World Environment Day – ‘Connect with nature’

“The message today for International Environment Day is ‘connect with nature’ and this is what Jesus constantly advised his followers to do. …

Take off your shoes to listen to the voice of God in nature, hear the cry of the earth…”

– Published by the Anglican Communion News Service. Mystical environmentalism has replaced the gospel and evangelism in far too many Anglican churches.

What can Rome learn from the Anglican Church?

Would it be “processes of synodal life”?

From a Vatican Radio report:

“‘Walking together on the way’ is the title of a new document to be published by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, whose members met this month in Erfurt, Germany.

Despite some ‘difficult conversations’ and ‘hard questions’ over the past year, the Anglican and Catholic theologians who make up ARCIC III managed, at the May 14th to 20th meeting, to conclude the first part of their mandate, finding agreement on ways in which the two Churches are structured at local, regional and universal levels. …”

Anglican Voices episode 1

Kevin Kallsen at Anglican TV has begun a new project – Anglican Voices.

His first interview is with Church Society’s Director, Dr. Lee Gatiss.

The Jesmond Consecration

“Bishop Pryke is a godly man who is committed to the teaching of the Scriptures. He is a conscientious Anglican who believes the classic doctrine of the church as expressed in the 39 Articles and the Book of Common Prayer.

His godly character is attested by those who have observed him in ministry over many years. He is an entirely appropriate candidate for leadership among God’s people. The consecration is valid, there can be no doubt about that.

It is, however, irregular, but that irregularity is borne out of the desperate situation in which believers who remain within the Church of England find themselves. …”

– In his latest post at Theological Theology, Principal of Moore Theological College, Dr. Mark Thompson, writes about the consecration of Jonathan Pryke, and why so many see it is necessary.

Jesmond Parish Church Press Statement — New Style English Bishop

“On St Athanasius’ Day, 2 May 2017, Jonathan Pryke, the senior minister, under its vicar, of Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, was consecrated a ‘bishop in the Church of God’.

This was by the Presiding Bishop of REACH SA (the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa), formerly known as CESA (the Church of England in South Africa) …

The service took place neither in a Church of England “place of worship” nor an unconsecrated place of worship designated under s.43 of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011. It did not take place in Jesmond Parish Church. The ceremony was according to the REACH SA consecration Holy Communion service with only REACH SA bishops taking part. …”

– Read the whole statement from David Holloway, Vicar of Jesmond Parish Church.

Image: Jonathan Pryke at The Jesmond Conference — Reformation in the Nation and Church, March 2017. Bible Reading 1. Bible Reading 2.

Watch all the videos from the Conference for the theological background to the decision to consecrate a new bishop.

‘Not an attempt to storm Lambeth Palace’ — Peter Jensen

“GAFCON, a worldwide group of conservative Anglicans, has told Premier it’s not looking to break up the Church of England but is instead working to keep Anglican Communion united. …

Addressing the issue on Premier’s News Hour, Most Rev Peter Jensen, GAFCON’s General Secretary and a former Archbishop of Sydney, said: “There are many issues that divide us, where we have diverse opinions, and that’s OK — but some of them are so important that a stand has to be taken. A painful and costly stand.’…”

– Listen to the interview here. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

GAFCON UK response to the Primates’ Communique

“We appreciate the way GAFCON has recognised that this intervention is giving global support to one of a number of initiatives being taken by biblically orthodox Anglicans in Britain; others include the work being done to strengthen the Free Church of England. …”

– Read the full statement from GAFCON UK.

GAFCON Primates Communiqué — ‘Missionary Bishop’ for Europe


After their meeting in Lagos, last week, the GAFCON Primates issued this Communiqué –

“Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As your Primates, we met in Lagos, Nigeria from 24th -28th April 2017 to pray and work for the continued renewal of the Anglican Communion. We give thanks for the extraordinary hospitality of the Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, the Archbishop of Lagos, and the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

We began our time together each day with prayer and the study of God’s Word. Aware that we are approaching the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we gave thanks for the faithful witness of those leaders who challenged the Church to recover the authority of the Scriptures. They were men and women who were willing to take costly action, and sealed that testimony with their own blood. …”

– Read it all here.

Note one key section of the communiqué:

“During our meeting, we considered how best to respond to the voice of faithful Anglicans in some parts of the Global North who are in need of biblically faithful episcopal leadership.

Of immediate concern is the reality that on 8th June 2017 the Scottish Episcopal Church is likely to formalize their rejection of Jesus’ teaching on marriage. If this were to happen, faithful Anglicans in Scotland will need appropriate pastoral care. In addition, within England there are churches that have, for reasons of conscience, been planted outside of the Church of England by the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).

These churches are growing, and are in need of episcopal leadership. Therefore, we have decided to consecrate a missionary bishop who will be tasked with providing episcopal leadership for those who are outside the structures of any Anglican province, especially in Europe.” [Emphasis added.]

‘Congo sacks British canon over gay marriage’

“An African diocese has stripped a high profile English priest of his title of canon, declaring the Rev. Jeremy Pemberton’s same-sex marriage and his agitation for change in the Church of England’s teachings on human sexuality renders him unqualified to hold the honorary title in the Congolese church.

In a letter dated 25 March 2017 to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s advisor for Anglican affairs, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, the Bishop of Boga in the Anglican Province of the Congo stated the Rev. Jeremy Pemberton is “no longer recognized” as a canon of Boga Diocese. …”

– Report from George Conger at Anglican Ink.

(Map: Province of the Anglican Church of Congo.)

Easter message from Archbishop Foley Beach

Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Foley Beach, encourages Christians to cut to the chase, this Easter.

The GAFCON vision in action

“The Anglican Communion worldwide is a most amazing gift of God, but it is being squandered by false teachers determined to substitute their own ideas for God’s revealed will in Scripture. They do this without rebuke from the Communion’s traditional leadership.

Gafcon is the future. Through Gafcon the true gospel is being proclaimed and the Bible guarded. We hope this snapshot will demonstrate that the faithful of the Anglican Communion have risen and have begun to reclaim the Communion for a confident and clear witness to Jesus Christ. …”

– GAFCON has produced this overview of what they do, with the hope of gaining your support.

‘First Anglican evensong in Catholic St Peter’s Basilica’

“The first ever Anglican choral evensong has been celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. … It marks closening ties between the Anglican and Catholic churches and is one of several examples of ecumenism between them in the last year.”

– Report from Premier Radio in the UK, featuring an interview David Moxon, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Vatican (and formerly Archbishop of NZ). Photo courtesy Vatican City State.

Related: Reformation Rally at Moore College, Saturday 18th March.

Interview with Bishop Glenn Lyons of South Africa

“The history of fellowship between the Australian Church Record and REACH-SA (formerly the Church of England in South Africa) stretches a long way back.

When the ACR publicly supported the installation of Bishop Fred Morris as the first Presiding Bishop of REACH-SA, our South African brothers and sisters responded by writing: ‘We place on record sincere appreciation of the warm-hearted support that we have enjoyed from … the Australian Church Record.’ (Church News, November 1955).

In the context of that special bond of fellowship, Mark Earngey was pleased to recently interview Glenn Lyons, the current Presiding Bishop of REACH-SA.”

– Read it at The Australian Church Record.

(Photo: Bishop Glenn Lyons with Bishop Jomo Mchunu at George Whitefield College.)

GAFCON Chairman’s March 2017 letter

“As I remarked in my last letter, because of our shared history events in the Church of England have a special significance for the whole Anglican Communion. So this month I must comment on the vote by General Synod on 15th February not to ‘take note’ of the House of Bishops report on marriage and sexuality.

A refusal to ‘take note’ is very unusual. Such a motion is usually just a formality preceding further debate. In this case, people on both sides of the argument about sexuality perceived that the report tried to face two ways. …”

– GAFCON Chairman, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, shares his March pastoral letter.

GAFGON Chairman’s February 2017 letter

“It seems … that the Church of England bishops have recommended the right thing for the wrong reason. They have retained the Church’s traditional teaching, but because they think that holding opposite views together will eventually produce a consensus, not because it represents an apostolic boundary.”

– from Archbishop Okoh’s February 2017 letter to GAFCON supporters.

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