Questions for Global Anglicans

In his latest video series, “Questions for Global Anglicans”, the American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey outlines a way forward for the Anglican Communion.

He hopes to see a coming-together of GAFCON and the Global South Primates.

The Bible and Same-Sex Marriage: An Overview from Ridley College

“Our purpose in writing this brief letter is to support our fellow Anglicans in wrestling with this issue by offering a summary of the scholarly discussion over what the Bible teaches on homosexuality, and an explanation for why we believe the traditional path on marriage and sexuality is the one that Christ is calling us to take.”

– Ridley College, Melbourne, has issued an open letter affirming the Biblical doctrine of marriage.

As David Ould notes, this is a significant contribution to the conversation among Australian Anglicans, especially in the light of the unilateral action of the Diocese of Wangaratta.

The ACL’s Pre-Synod Podcast

Check out the ACL’s 2019 Pre-Synod Briefing Podcast to get a feel for some of the key issues coming up at Sydney Synod.

Produced by the Anglican Church League as a service to members of Synod.

Listen here.

The big mistake many secular people make about religious discrimination

“There’s a big mistake many secular people make about religious discrimination.

It’s a mistake I’ve seen repeated many times. Even by (or especially by) educated secular commentators. This mistake is a fairly recent one. But it’s impact is serious: it’s eroding religious freedom in Australia. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Akos Balogh thinks there’s a better way of understanding the issues.

Australia’s Anglican ‘Blessing’ Liturgy – What is it?

“The same-sex marriage blessing liturgy presented to the Wangaratta synod for their approval (and due to be presented to the upcoming Newcastle synod) is not a new piece of work but, rather, heavily dependent upon other similar liturgies first developed more than 20 years ago in the 1990s and earlier. …”

– David Ould takes a look at the origins of the liturgies being promoted in Australia to bless same-sex marriages, and what they claim to achieve.

Where was the press? The new $23 million Falls Church Anglican sanctuary gets zero coverage

“Near the end of 2006, I was working on one of my biggest stories of the year: The mass exodus of 11 Episcopal churches from the Diocese of Virginia, the nation’s largest Episcopal diocese.

It was a huge story and it wasn’t completely certain that on that sunny, cold Sunday if all the theologically conservative churches in northern Virginia would decide to leave en mass.

They did and this created headlines for weeks after that. The largest church that left was The Falls Church Episcopal (TFCE), a large complex worth about $24.7 million with its new-ish sanctuary, a historic chapel and cemetery on 5.5 acres right in the middle of the city named after it (and only a few blocks from where I lived). Built in 1734, its vestry included George Washington, who was elected in 1763.

Members voted 1,228 to 127 to leave, which doesn’t reflect the fact that some 2,000 people regularly attended there. …”

– At Get Religion, long-time religion reporter Julia Duin gives some context to last month’s opening of the Falls Church Anglican building.

Photo: Falls Church Anglican.

Fired for using the wrong pronouns

“Two cases have been highlighted overseas recently where a Christian employee has been fired for declining to use the ‘preferred pronoun’ of a person who identifies as a different gender to their biological sex.

The cases illustrate that religious freedom, and free speech generally, in the workplace can be under challenge in circumstances involving ‘gender identity’ issues. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster outlines recent cases in the United Kingdom and in the USA, and considers the Australian context.

Hope grows in Myanmar: “We never dreamed God would do this”

“When God blesses the work done in his name, it’s amazing what can happen. This has been the experience of three Sydney women – who travel to Myanmar each year to teach the Bible and help care for two orphanages year-round.

The Rev Jackie Stoneman from Mary Andrews College, and Chris Gerardis and Lynn Pickersgill from Anglicare, were invited to go to Myanmar as part of a short-term mission in 2008. …”

– Greatly encouraging news from SydneyAnglicans.net. With more info at growing-hope.org.

Anglican Church of Canada ‘gone by 2040’

“In 2018 General Synod was able to collect a complete and mostly reliable set of data for from the dioceses for the first time since 2001. The data is for the year 2017 and it shows that the decline observed in earlier data has continued.

Projections from our data indicate that there will be no members, attenders or givers in the Anglican Church of Canada by approximately 2040.”

– Anglican Samizdat highlights a sobering report just presented to the Anglican Church of Canada’s House of Bishops.

Also from the Anglican Church of Canada:

Get your pet blessed this Sunday in Vancouver – Vancouver Courier.

“Annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony welcomes creatures of all types to Shaughnessy church.” [This is the Anglican Church of Canada congregation now using the building vacated by St. John’s Vancouver.]

Resilience

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart (2 Corinthians 4:1). The trouble is, in ministry it can be only too easy to lose heart.

So begins Birkett’s short and incisive work that details her research into the idea of resilience and Christian ministry. This is much needed, given that burnout is all too common in ministry.

What sets Birkett’s work out from the crowd is that she is not writing a survival plan. …”

– At Church Society’s blog, Aled Seago commends Resilience, a new book by Kirsty Birkett.

Seven ways you can contribute to better Public Discourse

“Paul D. Miller, professor of the practice of international affairs at Georgetown University, recently authored a white paper for the ERLC [Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention] on ‘Faith and Healthy Democracy.’ …

Here are their seven encouragements for individuals and families to be healthier contributors for the common good.”

– From Justin Taylor at The Gospel Coalition.

One encouragement: Put down your smart phone, and don’t give them to kids.

Forgiveness and a hug for his brother’s murderer

“If you haven’t seen this anywhere else, watch it now.
If you have seen it, watch it again. …”

– This video is being posted on multiple websites. Well worth watching.

This link via Gary Ware.

Doctor’s Biblical belief ruled ‘incompatible with human dignity’

“A Christian doctor has been told that his belief in the Biblical view of what it is to be male and female is ‘incompatible with human dignity’.

Dr David Mackereth, who had been an NHS A&E doctor for 26 years, was forced out of his job working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after refusing to use ‘transgender pronouns’…”

– Christian Concern in the UK highlights a ruling from the Employment Tribunal which states that the doctor’s Christian beliefs are not ‘worthy of respect in a democratic society’.

What do you want to become? (Ephesians 5:5–7)

“What do you want to become? When you close your eyes and picture yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, what will you have become? What do you hope for, pray for, and plan for? …”