Must Canterbury Fall?

“The current power struggle is about redefining and recasting the faith of the historic Anglican Communion. …

The Episcopal Church has tried to occupy that centre of influence in order to shape the communion according to its vision of the Christian faith, untethered from the authority of scripture. Canterbury under the previous leadership allowed TEC space and even support with its Communion Changing agenda.”

– With the Primates’ meeting just days away, Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden write this opinion piece (also published at Anglican Mainstream) in The Church of England Newspaper. They appear to take a more optimistic view of Canterbury than many. Time will tell.

Pastoral Message and Call to Prayer from the Primate of Uganda

The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, has sent this Pastoral Message and Call to Prayer to all the leaders in his Church.

He addresses the coming Ugandan elections, and also next week’s Primates’ gathering called by the Archbishop of Canterbury –

“The Archbishop of Canterbury understands that the first topic of conversation in the ‘gathering’ of Primates is the restoration of godly order in the Anglican Communion. This is the unfinished business from the non-implemented, but unanimously agreed, Communique from the 2007 Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam…”

– Read it all at the GAFCON website. (Photo credit: Diocese of Bristol.)

Archbishop Welby requests prayer for Primates’ Meeting

“The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is asking people to pray for the Primates of the Anglican Communion who will be meeting in Canterbury on 11-16 January 2016. The leaders of the 38 Anglican provinces will be at the gathering, which was called by Archbishop Justin Welby in September last year. …

The agenda will be set by common agreement with all Primates. It is likely to include the issues of religiously-motivated violence, the protection of children and vulnerable adults, the environment, and human sexuality.”

– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service.

The meeting just might also address faithfulness to Christ and obedience to his word.

See also: The Anglican Communion is at a Crossroads – from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council,

“The Archbishop of Canterbury has called together all the Primates of the Anglican Communion for a meeting in Canterbury 11th – 16th January 2016 which we believe will be decisive for the future of the Communion. …

Will Christ rule our life and witness through His word, or will our life and witness be conformed to the global ambitions of a secular culture?

This was the reason GAFCON was formed in 2008: to renew a Communion in crisis, drifting from biblical truth. While the presenting issue was human sexuality, this was really just one symptom of a deeper challenge, the emergence of a false gospel which rejects the core Anglican commitment to the truth and authority of the Bible.

GAFCON works to make this fundamental issue of biblical truth clear to Anglicans everywhere so that, equipped by God’s word and empowered by His Spirit, we can live under the lordship of Christ and make him known as Lord and Saviour to a world in desperate need of Him.

The GAFCON Primates will attend the Canterbury meeting, but they are clear that their continued presence will depend upon action by the Archbishop of Canterbury and a majority of the Primates to ensure that participation in the Anglican Communion is governed by robust commitments to biblical teaching and morality.” (emphasis added)

Nungalinya College vacancies

Nungalinya College in Darwin is seeking to fill three vacancies. Perhaps you know (or are) the right person for one of them.

Either way, we are sure the College would be glad of your prayers. Details here.

Funeral of Bishop John Reid — 14th January

The funeral of Bishop John Reid, who died on Saturday, will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, at 10:00am on Thursday 14th January 2016. Burial at St. Jude’s Randwick, at 2:00pm.

Details at The Sydney Morning Herald.

1977 photo of Bishop Reid courtesy Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.

Why GAFCON truly matters

“We are now walking in a new spiritual darkness. The churches are ill-prepared. But God is thoroughly prepared; he is not at a loss. There is nothing to fear; but we need to work out what new tactics are required for this new context. Without doubt, we will walk by faith; but what does this mean?”

– GAFCON General Secretary Peter Jensen writes an encouraging reminder of why we need GAFCON.

With thanksgiving for Bishop John Reid

It has been announced that Bishop John Reid, Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Sydney, 1972–1993, has fallen asleep in Christ at the age of 87.

In a tribute posted at SydneyAnglicans.net, Archbishop Glenn Davies said that Bishop Reid,

“will be remembered for being an accomplished Bible teacher, an able administrator and a passionate evangelist. His abilities were internationally recognised through his involvement with the Lausanne Movement as chairman, as well as the missionary organisation Interserve.”

John Reid was ordained in Sydney in 1955, served as Curate at St. Matthew’s Manly (1955-56) and as Rector of Christ Church Gladesville (1956–1969). He was collated as Archdeacon of Cumberland in 1969, and in 1972 was consecrated as Assistant Bishop of Sydney. He was responsible for the South Sydney area of the diocese until his retirement in 1993.

Bishop Reid was passionately concerned to see men and women come to faith in Christ. Many will be unaware, for example, of his behind-the-scenes work to support pastors in Communist Eastern Europe, before the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Bishop Reid is survived by his wife Alison. We will post funeral details here when they become available.

(Top photo: Bishop John Reid visiting St. George’s Hurstville in 1986.

Second photo: Bishop Reid in 1981, courtesy Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.)