Editorial from the GAFCON GB & Europe September 2021 Newsletter

“…and then the end will come”: How looking forward to our ultimate future brings encouragement in confusing times.

As he walked with his disciples in Jerusalem, Jesus used their amazement at the vast scale of Herod’s temple building to teach them about the puniness of human endeavour in comparison with the power of God in control of a world which seems out of control. He gave them a concise summary of what would happen during the next 2000+ years: wars, natural disasters, false religion and persecution of God’s people, but also, salvation, and his return …

– An encouraging editorial from the current GAFCON GB & Europe Newsletter.

(Link via Anglican Mainstream.)

Prayer for Goma diocese

Today’s prayer request from GAFCON –

“Six weeks ago, we prayed for the portable Bible schools in Goma diocese, DR Congo. Joseph Rusangiza reports from the Archdeaconry of Binza. They recently had a graduation ceremony, and 42 evangelists were presented with their certificate.

We prayed that each may have a Bible and the Lord provided for this. However, the supply of Bibles is nearly finished. Please continue to pray that each evangelist may have his or her own Bible.”

Lift Up Your Hearts Devotional from Jodie McNeil during August

During August 2021, GAFCON’s Lift up Your Hearts devotionals are by Jodie McNeil. He’s sharing from 1 Kings.

“Each day’s devotion is based on one chapter from 1 Kings, where we witness King David’s final days, King Solomon’s wisdom and his temple construction, the tragic fall from grace by so many of the disobedient kings of the divided kingdom, through to the extraordinary ministry of Elijah.

Jodie seeks to help us read 1 Kings as Christian scripture, understanding this remarkable book in its Biblical Theological context. As we experience the highs and lows of the rule of God’s kings, we will learn so much more about the true king of the Kingdom of God, Jesus the Messiah, and what that means to us as we follow him as our king.”

Bishop Julian Dobbs interviews Bishop William Love

“At the 2021 Provincial Council for the Anglican Church in North America, Bishop Julian Dobbs of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word had an opportunity to interview Bishop William Love.

As you will hear, this was a pivotal time for Bishop Love as he was being welcomed into the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word as an Assisting Bishop having resigned from the Diocese of Albany in The Episcopal Church.”

– From GAFCON.

Background:

No Love in the Episcopal Church – October 26, 2020
includes links to earlier posts.

Advance Australia Where?

“The creature we know as the Anglican church has a history replete with knotty problems and gritty solutions. And when it comes to the matter of problems, it is something of an understatement to say that the Anglican Church of Australia has a very serious one on its hands at present: the dioceses of Wangaratta and Newcastle have resolved to pursue the practice of blessing of same-sex marriages. This, of course, has pushed them away from a good swathe of the wider national church and further structural estrangement has the potential to rend the (already weakened) fabric of the national fellowship asunder.

Into the breach the recent Appellate Tribunal has come. Through an unusual definition of ‘doctrine’ and some eccentric exegesis the majority opinions imply that the Australian Anglican family can adopt these changes and keep toiling together in the same constitutional territory. Such opinions have stunned the many onlookers who believe precisely the opposite. Indeed, the vast majority of the submissions to the Appellate Tribunal, the Board of Assessors report, and the guidance of the House of Bishops all said in unison, words to the effect of ‘no!’…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Dr Mark Earngey explains that “the GAFCON movement is precisely what is needed for a time such as this”.

His article, republished from the Autumn 2021 ACR Journal, was written before Archbishop Raffel’s election, and before this week’s announcement from GAFCON Australia.

See also:

Dr Robert Tong on the Appellate Tribunal Opinion – 12 November 2020.

Preliminary thoughts on the Appellate Tribunal ruling – Dr Mark Thompson, 11 November 2020.

Gafcon Australia moves ahead — plans for new Australian diocese

Here’s a Media Statement issued after tonight’s GAFCON Australia online gathering:

Media Statement – 19 July 2021
Gafcon Australia moves ahead

Gafcon Australia has outlined its plan to support Anglicans who leave the Anglican Church of Australia over doctrinal revision which overturns the plain teaching of Scripture.

At an online meeting replacing the postponed Gafcon Australasia conference on Monday, the Chair of Gafcon Australia, Bishop Richard Condie, expanded on Gafcon’s Commitment 2020.

“With great sadness and regret, we realise that many faithful Anglican clergy and lay people will no longer be able to remain as members of the ACA if changes allowed by the Appellate Tribunal majority opinion take place in their dioceses”, Bishop Condie said.

“We love these people and don’t want them to be lost to the Anglican fold.” he said, “We want them to be recognised and supported as they love and serve their own communities.”

For this reason, Gafcon pledged in late 2020 to form a new Diocese for Anglicans who will be forced to leave the Anglican Church of Australia.

On Monday he outlined that the new church entity will be formed through a company structure, led by a small Board of Directors.

In the beginning, former ACA churches would be able to join as affiliates of the new entity, through an affiliation agreement.

At a later date these churches will become a Diocese, establishing a Synod to elect a Bishop and Standing Committee.

Once established it is anticipated that the new diocese will be recognised and endorsed by the Gafcon Primates, as they have endorsed the formation of similar dioceses in the USA, Canada, Brazil and New Zealand, where the established Anglican Church in these countries has departed from the teaching of Scripture.

Bishop Condie also told the on-line gathering that the Board had appointed the Revd Michael Kellahan as its first Executive Officer.

Mr Kellahan has recently been the Executive Director of Freedom for Faith, a think-tank on religious freedom in Australia, and will help the Board deliver its commitment to its supporters.

“It grieves the Gafcon movement that these measures are necessary”, Bishop Condie said, “but the support of faithful Anglicans has been the objective of Gafcon Australia since its beginning.

“Gafcon Australia embraces evangelical, catholic and charismatic Anglicans, ordained women and men, and lay people, each of whom uphold the Jerusalem Declaration. We see a great future for orthodox Anglicans as they love ordinary Australians with the gospel.”

The Gafcon Movement began in 2008 at the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem where Anglicans met from around the world to work to heal and restore the Anglican Communion in the face of theological revision.

The Jerusalem Declaration made at that conference is a statement of contemporary Anglican Orthodoxy that guides the movement.

The global movement now embraces over 70% of the world’s worshipping Anglicans and seeks to go about proclaiming Christ faithfully to the nations. Gafcon has held further Conferences in Nairobi in 2013 and Jerusalem again in 2018.

Gafcon Australia was formed in 2015 in anticipation of the same theological revision occurring in Australia that has occurred in other western Anglican churches. Sadly, the time has come to protect faithful Anglicans from the changes in understanding of the doctrine of the ACA, which are being embraced by various bishops and their synods.

END. (PDF file.)

See also:

Going forward with Gafcon Australia – Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net

Gafcon Australia Announces Plans for Extra-Provincial Diocese – David Ould.

Gafcon Australasia 2021 Conference postposed – but …

 

From GAFCON Australia:

“It is with great disappointment that the organising committee has made the decision to postpone the Gafcon Australasia 2021 Conference amidst the escalating national COVID-19 outbreak.

We acknowledge the disappointment and inconvenience that this announcement will cause, however see this decision as the only reasonable course of action at this time.

Although we have postponed the conference, all supporters are invited to a special, online gathering to be held on Monday 19th July at 7:00pm (AEST).

You can register for this event here.”

An evangelical Rector quits apostate denomination – with Andrew Pearson

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“The resignation of Rev Andrew Pearson as rector of the 11-hundred strong Advent Cathedral in Birmingham, Alabama has come as a shock.

The conventional wisdom had been that Advent could ride the storms of liberalism surrounding it, despite many other evangelicals being gradually forced out of America’s Episcopal Church over the last decade.

However, the Cathedral’s vestry has recently capitulated to the demands of the new Alabama Episcopal bishop.

Andrew says an ultimatum was put to him by two successive bishops, ‘change or leave the denomination.’

Andrew speaks about how he reluctantly came to realise there was no future for him in the Episcopal denomination, and that he needed to leave.

He speaks about joining the Anglican Church in North America, what it’s like now serving under a bishop he can trust in Foley Beach, and his plans for a new church plant in Birmingham.”

– A very sobering reminder of the choices facing the remaining evangelical pastors in The Episcopal Church and other denominations on a similar trajectory.

He also reminds Australian Anglicans of what the real issues are – but do watch it all, and do pray.

For some of the background:

‘The Advent has changed’: Andrew Pearson on why he left Advent Cathedral – al.com

The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns – by Dr. Mark Thompson, March 2008.

The Sydney Lambeth Decision Briefing – March 2008.

A Crisis in Koinonia: Biblical Perspectives for Anglicans – David Short, May 2004.

GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter July 2021

“Every day we are challenged with troubling news from around the world. Of late, there is a further complication from the global pandemic. There is a mutation to COVID-19 called “Variation D.” In addition, some regions are having a much higher mortality rate than others.

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda has shared that a rise in cases has led to a new lockdown in Rwanda. Western Kenya and parts of Uganda are also being hit very hard. Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba reports that Uganda is in the midst of a 42-day total lockdown. …”

– GAFCON Primates Council Chairman Archbishop Foley Beach shares his pastoral letter to members of the GAFCON family for July 2021.

GAFCON Sunday 2021 coming up

GAFCON has posted a number of resources for GAFCON Sunday, 27 June 2021.

Prayer for Uganda

“From June 7 Uganda has returned to a full lockdown for 42 days.

These are very challenging times for the nation and Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba has issued a statement encouraging Anglicans to make every effort to keep meeting using radio, local TV stations, Zoom, social media, etc.

He also calls ‘on all husbands and fathers to step up and take responsibility for leading your families in daily home prayers and in Sunday worship.

The Family is the smallest church, and every home needs its Family Altar.’ ”

– Matters for prayer – from GAFCON.

Primates Council Communique, April 2021

PRIMATES COUNCIL COMMUNIQUE 29 April 2021

The Gafcon Primates Council met on 21 & 22 April 2021 via Zoom.

We are thankful to God for the time we were able to spend together in discussing global and provincial matters especially mindful of those facing persecution for their Faith, the Covid- 19 pandemic and its challenges to health systems, economies, and the worship of Almighty God.

Our General Secretary, Archbishop Ben Kwashi, was with us for the duration of the Council’s meeting. Archbishop Ben’s clear gospel focus for Gafcon and the Diocese of Jos was evident each time he spoke. We are thankful to God for the medical treatment and the breadth of hospitality he has received in the USA over the past 6 months. His treatment is coming to an end and indications are the chemotherapy has stemmed the cancer in his body. Thank you to all who have prayed and supported Archbishop Ben and Mama Gloria through this difficult time.

Despite the effects of COVID affecting every region, there was overwhelming gratitude to God for the ongoing faithful proclamation of the Gospel. While church buildings may have been closed, congregations learned new skills and met virtually. This has resulted in lives being committed to Christ, discipleship being undertaken, new churches planted, baptisms, confirmations, ordinations and consecrations all being conducted in a COVID-safe environment. We praise God for the work of His Spirit in building His church.

Following a decision in 2020 to reconstitute the Missionary District in Europe, the Council was delighted to hear of the renewed ministry to the region with the launch of the Anglican Network in Europe with its two convocations-in-formation, the Anglican Mission in England and the Anglican Convocation in Europe. The work of the Holy Spirit was evident in bringing the Network together in such a short time with the need for separate constitutions and canons for each entity.

The Gafcon Branch in the UK has increased its vision as a result of requests for support from further afield than England, Scotland and Wales. This has resulted in the renaming of the branch to Gafcon GB & Europe, reflecting the breadth of its reach.

Within Anglicanism the revisionist agenda continues to be pushed globally and we have seen an increase in the number of requests for affiliation with Gafcon. The General Secretary and Regional Secretaries seek the best outcome for each request to provide God’s children with biblical teaching and pastoral care that is faithful and obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Networks continue to draw together like-minded Anglican organisations in the Provinces and Branches. We were particularly encouraged by the progress being made in the Theological Education Network and the Church Planting Network.

We established working groups to thoroughly examine a number of current issues facing the communion and look forward to the results of their deliberations.

While our financial situation has suffered during the pandemic, our constituents were encouraged to provide the funding to ensure the mandate given to the Primates Council continues. A generous donor has provided a “matching grant” to match regular new donors and we encourage supporters to take advantage of this generous offer. We are hopeful for a fruitful result of our annual Gafcon Sunday scheduled for 27 June.

Gafcon continues to be focused on proclaiming Christ faithfully to the nations, covered with prayer, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, so that revival breaks out and people turn to living righteous lives to the glory of God.

Archbishop Foley Beach Chairman, Gafcon Primates Council

and

Archbishop Ben Kwashi, General Secretary Gafcon.

Source.

Anglican Network in Europe Commissioning Service (updated with video links)

The Anglican Network in Europe held a Commissioning Service with a difference on Monday evening 19th April European time.

Video greetings were sent to the Commissioning Service from around the world.

The entire Commissioning Service can be seen here.

Related:

In this video recorded last month (March 2021), GAFCON’s Ernie Didot speaks with Bishop Andy Lines, Philip de Grey-Warter and Lee McNunn about the Anglican Network in Europe.

DISCOVER Diocese of Kilimanjaro

GAFCON has posted this encouraging video from the Diocese of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Joint Primate Statement from Abp. Foley Beach & Abp. Henry Ndukuba

Here’s a Joint Statement from Archbishop Foley Beach (Primate of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and Archbishop Henry Ndukuba (Primate of the Church of Nigeria (CoN) reaffirming their commitment to Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10.

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