future under God.
Glenn Davies, Archbishop of Sydney; Ashley Null, authority on Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation; and Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore Theological College, were the speakers.
Listen to the talks via these links:
Archbishop Dr. Glenn Davies:
The State of Play in the Anglican Church of Australia.
27MB mp3 file and 100kb PDF file outline.
“The ACL’s role in Sydney is to keep the Diocese evangelical. That’s our role. Our role is to be ever vigilant … What one generation fights for, the next generation accepts and the third one forgets. … The stronger ACL is, the stronger the Diocese of Sydney is; the stronger the Diocese of Sydney is, the better the national church will be.”
Dr. Ashley Null:
Our Inheritance.
“The very heart of Cranmer’s understanding of the mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel … to renew the hearts and minds and lives of the English people.”
Dr. Mark D. Thompson:
Where next for confessional Anglicanism?
17MB mp3 file or 160kb PDF file.
“I am an Anglican – not just by historical accident but by conviction. I am convinced that here is a good – more than good, something that has proven to be powerfully effective over almost five hundred years — expression of gospel principles and gospel priorities … Yet to be true to that heritage I must be a gospel man first.”
Photo by Scott Blackwell.
Calls for the Liberal Party to ‘hold the line on same-sex marriage’
The Australian Christian Lobby (not related to the ACL – we just have the same initials) is supporting a campaign to encourage the Liberal Party to oppose same-sex marriage,
“as libertarian Senator David Leyonhjelm seeks to bring yet another bill to redefine marriage before the Parliament on Thursday. Mr Shelton urged Liberal members to hold the line on voting as one if the issue came up at Tuesday’s party room meeting.”
See also: preservingmarriage.acl.org.au.
Will I know my loved ones on the other side?
“Every pastor has been asked “will I know my loved ones on the other side?”
The intermediate state is the time between our death and the day when Jesus Christ returns and we receive our new body. In that time we are disembodied souls, will we be able to recognise loved ones?…”
– David Cook writes to encourage.
Confident: Why we can trust the Bible
“Last February and on into March, Mike Ovey and I each wrote a number of little blog posts responding to Steve Chalke’s article, ‘Restoring Confidence in the Bible’. We’ve reworked those posts, added some more material and discussion questions, and the result is a new little book published by Christian Focus and called, Confident: Why we can trust the Bible.
It’s not a finger-pointing, hand-wringing book (Steve Chalke isn’t mentioned at all). Rather it’s a book to encourage and equip Christians…”
– from Dan Strange at Oak Hill College in London. (Availability.)
National Day of Prayer for Defence
“Each year, the Military Christian Fellowship of Australia hosts a National Day of Prayer for Defence.
This year’s National Day of Prayer for Defence ison Saturday 28 March 2015.
All who have a heart to pray for Defence are welcome to join us in Canberra at the Duntroon Chapel, or remotely in the regions…”
– from Defence Anglicans.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…