A letter from GAFCON Primates — responding to the ‘Transformation Through Friendship’ communiqué
“A Consultation of GAFCON Primates and Bishops of Africa was held in Nairobi on 3rd & 4th December 2014 to consider a response to the ‘Transformation Through Friendship’ communiqué released from New York on 28th October, signed by five African Primates, including the Chairman of CAPA (the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa), Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi, and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States.
A letter was sent from the Nairobi meeting to Archbishop Ntahoturi, copied to the other African Primates and as no reply has been received, the letter is now being made public in order to avoid misunderstanding.
The New York Communiqué does not speak for the Anglican Provinces of Africa and it is a matter of very great regret that the ‘Continuing Indaba’ strategy has led to the division of African Anglicans.”
From the letter:
“First, the document itself is a manipulation. It is in fact, not principally about “Friendship” but is in fact an attempt to further advance the unbiblical and false teaching of The Episcopal Church.
Second, we reject the characterisation that the communiqué represents “African Primates and Bishops.” Given that there is absolutely no acknowledgement that there are other African Primates and Bishops who do not agree, the document, of which you were a collaborator and signatory, presents itself falsely. It does not represent the faith of the overwhelming majority of African Christians…”
Interview with John Yates
David Ould has recorded an interview with Dr John Yates, who has been speaking at the CMS NSW Summer School. It’s a 16MB mp3 file.
“John was good enough to sit down with me and talk about ministry, the evangelical church in Sydney, GAFCON, and plenty more.”
Most encouraging.
Interview with Bishop Gary Nelson, Diocese of North West Australia
David Ould is at the NSW CMS Summer School this week – as is Bishop Gary Nelson of the Diocese of North West Australia.
David recorded this 15 minute interview with Gary.
Bishop Nelson describes ministry in the North West, and the challenges facing churches in small mining towns with transient populations. He also speaks about his diocesan synod’s decision to declare themselves to be in full communion with the Anglican Church in North America and to recognise them as a member of the Anglican Communion.
Have a listen, and be prompted to pray for the ministry of the churches in that far-flung diocese.
To learn more, you can download the December 2014 issue of The North West Network here as a 750kb PDF file. On page 4 of that newsletter, there’s information on how you can support the ministry in the North West through prayer and finances.
Naive?
“The Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent remarks are once again somewhat puzzling. One question that comes to mind is whether he really believes this statement that he made: ‘I could see circumstances in which there could be people moving apart and then coming back together.’ …
The problem with looking at tertiary issues is they are often the result of more basic disagreements which in the final analysis have far more leverage on the Anglican Communion. It is my contention that the authority of Holy Scripture as noted in 2 Timothy 3:16 and the person and work of Jesus Christ are actually the primary points of disagreement, though the so-called progressive wing of the Anglican Communion, and indeed the leadership of much of the Western church will not acknowledge it. …
If Archbishop Justin Welby actually thinks that the tertiary issues ARE the issues and in the fullness of time we can all come back together, forgetting the punishment that the Episcopal Church inflicted on those members who chose to depart, and all drink tea and sing Kumbaya together, he is at best naive.”
– Bishop David C. Anderson, President and Chairman of the American Anglican Council, writes in his weekly commentary.
Archbishop Welby interviewed for The Times
An interview with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was published in The Times on Saturday.
The full article is behind a paywall, however, Anglican Mainstream has some excerpts.
GAFCON Chairman’s Advent Letter 2014
“Despite these challenges, I am confident that our efforts are not in vain.
The crucial contribution of GAFCON to the future is that in an increasingly confused Communion it has a clear confessional basis in the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration which keeps the gospel at its heart. And where the gospel is, there will be life.”
– Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, writes this in response to very great challenges. Read his whole Pastoral Letter for Advent 2014 on the GAFCON website.
Canon Andrew White ‘ordered back to UK’
Canon Andrew White, Vicar of Baghdad’, is returning to the UK, at least for now, according to ‘Cranmer’ (h/t Anglican Mainstream.).
See also ‘Canon Andrew White is Interviewed by The Huffington Post’.
Life and Ministry with Peter Jensen
Geoff Robson has conducted a “sweeping conversation with Peter Jensen, former Archbishop of Sydney, about life and ministry – including his favourite book of all-time, how he became a Christian, why he wanted to be a stand-up comedian, why he tries to emulate Billy Graham, and how he has found spiritual refreshment for the last five decades.”
– Take the time to read it here – and please remember to pray for Peter as he continues to serve Christ.
“We want your thoughts on the next Anglican Communion Secretary General”
“Anglicans and Episcopalians from Communion provinces worldwide are being invited to share their thoughts on the ministry priorities and qualities of the next Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. …”
– Any thoughts? The deadline is 27 November 2014.
Archbishop Welby: the Communion’s challenges
In his Presidential address to the Church of England’s General Synod, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby spoke about the issues faced by the Anglican Communion and possible ways forward.
While emphasising that “the Anglican Communion exists and is flourishing in roughly 165 countries”, he also conceded,
“There are enormous problems. We have deep divisions in many areas, not only sexuality. There are areas of corruption, other areas where the power of the surrounding culture seems to overwhelm almost everyone at one point or another.
Our divisions may be too much to manage.
In many parts of the Communion, including here, there is a belief that opponents are either faithless to the tradition, or by contrast that they are cruel, judgemental, inhuman. I have to say that we are in a state so delicate that without prayer and repentance, it is hard to see how we can avoid some serious fractures.”
GAFCON Chairman’s October 2014 Pastoral letter
The October 2014 Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala (Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council) –
“the investiture demonstrated that the realignment of the Anglican Communion is now established and unstoppable.”
Extract:
“The recent news that Lambeth 2018 has been postponed, perhaps indefinitely, is the latest sign that the old institutions of the Communion no longer command confidence. We must remember that the fundamental reason for this is doctrinal. We are divided because the Faith is threatened by unbiblical teaching.
In contrast, GAFCON 2 demonstrated that we were emerging as a new and effective ‘instrument of unity’ for the Anglican Communion. Nearly twelve months later, that reality was underlined at the investiture of Archbishop Foley Beach as the second Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America by the Primates gathered in Atlanta, representing GAFCON and the Anglican Global South, receiving him as a Primate of the Anglican Communion.
Speaking shortly after that historic service I said ‘It is a sign of great hope for the Gospel in the world. It is not a small thing that has happened’. There was no need for us to be reminded of the reasons why GAFCON had called the Anglican Church in North America into being five years ago because the investiture demonstrated that the realignment of the Anglican Communion is now established and unstoppable.
Anglicans around the globe are now affirming this fact. Last month the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Kenya unanimously approved a resolution to be in formal partnership with the GAFCON movement. Then just before the investiture, the Synod of the Diocese of North West Australia passed a resolution recognizing ‘the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia’. Shortly afterwards, the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney passed a resolution which recognized ‘that GAFCON is an emerging instrument of communion when others have failed to provide the well needed leadership’ and stated ‘recognizing Synod’s desire to be in full communion with the ACNA.…. Synod congratulates the Most Reverend Foley Beach on his consecration as Archbishop to the ACNA.’…”
– Read the full Letter on the GAFCON website.
ANiC statement on terrorist attack in Ottawa
“Today, Canadians are grieving the deaths of two members of the Canadian Armed Forces at the hands of terrorists this week. …
Let us pray for those who are caught up in this hatred, and actively seek to extend to them the gospel of peace.”
– The Anglican Network in Canada’s Bishop Charlie Masters speaks on the attack in Ottawa yesterday.
Who or what defines the Anglican Communion?
“In an interview with the editor of the Church Of Ireland Gazette (Canon Ian Ellis), the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has given his opinion on what defines a church as part of the Anglican Communion, and therefore, by implication, what is critical for Anglican identity…”
– SydneyAnglicans.net published this piece by Moore College Principal mark Thompson shortly before Synod. Take the time to read it all.
‘ACNA is Anglican’
“The Anglican Church in North America is Anglican and its primate is an archbishop of the Anglican Communion, declared seven archbishops last night.
At the close of the prayer of investitute of the Most Rev. Foley Beach at the Church of the Apostles on 9 Oct 2014, the primates of Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Myanmar, Jerusalem and the Middle East and South America, and bishops representing the primates of the Congo, Sudan and South East Asia laid hands on Archbishop Beach. Giving him their primatial blessing, they also acknowledged him by word and through laying on of hands to be a fellow primate of the Anglican Communion.
The archbishops’ act comes one week after the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the Church of Ireland Gazette the ACNA was an ecumenical partner of the Anglican Communion and was not Anglican…”
– George Conger reports at Anglican Ink.
GAFCON primates help celebrate ACNA investiture
“GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Eliud Wabukala joined Deputy Chairman, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the Global South’s Archbishop Mouneer Anis and clergy and bishops from around the world at the investiture of Archbishop Foley Beach as Primate of the Anglican Church in North America.
The majority of the world’s Anglicans were represented at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia. Archbishop Wabukala, who was among those who led the service, described the three and a half hour event as very significant…”
– Read the full report from GAFCON.
Related:
- 3 1/2 hour video archived here.
- “A.C.N.A. is a separate church. It’s not part of the Anglican Communion” – Archbishop Justin Welby (Church of Ireland Gazette interview. Direct link to 10.2MB mp3 file. Starting from 2:30.)
- Diocese of North West Australia “recognizes the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia”.
(Photos: from the ACNA live video stream. Archbishop Foley Beach at top.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…