From barefoot refugee to leader in Global Anglicanism – with Archbishop Laurent Mbanda

In the lead up to the big GAFCON gathering in Kigali next week (17 – 21 April 2023), Dominic Steele has this fascinating interview with the Primate of Rwanda, Archbishop Dr Laurent Mbanda.

– Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.

A new deanery chapter for the City of London

As foreshadowed by William Taylor and others, the abandonment of the authority of Scripture by the Church of England’s House of Bishops is having repercussions for relationships between Bible-believing churches and their heterodox bishops.

The latest from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate:

“After the House of Bishops’ recent departure from the Bible’s teaching on marriage and sexuality, new leadership structures are needed.

A new Church of England City deanery chapter has been formed and is taking 5 steps to promote ongoing healthy Church of England ministry.

Here’s an update from St Nick’s and St Botolph’s.”

Watch the four minute video here.

According to Christian Today, “The deanery chapter held its first meeting in the City of London on Monday, attended by 10 clergy.”

Members of the new deanery have decided to take five steps – here’s a rough transcript from the video:

First, to meet together regularly and to invite all clergy in the city of London who are all clergy … who are compelled to resist all episcopal leadership from the House of Bishops on the grounds that their proposed Prayers of Love and Faith undermine the Church of England’s doctrine of marriage such that we can no longer walk in Partnership together.

Second, the meeting elected an acting Area Dean.

Third, some training curates in our deanery have felt forced to pause their post-ordination training. We therefore decided as a chapter that we will aim to provide necessary and equivalent ongoing training for these individuals.

Fourth, we acknowledge that there is an urgent matter relating to the selection of candidates who want to pursue Church of England ministry but are unable to apply because of the House of Bishops’ recent departure from faithful Biblical teaching. Therefore senior leadership from the churches within this deanery chapter will nominate a group of people who can select new prospective ordinands.

Fifth, there is also an urgent matter relating to the deployment of current Church of England ordinands who are hoping to get ordained this summer. We know that many because of conscience are unable to be ordained by the diocesan bishop or any bishop acting on her behalf. Therefore senior leadership from the churches within this deanery chapter will commission these individuals so that they are enabled to work within Church of England churches until such a time that their ordinations can take place.

Do pray for all who seek to be faithful to God’s word in the Church of England.

Bishop Andy Lines: “GAFCON IV comes at a very key moment”

From GAFCON:

Bishop Andy Lines in the UK shares why the upcoming Gafcon IV conference in Kigali is so important for authentic Anglicans like youwho want to see more people come to Christ.

Anglican Network in Europe responds to the Archbishop of the Church in Wales

Here’s a Press release from the Bishops of the Anglican Network in Europe, 24th March 2023:

The Bishops of the Anglican Network in Europe have seen correspondence from the Most Rev’d Andy John and the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales to their clergy concerning the recent consecration of Rt. Rev’d Stuart Bell as a Bishop for the Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE). In this letter they make clear that they do not recognise Stuart Bell’s episcopal ministry, and instruct Church in Wales clergy to “stand back from receiving communion at services held under the auspices of ACE”.

Archbishop John and his Bench are correct in their assessment that members of ACE are not under the oversight of the bishops of the Church in Wales. They are also right to locate the immediate cause of this division in the decision by the Governing Body of the Church in Wales in September 2021 to permit blessing of same sex couples in church. However, the background to that decision has been many years of promotion by Church in Wales’ leaders of a radically different interpretation of Scripture and Christian life, influenced by Western secularism, and not consistent with orthodox Christianity as recognised by the majority of the Anglican church worldwide.

Stuart Bell, in his powerful speech following his consecration, said that the emergence of ACE in Wales is a tragic necessity in the face of false teaching in the national church. The Archbishop and his Bishops may sincerely believe that all Anglicans in Wales should simply accept what has happened and “live with difference”. But this is not the view of the vast majority of the Anglican Communion. Both Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglican have stated clearly that the leadership of the Church in Wales have violated Lambeth 1:10 and further torn the fabric of the Communion.

Contrary to what Archbishop John and his Bishops have said, it is the the Church in Wales which has placed itself out of communion with the majority of Anglicans worldwide by departing the historic, orthodox, biblical faith. Faithful Anglicans living under such failed oversight need a spiritually safe home and a hope for the future. We are grateful that Gafcon has provided this by authorising ACE as a genuine Anglican jurisdiction.

As ACE develops in Wales under Bishop Stuart’s leadership, its members will continue to make plans for the future together, and enjoy fellowship, with those faithful Anglicans who remain in the Church in Wales. Our unity with them remains in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in his word written, not in recognition by erring institutional structures.

ENDS

See also:

Watch Bishop Stuart Bell’s consecration last weekend – or skip straight to Bishop Bell’s speech following his consecration.

Earlier report.

Image: Bishop Bell speaks after his consecration.

Stephen Noll: The Next Step — Formation of a New Communion of Churches

Dr Stephen Noll has concluded his series of 14 Theses suggesting ways forward for Biblically faithful Anglicans –

“These Fourteen Theses represent an attempt to sketch a providential history of global Anglicanism over the past twenty-five years. …

These Theses describe an ‘Ebenezer moment’ for the Anglican Communion and propose a critical next step: a costly but necessary separation from the Church of England as the mother church and from the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury as a focus of Anglican unity. In truth, this separation has been happening since 1998, as Global Anglicans have begun charting their own way forward.

Any genuine reform of the Church involves a threefold cord: renewal of faith and mission; reform of doctrine, discipline, and worship; and reordering of church polity at the local, regional and international levels. …”

– Read Theses 11 to 14 here.

Archbishop Ben Kwashi GAFCON IV

Archbishop Ben Kwashi has this brief message of encouragement for all who are going to GAFCON IV – a great reminder for us all to pray for the gathering.

A Celtic Blessing — Bishop Stuart Bell consecrated for Anglican Convocation in Europe

In a service with a distinctive Welsh flavour, including harpists, songs, prayers and Bible readings in Welsh, Stuart Bell was consecrated on Saturday 18 March as bishop to serve within the Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE).

Led by Archbishop Foley Beach representing the Gafcon Primates, and Bishop Andy Lines, the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Network in Europe, the service marked a significant moment in the history of the Principality.

Stuart will assist Bishop Andy Lines in providing support and encouragement, oversight and accountability for ACE clergy and congregations within Wales. His consecration represents the continuing provision by the global Anglican family of a home for those seeking to remain faithful to the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ and uphold historic, orthodox, biblical, confessional Anglicanism.

In his sermon, Archbishop Foley emphasised that the ministry of a bishop is to ensure the message of the church remains the message of Jesus, by teaching the Word of God, defending the faith and proclaiming Jesus boldly and unashamedly.

Asked about Stuart’s consecration, Archbishop Foley said, “It will now give the people of Wales a godly and faithful bishop who upholds the theology and moral teaching of the Bible and our Anglican tradition.”

Stuart himself reflected, “It seems to me that this a twofold testimony. A testimony as orthodox Anglicans in Wales to the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ which is our responsibility to faithfully present to all who will receive it; and, sadly, a testimony specifically against the Church in Wales which has stepped away from that Biblical gospel.”

In his greeting to the congregation Stuart publicly re-affirmed three life-time commitments: “Firstly to Jesus Christ as my Lord and myself as his disciple. Secondly to the Scriptures as recorded in the Bible, to believe them, to trust them, to seek to live them, and to preach them faithfully. Thirdly, I re-affirm my commitment to Wales, to commend Christ to Wales and to seek to bring Wales to Christ… until my last breath.”

– Source: The Anglican Convocation in Europe.

Praying for GAFCON IV preparations

Today’s prayer request from GAFCON:

“GAFCON IV, April 17-21, Kigali, Rwanda is taking place at a very significant moment in the Anglican Communion.

Pray for all the contributors to be able to prepare well in their area of the programme.”

Key English churches take action as C of E ‘walks away’

“Some of the largest churches in London and Oxford have announced estrangement from the Church of England, including a pause on paying financial contributions.

St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, a large evangelical church with an outreach in London’s financial quarter, was the first to react to the decision by the General Synod to approve a report by the House of Bishops that introduces prayers of blessing for same-sex couples. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell summarises the response of key evangelical churches in the Church of England – including the news that St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford is also pausing financial contributions to their diocese.

See also:

A response from Vaughan Roberts – Anglican Ink.

Has the listening process of LLF now broken down?

In a letter to Church Times, The Rev James Paice (pictured) asks, “One wonders: has the listening process of LLF now broken down?”

He writes in response to a Church Times report (‘London conservatives look for support from breakaway Anglicans’), published on 1st March 2023, regarding the Bishop of London’s response to a large gathering with clergy –

“The Church Times understands that the London bishops held a two-hour meeting on Thursday evening of last week in St James Garlickhythe, which was attended by between 150 and 200 members of the clergy, many of whom were concerned about the Bishops’ proposals on same-sex blessings. …”

The report references a statement from the Diocese of London, effectively claiming that nothing has really changed.

Anglican Mainstream has published the letter by James Paice – read it here.

Earlier:

GAFCON press release 9th March 2023

Press release, 09 March 2023

“Many Anglicans across the world are deeply distressed by the Church of England’s recent decision to separate from the historic faith through the creation and implementation of prayers of blessing for same-sex marriages.

Several churches and Provinces within the Anglican Communion are considering their future with respect to the Church of England. The Primates of The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (who represent the majority of the world’s worshipping Anglicans) have already declared that they are in impaired communion with the Church of England and said that they do not recognise the present Archbishop of Canterbury as the “first among equals” leader of the global Anglican Communion.

The Gafcon Movement is a global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to proclaim the unchanging truth of the Bible in a changing world, and to support those who wish to remain Anglican but feel they are no longer able to sit under the authority of their Bishop or Diocese.

On 20 February 2023 the Gafcon Primates endorsed the statement released by the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans pointing to Paragraph 13 of the Jerusalem Declaration (2008) which says: ‘We reject the authority of those churches and leaders who have denied the orthodox faith in word or deed’.

In a number of countries around the world (including Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, the United States, and Wales), Gafcon has supported the establishment of alternative episcopal oversight for those Anglicans who in good conscience cannot remain part of their provincial Anglican Church.

Presently, the Gafcon Primates are meeting regularly with the Primates of The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches and other Orthodox Primates across the world to discern the path forward. The outcome of these meetings will affect the majority of the 85 million Anglicans worldwide.

Gafcon will not be commenting on the content of these meetings while they are ongoing but will be releasing a statement at the end of the upcoming GAFCON IV Conference to be held from 17-21 April in Kigali, Rwanda.”

Would John Stott have continued on as an Anglican?

“One of the largest evangelical Anglican churches in the UK, St Helen’s Bishopsgate, recently announced that it will no longer accept episcopal oversight from the Church of England’s House of Bishops.

This comes as a result of the General Synod’s decision to bless couples who are in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership. …

The current context raises the question of whether the late John Stott, the famous Anglican evangelical stalwart, would have himself continued to remained.

In 1966 Stott and Martyn Lloyd-Jones had a confrontation which many regarded as a dispute over whether it was time for evangelicals to withdraw from the Anglican communion. For Lloyd-Jones the time was now, but for the Stott the response was not yet. …”

– Presbyterian Mark Powell asks the question. We suspect the answer to the hypothetical question in the title would be, “Yes. And aligned with GAFCON.”

William Taylor: The Bishops have chosen to walk apart – but others stand with us

William Taylor, Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, has made an important announcement – and he speaks with the support of Anglican bishops worldwide including

Kanishka Raffel, Archbishop of Sydney;
Foley Beach, Primate of North America and GAFCON Primates Council Chairman;
Jay Behan, Bishop of the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand;
Glenn Lyons, Presiding Bishop of REACH South Africa.

– See William Taylor’s announcement and the messages of support from these Anglican leaders.

Praying for Nigeria

GAFCON’s prayer focus for today –

“Let us join with Christians in Nigeria praying for the elections on February 25.

These elections are for the President and Vice-President, and to the National Assembly.

Pray for peaceful balloting and for the election of a leader who can work effectively for the good of the whole country.”

Related:

What the Church of Nigeria expects of political parties and candidates.

Source: Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.

Church of England departs historic Christian faith – with Archbishop Justin Badi

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“12 Primates of the Global South Provinces have issued a statement saying ‘The Church of England has departed from the historic faith, passed down from the Apostles.’

The Primates – who are all national leaders within the denomination – say that the Church of England has disqualified herself from leading the Anglican Communion.

They say the Church of England has chosen to break communion with those provinces who remain faithful to the historic biblical faith.

The Chair of Global South, Archbishop Justin Badi of South Sudan, says they are withdrawing support for Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who has led his House of Bishops to make recommendations that run contrary to the faith & order of the orthodox provinces in the communion.”

– Watch or listen here.

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