Church Society review of 2023

Church Society has published a review of what they did, and the big stories in the Church of England, in  2023.

It’s in two parts – January to June, and July to December.

It’s been quite a year, and our friends at Church Society have been strenuously contending for the faith in an increasingly unfaithful Church of England. Do pray for them.

Misgendering and Misuse of Discipline

After the report Vicar Faces Official Rebuke From Church of England For Saying Trans Archdeacon is “Biologically a Bloke”, earlier in the week, the Rev. Brett Murphy has responded on his video blog.

Brett was also interviewed by Kevin Kallsen at Anglican TV.

For Archbishop of Canterbury, Heading Anglican Church Is ‘High-Wire Act’

“When the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, welcomed friends to sing Christmas carols at his London residence last week, his remarks ran, as they often do, to his coronation of King Charles III in May. …”

– The New York Times has this piece on Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

It tells us,“he is keenly aware of the limits on what he can accomplish before he hands over to the next archbishop in 2026. A bitter, yearslong debate over how the Church of England should treat same-sex marriage will not be resolved during his term, he said in an interview at Lambeth Palace…”

What is the Good News? A Response to Jayne Ozanne’s Reinterpretation

“I was astonished last week to see that Premier Christianity published what to be frank was just a heretical article from Jayne Ozanne…even more so after my own experience of being cancelled by them lest I upset some people (Why was I Cancelled and Repented for by Premier Christianity?)

They seem to have little difficulty in upsetting biblical Christians! I was not going to respond and then I came across a couple of other Christians who were influenced by Ozanne and did not see a major problem with what she said – so I wrote this piece  – which Christian Today have thankfully published. …

‘But what is this Good News? The Church of England, as the Church of Scotland and much of the rapidly declining mainstream denominations in the West, seem greatly confused. I recall a group of Scottish politicians who had asked a group of “representative” clergy to give advice and how confused they were. ‘You seem to believe in two different religions’ was their accurate observation. Indeed the trumpet has been giving an uncertain sound for many years.

Jayne Ozanne, the former evangelical, who once believed the Good News, has now come to agree with this view that there are two different versions of Christianity which are incompatible with one another. She wrote of this in a revealing article earlier this month. …’

– David Robertson responds in his usual helpful way – by drawing us back to the word of God. At The Wee Flea.

Same-sex couples receive blessings for first time in Church of England

“Same-sex couples began receiving blessings in the Church of England on Dec. 17 …

Among the first couples to receive the blessings were the Rev. Catherine Bond and the Rev. Jane Pearce, both associate priests, during Holy Eucharist on Dec. 17 at St. John the Baptist Church in Suffolk. …

A day later, on Dec. 18, Pope Francis broke similar ground in the Roman Catholic Church by allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced…”

– Story from The Episcopal News Service.

As might be expected, the media were on hand at St John the Baptist, Felixstowe.

Update on the Vatican component of the story – from NotThe Bee, explaining that what was said was a little more nuanced:

“The Vatican is saying that this is not a blessing of the sin they are living in, but a blessing for those who ‘recognize themselves to be destitute and in need of his help’ that will pray before the throne of God for ‘all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and in their relationships’ to be healed and guided by the Spirit.”

Image from the February 2023 Church of England’s General Synod.

Vicar Faces Official Rebuke From Church of England For Saying Trans Archdeacon is “Biologically a Bloke”

“The Revd Brett Murphy faces an official rebuke from the CofE over ‘intentionally derogatory and disrespectful’ remarks he made about the Revd Canon Dr. Rachel Mann shortly after his appointment in June.

LGBT+ campaigners had hailed his appointment as a ‘beacon of light and hope’.

The Revd Murphy, in a 32-minute-long YouTube video, criticised the CofE for putting ‘a radical rainbow activist’ in a ‘position of high authority in a diocese’. …”

– Anglican Mainstream has this excerpt from and link to a report in The Telegraph.

Since the Rev Brett Murphy has left the Church of England, he might not care very much what is said about him.

Bishop of Ebbsfleet’s Guidance on Prayers of Love and Faith

As the Church of England’s House of Bishops say that Prayers of Love and Faith are available for use from today (Sunday 17 December 2023), the Bishop of Ebbsfleet has issued his pastoral guidance. It can be summarised:

  1. Do not use the prayers.
  2. If you can, pass a PCC resolution not to use the prayers.
  3. Consider what implications ‘impaired fellowship’ may have on your ministry.
  4. Do not leave the Church of England now.
  5. Support the CEEC and others in seeking suitable provision.

– Read his Statement and Ad Clerum here (PDF file).

Link via Anglican Mainstream.

Hard Decisions will have to be made — Bishop Wallace Benn

“I was privileged to be part of the group at the Lambeth Conference of world-wide Anglican bishops in 1998 which produced the statement overwhelmingly supported by the Conference …

I was also part of the group that wrote the excellent Jerusalem Declaration in 2008 (which became the basis for GAFCON — the global movement of orthodox Anglicans)…”

– Both statements assert the authority of Scripture.

So, in the light of the latest moved by the House of Bishops of the Church of England, Bishop Wallace Benn asks, “What are Bible-believing Christians to do?”

– Anglican Mainstream has republished his comments from Evangelicals Now.

Photo: Bishop Benn at GAFCON 1 in 2008 by Peter Frank for GAFCON.

CEEC responds to House of Bishops’ commendation of Prayers of Love and Faith

“Revd Canon John Dunnett, National Director, CEEC, said: “CEEC deeply regrets the announcement from the House of Bishops which indicates that a selection of readings and prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and asking for God’s blessing for same sex couples can be used in Church of England services from Sunday 17 December.

As reported in our statement on 17 November, this confirms our belief that a line has been crossed, which we hoped and prayed would not happen.…”

– The latest from the Church of England Evangelical Council.

Deaf and arrogant — The Anglican Network in Europe on the Church of England House of Bishops

Press Release:

A response to the Church of England House of Bishops’ commendation of Prayers of Love and Faith on 12 December 2023

It is hugely disappointing, but unsurprising, that the Church of England House of Bishops has ignored the pleas of the majority of the Anglican Communion, nearly half of the clergy and laity in General Synod and nearly a third of their own members to push ahead along a highly divisive path which arrogantly rejects the authority of scripture and cravenly follows the latest trends in Western secular culture.

For both clergy and laity now standing at the crossroads and prayerfully considering their future path, we want to reassure them there is a road available which avoids an unknown and unsafe future as part of an apostate denomination, and draw their attention to the recent Gafcon Primates’ statement (9 Nov 2023) which speaks of a way of being authentically Anglican apart from Canterbury-aligned structures: “We… commend the ministry and witness of the Anglican Network in Europe as the appropriate and necessary provision of Gafcon for those who cannot in good conscience remain in a Church which flagrantly abandons the teaching of Scripture.”

Rt. Rev’d Andy Lines
Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Network in Europe.

Received via e-mail.

Note: The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) is the provision of the Primates’ Council of Gafcon to provide a faithful ecclesial structure for orthodox Anglicans within Europe. It currently comprises two dioceses: The Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE) and The Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).

Image: GAFCON.

C of E: Prayers of Love and Faith to be made available for use from Sunday

“A selection of readings and prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples can be used in Church of England services for the first time from Sunday, December 17, following approval by the House of Bishops.

The final texts of Prayers of Love and Faith, commended for use in regular public worship or private prayer, are published today, together with pastoral guidance which sets out how they could be used.

At a meeting held online this morning, the House of Bishops confirmed its earlier decision to commend the Prayers of Love and Faithresources for use in regular public worship and agreed that this should take effect from Sunday December 17.

The Prayers can be used in regular scheduled services, such as a Sunday Eucharist or Evensong.

The House also continued to discuss separate proposals for special standalone services for same-sex couples to be formally authorised under canon law. …”

– from a Church of England press release.

Ian Paul – Church of England is “trying to square a circle”

“Rev Dr Ian Paul offers crucial insights following November’s Synod, reaffirming the Church of England’s doctrine that marriage remains defined as a union between one man and one woman. For a nuanced understanding of what took place, the half-hour interview is accessible on our YouTube channel here.

Ian asks, ‘Do we have confidence in the teaching of Jesus?’ and firmly states the impossibility of detaching doctrinal adherence from pastoral care. He critiques efforts to align the Church’s timeless doctrine with contemporary views as ‘trying to square a circle’. …”

– From The Coalition for Marriage in the UK. Watch here.

A personal ‘Barmen Declaration’ in the light the Church of England’s current direction

“The following is a personal statement by the Revd Tom Parsons who is a member of the Rochester Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship. I am posting it on this site because I think it is an important theological response to the vote by General Synod a fortnight ago to give a green light to the blessing of same-sex couples in Church of England churches.

On Wednesday 15th November this year, the Church of England’s General Synod voted to give the House of Bishops a green light to develop liturgy of blessing for sexually active same-sex couples. …”

– Martin Davie has posted this personal statement from the Rev Tom Parsons, Vicar of Christ Church, Sidcup, in Kent. In it, he outlines a Biblical and theological response to the General Synod’s vote.

On Sexuality, Justification, and Sanctification

“There were many speeches made in favour of the Prayers of Love and Faith at the November session of the General Synod which raised my eyebrows. The prize for the most ludicrous, however, goes to …”

– Michael Hayden clears up some nonsense which was evident at the Church of England’s General Synod earlier this month.

In doing so, he points us to the beauty of the gospel.

Image: John Calvin by Hans Holbein the Younger

Church Society’s St Antholin Lecture 2023: Same-Sex Love in the Puritan World

From Church Society:

“This year’s St Antholin Lecture on Puritan Divinity will be delivered live on the Church Society Facebook page by Dr Christy Wang, a church historian from Singapore Bible College.

Dr Wang is also a Post-Award Visitor affiliated with the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, where she was a tutor and earned her DPhil on ‘Puritan Conformity, Church Polity, and Anglican Identity, 1628–88’, having previously also studied at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and National Taiwan University.

The title of the lecture will be ‘By Love to Them I Cease Loving of Thee’: Journaling Same-Sex Love in the Puritan World.’…”

– Details here.

The lecture is on Wednesday 6th December at 6pm (UK time), 5:00am the next morning Sydney time.

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