Online Bible Study with Abp Justin Welby
“The Archbishop of Canterbury was joined by thousands of Christians around the world today for his first live Bible study on Facebook…”
– Some encouraging news from the Anglican Communion News Service.
Moore College Missions 2016
“How joyous and encouraging has it been to follow each Moore Missions team this week?
Having arrived at the mid-week mark of the annual missions week, we can praise God for how easy it is for us to share in what the teams are doing. Thanks to the one-stop-shop at the Moore Missions site, we are steadily updated about the 13 teams of Moore students and faculty.”
– Thanks to the new-fangled Internet, you can get the latest to help you pray for Moore College missions across Sydney and further afield. Please be encouraged to do so.
Greens promise to end religious exemptions to Sex Discrimination Act
“The Greens have promised to remove religious exemptions to federal anti-discrimination law and increase funding to the Safe Schools anti-bullying program.
The promises are contained in broad-ranging Greens policy for LGBTI rights to be released on Tuesday by their LGBTI equality spokesman, Robert Simms, and gender identity spokeswoman, Janet Rice…”
– From The Guardian. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net)
See also The Greens policy statement.
Looking for a See Change?
“The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is seeking an adviser for Anglican Communion affairs, to work from Lambeth Palace, his London home and office.
The successful applicant, who will be a priest or bishop in the Anglican Communion, will ‘serve and support the Archbishop in all matters relating to his Anglican Communion responsibilities.’
The closing date for applications is 9 June; and Lambeth Palace say that ‘Given the nature of this role, applications are welcome from all [priests and bishops] of the Anglican Communion, particularly those from the Global South.’…”
– Details from The Anglican Communion News Service.
(Photo of Lambeth Palace courtesy archbishopofcanterbury.org.)
Archbishop Freier renews calls for Asia Bibi to be released
“It is nearly seven years since a young Pakistani Christian mother was condemned to die for blasphemy, and she still languishes in death row in a Pakistani prison.
Her crime: to drink water from the same bucket as her Muslim co-workers, then to defend herself against their accusation that she was unclean and had polluted them…
The worldwide Anglican Consultative Council, at its meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, last month, heard in detail about this young woman’s unjust and inhumane treatment.”
– Anglican Primate Philip Freier, renews calls for Asia Bibi to be released.
Voting on July 2 — David Cook
David Cook, Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, turns to the Federal election in his latest comment:
“It is rare for an election to have as a major issue, a matter of morality, as much as this forthcoming poll.
The single issue is Same Sex Marriage, the ALP has said, that if elected they will legislate in the first 100 days for SSM. The Coalition parties, if elected, promise a national plebiscite on the issue.”
Full text below: Read more
Petition calls on Bill Shorten to support a marriage plebiscite
The Australian Christian Lobby has launched an online petition calling on Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to support the proposed plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
As the Australian Christian Lobby’s Managing Director Lyle Shelton notes, under current policy, an ALP win in the Federal election would mean same-sex marriage being legalised in Australia by early October.
Photo credit: ALP.
The Anglican Communion and GAFCON: Interpreting the Peter Jensen interview
“Peter Jensen, the retired Archbishop of Sydney and the current general Secretary of GAFCON, has given an extensive interview to VirtueOnline in which he expressed frankly some of his views on the current state of the Anglican Communion, and the mission of the Christian church in contemporary culture. The Virtue piece also contains some excerpts from talks that Jensen gave to the recent CANA meeting in Pennsylvania. It is worth giving these comments some analysis, as they give voice to the thinking behind GAFCON, as well as bringing to light some of the problems in global Anglicanism that derive from very different perceptions and interpretations of events…”
– Andrew Syme at Anglican Mainstream provides his analysis of the reported interview with Dr. Jensen.
Church of England uses ‘trendy’ Post-it notes in new service celebrating the role of godparents
“The Church of England has been accused of ‘dumbing down’ after drawing up a new service in which worshippers use Post-it notes, clap like football fans and move their fingers like ‘twinkling stars’.
The new liturgy will be used in hundreds of churches for the first time today to celebrate the role of godparents.
But in an outspoken attack, the former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, said it reflected the Church’s ‘now familiar desire for being trendy’…”
– Story from Mail Online.
Here’s The Church of England’s Godparents’ Sunday site, with the liturgy mentioned in the article (PDF file).
Archbishop Nicholas Okoh elected as GAFCON Chairman
“Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, the Most Rev’d Nicholas D. Okoh has been elected the new chairman of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) Primates’ council.
A statement issued by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) secretariat, which was made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday said Archbishop Okoh was elected during a meeting of the Primates’ council held in Nairobi, Kenya from 18 to 22 April, 2016…”
– from Leadership (Nigeria) via Anglican Mainstream.
Archbishop Peter Jensen on the ‘failure’ of the Canterbury meeting and ACC-16
“The ACC-16 Lusaka gathering was irrelevant to the GAFCON bishops. We stated again that the meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Lusaka, only highlighted again the inability of the current instruments to uphold godly order within the Communion.
Delegates from the Episcopal Church, by their own admission, voted on matters that pertained to polity and doctrine, in defiance of the Primates. This action has damaged the standing of the Anglican Consultative Council as an instrument of unity, increased levels of distrust, and further torn the fabric of the Communion. I think that is pretty definitive. The Anglican Communion should be preaching the Word of God…”
– GAFCON General Secretary Peter Jensen was intervewed for VOL as he attended the CANA East Diocesan Synod in Pennsylvania last week.
Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh elects new Bishop
“The Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh elected a Georgia pastor Saturday to be its next leader in a landmark election to succeed the retiring Bishop Robert Duncan, who led the diocese’s break with the Episcopal Church eight years ago.
Clergy and lay delegates elected the Rev. James Hobby, who got his start in ministry in Southwestern Pennsylvania a quarter century ago…”
– Story from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
See also this report from the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Photo: Trinity Anglican Church, Thomasville.
GAFCON Primates’ Council Communiqué April 2016
The GAFCON Primates have released this Communiqué after their meeting in Nairobi this week.
“We are a global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion. Please continue to pray for our global Anglican future.”
Be sure to read the Appendix too.
_______________
Primates’ Council Communiqué
April 22, 2016 – Nairobi, Kenya
Introduction
We the Primates of the Global Anglican Future Conference met in Nairobi, Kenya from April 18-21, 2016. We give thanks for the gracious hospitality of the Anglican Church of Kenya, their Primate, the Most Rev. Eliud Wabukala, and All Saints Cathedral Diocese. As the location for GAFCON 2013, All Saints holds a special place in our history and in our hearts, and we have been encouraged to be here again.
We began our meeting with prayer and a Bible study that focused on Mark 2:1-12. In this passage, the Scriptures retell the story of a man who could not walk, but was assisted by friends who helped bring him to Jesus. Unable to get their friend through the front door, they loved him enough to find another way.
It is a story about the grace of God at work both in the power of fellowship and the merciful love of Jesus. We ourselves have received His forgiveness, and because He first loved us, we are passionate about doing all that we can to bring others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. We met this week to find practical ways of removing obstacles so that all those who need healing can be brought close to Jesus, be forgiven of their sins, and walk again.
Mission and Discipleship
GAFCON works to guard and proclaim the unchanging, transforming Gospel through biblically faithful preaching, teaching, and programs which free our churches to make disciples by clear and certain witness to Jesus Christ in all the world.
This week we made progress on a wide variety of initiatives to build up the body of Christ. We planned for GAFCON 2018, approved a program that will facilitate bishops’ training, received good news from our provinces and branches, added staff to further the ministry, and made a transition in Primatial leadership. We have also paid careful attention to the facts that have arisen from the Anglican Consultative Council’s meeting in Lusaka.
GAFCON 2018
As a global family we are continuing to make preparations for GAFCON 2018. This will be the third conference since our founding, and the ten year anniversary of the Jerusalem Declaration. The GAFCON movement uniquely draws together the majority of the world’s Anglicans, both clergy and laity, into one proportional and representative body.
We are excited to gather for worship that represents the breadth of the Anglican Communion, as we come together under the authority of the Bible. The conference will provide teaching from God’s Word, fellowship that spans continents, break-out sessions that teach on the themes of mission, discipleship, and evangelism, especially in places where persecution is rife.
It is our hope and prayer that disciples will be so inspired by the vision of the glory of God among the nations, that the Church will be revived and joyously released to spread the love of Jesus.
A coordinator has been appointed to take this work forward, a planning team is being formed, and more will be shared in the coming months.
Bishops’ Training
The Bishops’ Training Institute, launching in September 2016, will equip bishops to be men of prayer, diligent in Bible study and godliness. The inaugural class will bring together twenty new bishops from across the world. Its vision and mission is to equip today’s bishops for effective ministry by seeking the wisdom of the whole church, and especially senior bishops. It will gather, train, mentor, challenge, and sustain episcopal leadership so that today’s bishops will be empowered to live for Christ and make Him known.
Growth
We give thanks for the continued growth of GAFCON. Our meeting included representatives from ten provinces (Congo, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, North America, Rwanda, South America, South Sudan & Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) and two branches (Australia and the United Kingdom).
We also celebrated the newest branch of the movement that has been founded in New Zealand. While we were meeting in Nairobi, 500 people came together in Auckland and Christ Church, New Zealand to stand together for the truth of the Gospel. They have our full support, and we are excited to see what God will do in and through them in the years to come.
Staffing the Movement
GAFCON has demonstrated that it is a growing movement that now requires more staff to undergird its development. Mr. James Stileman has been appointed as our Operations Manager to work with the General Secretary, the Most Rev. Peter Jensen, in growing GAFCON’s capacity to serve the movement. The Rev. Canon Charles Raven is heading a new office of Membership Development, and will be working to increase and strengthen GAFCON’s branches and provinces. Ms. Tina de Souza has joined us to head our Communications Department, and she has overseen the development of our website and overall communications strategy. We welcome this team, and give thanks for their dedication to the cause of Christ.
Leadership
We also give thanks for the wise and faithful leadership of the Most Rev. Eliud Wabukala, as his term as our Chairman comes to an end. His six years of service came at a critical time in the life of our movement, and he has put us on a good footing as we enter this next chapter of our life together.
We are excited to announce that the new chairman of the Primates’ Council is the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, Primate of the Anglican Church of All Nigeria. He is joined in leadership by the new vice-chair, the Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali, Primate of the Anglican Church of Uganda. Archbishops Okoh and Ntagali have been deeply committed to the GAFCON movement since its founding, and are well prepared to lead.
Canterbury to Lusaka
We went to Canterbury out of a desire for unity. In our hearts we desire to see the tear in the fabric of the communion mended. The sanctions passed at that meeting were the mildest possible rebuke to only the worst of the offenders, but they were one step in the right direction. Regrettably, these sanctions have not been upheld. This is disappointing, but sadly not surprising. A more comprehensive statement appears in the appendix to this document.
Conclusion
This is an important time in the life of our churches. The grassroots outpouring of messages of support has shown the strength of our movement, and we are deeply thankful for the prayers of our laity and clergy over the last few months. We are a global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion. Please continue to pray for our global Anglican future.
Members of the Primates’ Council Present
The Anglican Church of Kenya
The Most Rev. Eliud Wabukala
Anglican Church of All Nigeria
The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh
Anglican Church in North America
The Most Rev. Foley Beach
Province de L’Eglise Anglicane au Rwanda
The Most Rev. Onesphore Rwaje
The Anglican Church of Tanzania
The Most Rev. Jacob Chimeledya
The Church of the Province of Uganda
The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali
Appendix: From Canterbury to Lusaka
Last January, we spent time together at the Primates Gathering contending for a restoration of godly order within the Anglican Communion. The sanctions passed at that meeting were not in themselves capable of restoring order, but they were a potential first step.
At that meeting, we acknowledged the reality of the “significant distance” between us and “expressed a desire to walk together” if possible. This distance was created when The Episcopal Church walked away from the Anglican Communion’s doctrine on sexuality and the plain teaching of Scripture.
Within hours of the meeting’s end the public responses from many bishops, clergy, and lay people of The Episcopal Church made it clear that they did not desire to share the same journey. The biblical call to repentance is a call to make a 180 degree turn. It grieves us that many in The Episcopal Church have again rejected this call. While we desire to walk together, until there is true repentance, the reality is that they are deliberately walking away from the Anglican Communion and the authority of Scripture at a distance that continues to increase.
The recent meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Lusaka, Zambia has again highlighted the inability of the current instruments to uphold godly order within the Communion. Delegates from the Episcopal Church, by their own admission, voted on matters that pertained to polity and doctrine, in defiance of the Primates. This action has damaged the standing of the Anglican Consultative Council as an instrument of unity, increased levels of distrust, and further torn the fabric of the Communion.
Nonetheless, we give thanks that these events have brought further clarity, and drawn GAFCON closer together in the mission of the Gospel. We are of one mind that the future of the Anglican Communion does not lie with manipulations, compromises, legal loopholes, or the presentation of half-truths; the future of our Communion lies in humble obedience to the truth of the Word of God written. What others have failed to do, GAFCON is doing: enabling global fellowship and godly order, united by biblical faithfulness. This unity has provided us with great energy to continue to work for the renewal of the Anglican Communion.
____________
from GAFCON. Photo: GAFCON.
No consequences, so it’s full steam ahead
That’s the impression one might gain from reading “A letter from Lusaka” – a Letter to members of the Episcopal Church from TEC’s three members of the Anglican Consultative Council.
“Because this ACC meeting was held in the shadow of the January Primates Gathering and Meeting that sought to restrict our participation as members from The Episcopal Church, we want to assure you that we participated fully in this meeting and that we were warmly welcomed and included by other ACC members. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby did report to the ACC on the Primates Gathering and Meeting on the first day of the meeting. Beyond that report, ACC members seemed to have little energy for answering the primates’ call for consequences, for discussing disagreements over human sexuality, or for taking up the call of Anglican Communion Secretary-General Josiah Idowu-Fearon to pursue the Anglican Covenant. Yesterday, in fact, a resolution that sought to pursue further consequences against The Episcopal Church was withdrawn just before it was scheduled for debate.
Instead our fellow ACC members and we were enlivened by our shared concerns about intentional discipleship, gender-based violence, climate change, religiously motivated violence, food security and other issues that affect all of us across the Anglican Communion…”
– Read it all at The Episcopal News Service.
Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans New Zealand launched with two conferences
“Nearly 500 Anglicans from around New Zealand, including the Vicars of many larger churches, have met together this week at two conferences in Auckland and Christchurch to launch the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans NZ (FCANZ). FCANZ is a local expression of the Gafcon movement, and a message of support was read out at the conferences from Most Rev Dr Eliud Wabukala, Chair of the Gafcon Primates.
Video greetings were also received from Most Rev Foley Beach (Primate of ACNA) and the Rt Rev Richard Condie (Bishop of Tasmania and Chair of FCA Australia).
Rev Canon Vaughan Roberts (St Ebbe’s, Oxford) gave 4 talks on True Gospel, True Sex, True Love and True Unity, and was joined by Rev Canon David Short (Vancouver), Dr Peter Adam (Melbourne), Rev. Dr. Sarah Harris (Auckland) and others.
The formation of FCANZ has been in response to the passing of Motion 30 in 2014 and the subsequent release of the ‘A Way Forward’ Report, due to be presented to the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia next month. The report proposes the blessing of same-sex civil marriages thereby rendering them as “rightly-ordered” relationships opening up the possibility for those in them to be accepted as candidates for ordination.
Rev Jay Behan, Chair of FCANZ, said ‘This week has been a hugely significant moment for orthodox Anglicans in New Zealand. FCANZ is committed to promoting faithfulness and providing fellowship, and orthodox Anglicans now know that through the FCANZ there is a place for all orthodox Anglicans in New Zealand, whether they are inside or outside the current Anglican structures.
We continue to pray that General Synod will pull back from making a decision which will tear the fabric of the communion, undermining the allegiance to General Synod for many Anglicans in New Zealand.’
– Media release from FCANZ, via Anglican Mainstream.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…