GAFCON 2013 Remembered
“Just over a year after more than 1,300 leading Anglicans, including 331 bishops, gathered at All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi for GAFCON 2013, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala dedicated a commemorative plaque in All Saints’ Trinity Centre on All Saints Day, 1st November…”
– from GAFCON.
GAFCON Chairman’s October 2014 Pastoral letter
The October 2014 Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala (Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council) –
“the investiture demonstrated that the realignment of the Anglican Communion is now established and unstoppable.”
Extract:
“The recent news that Lambeth 2018 has been postponed, perhaps indefinitely, is the latest sign that the old institutions of the Communion no longer command confidence. We must remember that the fundamental reason for this is doctrinal. We are divided because the Faith is threatened by unbiblical teaching.
In contrast, GAFCON 2 demonstrated that we were emerging as a new and effective ‘instrument of unity’ for the Anglican Communion. Nearly twelve months later, that reality was underlined at the investiture of Archbishop Foley Beach as the second Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America by the Primates gathered in Atlanta, representing GAFCON and the Anglican Global South, receiving him as a Primate of the Anglican Communion.
Speaking shortly after that historic service I said ‘It is a sign of great hope for the Gospel in the world. It is not a small thing that has happened’. There was no need for us to be reminded of the reasons why GAFCON had called the Anglican Church in North America into being five years ago because the investiture demonstrated that the realignment of the Anglican Communion is now established and unstoppable.
Anglicans around the globe are now affirming this fact. Last month the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Kenya unanimously approved a resolution to be in formal partnership with the GAFCON movement. Then just before the investiture, the Synod of the Diocese of North West Australia passed a resolution recognizing ‘the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia’. Shortly afterwards, the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney passed a resolution which recognized ‘that GAFCON is an emerging instrument of communion when others have failed to provide the well needed leadership’ and stated ‘recognizing Synod’s desire to be in full communion with the ACNA.…. Synod congratulates the Most Reverend Foley Beach on his consecration as Archbishop to the ACNA.’…”
– Read the full Letter on the GAFCON website.
ANiC statement on terrorist attack in Ottawa
“Today, Canadians are grieving the deaths of two members of the Canadian Armed Forces at the hands of terrorists this week. …
Let us pray for those who are caught up in this hatred, and actively seek to extend to them the gospel of peace.”
– The Anglican Network in Canada’s Bishop Charlie Masters speaks on the attack in Ottawa yesterday.
Sydney Synod resolution on Global Anglicanism
The Synod of the Diocese of Sydney has passed a resolution, encouraging GAFCON to continue and expand its work. Here is the complete text:
“9.23 Global Anglicanism
Synod –
(a) gives God thanks for the success of GAFCON 2013 (Global Anglican Future Conference) being made up of 1358 delegates from 39 countries including the 99 delegates from Australia,
(b) recognises that GAFCON is an emerging instrument of communion when others have failed to provide the well needed leadership at a time of growing liberalism within Anglicanism, aggressive secularism, militant Islamism and seductive syncretism,
(c) encourages and supports GAFCON/FCA (Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans) in its desire to expand its membership, develop networks, authorise and affirm those who have been excluded by their dioceses or provinces,
(d) recognising Synod’s desire to be in full communion with the ACNA (Synod resolution 46/09), Synod congratulates the Most Reverend Foley Beach on his consecration as Archbishop to the ACNA (Anglican Church of North America),
(e) encourages the development of FCA Australia and its inaugural conference, “The Anglican Future Conference” to be held in Melbourne next year,
(f) looks forward to the next GAFCON as a principle gathering of leaders in the Anglican Communion, and
(g) requests the Secretary to write to The FCA Primates’ Council, The ACNA and FCA Australia informing them of this.
(The Rev Gavin Poole/The Rev Dr Michael Stead).”
– via the GAFCON website. Emphasis added.
‘ACNA is Anglican’
“The Anglican Church in North America is Anglican and its primate is an archbishop of the Anglican Communion, declared seven archbishops last night.
At the close of the prayer of investitute of the Most Rev. Foley Beach at the Church of the Apostles on 9 Oct 2014, the primates of Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Myanmar, Jerusalem and the Middle East and South America, and bishops representing the primates of the Congo, Sudan and South East Asia laid hands on Archbishop Beach. Giving him their primatial blessing, they also acknowledged him by word and through laying on of hands to be a fellow primate of the Anglican Communion.
The archbishops’ act comes one week after the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the Church of Ireland Gazette the ACNA was an ecumenical partner of the Anglican Communion and was not Anglican…”
– George Conger reports at Anglican Ink.
GAFCON primates help celebrate ACNA investiture
“GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Eliud Wabukala joined Deputy Chairman, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the Global South’s Archbishop Mouneer Anis and clergy and bishops from around the world at the investiture of Archbishop Foley Beach as Primate of the Anglican Church in North America.
The majority of the world’s Anglicans were represented at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia. Archbishop Wabukala, who was among those who led the service, described the three and a half hour event as very significant…”
– Read the full report from GAFCON.
Related:
- 3 1/2 hour video archived here.
- “A.C.N.A. is a separate church. It’s not part of the Anglican Communion” – Archbishop Justin Welby (Church of Ireland Gazette interview. Direct link to 10.2MB mp3 file. Starting from 2:30.)
- Diocese of North West Australia “recognizes the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia”.
(Photos: from the ACNA live video stream. Archbishop Foley Beach at top.)
Investiture of new ACNA Archbishop to be streamed live
The Service of Investiture of Dr. Foley Beach as Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America will be streamed live on the web from the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia.
It’s at 7:00pm Thursday 9th October 2014 US Eastern Time – that is, 10:00am AEDT Friday 10th October. If you’re keen, you can watch it here.
GAFCON backs English renewal
“GAFCON understands the challenges that faithful Anglicans face in England, according to the Chairman Eliud Wabukala.
The Archbishop made the comment in a message to the recent RENEW conference, organised by the groups Reform, Church Society, and the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).
Archbishop Wabukala, who chairs the GAFCON Primates Council, recently issued a pastoral letter in which he said “AMiE is authorised by the GAFCON Primates to work within and, where necessary, outside the structures of the Church of England as a missionary society”.
The conference committed delegates to “work for a nation of healthy, local Anglican churches throughout England.”
In particular, it committed to looking at opportunities for church planting, training and to “to contend together for the faith once delivered to the saints by developing a joint approach to working within our diocese /region given the theological convictions and teaching of the diocesan leadership.”
The conference also approved a doctrinal statement which began “Knowing that unity is a work of the Holy Spirit which can only be established through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, we rejoice in the fellowship of all those who subscribe to the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration.”
The Jerusalem Declaration was agreed to by the first Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in 2008.”
– from GAFCON.
Related:
GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter September 2014.
The Unravelling of the Anglican Communion
“From 2003 to 2013 — it took just ten years for ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada to unravel the Anglican Communion…”
– A. S. Haley at The Anglican Curmudgeon, provides a quick overview of the last ten years.
Related: The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns – by Dr Mark Thompson, March 2008.
GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter September 2014
From the September 2014 Pastoral Letter from GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Eliud Wabukala –
“In the twenty first century, it is becoming clear that we must see the once missionary nations of the West as now themselves mission fields. The fact that the United Kingdom came close to breaking up last week is a symptom of the disintegration that follows when a once common Christian faith has been lost and I want to appreciate the work of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) who are sharing with other mission minded Anglicans in England as they meet for the ‘ReNew’ Conference this week.
AMiE is authorised by the GAFCON Primates to work within and, where necessary, outside the structures of the Church of England as a missionary society. In my message of greeting to the conference I said
‘We understand the challenges that faithful Anglicans face in England. At GAFCON 2013 here in Nairobi we recognised that the focus of the struggle for biblical faithfulness has shifted from North America to England. The temptation to dilute the message of Jesus Christ and compromise with the surrounding culture is strong, so it is vital for the gospel in England, and also for the world, that you continue as a beacon to the revealed truth of the Scriptures. The salvation of people from hell is at stake. So nothing could be more important.’…”
– Read it all here. (Photo: Archbishop Wabukala welcoming the Archbishop of Canterbury to Nairobi last year.)
CESA Presiding Bishop Desmond Inglesby to retire
P
residing Bishop of REACH South Africa (formerly known as CESA), Bishop Desmond Inglesby announced his early retirement –
“It is with great sadness that I need to inform you that, for medical reasons, I have decided to retire early. This means that I will be stepping down as Presiding Bishop with effect from the end of September.”
Read more at the REACH-South Africa website – and please pray for Bishop Inglesby and for the work of the gospel in South Africa.
GAFCON Chairman to assist at investuture of ACNA Archbishop
‘It has been announced that the Chairman of GAFCON, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, will assist at the Service of Investiture for the new ACNA Archbishop.
The service will take place on October 9, to formally mark the beginning of the Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach’s [pictured] ministry as Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a denomination of more than 112,000 members spanning Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The historic transition is the first for the new denomination, as its founding leader, The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, retired in June 2014 at the conclusion of a five-year term.
Dr Wabukala, who is also Archbishop of Kenya, has been invited to help lead the service, which will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Oct 9th at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia and will be attended by 8 global archbishops representing more than 50 million Anglicans.”
– from GAFCON.
‘GAFCON in talks with New Zealand parish’
“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is in talks to offer alternative episcopal oversight to a breakaway New Zealand congregation, The Church of England Newspaper has learned…
A spokesman for the GAFCON secretariat in Sydney confirmed there had been “initial contact” with the parish leaders…”
– story from Anglican Ink. Please continue to pray for West Hamilton Community Church (as it is now called) and the Pastor, Michael Hewat. (Photo: Affirm.)
Bishop Edwin Ngubane
“Many Sydney Anglicans are grieving the death of a very dear brother in Christ.
Rt Rev Edwin Ngubane, the Area Bishop for Johannesburg and Pretoria with REACH (Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa, formerly known as CESA) and Rector of Christ Church Hillbrow in the heart of Johannesburg’s red light district, died on Sunday 29th June. Edwin was 44. He succumbed to a series of strokes following many months of battling TB and pneumonia.”
– Very sad news via David Mansfield. It would be good to pray for Edwin’s wife, Genevieve, and family, and for the church at Hillbrow.
Tribute from Gorge Whitefield College Principal Mark Dickson.
Related: Rescued From Hell in Hillbrow. (Photo: REACH South Africa.)
Communiqué from the GAFCON Primates Council, April 27 2014
The GAFCON Primates Council has been meeting in London, and at the conclusion of the gathering released a Communiqué, which addresses current issues in the Anglican Communion.
On The Church of England:
“We are particularly concerned about the state of lay and clerical discipline. The House of Bishops’ guidance that those in same sex marriages should be admitted to the full sacramental life of the church is an abandonment of pastoral discipline. While we welcome their clear statement that clergy must not enter same sex marriage, it is very concerning that this discipline is, apparently, being openly disregarded.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…