Bishop of Oxford names the Alliance proposal – “disproportionate schism”.

“Dear Colleague,

I write to make a number of points in response to your letter to the Archbishops of 26th June. Your letter makes a series of charges against the bishops of the Church of England and I have no doubt has caused hurt to LGBTQIA+ Christians and their friends and family. Your threat of schism means that we find ourselves on the front pages of the national press on this issue even in the midst of a General Election campaign when the world faces so many challenges and problems. …”

– Unsurprisingly, the Bishop of Oxford, Dr. Steven Croft, doesn’t like the letter from The Alliance and believes they are exaggerating the problem and the number of people who are unhappy. (via Anglican Mainstream. PDF of the letter here via Anglican.ink.)

Among other things he writes,

“You level against the bishops again the charge of Western elitism and ignoring the views of the Global South. However, your own letters pay no attention to the very considerable consensus at the Lambeth Conference in 2022 about accepting different views on sexuality yet still walking together. …”

For background, here are some articles about the claimed “very considerable consensus” at Lambeth 2022:

Archbishop Welby denounces as un-biblical the decision of African Primates to skip the Lambeth Conference – 13 June 2022.

Orthodox bishops to offer their own ‘Lambeth Resolution’ — won’t receive Holy Communion with gay-partnered bishops – 29 July 2022.

Clarity out of Confusion: Lambeth 2022 – 08 August 2022.

Peter Jensen on Lambeth — Repentance is needed – 09 August 2022.

Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches responds to C of E General Synod vote – 10 February 2023.

Read the Letter from The Alliance to which the Bishop of Oxford is responding.

Update:

Comment from Susie Leafe at Christian Today:

“It seems that, just like the Archbishop of Canterbury before him, Bishop Croft would rather forget that hundreds of bishops boycotted the Lambeth Conference because they could not walk together with those who have departed from the teaching of the Church. It also seems to have slipped his mind that many who did attend were also very clear that they too could not walk together.

The truth is, there was no vote at Lambeth and there was no opportunity for bishops to dissent from the party line espoused by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Bishop of Oxford may have forgotten the events of 2022, but surely he cannot have missed the more recent statements from Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, who between them represent about 75 per cent of the Anglican Communion. Again and again they have said that in seeking to change the teaching and practice of the Church, the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury have forfeited their leadership role of the global Communion. …”

A Paper Province or a Proper Province?

“With the announcement of a ‘Parallel Province’, Anglican Futures asks, has The Alliance found the answers to the intractable problems of providing orthodox episcopal oversight within the Church of England? …”

– In the latest post at Anglican Futures, the question is asked how a ‘Parallel Province’ might actually work. The post reminds us how important it is for members of The Alliance to tease out how their goal, if it is needed, would be achieved.

It’s also a good reminder that wisdom would be a good thing to pay for.

“The Alliance” coalition writes to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York

The Alliance – “a broad coalition of leaders of networks across different traditions supported by more than 2,000 clergy within the Church of England” has written to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York outlining their plans to form – if necessary a “parallel Province”.

“…we want to inform you that we are now proposing a positive way forward to allow those churches who support the Church’s teaching to carry on their mission and pipeline of ministry securely, founded on the Church’s doctrine.

If the further departure from the Church’s doctrine suggested by the Synod papers does go ahead, we will have no choice but rapidly to establish what would in effect be a new de facto ‘parallel Province’ within the Church of England and to seek pastoral oversight from bishops who remain faithful to orthodox teaching on marriage and sexuality.

We will encourage all church leaders who are in sympathy with The Alliance to join the parallel Province.

We will take action with immediate effect to open up a new pre-ordination stream for potential ordinands, in partnership with orthodox bishops, to reverse the decline caused in part by this unconstitutional and unorthodox process.

We are not leaving the Church of England or the Anglican Communion. We wish to stay loyal to the one holy catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world rather than be part of a schismatic move which departs from the teaching received…”

They conclude,

“We urge you, even at this late stage, to honour your oaths as archbishops and bishops in England and to follow the lawful constitutional path to preserve the unity of the Church throughout the Anglican Communion.”

Download the full letter (PDF file) from The Alliance website.

CEEC welcomes orthodox bishops’ statement ahead of Synod

“CEEC is grateful to the group of 11 bishops who have today published* a warning, ahead of General Synod, that the LLF proposals currently on the table would go against church doctrine, further endanger the unity of the church and by-pass proper canonical process.

We commend the courage of these bishops as they write, ‘we are among a number of bishops unable to support the direction of travel presented to the bishops at our most recent meeting, or the proposals to be brought to General Synod later this month.’

We support the assertion of this group as they state that while they support the emphasis on and importance of unity highlighted in the proposals, they believe that the proposals will not ‘protect our unity in mission to the nation or our partnerships within the wider Church.’…”

– Read the full Statement from The Church of England Evangelical Council.

Can the Church of England afford same-sex blessings?

“The General Synod meeting in York next month is being overshadowed by revelations of the dire financial state of most of the Church of England’s 42 dioceses.

The staggering picture of the C of E’s financial decline in the Diocesan Finances Review Update, circulated to Synod members ahead of their July meeting, comes as the C of E’s bishops seek approval for their plan to allow standalone services of blessing for same-sex couples to go ahead on an experimental basis. …”

– Julian Mann highlights the multiple financial woes facing the Church of England as the House of Bishops steams ahead with same-sex blessings.

Church Society responds to the latest LLF proposals from the Bishops

“Another synod, another paper on LLF. So, what do we have?

Within the synod paper there is much discussion about ‘discernment’, the idea being, no doubt, to reassure us all that no irreversible decisions are being taken. However, it is important to note that this is not discerning prior to acting but rather discerning through action. Standalone services of blessings for same sex couples will be allowed, and this will be monitored annually through ‘existing data or feedback gathering models’. All this for a three year period.

This is a curious thing. It is normally considered more prudent to discern whether something is right or wrong before you act. When crossing the road it is wise to check there is no traffic before you step out. True, just heading onto the road and being struck by a car would help you discern it was not safe, but would it not be better to have looked for traffic first? Especially when others on the pavement are shouting: ‘Stop!’

This is particularly the case when it comes to issues such as this one …”

– Church Society looks at the latest LLF proposals from the Church of England’s House of Bishops and asks, “Is it possible to hold multiple doctrines simultaneously [?]”. You probably know the answer.

Many related earlier posts on LLF here.

(Image modified from a photo by Philip Clark.)

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.

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:

  1. Sex must be taken seriously;
  2. Men and women are different;
  3. Some desires are bad;
  4. Loveless sex is not empowering;
  5. Consent is not enough;
  6. Violence is not love;
  7. People are not products;
  8. Marriage is good.…”

– Peter Barnes, former Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, writes in their national journal, AP.

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.…”

Fact-Checking a popular story of Christian origins

“The latest book by bestselling author and controversial Australian feminist Clementine Ford is I Don’t: The Case Against Marriage (Allen & Unwin, 2023).

She wants this book to not only dissuade people from getting married but also ‘to end marriages’, because of the harm they bring to women.

This article isn’t about her main thesis, but the striking way she begins her case against marriage. The very first step Ford takes is to outline the history of Christianity and so discount the moral authority of the church. …”

– Robert Martin at Northcote Baptist Church in Melbourne does a spot of fact-checking for The Gospel Coalition Australia. This could be helpful if you have friends who are reading the book.

Related:

Who will champion marriage? – Marriage Foundation via Anglican Mainstream. The linked story includes some interesting charts.

Is Article 20 a Roadblock to “Prayers of Love and Faith” in the Church of England?

Quick answer: “Yes”.

Longer answer at Anglican Futures.

Related:

“Prayers of Love and Faith” – Church of England.

‘Crunch Point’ on Religious Freedom: Catholic Schools and Hospitals May Close, Warns Anthony Fisher

“The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has warned the church will be forced to consider closing religious schools if the government strips them of the ability to preference the employment of teachers supportive of Christian teachings.

Archbishop Fisher, one of the nation’s most senior Catholic leaders, declared more radical ­actions could be needed in ­response to the infringement of religious liberties, and raised the prospect of withdrawing educational services as happened in the landmark 1962 Goulburn school strike. …”

– Story from The Australian (paywall).

Image: Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

An Easy Life But Hard for Faith: Lessons From New Zealand

“I am a Kenyan living in New Zealand with my family, serving as a pastor of a local church. Having lived here close to eight years, I’ve imagined what lessons the church in Africa could glean from the church in New Zealand.

To this end I aim to briefly capture the church in New Zealand’s context; highlight some of the trends that have led to the current state of things; and finally draw out a few thoughts the African church should reflect on. …”

– Mark Ambundo writes in The Gospel Coalition Africa Edition.

‘Episcopal Church unveils new Pride shield in celebration of LGBTQ+ inclusion’

We haven’t linked to news of The Episcopal Church in the USA in recent times. Here’s the latest:

“In affirmation and celebration of The Episcopal Church’s LGBTQ+ members, the Office of Communication is pleased to unveil a new Pride shield available online for churchwide use. …”

– From The Episcopal Church.

Resisting Physician-Assisted Death is a Gospel Imperative

“Physician-assisted death is held up as a solution to the problem of suffering; at bottom, it’s a solution to despair. And the solution is to end the person who’s in despair.

We know a better way. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition US, Dr Ewan Goligher turns to an increasingly urgent subject.

Related:

Assisted dying debate terrifying for disabled people, says actress Liz Carr – BBC News.

“I love my job” – Canadian abortionist and Medical Assistance In Death (MAID) doctor  – Not the Bee.

Image from a St. Helen’s Bishopsgate video.

How should we respond to the world as we now find it?

The Anglican Diocese of the Living Word’s Missions Conference and Synod was held in Pennsylvania over the last few days.

Dr. Carl Trueman was the invited speaker.

In his first talk, he focussed on the underlying things that shape the way we think today. Starting at 5:35.

In his second talk, Dr. Trueman speaks of the three things the church has to do in our present context. That address starts at 34:12.

(Prior to his address, Gafcon General Secretary Bishop Paul Donison is interviewed from 18:18.)

The previous night, the Rev. Yoel Ben David gave his testimony of conversion from Judaism.

At the start of the Conference, Bishop Julian Dobbs gave this address. This, alone, is well worth hearing.

The videos are available with thanks to Anglican TV.

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