Call for a new newspaper for the British Church

“It is now time for a new newspaper for the British Church, employing professional journalists whose news coverage will investigate the truth without fear or favour, preventing the new publication from being a mere echo-chamber.

Its comment columns should be robustly and persuasively orthodox, putting the revisionist agenda under rigorous intellectual scrutiny. …”

– Julian Mann, who recently explained why he can no longer write for the Church of England Newspaper, calls for a new newspaper.

Reactions to the Church Society, Reform, FWS merger

Church Society has posted several video reactions to the announced the Church Society, Reform, FWS merger – on their Vimeo channel.

Church Society, Reform UK and Fellowship of Word and Spirit ‘joining forces’

[Also see the Update further below.]

Church Society’s Director, Dr Lee Gatiss, has issued this statement via his Twitter account –

“This is my comment on the well-founded rumours that , , and the Fellowship of Word & Spirit are joining forces.

‘I rejoice greatly and am so grateful to God that Anglican Evangelicals are at last beginning to combine their strengths to stand firm and contend together in the Church of England.

This is a hugely positive story and counters the fiction that orthodox groups and fragmenting and leaving. We’re not. Conservative evangelicals are coming together like never before, as the times demand.

This is the biggest thing to happen in the Anglican Evangelical world here for 25 years, and I see it as a cause for celebration. There is much still to pray for.’ ”

– We await further details.

Update – this announcement has now been made:

Contending for the Gospel: Time for a New Approach – Church Society –

“We are delighted to announce that the Church Society Council, the Reform Council, and the Trustees of the Fellowship of Word and Spirit have all agreed to pursue a merger. It is in the light of our shared Biblical, Reformed, Anglican faith and common goals that we have decided that the challenges of the present time require us to unite our efforts so that we are better placed to harness the energies of evangelicals in contending for the gospel. …” – Announcement from Church Society Director Dr Lee Gatiss.

Also,

“The need for unity of fellowship and purpose with bodies like Church Society and Fellowship of Word & Spirit is urgent and overdue. …” – Canon David Banting.

“Our new context means that we need to focus our efforts, unite our endeavours, and ensure we maximise the usefulness of our resources. …” – Bishop Rod Thomas.

“At a time when our nation is rapidly rejecting its Christian inheritance, and the Church of England is in a crisis about its convictions and influence, there has never been a greater need for those committed to biblical truth to unite together, enabling our message to be heard with greater clarity and power. …” – Dr Rob Munro.

Read the full statements at the link above.

Relevant websites: Church Society, Reform, Fellowship of Word & Spirit.

Challenge for new Oak Hill President in avoiding ‘Good Disagreement’ trap

“With the leadership of the Church of England increasingly expecting its future ministers to be enthusiastic about theological diversity, the new president of the one distinctively Reformed Anglican training college, Oak Hill in north London, faces a demanding task.

The Revd Jonathan Juckes took up the newly created role of college president last month at the age of 56. This was after the college council decided to appoint a president to work alongside the academic principal following the sudden death last year of former principal Dr Michael Ovey (1958-2017).”

– Julian Mann’s opinion piece is a good reminder to continue to pray for Oak Hill College – and to give thanks for the great blessing that college has been for so many.

And continue to pray for Moore College, of course, as the ministry year begins.

Photo: Jonathan Juckes at Oak Hill College.

Archbishop of Canterbury asked — Is it OK to attend GAFCON 2018?

Is it OK to attend GAFCON 2018? And will those who want to attend from the Church of England be encouraged to do so?

That was the gist of the question asked by Susie Leafe, former Director of Reform, at the Church of England’s General Synod yesterday.

Here is the question, and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s answer:

Mrs Susie Leafe (Truro) to ask the Chair of the House of Bishops: Q10

In the light of the view taken by the World Mission and Anglican Communion Panel that international relationships “contribute to the development of discipleship and mission in the Church of England” what plans have been made to support and encourage those bishops, clergy and laity who plan to attend Gafcon, probably the largest international Anglican gathering taking place this year?

The Archbishop of Canterbury to reply as Chair of the House of Bishops:

A We strongly agree with the view of the Panel that international relationships contribute to the development of discipleship and mission. I am personally pleased that every diocese has some link to Anglican Provinces across the world, and we are keen to continue developing these relationships. The recent Primates Meeting underlined the importance of such relationships. I have had conversations with, and listened to, the views of those planning to attend the Gafcon conference, and am keen to increase attendance at any event that encourages the flourishing of the whole Anglican Communion.

Source: Church of England General Synod website  – Page 7 of the PDF document.

Transgender liturgies?

“Recent headlines reported: ‘Church of England bishops have blocked the introduction of a new prayer celebrating a transgender person’s change of sex’.

It became clear, however, that matters are regrettably rather more complicated than that. …”

– Church Society’s Tim Edwards responds to the Church of England’s House of Bishops’ advice on welcoming transgender people into church using the existing Affirmation of Baptism service.

House of Bishops seeking to change Church of England doctrine by stealth — Reform

Some background:

“In July last year the Church of England’s General Synod passed a motion brought forward by the Blackburn Diocesan Synod. This motion declared,

‘….that this Synod, recognising the need for transgender people to be welcomed and affirmed in their parish church, call on the House of Bishops to consider whether some nationally commended liturgical materials might be prepared to mark a person’s gender transition.’

In advance of this February’s General Synod the House of Bishops has responded to this motion in GS Misc 1178, An update on ‘Welcoming Transgender People.’”

– from Anglican theologian Martin Davie. (Read it all.)

In the document, the House of Bishops also states,

“The motion also called on the House of Bishops to consider whether the recognition of a transgender person’s new identity was a moment which should be marked in a particular way in worship. …

the House notes that the Affirmation of Baptismal Faith, found in Common Worship, is an ideal liturgical rite which trans people can use to mark this moment of personal renewal.” (emphasis added)

Read the House of Bishops document here. (PDF)

Reform comments on the what amounts to a repurposing of ‘Affirmation Baptismal Faith’ –

“Liturgy and doctrine cannot be divorced. … to use ‘Affirmation of Baptismal Faith’ in the way envisaged in this document is to change Church of England doctrine by stealth.”

– Read it all.

Church Society Podcast — on Church Society

In the latest Church Society Podcast, Lee Gatiss, Paul Darlington and Wallace Benn chat with Ros Clarke about the purpose of their organisation. From around 28 minutes, there’s discussion about working together with Reform and other groups.

– at Church Society.

Church of England bishops ‘block’ demand for transgender prayer – update

“Church of England bishops have blocked the introduction of a new prayer celebrating a transgender person’s change of sex.

The House of Bishops was strongly urged to draw up the ‘baptism-style’ services for sex-change Christians by the Church’s ‘Parliament’, the General Synod, last summer. …” – Story from Mail Online.

However, also see this: Welcoming Transgender People – an update – Church of England website, dated 21 January 2018:

“Following the debate and vote at General Synod in July 2017 on Welcoming Transgender People, the House of Bishops has prayerfully considered whether a new nationally commended service might be prepared to mark a gender transition.

The Bishops are inviting clergy to use the existing rite Affirmation of Baptismal Faith. New guidance is also being prepared on the use of the service. …”

Why I can’t in conscience write for the Church of England Newspaper any more

“I have been contributing articles regularly for the Church of England Newspaper (CEN) for the past ten years and have found its editor Colin Blakely very congenial to write for.  He is courteous to his writers in contrast to the editors of a couple more thoroughly evangelical publications I have written for.

It is a personally wretched decision for me to have to stop writing for Colin. But his decision to become a trustee of the Ozanne Foundation, which is actively campaigning to change the received biblical teaching of the Church of England on sexual ethics, has made this necessary. …”

– The Rev. Julian Mann, Vicar of the Parish Church of the Ascension, Oughtibridge in Sheffield Diocese, explains his decision, at Anglican Mainstream. (Photo: Julian Mann with Archbishop Ben Kwashi.)

Related: Workers and Wolves – William Taylor on Romans 16:1-23.

Update: Kevin Kallsen and Gavin Ashenden discuss the Ozanne Foundation fallout at Anglican Unscripted #358 – Just Jesus, not ‘just love’ silly.

Senior CofE bishop to front campaign for LGBT inclusion

“The Bishop of Liverpool, Rt Rev Paul Bayes, is to chair a new charity aimed at promoting greater acceptance of LGBT people by working with religious organisations around the world. He has said

He has been named as chair of the Ozanne Foundation, whose director Jayne Ozanne is a high-profile Anglican activist for LGBT inclusivity. …”

– Report. (Photo: Diocese of Liverpool.)

One of the Trustees of the pro-LGBT organisation is Colin Blakely, Editor of The Church of England Newspaper, while Steve Chalke is a member of the Council of Reference.

Related:

As Christ is to His church – William Taylor (Video, 2013).

Confidence in God and the word he has given us – Mark Thompson (February 2014).

Appointment of American Bishop leads to split with Nigerian Diocese – Reform statement (May 2016).

A Church Near You

The Church of England has a dedicated website to find your closest Anglican church – with the message that, for most people in the UK, their local church is less than a mile away.

If you are looking for an Anglican Church in Sydney this Christmas, check out Sydney’s own ChurchNearYou.com.au.

‘Get with the Program’ — The Church of England votes to ordain Women Bishops — 2014

“Writing about the age of John Milton, the British author A. N. Wilson once tried to explain to modern secular readers that there had once been a time when bishops of the Church of England were titanic figures of conviction who were ready to stand against the culture.

‘It needs an act of supreme historical imagination to be able to recapture an atmosphere in which Anglican bishops might be taken seriously,’ he wrote, ‘still more, one in which they might be thought threatening.’…”

– This 2014 piece from Albert Mohler is worth re-reading to remember how much has changed in such a short time in the Church of England.

And do pray for those gospel-minded leaders in the C of E, that they will be filled with wisdom, and will stand firm in the faith.

Related:

St. Helen’s Bishopsgate relationships with other deanery churches ‘temporarily impaired’.

Anglican Unscripted #357 – Welby revokes Carey’s Permission to Officiate.

A letter of congratulations to the new appointee to the See of Canterbury from a leading Evangelical (1860)

“I would like to extend my congratulations and best wishes to the Reverend John Henry Newman on his appointment to the See of Canterbury. Although we may differ over what some might consider trifles … I am sure that the Reverend Newman loves the Lord Jesus, and more crucially, loves the Church of England.”

– Melvin Tinker has written this satirical letter from ‘Bishop John Charle Ryle’.

And a good reminder to pray for the Church of England.

‘New Bishop of London … refuses to say where she stands’

“The controversial new Bishop of London refused yesterday to say where she stands on the the Church of England’s most damaging division.

The Right Reverend Sarah Mullally left tens of thousands of worshippers in her new diocese guessing about her views on gay rights after giving a high-profile broadcast interview. …

Bishop Mullally said the CofE has ‘a real diversity’ and is entering ‘a period of reflection’.

Bishop Mullally withheld her own thinking in an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme in which she was repeatedly pressed for her opinion. …”

– Story from Mail Online. Photo: Diocese of London.

Related:

Which Way, Evangelicals? There is Nowhere to Hide – Albert Mohler.

“There will be no place to hide. The forces driving this revolution in morality will not allow evasion or equivocation. Every pastor, every church, and every Christian organization will soon be forced to declare an allegiance to the Scriptures and to the Bible’s teachings on marriage and sexual morality, or to affirm loyalty to the sexual revolution.”

When ‘Discernment’ Leads to Disaster – Albert Mohler.

Bishop-elect’s radio interview struggle reveals Church’s unresolved dilemmas – Andrew Symes.

“She would have known that it would come. She would have prepared for it, rehearsing her lines, perhaps with coaches, wanting to appear wise, generous, compassionate, authoritative. It came, finally, at the end of the interview; the dreaded ’Tim Farron question’ – ‘do you think homosexual relationships are sinful?’

Like an England batsman in the nets in Australia she had practiced for this moment … I felt for her as she attempted to answer the inevitable question, and she flannelled and waffled, a combination of the cringeworthy and the hilarious (see transcript below).”

Listen from 1 hour 52 minutes into the audio.

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