NZ Church to hold conversations ‘with the wider community’ on marriage
“Without dissent, and after a debate that at times included displays of raw emotion, the synod passed a resolution that “asks Episcopal Units to hold conversations in our church and with the wider community about the nature of marriage.”
It’s clear that the mover of the resolution, the Rev Glynn Cardy, of St Matthew-in-the-City, in Auckland, hopes this will lead, eventually, to the possibility of gay and lesbian couples getting married in Anglican churches…”
– more ‘conversations’ coming to the Anglican Church of NZ. Text of resolution here.
‘Divine Conference’ attracts 2000 to All Saints Nairobi
“In the West the adjective ‘divine’ is used more to describe chocolate or clothes than the things of God, but the ‘Divine Conference’ held at Nairobi’s All Saints’ Cathedral last month, 24-27 May, was intended to be exactly what it said it was – a time given to God for his glory and to seek his face. …”
– Charles Raven, now based in Kenya, looks at what’s happening in East Africa. At Anglican Mainstream.
USPG to change its name
The 311-year-old United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel will change its name:
“…over the decades, this view of mission has shifted, and the focus today is on inspiring local communities to unlock their potential…”
– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service. Related: USPG.
New Archbishop of Uganda elected
“On 22nd June 2012, at a press conference held at the Archbishop’s Palace, Namirembe, the Rt. Rev. Nicodemus Okille, Dean of the Church of the Province of Uganda, announced that the Rt. Rev. Stanley Ntagali was elected the 8th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. The election was held during a meeting of the House of Bishops on Friday, 22nd June, 2012, at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe…”
– Report from The Anglican Communion News Service.
An important contribution to a vital debate
An important book, which meets a desperate need, is due to be launched next week.
“Sometimes we all just wish this debate would go away. Christians aren’t preoccupied with this subject, they’re preoccupied with Jesus. However, this is the form in which the gospel of Jesus is under most direct challenge just at the moment and we need the courage and the resources to take our stand on the teaching of Scripture.” – Mark Thompson
ACL President Dr. Mark Thompson explains why the book is important:
“The debate about homosexual behaviour and the concerted attempt by the gay lobby and others to gain legitimacy by rebadging homosexual liaisons as ‘same-sex marriage’ is quite intense at the moment. A culture bankrupt of any moral compass increasingly accepts the gay lobby’s caricature of Christians who take the Bible’s teaching on the subject seriously as bigots and homophobes. Read more
St. Hilda’s says goodbye to a building
“Today was our last Sunday worshipping in the building that has been known as “St. Hilda’s” for the last 53 years. A negotiated settlement with the Diocese of Niagara will result in the building being turned over to the diocese on June 1st. …”
– Anglican Essentials Canada blog reports on the last service at St. Hilda’s Oakville in Ontario.
Photo: David Jenkins. More photos here.
An Anglican Conference focussed on the Future
Gav Poole was among the attendees at the FCA Conference in London –
“The crisis has happened, there is impairment within the communion and now we look forward to the renewal of the Anglican communion.”
“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) leaders conference was held in London, 23 to 27 April. It was made up of 200 delegates within the Anglican communion from 30 countries. The theme of the conference was ‘Jesus the Christ: Unique and Supreme’.
The conference was designed to critique the current state of the Anglican communion and under teaching from the Scriptures move the delegates to a common commitment as to the direction of the FCA and its role within the Anglican communion. The program included Bible studies, services, seminars and networking. It culminated in the adoption of a conference commitment at the end of the week. Read more
Southern Cone declines to ratify Bishop of Uruguay’s election
“The House of Bishops and provincial executive committee of the Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur (de América) have declined to ratify the election of the Ven. Michael Pollesel as Bishop of Uruguay.
At the close of their 21 – 25 May 2012 meeting in Montevideo the bishops released a statement saying that ‘after discussion and prayer and in accord with its canons the Provincial Executive of the Cono Sur together with its College of Bishops did not ratify the election of the Ven. Dr. Michael Pollesel as bishop-coadjutor for Uruguay’…
Last December, Dr. Pollesel, the former general secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada … was elected Bishop of Uruguay by the diocesan synod to succeed Bishop Tamayo who retires in June.
Concerns whether Dr. Pollesel shared the Cono Sur’s doctrinal and Scriptural views or followed those prevalent in the Anglican Church of Canada were raised after his election…”
– Full story at Anglican Ink.
(Photo of ACA Archbishop Fred Hilz with Dr Michael Pollesel: Anglican Journal.)
The costly faithfulness of The Falls Church
“The Falls Church is one of hundreds of congregations across the country that have given up their buildings rather than stay affiliated with a branch of their church they believe denies the final authority of Scripture. …”
– Alicia Constant writes about Falls Church at The Gospel Coalition. (h/t Tim Challies.)
Bishop McIntyre breaks ranks on homosexuality
How does this square with the Australian Bishops’ Protocol?
The Synod of the Diocese of Gippsland met in Sale, 18–20 May 2012. In his Presidential Address, Bishop John McIntyre spoke of the “new place” to which he had come in his understanding of homosexual people and the church. He said –
“I will appoint to office in our diocese those whom I believe God is calling to minister among us … and I am willing to live with any consequences that may arise from remaining true to that commitment.”
Read the full text of his address – linked from the diocesan website (PDF) – also quoted at length in The Gippsland Times (“Anglican Bishop enters gay marriage debate”, 19 May 2012).
Related posts. (Photo: Diocese of Gippsland.)
Papers from the FCA leaders conference available
More papers from the FCA leaders conference in London have been uploaded to the GAFCON website.
See this page for the complete listing of resources from the GAFCON website.
The newly available papers are –
What is the Gospel? – from a seminar led by Drs Ngozi Okeke & Mark Thompson
A Summary of Anglican Ecclesiology – Ashley Null
16th Century Anglican Ecclesiology – Ashley Null
The Anglican Mind in Caroline and Tractarian Thought – Arthur MiddletonFaithful and Effective – Evangelism and Church Planting.
Bishop Coadjutor of New Hampshire elected
“The Rev. A. Robert (Rob) Hirschfeld was elected bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire today at St. Paul’s Church, on the first ballot. In January 2013 he will succeed Bishop Gene Robinson as the Xth Bishop of New Hampshire. …
Rev. Hirschfeld is married to Polly Ingraham… and has two sons and a daughter.”
– New Hampshire elects a bishop coadjutor. (Photo credit: Reynolds Winslow.)
How will Anglicans react if New Hampshire Episcopalians elect another Gay Bishop?
Time asks the question, and includes mention of FCA and quotes a response from Archbishop Peter Jensen –
“‘Having once made an appointment which defies both orthodox Christian teaching and the commitment of the majority of their fellow Anglicans, it would not be surprising that the Episcopal Church would continue its intransigent path,’ he wrote…”
– Story at Time. (Photo credit: Forester Photography, Concord NH via Dioc NH.)
Falls Anglican Church Virginia has last Sunday at property
“A departing Anglican congregation held its final services at a Virginia church property that they lost to The Episcopal Church in a years-long court battle.
The Falls Church Anglican, a congregation that broke away from the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia years ago over the increasingly liberal theology of the denomination, held two services on Sunday, leaving the property to a much smaller Episcopal congregation…”
– story from Christian Post. Photo: Falls Church.
New West Synod moves to lift same sex blessing ‘partial moratorium’
From a report on the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster, which concluded yesterday –
“Of interest to many was the passing of Motion #1 on the afternoon of May 12th by a substantial majority of Synod.
In this motion, Synod requested that the Bishop lift the partial moratorium that has been in place since 2005 and authorize priests of the Diocese of New Westminster to bless the civil marriages of gay and lesbian couples in those parishes that support this pastoral act. …
Bishop Michael responded by saying that he will think about this decision and that he plans to confer with many members of the diocese…”
– from the New Westminster website. (Photo: Dioc. New Westminster. h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.)
Related: The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns by Dr Mark Thompson, 2008.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…