(Some) Anglican Primates meet with Archbishop Welby in Rome

Justin Welby Credit: Jacqui J. Sze

“This week Archbishop Justin Welby will meet with his primates in Rome in the hope of rectifying the world’s wrongs, then putting them to right with various resolutions, aided by a beleaguered Pope.

What is most significant is the absence of primates who represent some 75 percent of the Anglican communion which must come as something of a shock to the deep thinkers and spinmeisters at Lambeth Palace.

There will be no GAFCON primates and perhaps a small handful of GSFA primates, but Sudan Archbishop Justin Badi has already signaled his displeasure with Archbishop Welby over human sexuality issues, that it might just be enough to dissuade them from attending. …”

– David Virtue wonders who will turn up and what they will talk about.

Photo credit: Jacqui J. Sze, via The Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.

May – June 2024 Southern Cross now available

Anglican Media Sydney has published the May – June 2024 issue of Southern Cross magazine.

Copies will be available in churches shortly, but you can download a PDF version, or read it online, now.

This issue includes a tribute (page 30) to the Rev. Stephen Gabbott who was called home last month.

Take Jesus at His Word

“What does it mean to be a Christian disciple? Putting it as simply as possible, being a disciple means following Jesus Christ. Christian disciples want to follow their Lord in everything, to be shaped by his teaching and his example in the way they think, feel, and behave. We want him at the center of our perspective on the world, his mission as the priority of our life, his glory our chief concern in every endeavor. That is as true for the Christian theologian as for any other disciple.

Christian theology can helpfully start at any number of places. Its fundamental ground lies in the triune God himself. Theology has long been defined as ‘words about God and all things in relation to God.’ Yet because what we know about God is made known by God — spoken through the prophets and apostles, and given to us in the more permanent form of Scripture — all true theology arises from and is tested by the Bible. So, we could start the discussion of any theological topic with a reflection upon the person of the triune God or upon what the Bible tells us about that specific topic.

But what makes theology specifically Christian theology is the critical place accorded to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God and Saviour of the world. …”

– Published earlier this year, this encouraging article was written by Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson. At Desiring God.

Intimacy with God

“Did you know that God desires a relationship with you? Did you know that God desires an intimate relationship with you?

Jesus the Messiah has made it possible for you and me

And

– In this devotion published by The Global Fellowship of Anglican Churches, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, Dr. Foley Beach turns to John chapter 15.

Update on the Wahroonga Preaching Conference

From The Expository Preaching Trust:

“The Preaching Conference at Wahroonga has been rescheduled for Monday – Tuesday, 9-10 September. The Conference is to be Co Chaired by Chris Edwards, the Bishop of North Sydney and David Cook of the Expository Preaching Trust.

Simon Manchester is the main speaker and there will be sermons by Mike Leite, Jim Mobbs and David Cook, all on the book of Acts.

The conference begins at 9:30 am on Monday the 9th at the Wahroonga Presbyterian Church, it will be held at the Anglican and Presbyterian churches in Wahroonga.

Cost is $50, fully catered and we are limited to 30 participants.

Preaching groups will be led by Simon Manchester, David Cook, Mike Leite, Jim Mobbs and Janet Riley.”

– See their website for details.

A whirlwind interview with Rico Tice: on Chappo, the church and the gospel we preach

At The Australian Church Record, Micky Mantle (Rector of North Sydney) interviews evangelist Rico Tice.

Among other things, Micky asks Rico about the influence John Chapman had on him:

“Yeah, Chappo’s humanity. He was such a laugh. Chappo was so wonderfully himself.

Also, when he spoke to people, the tone was always one of such love. I suddenly saw someone I could – you know, he just was always for you, Chappo. And he believed in the Holy Spirit, and he taught the truth. And you just felt that tremendous sense of his personal warmth, and the humour.

And the ability to rebuke. So of course, one day driving back from Newcastle [UK] – I’d gone up to a church with him to hear him preach – and he said to me…”

– Read the full interview to see what Chappo said, and what influence that had.

Image: Rico Tice preaching at an Insurance Service at DSt. Helen’s Bishopsgate in 2022.

Rico Tice: ‘I was naïve about current culture in the CofE’

“Well-known evangelist Rico Tice has recently left the Church of England and now worships at the International Presbyterian Church (IPC), Ealing.

In an exclusive interview with Evangelicals Now, he explains why he made the switch, and what his advice is to evangelicals themselves wrestling with leaving. …”

– Read here.

Image: Rico Tice at the Coronation Prom in May 2023.

Evangelism in Ordinary Life

“As you read this, your next-door neighbor is repairing his water heater.

It isn’t a difficult fix, but he’s going to discover that he’s missing the hex wrench that he needs to complete the job.

So, in about fifteen minutes, you’re going to get a knock on your door from your neighbor looking for the necessary tool – a tool you’re happy to loan him. You’ll exchange greetings and ask him how he’s doing. Because you’ve been neighbors for a while, he’s going to pause, skip the normal ‘Doing just fine,’ and give you an honest answer. …”

– At Ligonier Ministries, Joe Holland has some simple encouragement.

(Link via Tim Challies.)

Bishop Mari Emmanuel forgives his attacker and endorses freedom of speech and religion

Screenshot

For ANZAC Day, Bishop Mari Emmanuel of Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley has spoken out in forgiveness and in support of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Remembering the Sacrifice: ANZAC Day 2024

“Grant Dibden, Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, shares the story of sacrifice about Corporal Reginald Samuel Thorn from Broken Hill, NSW.

A recently discovered letter from Corporal Thorn was sent one day prior to his sacrifice at Pozières, France.

At deaths door, Reginald Thorn’s letter shares the hope of a better place beyond the grave made available through the greatest sacrifice made by Jesus.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13.”

– At Defence Anglicans.

An Evening with Charlie Skrine

From Moore College:

“Join us for an engaging evening with Charlie Skrine, Rector of All Soul’s Langham Place and passionate advocate for complementarianism.

With many years of experience and dialogue across viewpoints, Charlie brings a wealth of insight into the significance of complementarian roles for men and women. Serving in the heart of London and active in evangelical leadership, he continues the legacy of impactful ministry.

Charlie is visiting Australia to speak at EFAC’s National Evangelical Anglican Conference on the topic of “Evangelical Anglicanism—what sort of future?” And we are privileged to have Charlie presenting the Priscilla and Aquila seminar on Ephesians 5: ‘This is a profound mystery; How can something the Bible says is this good be the cause of so much division?’

Don’t miss his talk this Monday, April 29, from 7-9 pm!

Register today by clicking the link.”

A high stakes game of ecclesiastical poker in the Anglican Communion — with Justin Badi Arama and Paul Donison

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“It is almost D day in the Anglican Communion.

Today we give the background for two highly significant meetings. One to take place next week in Rome.  The second in June in Cairo.

The Rome gathering has been called by the rejected Canterbury leadership.  The Cairo gathering has been called by the leadership of the Global South.

As background, The Church of England, the historic mother church of the Anglican Communion, under the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury formally abandoned the historic Christian faith when the English General Synod voted to follow Archbishop Welby and his house of bishops in voting for same sex blessings.

In reaction, the majority theologically orthodox have drawn a line in the sand and parted company with The church of England.

The Global South Churches said in their important Ash Wednesday 23 statement that the Church of England has disqualified herself from leading the Anglican communion.

Gafcon said the Archbishop of Canterbury’s leadership has been irreparably damaged.

We speak with  the chair of the Global South Archbishop Justin Badi Arama of South Sudan and the new General Secretary of Gafcon Bishop Paul Donison.”

– Watch or listen here.

Asked by Dominic Steele if the Rome gathering is “an attempt to play ecclesiastical poker”, Gafcon General Secretary Bishop Paul Donison replies –

“…I can’t really speak with much clarity or knowledge on what Archbishop Welby is hoping for, but we should assume based on all the games that have been played, I think poker is a good analogy over the last decade and longer from Canterbury that this is yet another attempt to obfuscate, to confuse, to get a win for the traditional revisionist structures.

And my prayer is simply that all of the Bible-loving global primates can see through that.

Hopefully many will see that ahead of time and not go.”

Finnish Christian MP to appear before Supreme Court over ‘hate crime’ Bible tweet

“A Christian politician in Finland will be forced to stand trial for the third time, despite twice being vindicated over allegations of ‘hate speech’ for sharing the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality.

In November, judges in Helsinki found ‘no reason’ to overturn an earlier ruling that upheld Dr Päivi Räsänen’s right to free speech. But the country’s Supreme Court is now set to hear the charges against her for expressing biblical sexual ethics in a 2019 tweet and a 2004 pamphlet. …”

– Report from The Christian Institute.

Pray for Peaceful Proclamation

“On Monday 15th April, a teenager stabbed two Eastern Orthodox priests during a church service in western Sydney, in what seems to be a religiously-motivated attack. The chief target, Bishop Emmanuel, has become simultaneously popular and controversial by being outspokenly conservative in all manner of social issues, from sex to Islam to pandemic lockdowns. This, and the angry response of the crowd that gathered after the attack, have made the NSW Police and Government understandably concerned about the possibilities of an escalating spiral of retaliatory violence.

In this environment, we have an opportunity to pray for and work towards communal, inter-religious peace. Not just for the common good – for love of neighbour, but because that kind of secular peace is good for gospel proclamation. …”

– Kamal Weerakoon has this Bible-based encouragement for you at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

What about all those other Secret or Lost Gospels?

“The Bible has four Gospels included as part of the Canon or official collection of scripture. Those are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four canonical accounts record the good news—that’s what “gospel” means—about Jesus from eyewitness testimonies. Their aim is clear: they’re written so we can hear about Jesus, trust in him, and continue to do so (John 20:31).

I recently read Bart D. Ehrman’s collection of over a dozen of the earliest non-canonical gospels, including several from the Nag Hammadi discovery in Egypt. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Africa edition, Ryan Van Der Avoort provides some simple tools for thinking about these other “Gospels”.

Image: A 3rd Century fragment from Egypt, of Revelation chapter 1, in the Chester Beatty collection, Dublin. Photo with thanks to Kevin Murray.

Next Page →