A vision for 21st century Anglicans — Church Society Conference audio
Church Society held a half-day conference on 1st June – the topic: Reformed Foundations, Reforming Future: A vision for 21st century Anglicans.
Audio files are now available – direct links to mp3 files.
Guest speaker was Peter Adam. His topic was Trusting our Saviour and Reforming the Church Today. Very encouraging talk.
“It is fatal to trust Christ for the invisible Church, and not to trust him for the visible Church… God has already appointed his Messiah – we need not apply for the job.”
Church Society Director Lee Gatiss also spoke, on
‘Confessional’ Anglicanism and the 39 Articles.
Interview with Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi
“We in Africa, and in Uganda in particular, looked to the West for the gospel – because they brought the gospel to us.
And when the gospel was opened to us, we looked at what God is saying to us through the Scriptures. We embraced it, we loved it, we proclaimed it.
Eventually, the West began to put aside the Bible. They picked up human wisdom and understanding. …”
– In an interview with Lee DeYoung, recently retired Church of Uganda Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi recounts what happened to the Anglican Communion. Terrific interview.
ACL Statement of Appreciation for Archbishop Peter Jensen
The Council of the Anglican Church League has today communicated its deep appreciation to Archbishop Peter Jensen, who concludes his ministry as Archbishop next month.
The Appreciation below has been signed by ACL President Gav Poole on behalf of the League.
Peter and Christine will be publicly farewelled at a special gathering at St. Andrew’s Cathedral tonight.
Thursday, 13th June 2013
IN APPRECIATION – The Most Reverend Dr. Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of NSW.
The President, Executive and Council of the Anglican Church League (ACL) wish to take this opportunity to formally express their deep appreciation for the leadership, support and encouragement exercised by Archbishop Peter Jensen.
Archbishop Jensen has been a member of the ACL for more than forty years and a long standing Vice President. His public commitment to the evangelical values and principles of the League has been unwavering.
As Principal of Moore Theological College he taught and mentored two generations of clergy, ensuring that evangelical, systematic and expository preaching would remain the character of Sydney Anglican pulpits.
As Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen has represented the evangelical character and convictions of our diocese with intelligence, humility, strength, humour and diligence on both the national and international stage.
Archbishop Jensen is an eminent teacher and theologian but, above all, he is loved for his deep pastoral concern for the clergy under his care and the wider diocesan family. Within Sydney and far beyond, Archbishop Jensen is warmly regarded for his deep compassion and warm personal and pastoral concern.
Archbishop Jensen has ever been a champion for the gospel which proclaims the sacrificial atoning death of Christ and his bodily resurrection. His passion to see the lost become found and discover new life in Christ has been an inspiration. He is a mission-minded man.
His kind and genuinely open disposition, while maintaining a godly resistance to moral and ethical compromise, continues as a model for all Christians who find themselves in dialogue with others. The revealed Word of God has always been his steadfast guide. His personal love for Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is evident to all.
The goal of the ACL is to ensure, as far as possible, that the evangelical character of the Sydney diocese does not wane or fade over time. Archbishop Jensen has been a marvellous partner and formidable ally in this cause.
It is with a very deep sense of thanksgiving to God that the ACL takes this opportunity to express our appreciation for, and our debt of gratitude to, Archbishop Jensen as he approaches his retirement.
– ends.
Can the new St. John’s Shaughnessy really tell you anything about God?
From their website –
“St. John’s Shaughnessy is a small but flourishing congregation, living our calling as Christians by faithfully walking the Anglican path. Our road is less travelled.
We do not claim absolute knowledge of the Divine. We really welcome everyone and are enriched by the dynamic tension of differing beliefs. We embrace doubt. Pray hopefully. And celebrate diversity.”
This is the new Diocese of New Westminister congregation using the building vacated by St. John’s Vancouver. (h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.)
GAFCON 2013
Archbishop Peter Jensen on GAFCON 2013 –
‘God is establishing new churches creating new believers and transforming lives. Our hope for the future is in him. Our aim is to move forward confidently, to plan and experience in fellowship a future for Anglicans in which his Word is honoured and our witness is clear. We are looking forward with great expectation to seeing God at work as we meet in Nairobi.’
– from the latest news release on GAFCON 2013, which is coming up in October.
Bishop of New Westminster to retire
The Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, has announced that he will retire at the end of August.
“It’s time to hang up the mitre, park the shepherd’s staff, pull the ruffles off my fancy sleeves, and go play golf.”
Looking back on his time as Bishop, he writes, “Our witness to faith frequently encountered strong religious opposition. Strangely, the secular world has been more supportive.” (These related posts might help explain why.)
Easter Message from Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council
Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council, has sent this 2013 Easter message –
To the Faithful of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and friends from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 Read more
Archbishop Peter Jensen on the new Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop Peter Jensen was asked for his thoughts on the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in a 3 minute segment on SBS TV.
He said the new Archbishop would be “enormously welcomed” and respected if he were to visit Australia.
See it here – ‘Anglican Aussies welcome new Archbishop of Canterbury’.
(Photo: SBS.)
Archbishop of Canterbury’s inauguration sermon
“For nearly two thousand years the Church has sought, often failing, to recognise in its way of being that Jesus is the Son of God. The wind and waves divided Jesus from the disciples. Peter ventures out in fear and trembling (as you may imagine I relate to him at this point). Jesus reconciles Peter to Himself and makes the possibility for all the disciples to find peace.”
– Read Archbishop Justin Welby’s sermon delivered at his inauguration ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral overnight. (Photo: Diocese of Durham.)
Archbishop Welby and the E-Word
“Archbishop Justin Welby very seldom uses the E-word – ‘Evangelical’. He mentions it only when amongst friends.
Speaking at New Wine, for example, in 2006 he declared: ‘I’m an orthodox Bible-believing Evangelical … Scripture is my final authority for all matters of life and doctrine.’ But it’s not a label he usually chooses to define himself. …
… Although the ‘Evangelicalism’ label will not often be heard at Lambeth Palace, that other momentous E-Word – ‘Evangelism’ – falls much more frequently from Welby’s lips. His abiding passion is for people to come to faith in Christ and for churches to grow.”
– In an article to be published in the Spring 2013 issue of Cross†Way, Andrew Atherstone provides a very informative profile of the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
BC cathedral congregation backs same-sex blessings
“The congregation at Christ Church Cathedral [in Victoria, British Columbia] has voted more than 90 per cent in favour of blessing married homosexual couples. … Rev. Logan McMenamie, dean of the cathedral, said he was pleased with the result of the vote and proud of the way the cathedral’s parishioners came to the decision.”
– Report from The Times Colonist. h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog. Photo: Christ Church Cathedral.
Indaba with an MBA?
“It would be wonderful for His Grace to take note of the grave errors and blatant misconduct of the American Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, reflect on the evidence already provided during his predecessor’s tenure, and if, as some suspect, there is a need for the two North American Provinces to repent and return to Jesus Christ in the historic and Biblical sense, that they be called to do so and set to one side until they have.
What is not called for is making nice, photo ops, smiles and handshakes with those who have broken covenant and relationships unilaterally by their stubborn independence and arrogance.…”
– Bishop David Anderson of the American Anglican Council writes about the true nature of reconciliation and the task ahead of the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
Related: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s latest sermon – on Reconciliation – “Faith and Conflict”.
Canterbury tale
Evangelicals Now, has an account of last month’s visit by Archbishop of Canterbury-Designate Justin Welby to a Vineyard church.
“Unusually perhaps for a senior Anglican, Justin Welby was very clear on the exact time and date he became a Christian and on the gospel he responded to.”
– Read the article here. (Photo: Diocese of Durham.)
New Archbishop for Tanzania
Bishop Jacobo Chimeledya, has been elected as Primate of the Anglican Church of Tanzania.
– Story from Anglican Ink.
Ordination in Kenya for church plant in Sheffield
“In Sheffield, South Yorkshire, statistics show that only 3% of the population regularly attend church. Back in 2002 the leadership team at Christ Church Fulwood were invited by senior diocesan staff to investigate the possibility of church planting…
Pete Jackson, who has been one of the associate ministers at Christ Church Central, is the founding minister [of Christ Church Walkley].
Although recommended by the Reform Panel of Reference and trained at Oakhill Theological College, Pete had not been ordained since Christ Church Central was not part of Sheffield Diocese. Concern that his ministry and that of the new church should be appropriately recognised led us to consult the leadership of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE), who subsequently wrote to the GAFCON Primates’ Council…”
– Read the full story at Anglican Mainstream.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…