Australia Day Honours 2016
In the 2016 Australia Day Honours List, a number of Anglican Christians whom we know and love have been recognised. Included among them are:
Mrs Christine Jensen, who has been awarded Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia, “For service to the Anglican Church community in Sydney”, including her many years of encouragement to women of the Moore College family and through Mothers’ Union.
In 2010, Christine was interviewed for the In Tandem ministry wives’ blog. In it, she shares some excellent advice:
“Love Jesus, read your Bible, say your prayers and ‘do the good works he’s prepared for you to walk in’ (Ephesians 2:10)”.
Mr Peter Kell, has been appointed Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, “For significant service to the Anglican Church of Australia, to social welfare programs and delivery, and to the community of the Illawarra”.
Peter is well known through his many years of gospel-driven service, including as CEO of Anglicare Sydney, 2004-2011.
Our congratulations and best wishes go to them both, and to all who have been honoured.
Sydneyanglicans.net has more here.
(Photos courtesy Mothers’ Union Sydney and Anglicare Sydney.)
Face 2016 with Prayer
“We live in a disturbing, unsettled world. This year we will face a Federal election in Australia and the possibility, if the Coalition is returned, of a national plebiscite on the nature of marriage…”
– Amid all the challenges 2016 will bring, Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook calls Christians to prayer.
‘The Ugandans remember’
In this week’s video chat (Anglican Unscripted) between Anglican TV’s Kevin Kallsen and Anglican Ink’s George Conger, the topic is the Primates’ Meeting, and the TEC response.
They ask if the exclusion of TEC from certain kinds of participation is a consequence (as the Archbishop of Canterbury says) or discipline? They also respond to suggestions from some in North America that only the Anglican Consultative Council, and not the Primates, has authority to act on these matters.
Watch it here. 18 minutes.
Related
Legalism v. love — Peter Ould on responses to the Canterbury communique – Anglican Ink.
“Here’s two simple things to remember.
i) They’re absolutely right (the ones who claim the Primates have no statutory power to demand such a sanction / consequence)
ii) It doesn’t matter in the slightest, the sanction / consequence is still going to happen because the force behind them is not one of law but one of love…”
A grubby little incident – by Robert Tong at SydneyAnglicans.net, on the 2009 Anglican Consultative Council -14 meeting in Jamaica.
“In a naked display of political power, the American Episcopal Church leadership stopped the Rev Philip Ashey, the clergy representative of the Province of Uganda, from taking his place at the 14th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council held in Jamaica…”
Canadian Primate reponds to criticism
“I am aware of sharp criticism over what some regard to have been a failure on my part to stand in solidarity with The Episcopal Church in openly rejecting the relational consequences it bears as a result of The Primates’ Meeting, or in accepting similar consequences for our own Church. Allow me to comment on each of these matters. …
I was not and am not prepared to take any action that would pre-empt the outcome of our deliberations at General Synod in July. As the report ‘This Holy Estate’ declares, ‘It is for the General Synod to decide the matter’ in accord with the jurisdiction given it regarding ‘the definition of doctrine in harmony with the Solemn Declaration’.’
– Anglican Church of Canada Primate Fred Hiltz speaks about the fallout from the Primates’ Meeting.
‘Primates reaffirm teaching on marriage’ — encouragements and concerns
“In the immediate aftermath of the gathering of Anglican Primates last week, what are we to make of it all? … Some of the initial headlines suggested that all will be well for the Church, but a closer analysis shows that there are some real concerns going forward, as well as some encouragements…”
– Anglican Mainstream’s Rev. Andrew Symes comments on the outcomes of the Primates’ Meeting.
Amidst some real encouragements, he turns to the apologies which have been voiced by some –
“While part of the Church’s role is to encourage love of neighbour and pastoral care of all people, its Gospel witness is compromised if it suggests that it is saying sorry to people whose feelings have been hurt by the clear teaching of the Bible and basic principles of Christian discipleship.”
Reform Media Statement, Jan 16th, 2016
Reform in the UK has published this media statement in the light of last week’s Primates’s gathering:
REFORM Media Statement – 16th January 2016
Read more
Anglican TV interviews ACNA Primate Foley Beach on the Primates’ Meeting
“tremendous for GAFCON.”
In this 20 minute interview with Archbishop Foley Beach, recorded by Anglican TV’s Kevin Kallsen, Archbishop Beach speaks about his experience of the Primates’ 2016 meeting. Very frank, informative and encouraging.
‘Time for GAFCON to lay down conditions for Lambeth 2020’
“GAFCON needs to make clear soon that it will not participate in Lambeth 2020 if the ACNA bishops are not invited. If it does not publicly lay down this condition, then that would allow the revisionist institutional narrative to gain momentum in the Anglican Communion.”
– in an opinion piece published at Anglican Mainstream, The Rev Julian Mann argues that GAFCON needs to set its sights on the 2020 Lambeth Conference (if it hasn’t already).
Photo: Julian Mann with Archbishop Dr. Ben Kwashi.
Dr Peter Jensen reflects on how the Primates’ meeting went
“A small beginning to what we long for – the renewal of our Communion.”
Peter Jensen interviewed from London by Dominic Steele
Dominic Steele writes:
“Dr Peter Jensen, the General Secretary of GAFCON and Former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, will be speaking with me from London at 9pm on Sunday night on 2CH 1170 about the outcome of the important meeting of the international leaders of the Anglican Church this week in Canterbury.”
The interview was conducted, as advertised, and the audio file is now available on Dominic’s website.
Dominic also spoke with David Ould for his take on Primates2016.
Primates’ 2016 press conference
Kevin Kallsen at Anglican TV has made available his video of the Primates’ Press Conference. The event was held at 1500 BST on Friday 15th January. The GAFCON Primates had left shortly before.
The meeting began with Archbishop Welby announcing the sad news of the wife of the Archbishop of Wales.
A Response to the Primates Gathering 2016 Statement — Canon Phil Ashey
The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey:
“I am writing from Canterbury, England, where the staff of the American Anglican Council has been on site assisting Archbishop Foley Beach and the GAFCON Primates in their witness at the Primates gathering this week. There is a saying about the fog of war: when it descends, there is often confusion and disorientation in the midst of the fight. Here, it would certainly be fair to say that situations changed on a daily, if not hourly basis. In the fog of war, rarely are battles decisive. More often, they turn out to be one step among many in a long and costly road to victory. Read more
Communiqué from the Primates’ Meeting 2016
This Communiqué from the Primates’ Meeting was issued early Saturday morning, Australian time.
Here is the full text:
The previously-released Statement is an Addendum to this document.
“Walking Together in the Service of God in the World
The meeting of Anglican Primates, the senior bishops of the 38 Anglican Provinces, joined by the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of North America, took place in Canterbury between Monday 11 January and Friday 15 January at the invitation of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The first morning was spent in prayer and fasting.
We came knowing that the 2016 Primates’ meeting would be concerned with the differences among us in regard to our teaching on matters of human sexuality. We were also eager to address wider areas of concern. Read more
‘On the Death of the Anglican Communion’
“My prediction about the sun setting on the breakup of the Anglican Communion is coming true, even as I write before the final session of the primates gathered at Canterbury.
Enough has leaked from the gathering to be able to form a picture of what went on. The Archbishop of Canterbury and his staff had tried to direct the progress of the group’s deliberations by resorting to a standby from ++Justin Welby’s corporate days: the RAND-developed group facilitation mechanism known as the ‘Delphi Technique’…”
– The Anglican Curmudgeon, A. S. Haley, gives his take on the washup of the gathering in Canterbury. (There is one more day of meetings scheduled, with a press conference scheduled for 1500BST Friday / 0200AEDT Saturday).
The days ahead will give some clarity, however the Statement issued this morning by GAFCON Chairman Eliud Wabukala and General Secretary Peter Jensen is worth re-reading.
Anglican Network in Canada’s Bishop Charlie Masters statement from Canterbury
Anglican Network in Canada’s Bishop Charlie Masters reports from Canterbury
“Once Primates had finally addressed the issue of discipline, it was time for Archbishop Beach to quietly step away from the remainder of the meeting as ACNA had committed itself to only continue at the meeting if TEC and the ACoC had stepped away and until repentance and godly order were restored. The ACoC remained and, although mild sanctions were applied to TEC, its Primate also remained in the meeting.”
Full text below: Read more
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…