Church of England Ordinands ask for Alternative Episcopal Oversight

Published by Anglican Mainstream:

“By A Group Of Ordinands Currently In Training.

During the debate on Living in Love and Faith at General Synod in February, the Archbishop of York spoke about the need for some settled way of ensuring that everyone has a place within the Church of England.

We agree wholeheartedly, and fully support the campaign by the Church of England Evangelical Council for a settlement that will enable those like us who cannot accept the recent proposals from the House of Bishops to remain in the Church of England by establishing necessary visible differentiation from those who support their use.

However, any such settlement is likely to take years of painstaking negotiation. Therefore, it offers no immediate solution for ordinands due to be ordained as deacons and priests in the near future. For this reason, we have written this short statement to raise awareness of our situation and to call on bishops to provide a temporary solution while we await a long-term one. …”

– Read it all here.

Stephen Noll: The Next Step — Formation of a New Communion of Churches

Dr Stephen Noll has concluded his series of 14 Theses suggesting ways forward for Biblically faithful Anglicans –

“These Fourteen Theses represent an attempt to sketch a providential history of global Anglicanism over the past twenty-five years. …

These Theses describe an ‘Ebenezer moment’ for the Anglican Communion and propose a critical next step: a costly but necessary separation from the Church of England as the mother church and from the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury as a focus of Anglican unity. In truth, this separation has been happening since 1998, as Global Anglicans have begun charting their own way forward.

Any genuine reform of the Church involves a threefold cord: renewal of faith and mission; reform of doctrine, discipline, and worship; and reordering of church polity at the local, regional and international levels. …”

– Read Theses 11 to 14 here.

“Evangelical” “Bible” college fires lecturer over tweets on sexuality

“A Christian theology lecturer with five young children has been sacked and threatened with a counter-terrorism referral by a Methodist Bible college for a tweet on human sexuality that went viral.

Dr Aaron Edwards, 37, who is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was last week sacked for misconduct by Cliff College in Derbyshire for allegedly ‘bringing the college into disrepute’ on social media. …”

– Story from Christian Concern.

And what will happen to evangelicals in the Church of England if it continues on its current trajectory?

Image from an interview with CBN News.

Related:

Pivoting to Surrender: A Warning for All Christians – Albert Mohler, 04 March 2021.

‘The Dead are Raised…’

“The subject of death is not something we usually discuss. It’s too personal and confronting. Yet it’s the ultimate certainty we all face. It’s why literature, film and philosophy so often dwell on the themes of our mortality. But it’s rare that anyone claims they can do anything about it. Death is assumed to be the inevitable end for everyone. …”

At The Anglican Connection, John Mason reminds us that death is not the end of the story.

“Airbags on Pokies” — The Dean of Sydney

Sandy Grant, the Dean of Sydney, writes about the choice before NSW voters this Saturday –

“Friends in Christ, I encourge you to join me in this prayer for our State, with the election of a new Parliament this Saturday, 25th March:

Almighty God and Loving Heavenly Father, we humbly ask you to direct the hearts of those who seek election to our state parliament, and of us as we exercise our democratic freedoms. May we vote unselfishly for the common good. Protect politicians from the temptation of self-serving. Enable them to make realistic promises and help them keep their word. Uphold those elected to serve in the new Parliament through all the heavy demands that come upon them, that they may serve with integrity. May the decisions of our parliaments, state and federal, lead to the safety and welfare of this country, so that peace and happiness, truth and justice may be established among us. Amen. 

As you know, I have spoken strongly in favour of reforms to prevent and minimise harm from poker machine use, which currently sees people in NSW lose $8 billion a year. That’s about $23 million per day! And the worst losses are often in the poorer areas of our city.

I have been calling for reform for almost 15 years, since I first became aware of the dreadul damage done by poker machines on their users and families.”

– Read it all at the Cathedral website.

Image: If only modern poker machines took bets of just 25 cents.

University of Helsinki Faculty of Theology to confer Honorary Doctorate

The University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Theology to confer Honorary Doctorate on twenty-year-old activist Greta Thunberg.

What does the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Theology do? From the University:

“The Faculty of Theology prepares students for duties requiring expertise in religions, worldviews and values. …”

Encouragement from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel has recorded this message to encourage churches as we come up to Easter.

Great to share.

Motion putting pressure on Church of England passed by MPs

“Yesterday, Ben Bradshaw MP’s ‘ten minute rule motion’ aimed at forcing the Church of England to conduct same-sex marriages was passed by the House of Commons without a vote.

The motion does not change the law. But it sends a message that some politicians are becoming increasingly willing to compel acceptance of same-sex marriage on those who disagree. …”

– Report from Coalition for Marriage in the UK.

Boldy and unapologetically trembling at God’s word – with Phil Colgan and Paul Grimmond

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“We are not called to be entertainers, but preachers.  How might we as individuals and as leaders of God’s people tremble before him? And are we going soft on this?

What is the connection between the text and the preacher? As a preacher, how long since you have been rebuked and repented? How has your world view has been challenged recently?

Paul Grimmond is Dean of Students at Sydney’s Moore Theological College.

Phil Coglan is senior pastor at Sydney’s St George North Anglican Church.”

– Watch or listen here.

Archbishop Ben Kwashi GAFCON IV

Archbishop Ben Kwashi has this brief message of encouragement for all who are going to GAFCON IV – a great reminder for us all to pray for the gathering.

Tom Habib — new Lecturer at Moore College — interviewed

For the latest issue of Moore Matters from Moore College, Tom Habbib shares his story –

“I remember reading through Isaiah 53 at my first Youth Group camp and being struck by how Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus’s death for my sins. Another time, I was convicted while reading Mark 8:36, ‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’.

I realized that up until then, I had been trying to ‘gain the world’, and from then on, I wanted to live for Jesus. …”

– Read it all here.

See also: Various articles by Tom.

A Celtic Blessing — Bishop Stuart Bell consecrated for Anglican Convocation in Europe

In a service with a distinctive Welsh flavour, including harpists, songs, prayers and Bible readings in Welsh, Stuart Bell was consecrated on Saturday 18 March as bishop to serve within the Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE).

Led by Archbishop Foley Beach representing the Gafcon Primates, and Bishop Andy Lines, the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Network in Europe, the service marked a significant moment in the history of the Principality.

Stuart will assist Bishop Andy Lines in providing support and encouragement, oversight and accountability for ACE clergy and congregations within Wales. His consecration represents the continuing provision by the global Anglican family of a home for those seeking to remain faithful to the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ and uphold historic, orthodox, biblical, confessional Anglicanism.

In his sermon, Archbishop Foley emphasised that the ministry of a bishop is to ensure the message of the church remains the message of Jesus, by teaching the Word of God, defending the faith and proclaiming Jesus boldly and unashamedly.

Asked about Stuart’s consecration, Archbishop Foley said, “It will now give the people of Wales a godly and faithful bishop who upholds the theology and moral teaching of the Bible and our Anglican tradition.”

Stuart himself reflected, “It seems to me that this a twofold testimony. A testimony as orthodox Anglicans in Wales to the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ which is our responsibility to faithfully present to all who will receive it; and, sadly, a testimony specifically against the Church in Wales which has stepped away from that Biblical gospel.”

In his greeting to the congregation Stuart publicly re-affirmed three life-time commitments: “Firstly to Jesus Christ as my Lord and myself as his disciple. Secondly to the Scriptures as recorded in the Bible, to believe them, to trust them, to seek to live them, and to preach them faithfully. Thirdly, I re-affirm my commitment to Wales, to commend Christ to Wales and to seek to bring Wales to Christ… until my last breath.”

– Source: The Anglican Convocation in Europe.

Praying for GAFCON IV preparations

Today’s prayer request from GAFCON:

“GAFCON IV, April 17-21, Kigali, Rwanda is taking place at a very significant moment in the Anglican Communion.

Pray for all the contributors to be able to prepare well in their area of the programme.”

March — April 2023 issue of Southern Cross now out

The March — April 2023 issue of Southern Cross magazine, produced by Anglican Media Sydney, is out now.

Copies will be available in churches.

As well, you can download a PDF version, or read online, at sydneyanglicans.net/about/southerncross.

Why we are compelled to resist — CEEC

The Church of England Evangelical Council has released a declaration and invites members of the Church of England to signify their assent:

“The Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process and resources have enabled us, as the Church of England, to explore our different understandings of sex, marriage and relationships and, assisted by the Pastoral Principles, become better at the “good disagreement” that many have called for.  …

While we recognise and respect the desire of the bishops to find a way forward, which will hold the Church together, we believe that their proposed draft Prayers of Love and Faith cannot do this. This is because they – and further changes some are calling for in the bishops’ revised pastoral guidance to replace Issues in Human Sexuality – do not keep faith with our biblical inheritance and the doctrine of the Church of England on marriage shared with the wider Anglican Communion as expressed in Lambeth 1.10. …”

– Read it all here.

← Previous Page — Next Page →