Can we learn from history? — Bishop Colenso and the Lambeth Conference

“Once upon the time there was a bishop—an Anglican bishop—who decided that you couldn’t trust the Bible. He claimed that the Bible was not clear about human sexuality and he rejected the Christian doctrine of marriage between one man and one woman. He wrote that the Bible was not historically trustworthy, and that we ought to prefer our own powers of reason and conscience to know God…”

– Top article from Phil Ashey at the American Anglican Council.

Related: Kevin Kallsen of Anglican TV interviews Canon Phil Ashey.
Great background to the new role of the American Anglican Council in helping the development of churches in the ACNA and further afield.

GAFCON Statement on Proposed Primates’ Meeting 2017

Just released:

“In the last week, there has been news of a potential Primates’ Meeting scheduled to begin October 2, 2017. Consequently, we have received a number of inquiries, both from the media and our membership, asking the question of whether or not the Gafcon Primates will attend.

For all who had hoped that attendance at the January 2016 Primates’ Gathering might restore godly order to the Communion, the results were clearly discouraging. Gafcon is fully committed to guarding the unchanging truth of the Gospel, and restoring the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion. In due course, the Gafcon Primates will take counsel and together make a decision about the wisdom of attending future meetings.

The next meeting of the Gafcon Primates’ Council is in April of 2017. We give thanks for the courage that is being shown by our members across the globe, as they share God’s Word both ‘in season and out of season’. Please continue to pray for the continued growth of this reformation movement.”

How we became GAFCON — 5 minute video

Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen describes how GAFCON came about, and why it is needed, in this new video.

Pass the link around.

And here is a 60 second video from Dr Jensen on the same topic.

See also: Where are we now? The aftermath of the January meeting of the Primates – Peter Jensen.

“In January this year, the Primates of the Anglican Communion were summoned by the Archbishop of Canterbury to a meeting. So serious is the crisis in the Communion about the authority of God’s word that almost every Primate attended.

As I have said previously, the result was the mildest possible rebuke over the greatest offence for the greatest offenders, with the hope that there may be repentance.

It is now perfectly clear that the meeting failed in its intention. Far from being rebuked, the leaders of the Episcopal Church said that they intend to continue in their present course and indeed to export their ideas vigorously to the rest of the world…” (Read more.)

Canterbury is only as helpful as he is faithful

“So the Archbishop of Canterbury has called for yet another meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion for October, 2017. As if this meeting could cure the wound that has been made even more incurable by his own personal failure to uphold the recommendations of the meeting he called in January of this year—failures that I documented several weeks ago in “At this point, why should we care about the Anglican Communion?”.

When I last wrote about this, I emphasised the Archbishop’s failure to defend the special role of Bishops to guard the doctrine, discipline and order of the Church…”

– The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey points out that the way forward is not through Canterbury.

Amazing Love? A review article from Church Society

From Church Society in the UK:

‘Amazing Love: Theology for Understanding Discipleship, Sexuality and Mission’ is a new book, edited by Andrew Davison, which seeks to promote a change to the Church of England’s doctrine of marriage.

In an extended two-part review, Dr Peter Sanlon, Vicar of St Mark’s Church, Tunbridge Wells, analyses the claims of the book –

Part 1:

“This aim of this book can be given in the authors’ own words: ‘This short book explains why we think it’s good for Christians to embrace their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and to celebrate their relationships … We think that the Church should be willing – delighted even – to hallow and strengthen such commitments.’…”

Part 2:

“This volume has the appearance of being a digest of thoughtful and considered academic research. However that is just the surface reality – a carefully curated image. Academic publisher, long sub-title, titled academics listed as authors. It looks like academic work; but upon closer examination the mirage fades.…

It is stated on numerous occasions in the book that the aim of the authors is the embrace and acceptance of homosexual relationships by the Church of England. In reality the book has a much larger goal. The goal is nothing less than a wholesale revision of the Christian Faith into a different religion.”

A Roman Catholic canon for Belfast Cathedral

“St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, has appointed the Very Rev Edward O’Donnell, Parish Priest of St Brigid’s, Belfast, as an Ecumenical Canon.

This is the first time in the history of St Anne’s that a Roman Catholic Priest will serve on the Cathedral Chapter…”

– St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, Church of Ireland.

‘Rabbi in Residence’ for TEC cathedral

“The 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

“I 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.

“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

“This 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.

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

Sheep among wolves

“One 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.

Seven bishops ‘publicly dissent’ from same-sex marriage vote – Anglican 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

Mike 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

“A 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

“The 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

“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…”