‘Rabbi in Residence’ for TEC cathedral

rabbi-in-residenceThe Bishop of Western Massachusetts in the US-based Episcopal Church has appointed a Rabbi in Residence for the diocese’s Christ Church Cathedral. From 1 September, Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro will take adult education classes and will also ‘preach periodically in the Sunday liturgy.’…”

– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service.

Photo and announcement from the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

Shared Conversations: How not to handle the Word of God correctly

Canon Phil AsheyI have just returned from a two-week holiday and a graduation in the UK, mindful of the Church of England’s General Synod.

While there, I disciplined myself to avoid comments and to simply enjoy my time away with my wife and friends. But, towards the end, my attention was drawn to an article written by the Rev. Dr. Ian Paul, reporting as a participant in the ‘Shared Conversations’ on human sexuality, as part of the reception of the Pilling Report (which seems to recommend to the Church of England, in the end, ‘pastoral accommodation’ in the form of the blessing of same sex civil partnerships)…”

– The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey calls us back to the authority of God’s word.

Related: 32 Synod delegates publicly express “lack of confidence” in C of E Shared Conversations process – Anglican Mainstream.

“We, the undersigned members of the General Synod, wish to express our lack of confidence in the process of the Shared Conversations. Whatever their stated purposes, the outcome has not led to a greater confidence that the Church will be guided by the authoritative voice of the Scriptures, and its decisive shaping of traditional Anglican teaching, in any forthcoming discussions.”

Calls for a national conversation about anti-Christian prejudice and bullying

United KingdomThis week saw one of the two candidates to become simultaneously leader of the UK’s Conservative Party and Prime Minister drop out, leaving her rival to claim the crown without any further voting.

The reason Andrea Leadsom withdrew was a sustained media campaign against her that by Friday last week was being described by seasoned political commentators as “feral” and based on prejudice towards her Christian faith. It was being claimed that her support for traditional marriage and family values, rather than wholeheartedly endorsing every aspect of the gay rights agenda, was morally wrong and that being a Christian in politics somehow made her suspect. …

… Barnabas Fund is calling for a national conversation in the UK and other western countries about the importance of freedom of religion as one of our most important historic national values and how we maintain it.

We are free to speak up for the persecuted church elsewhere because we have freedom of religion here. It is vital that we protect it.”

from Barnabas Fund in the UK.

Related:

Freedom for Faith Conference at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Friday 12th August 2016.

Sheep among wolves

Robert LundyOne vote kept The Anglican Church of Canada’s synod from opening the door to same sex marriage on Monday, July 11.

I wanted to take heart at this outcome – any time a church beats back heresy, Christians should rejoice. We should be glad that the shepherds were able to chase the wolf away, but I couldn’t rejoice at this victory.

That’s because I knew the wolf would come right back. …

The reality is that the Anglican Church of Canada wasn’t saved by Monday’s narrow victory and then suddenly lost by Tuesday’s betrayal of the rules. The Church of Canada was lost over a period of years. Its walls of orthodox teaching and practice that protected the sheep crumbled slowly but deliberately. The Dioceses of Niagara and Ottawa have been embracing un-biblical teaching for years and it’s been no secret…

– The American Anglican Council’s Communications Director, Robert Lundy, speaks plainly about the tactics you need to understand.

Related:

Seven bishops ‘publicly dissent’ from same-sex marriage voteAnglican Journal (Canada).

The [bishops’] statement begins with a declaration that ‘the entire process, beginning with the hasty vote in 2013 and concluding with the vote and miscount this week, has been flawed and inflicted terrible hurt and damage on all involved.’

The bishops also say that the declared intentions on the part of some bishops to immediately proceed with same-sex marriages, before the required second vote on the resolution in 2019, is ‘contrary to the explicit doctrine and discipline set out in our constitution, canons and liturgies.’

‘That raises the question…why did we bother voting at all, if the decision was already made?’ said [Bishop Fraser] Lawton [of the diocese of Athabasca].…”

Mike Ovey on Faithful Teachers in an Age of Confusion

Dr Mike OveyMike Ovey spoke at this year’s Church Society Conference on the major threats to the gospel in the Church of England.

Sober, challenging, rebuking, and very helpful.

The talk and Q&A (34MB mp3), is linked from this page.

Anglican Church of Canada: General Synod vote count in error – the vote for same-sex marriage was actually passed

anglican-church-of-canada-vote-1A stunning reversal of a divisive vote has paved the way for the Anglican Church to perform same-sex marriages in Canada, but that won’t happen before 2019 at the earliest.

The canon change must be approved by two successive General Synods before it is official…” – Report from CTV News.

Photo: Screenshot from this Anglican Church of Canada video.

(Even if the error had not been realised, several Canadian bishops had said they would go ahead and marry same-sex couples anyway.)

Latvian Lutherans end ordination of women priests

Riga_cathedralThe General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia … has voted to end the ordination of women to the priesthood…”

News from last month via Anglican Ink: a counter-cultural move in Latvia. (Photo: Riga Cathedral.)

Archbishop of Canterbury intervenes to stop Sunday schools being affected by anti-terrorism laws

Archbishop Justin Welby“The Archbishop of Canterbury has reportedly persuaded the government to drop some aspects of a counter-terror law after arguing it would unfairly affect church Sunday schools…”

– Story from The Independent.

Pastoral Letter from GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Okoh, July 2016

abp-nicholas-okoh-nigeriaArchbishop Nicholas Okoh, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council has released his July Pastoral Letter.

Read it here at the GAFCON website.

Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit welcomed by GAFCON Primates

Archbishop Jackson Ole SapitFollowing his enthronement as the sixth Archbishop of Kenya on Sunday 3rd July in All Saints’ Cathedral, Nairobi, the Most Rev Jackson Ole Sapit met with the GAFCON Primates who had travelled from as far away as South America to be present for this day of prayer, preaching and colourful celebration…”

– from GAFCON.

Religious schools and discrimination in Victoria

victoria-mapRecently a Greens MP in Victoria, Sue Pennicuik, has introduced a Bill into the Victorian Parliament to reduce the ability of religious schools to deal with potential admissions, or their current student body, on the basis of the school’s religious beliefs. The Equal Opportunity Amendment (Equality for Students) Bill 2016 had its second reading in the Legislative Council on 22 June 2016.

The legislation is arguably an impairment of the religious freedom of parents and the schools, and ought not to be passed…”

In his latest post at Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster discusses the latest moves in Victoria. Among other observations, he wonders of the proposed changes are constitutional. Once again, Neil has done the wider community a service by teasing out some of the key issues for us.

‘A debate on marriage equality need not be hate-filled’

catholic-archbishop-of-sydney-anthony-fisher“In a wide-ranging speech delivered last week and published in the Guardian (“Straight politicians don’t understand what it’s like to hide their relationships in fear), Senate opposition leader Penny Wong made the case against a plebiscite on the redefinition of the marriage.

Her three claims were: that opposition to same-sex marriage is essentially homophobia; that the Australian people cannot be trusted to have a respectful discussion about such matters; and so the matter should be left to the parliament. …

The fact is that many ordinary Australians are both pro-gay people and pro-traditional marriage. They know and love people with same-sex attraction and want only the best for them. They know that such people have often suffered injustices in the past and sympathise with the complaint that something is being denied to them still. But they also believe that marriage is a unique relationship that unites people of the opposite sex as husband and wife and, more often than not, as father and mother. Such ordinary Australians are not bigots.”

This opinion-piece by Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher was published in The Guardian just before the federal election. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net. Photo: Archdiocese of Sydney.)

President Kenyatta congratulates new Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop

Archbishop-Elect Jackson Ole SapitPresident Uhuru Kenyatta has congratulated the newly enthroned Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop, the Most Reverend Dr Jackson Nasoore Ole Sapit.

Speaking at the enthronement service at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi, President Kenyatta wished Archbishop Sapit success in his duties as Head of the Anglican Church in Kenya and assured him of his support…”

– from Capital News. (Earlier photo from the Anglican Church of Kenya.)

Why Saturday’s election is like all the others, and yet not

Tony PayneVoting in elections, like pretty much everything we do, is an exercise in glorifying God by loving our neighbour.

Or as Paul puts it: ‘So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ’ (1 Cor 10:31-11:1).

The principle as it applies to voting is simple enough: we should do everything for the glory of God by seeking the advantage of many. As we eat or drink or work or drive or vote, we should not seek our own good, but the good of many others, and especially their chief good of being saved in Christ. 

What does this mean for our vote this Saturday?…

… Christians will regard people’s destiny in Christ as their chief good. As we consider all the good and harm that may be attained through governmental action, we will give a special priority to those actions that provide space and opportunity for the gospel to be clearly proclaimed. As Paul said, do everything for the glory of God by seeking the good of many, so that they may be saved

And that’s why this election is unlike any I’ve voted in over the past 36 years in Australia…

– At Moore College’s Centre for Christian Living, Tony Payne lays out the great motivation for evangelical Christians to consider carefully how they should vote.

Related:

Same Sex Marriage: Don’t wait till after the Election.

Why we need a plebiscite.

A leading Anglican theologian exposes the ‘Third Way’ myth

Charles RavenMyths are not necessarily old. A new myth is being invented by Anglican church leaders who claim to be orthodox and even evangelical.

They tell us that differences between Christians about the acceptability of same-sex relationships are secondary issues and the Church should therefore follow a ‘Third Way’…”

– Canon Charles Raven (pictured), Membership Development Secretary for GAFCON, highlights this commentary by Dr Martin Davie.

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