GSFA, ACNA, and the Future of Conservative Anglicanism
“The 176 delegates, observers, and invited guests who gathered for the First Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) on June 11 in the Egyptian desert surely brought a variety of hopes with them.
Some had been working on what is now called the GSFA’s Covenantal Structure for nearly a decade, and were excited to see the body finally convene and elect its leaders. For them, these are crucial steps in building the kind of institution the Anglican Communion hasn’t been in a long time, a body that acts like a global church, standing firm against false teaching and binding its members in mutual submission and common order. …“
– This report, by Mark Michael at The Living Church, is one perspective on what happened at the GSFA Assembly. (We’ll post links to other reports if they come to hand.)
Click here for the full size version of the Assembly group photo, courtesy of GSFA via The American Anglican Council.
I taught my teens to drive. Here’s what it taught me about faith.
“We have four teenage sons and we are in the phase of life where, as they each turn 16, we are teaching them to drive.
I am learning that teaching teenage boys how to drive is an exercise in reining in their self-confidence. This came home to me one Friday night as I was driving home with my son and he was pulling into our driveway, which has a very tight turn. I calmly said, ‘You’re not going to make it’, to which he replied …”
– Dr. Peter Orr writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Jesus’ Prayer: (1) Glorify
“Our prayers say a great deal about us. Are your prayers like that of AA Milne’s, Christopher Robin who, in the midst of his child-like bedtime prayers, prayed that God would bless his parents as well as himself?
Or do your prayers reflect the shape of the honest and humble yet bold petitionary prayers of people such as Moses, David and Daniel or the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples?
In John chapter 17 we read Jesus’ prayer on the eve of his arrest. It’s a prayer that tells us a great deal about him and his relationship with God the Father, his concern for his disciples, as well his concern for all his people throughout time.
Over three Wednesdays I’ll be touching on these three themes. …”
– John Mason begins a three-part reflection in his Word on Wednesday series at The Anglican Connection.
Canterbury Cathedral to offer Prayers of Love and Faith for same-sex couples
“Same-sex couples already in civil partnerships or civil marriages, or who have sealed a covenanted friendship, can now be offered Prayers of Love and Faith at Canterbury Cathedral, following a unanimous decision by the Dean and governing Chapter. This step has already been taken by many churches and cathedrals. …”
– As if to underline the importance of both GAFCON and the just-concluded GSFA Assembly, Canterbury Cathedral has published this announcement. (With thanks to Anglican.ink for the tip.)
Photo: Dr David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury, with thanks to Canterbury Cathedral.
Related:
Global South Bishops ‘aggrieved’ by appointment of new Dean of Canterbury – October 2022.
Communique from the First Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches
“The First Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches – GSFA 9th Trumpet, 11-15 June 2024, St Mark’s Conference Centre, El Khatatba, Egypt …
A total of 200 participants from across 40 nations gathered as orthodox Anglican leaders for the 1st Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA).
This is the first Assembly of the GSFA after the Global South Churches adopted a new Covenantal Structure in 2019 to bind their communion in Gospel life and witness together as a covenanted ecclesial body within the Anglican Communion.
To maintain continuity with the past and remember our roots, we have chosen to recognise GSFA’s 1st Assembly as also the 9th Trumpet of Global South churches since its first gathering at Limuru, Kenya in 1994. …”
– Read the full Communique released over night at the GSFA website.
Acting like men? – with Phillip Jensen, Craig Hamilton, Adrian Russell and Robin Kinstead
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“What is it to be #likeaman? There are not many places in the New Testament where men are spoken to specifically.
Today we are thinking about being a Christian man.
In the ESV and NASB the translation of 1 Corinthians 16:13 has ‘Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong’. (ESV)
But what does that mean? Dominic Steele put that question to panelists at the recent Men Meeting the challenge conference:
Adrian Russell, senior minister of Northmead Anglican Church.
Craig Hamilton, senior minister at Pitt town.
Robin Kinstead, senior minister of Figtree Anglican.
And Phillip Jensen who heads up Two Ways Ministries.”
Church Society Podcast: Kirsten Birkett on Class
From Church Society, an Australian looks at Class:
“In this week’s podcast, Lee Gatiss chats to Kirsten Birkett about her new book on class in the evangelical church in England. English evangelical churches are overwhelmingly middle-class – but why is the gospel of Christ not bringing in people from all walks of life? The issue of class is a challenge for all biblically-minded churches.”
– Very English – and yet, which people groups in Australia are not being reached with the gospel? And how can we reach them?
Alistair Begg on 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Fulfil your Ministry
At a Truth for Life conference for pastors last month, Alistair Begg spoke on 2 Timothy 4:1-8, “Fulfil Your Ministry”.
A great encouragement on a Monday morning, especially for pastors.
This link seems to default to an audio recording. If so, click on the toggle switch just above the Player window to Watch.
Let there be light in Coonabarabran
Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder was in Coonabarabran today, preaching and dedicating a new window.
He asks,
“Will Coonabarabran be the next church you lovingly pastor? These lovely saints say ‘come over and help us’. Today their final window was dedicated ‘to all who serve Christ with love and loyalty’.”
– Food for prayer at the diocesan Facebook page.
Moore Matters Winter 2024
Moore Matters magazine for Winter 2024 is now up on the Moore College website.
If you miss out on getting a printed copy at your church, you can download it as a PDF file or view online.
Much encouragement.
Two updates from the GSFA Assembly
Two reports from The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey:
“Last night, we crossed an important finish line! The members of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) formally and unanimously ratified the Cairo Covenant and its covenantal structures. Among the most important sections are those that define how Anglicans read the Bible and what authority we give to its reading. …”
– Ratifying the Cairo Covenant.
and then a further update via Anglican Mainstream:
“The Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) achieved their third objective of Assembly 2024: the election of godly leaders among the Primates Council, the Council of Bishops, and the Assembly.”
– Global South Assembly – The Structures come together.
Final Communique expected tomorrow.
Can the GSFA help the CofE bishops tell right from wrong?
“Church of England bishops are not known for their transparency – but sometimes there is a rare glimmer of honesty, particularly when a journalist is prepared to ask the right question.
This week, Dave Piper, a radio journalist, used Facebook to ask Rt Revd Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester a simple question and wonderfully he received an honest answer. …”
– This post at Anglican Futures looks at the dilemma facing the Church of England Bishops who want unity over truth.
By way of answer, it draws attention to the address at the GSFA Assembly by the Rev. Sam Ferguson, Rector of The Falls Church Anglican in Virginia:
“Living up to the challenge, in less than an hour, he set out three of the unarticulated assumptions which shape the world in which we live and are seen in the LGBT movement. He then offered a glorious, biblical alternative to each one.”
Preaching Mentoring
“Part of the ministry of the Expository Preaching Trust is to provide preaching mentors.
The Trust has five experienced preachers who offer mentoring on a regular, usually weekly, basis.
The mentor usually listens to the mentee’s Sunday sermon and then they reflect together on the sermon’s engagement with the Bible text and the people. …”
– Read about this extraordinarily gracious offer to preachers from The Expository Preaching Trust.
Related:
David Cook speaks with Mark Powell on Preaching, for the AP’s Australian Christian Life Podcast.
Really encouraging.
Book Review: Against the Sexual Revolution
“Review of Louise Perry, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2022.
Some sort of reality may be attained in incremental steps, and Louise Perry’s critique of the sexual revolution of our times could be placed in a category of ‘A Half-Return to Sanity’. It is not a Christian critique, and ultimately may achieve little, but Mrs Perry, who gave birth while she was writing this book, has made some cogent points in speaking into our times.
In eight clear chapters Perry sets out her case:
- Sex must be taken seriously;
- Men and women are different;
- Some desires are bad;
- Loveless sex is not empowering;
- Consent is not enough;
- Violence is not love;
- People are not products;
- Marriage is good.…”
Also from Peter Barnes at AP:
Shining as Lights Amid the Encircling Gloom:
“…the Biden administration has waged war on the pro-life cause. In mid-May in Washington DC seven pro-lifers were jailed under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. If only they had burnt down buildings, looted property, and threatened lives under a BLM banner, they would have fared better. But they protested peacefully against the practice of abortion. Lauren Handy, aged 30, was sentenced to 57 months (nearly five years!) while a 76-year-old grandmother and a 69-year-old man were among the other six to be jailed, albeit for shorter terms.”
Walk for Life – notice of Love Sydney’s Walk for Life on 21 September 2024.
And another contribution from our Presbyterian friends:
Who has the last laugh? – David Burke reflects on Psalm 2:
“It is easy to slip into human defaults of fight, fright, or flight. It is especially easy to be despairing, pull up the bridges and take the Benedictine option of retreating to our equivalent of desert caves and putting the light of the gospel under a bushel. The nett result of that is to deny our God-given gospel mission.
Psalm 2 gives a different frame.…”
Can the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans chase the snakes out of the Anglican Communion?
“Yesterday, in a monastery in the Egyptian desert, the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) met for their first Assembly, under their new covenantal structures. Their purpose? To reset the Anglican Communion.
In his keynote address, the current Chair of the GSFA, the Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Archbishop Justin Badi, set out their plan. …
The Global South Fellowship of Anglicans has waited twenty-five years for the Instruments of the Anglican Communion to bring order to the divided church community, but they will wait no longer.”
– Susie Leafe writes at Christian Today.
The Assembly videos can be seen here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…