A personal ‘Barmen Declaration’ in the light the Church of England’s current direction

“The following is a personal statement by the Revd Tom Parsons who is a member of the Rochester Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship. I am posting it on this site because I think it is an important theological response to the vote by General Synod a fortnight ago to give a green light to the blessing of same-sex couples in Church of England churches.

On Wednesday 15th November this year, the Church of England’s General Synod voted to give the House of Bishops a green light to develop liturgy of blessing for sexually active same-sex couples. …”

– Martin Davie has posted this personal statement from the Rev Tom Parsons, Vicar of Christ Church, Sidcup, in Kent. In it, he outlines a Biblical and theological response to the General Synod’s vote.

Archbishop of Perth set to push on with controversial Ordination

From David Ould:

“The Archbishop of Perth, Kay Goldsworthy, will proceed with the ordination to the priesthood of a man who is openly living in a relationship with another man on Thursday evening despite a large growing protest in the Diocese.

I understand that more than 700 signatories have been received on a letter of protest. These 700 signatories represent close to 15% of regular church attendance in the Diocese and do not include members from one large church, St Matthew’s Shenton Park, which is organising its own response and will effectively double the number protesting. This leaves easily one quarter of regular church goers in the Diocese now protesting against an ordination. …”

– Read here.

Photo: Diocese of Perth.

Church Society’s St Antholin Lecture 2023: Same-Sex Love in the Puritan World

From Church Society:

“This year’s St Antholin Lecture on Puritan Divinity will be delivered live on the Church Society Facebook page by Dr Christy Wang, a church historian from Singapore Bible College.

Dr Wang is also a Post-Award Visitor affiliated with the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, where she was a tutor and earned her DPhil on ‘Puritan Conformity, Church Polity, and Anglican Identity, 1628–88’, having previously also studied at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and National Taiwan University.

The title of the lecture will be ‘By Love to Them I Cease Loving of Thee’: Journaling Same-Sex Love in the Puritan World.’…”

– Details here.

The lecture is on Wednesday 6th December at 6pm (UK time), 5:00am the next morning Sydney time.

Should I go or should I stay in the Church of England?

“It is with a high degree of anxiety, and increasing doubts about my sanity, that I am wading unwisely into the debate on whether to remain in or leave the Church of England.

I readily confess that I am, by every measure, several levels below the spiritual and theological authority of those who have already spoken or written on the matter. Nonetheless even the minion on the congregational ‘shopfloor’ deserves a hearing. …”

– Dr. Chik Kaw Tan, former member of General Synod and a trustee of Anglican Mainstream, shares his thoughts, and acknowledges that “remaining or leaving can both be difficult options”. Very helpful.

It’s also a good reminder to keep praying for all our brothers and sisters who are wrestling with these questions.

Activists blessed by the Anglican Dean of Newcastle

“The Anglican Dean of Newcastle has blessed a group of activists who plan to block the city’s harbour for 30 hours this weekend.

The group say they want to send a message about climate change…”

– Report from NBN News Newcastle.

Photo: Newcastle Cathedral.

No crumb of comfort in a tragic and disastrous Church of England decision — with Vaughan Roberts

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“The Church of England has abandoned the teaching of Jesus with prayers for same sex blessings potentially to start before Christmas.

‘Tragic’ says Gafcon.

‘Disastrous’ says the Global South.

‘Deeply Troubled’ says the Church of England Evangelical Council.

‘First order difference requires first order differentiation’ says Vaughan Roberts.

‘It is hard not to dissolve into a flood of tears’ says Mark Thompson the Principal of Sydney’s Moore College.

‘The Archbishop of Canterbury should resign’ says the Church Society’s Lee Gatiss.

The English General Synod has crossed a line that evangelicals across the world had been praying and hoping would not happen.

The General Synod expressed its support by a tiny majority of just a few votes for the continued implementation of the House of Bishops proposals to change the position and practice of the Church of England with regards to sexual ethics and marriage.

We now expect the English bishops to commend prayers of blessing for same sex couples by mid-December (and provide dedicated services soon after), to prepare guidance which will make it possible for clergy to marry their same sex partners, and that future ordinands will not to be asked to indicate whether their lifestyle and personal relationships are in keeping with the doctrine of the Church of England.

Vaughan Roberts is one of the UK’s leading evangelical ministers within the church of England.  Vaughan is senior pastor of St Ebbes in Oxford.”

– Watch or listen here. (Links added to the text above.)

Image: Vaughan Roberts speaks in the Church of England’s General Synod on Wednesday morning 15th November 2023.

A vicar writes to his congregation about the Synod decision on ‘gay blessings’

“On Wednesday, after nearly nine hours of debate on Living in Love and Faith (LLF), the Church of England’s General Synod voted on a motion, put forward by the House of Bishops (HoB), and amended by a proposal by the Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft (see italics below).

In effect, + Steven’s amendment torpedoed a carefully staged proposal by the HoB, including that ‘prayers of blessing’ for gay relationship could not be used as a ‘stand-alone’ service, separate from a main Sunday service, as the perception and experience of those attending would be that the service was a ‘wedding’ in all but name, and therefore, the CofE would have changed its Doctrine on Marriage.

…

For now, I’d simply ask you to reflect on whether it is right, and a Godly way to change the Doctrine of the Church on marriage via one amendment, with no notice given to the wider Synod (until the actual start of the London meetings), and that the amendment occurred via a 57% to 52.18% against vote? As a PCC here, would probably not even choose a vacuum cleaner with that sort of division! After 7 years of LLF meetings, talks, reflections, study and debate across the CofE, it came down to a 5% difference? Remember, a formal change in doctrine needs a two-thirds majority in ALL three houses. That’s will now be by-passed by new praxis.”

– Anglican Mainstream has published this letter to his congregation from the Rev. Paul Eddy. It gives a very helpful insight into the fallout and mess caused by the Church of England’s General Synod vote. And plenty to pray about.

Image: Paul Eddy in an interview with the Christian Institute in January 2023.

Two important initiatives from the Church of England Evangelical Council

An important announcement from the Church of England Evangelical Council concerning temporary Spiritual Oversight and Securing evangelical stewardship:

“Responding to the 15 November 2023 General Synod decision: looking forward

For many in the Church of England a line was crossed this week that we prayed and hoped would not happen.

On Wednesday afternoon, the General Synod expressed its support by a tiny majority of just a few votes for the continued implementation of the House of Bishops proposals to change the position and practice of the Church of England with regards to sexual ethics and marriage.

In practice we now expect the bishops to commend prayers of blessing for same sex couples by mid-December (and provide dedicated services soon after), to prepare guidance which will make it possible for clergy to marry their same sex partners, and that future ordinands will not to be asked to indicate whether their lifestyle and personal relationships are in keeping with the doctrine of the Church of England.

We believe these proposals are being pursued without adequate provision and protection for those holding to the biblical, historic and global majority Anglican view on marriage and sexual intimacy. This underlines the failure of leadership by the archbishops and divided House and College of Bishops.

CEEC is saddened that the House of Bishops appears to have acted regardless of legal and theological advice – and in such a way that has dramatically undermined the confidence that worshippers have in the leadership of the majority of our bishops. We thank God for the courage of those bishops who spoke and voted against the motion at General Synod.

CEEC regrets that these changes will cause deep division in PCCs and parishes, deaneries and dioceses the length and breadth of the country, in the same way that the Bishops and General Synod are divided.

CEEC is concerned for the consciences of evangelicals (lay and ordained) across England who now feel their membership of the Church of England in some way to be compromised.

Looking forward

CEEC is not yet able to be confident that the future discussions signposted by the House of Bishops in the Synod papers will produce a permanent settlement that will secure orthodox life and witness going forward.

Therefore, CEEC is compelled to stand with those who now find their consciences deeply troubled – and to make temporary provisions that enable them – at least for now – to remain a part of the Church of England whilst more formal and official provision is pursued.

Today we are announcing two provisions that will be available to evangelicals across dioceses in need of such support – with more to come as the situation develops.

These provisions are not a permanent arrangement – and we remain convinced that a permanent structural settlement is needed to address the tectonic divide that now exists within the Church of England and which will continue to be destructively present until and unless it is addressed. CEEC is committed to working towards this settlement.

Spiritual oversight

First, CEEC will respond to requests for spiritual oversight from those who now feel themselves to be in impaired fellowship with their diocesan bishop(s). Obviously, any clergy person or PCC will still look to their diocesan bishop for legal and formal oversight – though we recognise that any structural rearrangement needed to address the deep division in the Church of England would be likely to impact this.

Clergy and/or parishes, seeking alternative spiritual oversight, must continue to be accountable for safeguarding to their diocesan bishop and safeguarding officers.

We are pleased that a group of Honorary Assistant bishops have agreed to provide this spiritual support for clergy and congregations and some serving bishops may choose to join their number. We are also intending to commission ‘overseers’ to create more capacity to provide this support and accountability around the country. We have appointed a diverse panel of experienced leaders from across the evangelical constituency spanning charismatics and conservatives, egalitarians and complementarians, to discern whom God might be calling to such an overseer role. This panel will be chaired by CEEC President Julian Henderson (the previous Bishop of Blackburn) and includes two other Honorary Assistant bishops.

Clergy and/or PCCs can get in touch with CEEC via our website to ask for this spiritual support.

This provision is both informal and temporary and will serve as a stepping-stone to the formal and permanent provision which we hope and pray will be agreed as part of a new structural arrangement and settlement.

Securing evangelical stewardship

Second, CEEC is launching on Monday 20 November a new national Fund called the Ephesian Fund. The Ephesian Fund will enable people in churches across the dioceses to continue to support orthodox Anglican ministry when in good conscience they might otherwise withdraw or reduce their giving to their parish church as a result of their bishop’s support for the Prayers of Love and Faith initiative.

PCCs will also be able to pay part or all of their voluntary parish share (also known as ‘quota’) via the Fund – thus enabling their share to be used to support only local churches who stand with them in the historic Anglican and biblical position on sexual ethics.

The details of the Ephesian Fund are available on the CEEC website and via social media.

Contending for provision

We will also be introducing initiatives to support orthodox ordinands, parochial clergy and senior leaders, as well as supporting lay ministers, chaplains, patrons, archdeacons and other groupings in the Church of England whose commitment to orthodoxy might be challenged as the Prayers of Love and Faith initiative moves forward.

Our hope and prayer is that these temporary provisions will enable orthodox evangelicals to remain in the Church of England whilst we seek a permanent and structural settlement to secure orthodox life and witness going forward.

CEEC is committed to working with the House of Bishops to seek a settlement that is acceptable to all.

Apostolic faith

We continue to believe that the doctrines of the Church of England as expressed in the 39 Articles, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal are thoroughly biblical, trustworthy and ‘fit for purpose’ in the 21st century.

We stand united with people across the dioceses of the Church or England who wish to pray and work for the securing of orthodoxy through a form of structural provision.

Our hearts remain deeply committed to contending for the faith as have received it and we thank God for the support and prayers of Anglicans around the Communion.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13.”

– Source: CEEC.

Ed Shaw: Why I won’t quit the Church of England

“As I wearily return from another meeting (the third this year!) of the Church of England’s governing body, General Synod, I’m preparing to answer two questions:

1.) What’s going on in the Church of England? How do I respond to that question?

There’s total chaos. …”

– Ed Shaw, Director of Living Out, explains why he is staying in the Church of England.

He spoke in the General Synod shortly before the final vote was taken on Wednesday evening.

Image: Ed Shaw at General Synod, 15 November 2023.

Did God really say?

Christian Concern has published this excerpt from the Church of England’s General Synod debate on an amendment prior to the vote which passed allowing the blessing of same-sex unions.

Lay member Ben John, who spoke so passionately at the General Synod in February 2023 now makes the point, “Living in Love and Faith can be summarised in four words…”.

– See the excerpt here. Very sobering, and spoken with a very heavy heart. Watch with tears.

See it in context here (2 hours, 2 minutes into the video of Wednesday morning 15th November 2023).

Statement from the Gafcon Primates 16 November 2023

Statement from the Gafcon Primates 16 November 2023

This week marks a tragic moment in the history of the Church of England. On Wednesday, November 15, its General Synod approved a proposal to encourage its bishops to continue their work in creating and implementing liturgical prayers of blessing for same-sex unions. The Synod additionally voted to approve an amendment that will allow clergy to go ahead and conduct standalone services of blessing on a trial basis. This means that, beginning next month, Anglican clergy in Church of England churches will be able to do what the prophet Balaam could not and would not do by going against the Word of God and blessing that which God has condemned (Num 24:12-14).

Holy Scripture is clear and unequivocal in its affirmation that the only proper context for sexual intimacy is the relationship of a man and woman who have been joined together in marriage. All forms of sexual intimacy outside of this context are condemned as immorality and are behaviors from which the people of God are regularly called to repent. In I Corinthians 6:9-10, the apostle Paul tells us “not to be deceived” on the seriousness of such immorality and warns us that those who fail to repent of it will not inherit the kingdom of God. And one of the behaviors he specifically names is that of homosexual activity. Elsewhere the New Testament specifically warns against false teachers who promote sexual immorality within the church (2 Peter 2:1-3, Jude 3-4, Rev. 2:19-24) and instructs us not to listen to or heed their words.

This week, the Church of England has made it clear that they disagree with Holy Scripture. They have decided that they can bless that from which the Bible calls us to repent. What is more, although these motions were passed by very narrow votes among the clergy and laity, the bishops gave their support and approval by a very clear majority. This is a tragedy for Anglicans, for not only has the Church of England done what its own Thirty-Nine Articles forbid by approving ceremonies that are “contrary to God’s Word written” (Articles XX, XXXIV), but a majority of its bishops have broken the vows which they swore at their consecration, to “banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God’s Word” (BCP Ordinal).

We lament the actions of the Church of England’s synod this week and we commit ourselves to pray and support those within its fold who continue to uphold the authority of God’s Word and to defend the faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Nearly fifty percent of the clergy and lay delegates at the Synod voted against these motions and we have no doubt that they, along with many other Anglicans throughout England, are currently experiencing grief and pain over these developments. We grieve with them, and we recommit ourselves to supporting the ministry of biblically faithful Anglicans throughout England, especially through the faithful ministry and mission of the Anglican Network in Europe.

Jesus Christ has promised us that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church (Matt 16:18). Today we remember that promise and, even as we grieve, we rejoice that Christ is both the head of the church and the Lord of history and that his Word and his Kingdom will prevail.

The Most Rev Dr Laurent Mbanda
Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda
Chairman
Gafcon Primates Council
16 November 2023.

PDF version.

Photo: Gafcon Primates Council meeting in London, 6-9 November 2023.

“The Archbishop Should Resign” — Rev Dr Lee Gatiss from The Church Society

“If you want to change something in the church, you start by thinking, ‘What does God say about this?’ … They haven’t even tried to make a case for this… We have not even been allowed to see the legal advice …

The Church does not belong to those who had their fingers crossed at ordination and consecration when they made those vows and promises. The Church does not belong to Archbishops and Bishops …

We haven’t begun to fight – this is not the end.”

– Church Society’s Dr Lee Gatiss speaks with TWR-UK.

Link thanks to Anglican Mainstream.

GSFA Statement Following the Church of England’s General Synod Resolution (Nov 13 – 16, 2023)

We are saddened to know that the General Synod of the Church of England has passed a resolution to bless same sex unions despite almost 50% of the Synod opposing the bishops’ proposal. This disastrous decision creates the same serious consequences of differentiation and division as in other provinces and further fractures our beloved Anglican Communion.

On behalf of the Primates of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA), I once again affirm the GSFA Ash Wednesday Statement which we made on Feb 20th his year (2023). We wholeheartedly support the faithful bishops, clergy and laity within the Church of England and assure them of our continuing prayers and pastoral commitment as a global body.

“……. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Archbishop and Primate of the
Episcopal Church of South Sudan, and
GSFA Chair

– Source: Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches.

The Tragedy and the Bigger Picture

In the light of this morning’s vote by the Church of England General Synod to move forward with the blessing of same sex couples, Principal of Moore Theological College, Dr. Mark Thompson, responds:

“It is very hard not to dissolve into a flood of tears as this all plays out in England. We on this side of the world owe so much to the English church and to its evangelical wing in particular.

We have been brought to faith, nourished in faith, grounded for a lifetime of ministry in faith, by the faithful ministries of men like Whitfield, Simeon, Ryle, Stott and Packer (and many others of course) and to watch much lesser men squander that inheritance brings great grief.

When we remember the Reformation martyrs, and the courage of generation after generation of their heirs, we have great cause to thank God and great cause to weep over what is happening now.”

Be sure to read it all below –

“The behaviour of the Archbishop of Canterbury in recent months has been nothing short of scandalous. Not only has he betrayed his ordination vows, as the delegates at GAFCON in Kigali earlier this year recognised, but he has recklessly pursued an agenda contrary to the Scriptures and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ despite urgent and repeated warnings from the vast majority of Anglicans worldwide not to do so. In this he has been supported by the Archbishop of York. The Archbishop will have a higher Judge than the rank and file of the Church of England, the GAFCON and Global South movements, and even future chroniclers of the history of the church to answer to for this, and, quite frankly, who would want to be in his shoes (James 3:1; Matthew 18:16; Hebrews 13:17)?

The bigger question now, though, is not how can Justin Welby recover from this (short of wholesale repentance I cannot see how he can) but how do faithful men and women within the Church of England continue to pursue the goal of re-evangelising the United Kingdom in the wake of what he, the Archbishop of York, and collectively the House of Bishops have done? This is, after all, the urgent need of the moment. Men and women all over Britain are heading blithely into judgment while ignoring or ridiculing or even openly defying the only one who can save them. How can we sit by and just watch that happen while we fight among ourselves?

It is very hard not to dissolve into a flood of tears as this all plays out in England. We on this side of the world owe so much to the English church and to its evangelical wing in particular. We have been brought to faith, nourished in faith, grounded for a lifetime of ministry in faith, by the faithful ministries of men like Whitfield, Simeon, Ryle, Stott and Packer (and many others of course) and to watch much lesser men squander that inheritance brings great grief. When we remember the Reformation martyrs, and the courage of generation after generation of their heirs, we have great cause to thank God and great cause to weep over what is happening now.

So what is the way ahead? Who am I to tell my English brothers and sisters what they should do? It is up to them now, the faithful remnant within the Church of England joining cause with those who over recent years have left for refuge elsewhere, to find the way to put the things that matter most back at the centre of the agenda. We need to do that here too, of course. We can all let the heartache at God’s word being trampled by those charged with preaching it and defending it distract us from the victory of Christ, the urgency of his call to faith and repentance, and the clear, gracious yet insistent preaching of the gospel and its implications. But we cannot afford to do so.

When we stop talking about Jesus, we stop talking about the gospel. When we stop loving his word, we stop loving his people and the world over which he wept. So let’s not fall into that trap, even as we respond in tears to what has been done by the leadership (so-called) of the Church of England. Let’s get back to the core truths and hold on to them even more tightly. Our world is lost because we have sought to determine for ourselves what is right and what is wrong without reference to God, let alone in humble obedience to him. The only hope for every man and woman is the Saviour who came among us to exhaust the judgment we deserve and triumph over every consequence of our sin (John 3:16). In his generosity he calls on all to “come to me” and to “find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28–30). But it is only those who do come to him in faith, abandoning the empty, disappointing allegiances of their life without him, and taking hold of the rescue only he can provide, who will be saved (Rom. 10:9, 13). Most wonderful of all, he promised “whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

So what has happened is scandalous and the last day will unmask its perverse folly. But what lies ahead is a magnificent challenge. This is still the age of gospel proclamation. It is only when the gospel of the kingdom has been “proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to the nations” that the end will come (Matt. 24:14). The sheer brilliance of that gospel will not be seen if, for whatever reason, we soft-pedal on the truths our world finds unpalatable. So our excitement at the challenge must be matched by a courage not to budge even a millimetre from the truth taught in Scripture. Nevertheless, I dare to dream of a new reformation, not just in the Church of England, but in churches throughout the world.”

– First published at Theological Theology.

CEEC responds to General Synod decision

Revd Canon John Dunnett, National Director, Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), said:

“CEEC is grieved and saddened that the General Synod passed a motion earlier this afternoon to continue with the implementation of the bishops’ proposals. These proposals depart from a biblical understanding of sex and marriage, in particular by enabling blessings for same sex couples in parish churches. This decision follows a process that has been widely observed as unduly hasty, incomplete and haphazard.

“This is, however, more than just a departure from the biblical understanding of sex and marriage. Sadly, today marks a ‘watershed’ moment, in that it appears that the Church of England no longer sees Scripture as our supreme authority. 

“If the bishops continue with the implementation of their proposals, we believe this will have a devastating impact on churches across the country and beyond. It will tear local parish congregations apart, damage the relationship between large numbers of clergy and their bishops and cause churches across the dioceses to feel as though their shepherds have abandoned them. It may also serve a final blow to the unity of the Anglican Communion. 

“CEEC longs for a resurgence of faithfulness to biblical teaching, which would deepen the unity for which Jesus prayed in John 17. 

“CEEC is committed to supporting the ministry of orthodox evangelical lay people and ministers across the dioceses. In the next few days CEEC will announce a series of provisions for orthodox evangelicals and work to do all it can to ensure evangelical life and witness in the Church of England continues for years to come.”

– Source: CEEC.

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