A turning point in the history of Anglicanism — must read
“Almost 1700 years ago, on 20 June 325AD, 318 bishops concluded a very significant meeting. They had gathered in Nicaea because errors had arisen in the church which were so profound that they undermined the very foundation of the Christian message. Those bishops renounced the heresies and upheld orthodox Christian doctrine which had been revealed by God through the Scriptures.
On 22 June 2018, 316 bishops (along with 669 other clergy and 965 laity), concluded another very significant meeting. They gathered in Jerusalem because errors have arisen in the church which were so profound that they undermined the very foundation of the Christian message. Those delegates renounced the heresies and upheld orthodox Christian doctrine which had been revealed by God through the Scriptures.
Those in Jerusalem were gathered from around the Anglican communion and represented the majority of that fellowship. But as this was the third GAFCON that has been held, a justifiable question is whether this conference will make any lasting difference in the way the conference at Nicaea did?…
In order to answer that question, it is worth understanding the context in which this movement has arisen.”
– Here’s a must read article from Dr. Ed Loane – published at SydneyAnglicans.net.
(Photo: Moore Theological College.)
Prayers urged for Archbishop Ben Kwashi and Nigeria
“The premises of the Archbishop of Jos was breached overnight by suspected Fulani Herdsmen days after he was appointed General Secretary of GAFCON for the Anglican Church worldwide.
Archbishop Ben Kwashi who was named GS just this week after a meeting in Israel attended by hundreds of Anglican leaders from around the world is believed to have recently returned to Nigeria only for this attack to occur.
The esteemed clergyman posted on his Facebook page decrying attacks and insecurity inspite of a curfew announced following last weekend’s massacre of at least 238 people …
Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi also lamented the death of a driver during last night’s attack…”
– Troubling news from Plateau State in Nigeria.
(Photo: Archbishop Kwashi with Archbishop Foley Beach during GAFCON 2018.)
Related: Christians Slaughtered. Yawn.
Church of Ireland Bishop gives thanks for GAFCON
Bishop Harold Miller, of the Diocese of Down and Dromore in the Church of Ireland, attended GAFCON 2018 in Jerusalem:
“I have just returned from the third Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem, which took place from 18–22 June. It was a wonderful experience to be with so many Anglicans from all over the world and I wanted to share some reflections and observations. …”
– Most encouraging. Read it at the Diocese of Down and Dromore website.
Two GAFCON summary videos you could show this Sunday
Earlier, we posted a link to “GAFCON 2018 in 90 seconds” from SydneyAnglicans.net, which you might like to download and show in church.
Thanks to GAFCON and Dominic Steele, above is another, which runs for 3:27.
You can also see the assembly on the Temple steps in this video.
Abp Ben Kwashi is GAFCON’s new general secretary. Meet Ben and Gloria Kwashi.
“Archbishop Ben Kwashi of Jos, Nigeria will replace current General Secretary, Archbishop Peter Jensen of Australia, who has served Gafcon in the role since its inception 10 years ago.
This leadership transition will be graduated over the next several months as Kwashi’s and Jensen’s terms overlap in a period of planning. Kwashi will fully take over in January 2019.”
That’s me, 34th from the right
“I am a 2008er. That is, I was probably one of the first Australians to know about the Global Anglican Future Conference and one of the first to register in 2008.
I went to the London leadership conference in 2012, GAFCON II in Nairobi in 2013 and I have just returned from GAFCON III in Jerusalem. As a member of the media team at all three GAFCONS, I have been privileged to see things up close.
I have never been prouder to be an Aussie – given the way my brothers and sisters from Anglican churches across Australia got stuck in to help in Jerusalem. …”
– Russell Powell (who is only 4th from the right in the photo above) shares his reflections on GAFCON 2018 at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Photo: GAFCON Media.
“Letter to the Churches” encapsulates authentic Christianity with clarity, firmness and grace
“The Conference in Jerusalem which has just ended was an extraordinarily rich experience. Not just the dynamic worship, outstanding teaching, and cross-cultural fellowship in small groups and one to one.
A huge amount of information has been presented formally from up front and informally in the form of interviews and blogs. Much of this will be lost in time; the life-changing experience of delegates may fade, but what remains is the Conference Statement. …”
– At Anglican Mainstream, the Rev. Andrew Symes provides some initial reflections on GAFCON’s ‘Letter to the Churches’.
GAFCON Announces New Leadership
“As the 2018 Gafcon Jerusalem conference came to a close on Friday, the Primates’ Council announced the election of Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi, Province of Jos (Nigeria), as the next General Secretary, and Archbishop Foley Beach, primate of the Anglican Church in North America, as the next Chairman of the movement. The announcement was received with roaring applause from the nearly 2,000 delegates in attendance.
Kwashi will replace current General Secretary, Archbishop Peter Jensen of Australia, who has served Gafcon in the role since its inception 10 years ago. After the announcement, Jensen was recognized by the conference in an emotional moment including a presentation culminating with a standing ovation. …”
– Story and photo from GAFCON.
See also: GAFCON Leadership transition announced.
GAFCON 2018 in 90 seconds
From SydneyAnglicans.net: A slideshow designed for churches to show during services as a way of informing people about GAFCON 2018. Download here.
GAFCON a ‘subversive movement’, Irish bishops who attended, ‘an absolute disgrace’
“Attendance by two Church of Ireland bishops at the conservative Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) meeting in Jerusalem last week has provoked deep anger among the church’s clergy.
They have described it as ‘an absolute disgrace’, ‘schismatic’, and as illustrating ‘how utterly out of touch some senior clergy’ were with church membership.…”
– A very unhappy reaction to GAFCON reported in The Irish Times.
See also:
Trevor Johnson and Tim Anderson from Gafcon Ireland react to the ‘Letter to the Churches’. Video.
A good reminder to pray for Ireland. (Image: from the launch of GAFCON Ireland.)
GAFCON 2018 Final Statement – read here
Read the GAFCON 2018 Final Statement – Letter to the Churches.
Reactions to the Gafcon 2018 Conference Statement from leaders in Europe, Africa, North and South America and Australia
The GAFCON Media Team have been busy, and have now uploaded this compilation of reactions from Anglican leaders in Europe, Africa, North and South America and Australia.
Amazing Grace – a most fitting hymn
The John Newton Project’s Marylynn Rouse points out the appropriateness of the singing of Amazing Grace (watch here, 13:43 into the recording) by the GAFCON 2018 attendees on the Temple steps.
The words for Amazing Grace were drawn from 1 Chronicles 17, and were written to accompany Newton’s New Year’s Day sermon in 1773.
1 Chronicles 17 speaks of God’s covenant with David (who desired to build the Temple), and the promise of the everlasting Kingdom of David’s Greater Son.
We also note that John Newton was key in sending the first Chaplain, Richard Johnson, to Australia, and in the founding of CMS, which brought the gospel to so many parts of the world.
Read the fascinating background to that most beloved of hymns – at The John Newton Project.
Photo: GAFCON Media.
Australian Diocesan Bishops speak on the Gafcon 2018 conference statement
Archbishop Glenn Davies of Sydney, and Bishops Richard Condie of Tasmania, Gary Nelson of Western Australia and Ian Palmer of Bathurst, speak of their experience of #Gafcon2018, and reaction to the ‘Letter to the Churches’.
Bishop Richard Condie mentions the National Anglican Future Conference, coming up in September. Read about it here.
New Zealand church leaders react to the GAFCON 2018 Statement
Dominic Steele speaks with Michael Hewett, Dave Clancy & Jay Behan, and tell something of their story.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…