If you have no gospel, preach something else
The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, addressed viewers of a live webcast from Los Angeles last week. She spoke of the urgency of “choosing life”:
“a time of judgment …
We can choose to change our … ways …
We still have some opportunity to choose, but that kairos moment will not last long.
We have before us this day life and death. Which will we choose?”
The Presiding Bishop was not speaking of salvation through Christ from sin and death, but about “The Climate Change Crisis”. (Starting 3:30 into the video.)
Transcript of her talk. [Yes, the Bible affirms our stewardship of all creation, but without the gospel of Christ, no-one will be saved.]
Related: Anglican Bishops call for urgent action on ‘unprecedented climate crisis’
“A group of 17 Anglican Bishops from all six continents have called for urgent prayer and action on the ‘unprecedented climate crisis’. Their Declaration The World Is Our Host: A Call to Urgent Action for Climate Justice released today sets a new agenda on climate change for the 85 million-strong Anglican Communion…”
The ACL celebrates the launch of FCA Australia
The Anglican Church League sponsored the launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), Australia at Scot’s church, Melbourne on 26 March 2015.
“The establishment of FCA Australia is recognition that we are not immune to the challenges of the wider communion. The ACL celebrates this launch and joins with you in praying for the newly formed FCA Australia board.”
The ACL’s President, Gav Poole, spoke at the launch reception —
“The ACL is a grassroots movement made up of lay and clergy members. We promote ministry that is reformed, protestant and evangelical.
By reformed we mean ministry that has its genesis in the sixteenth century reformers who recaptured the Biblical faith that we are saved through faith in Christ alone and that God is sovereign in life and salvation.
By protestant, we protest Biblical aberrations, name and warn against false teaching. Our unity is in the gospel, not structure and institution.
By evangelical, we fully trust in the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ which provides the only solution to human rebellion. The gospel is not just one of many messages but our only one.
This week, as we seek solutions to our many struggles, please be encouraged that faithful, clear and bold proclamation of the gospel along with earnest prayer to the Lord of the harvest is always rewarded.
One of the goals of the ACL is to promote the evangelical character of the Sydney diocese. Like it or not, the Sydney diocese is what it is today largely due to the work of the ACL.
It is a testimony to the fact that we can achieve far more together than apart.
Is a privilege to sponsor tonight’s event. The establishment of FCA Australia is recognition that we are not immune to the challenges of the wider communion.
The ACL celebrates this launch and joins with you in praying for the newly formed FCA Australia board.
Thank you for the opportunity to sponsor this event.”
Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Australia launched
“An Australian branch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans has been launched in Melbourne, watched by delegates from across Australasia at the Anglican Future Conference…”
– Russell Powell has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
And the GAFCON website has the text of Archbishop Eliud Wabukala’s address:
“… it is my prayer that FCA Australia will be powerfully used by God as an instrument of renewal and reform in the Anglican Church here. I long to see all orthodox Anglicans united in a common commitment to pioneering a new wave of evangelism which will have a deep and lasting impact on this nation.
However, I also want to encourage you to look beyond Australia. As you come together in this Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, commit to becoming even stronger partners with orthodox Anglicans throughout the world.…”
Related: Today David Ould published interviews he has recorded with Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and Dr. Ashley Null at the conference.
Anglican Future Conference opens in Melbourne
“The Anglican Future conference has opened in Melbourne with a call for faithfulness and clarity in proclaiming the Gospel in Australasia.
More than 400 delegates have gathered in Melbourne, from all over Australia and New Zealand…”
– Russell Powell has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
‘The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s long and boring shuffle out of Christendom’
“The drift from biblical orthodoxy to spiritualized leftism has profound real-world consequences. The church isn’t just shuffling out of Christianity, it’s shuffling out of existence. The church has lost 37 percent of its members since 1992, and the trend is accelerating.”
– National Review. Photo: PCUSA.
Related: How to tell the difference between The PCA and PCUSA – Joe Carter.
Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism? — conference audio
On Saturday 21st March 2015, the Anglican Church League held the “Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism?” conference in the Chapter House of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.
Those present considered our Anglican inheritance, our current challenges and our potential future under God.
Glenn Davies, Archbishop of Sydney; Ashley Null, authority on Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation; and Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore Theological College, were the speakers.
Listen to the talks via these links:
Archbishop Dr. Glenn Davies:
The State of Play in the Anglican Church of Australia.
27MB mp3 file and 100kb PDF file outline.
“The ACL’s role in Sydney is to keep the Diocese evangelical. That’s our role. Our role is to be ever vigilant … What one generation fights for, the next generation accepts and the third one forgets. … The stronger ACL is, the stronger the Diocese of Sydney is; the stronger the Diocese of Sydney is, the better the national church will be.”
Dr. Ashley Null:
Our Inheritance.
“The very heart of Cranmer’s understanding of the mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel … to renew the hearts and minds and lives of the English people.”
Dr. Mark D. Thompson:
Where next for confessional Anglicanism?
17MB mp3 file or 160kb PDF file.
“I am an Anglican – not just by historical accident but by conviction. I am convinced that here is a good – more than good, something that has proven to be powerfully effective over almost five hundred years — expression of gospel principles and gospel priorities … Yet to be true to that heritage I must be a gospel man first.”
Photo by Scott Blackwell.
Calls for the Liberal Party to ‘hold the line on same-sex marriage’
The Australian Christian Lobby (not related to the ACL – we just have the same initials) is supporting a campaign to encourage the Liberal Party to oppose same-sex marriage,
“as libertarian Senator David Leyonhjelm seeks to bring yet another bill to redefine marriage before the Parliament on Thursday. Mr Shelton urged Liberal members to hold the line on voting as one if the issue came up at Tuesday’s party room meeting.”
See also: preservingmarriage.acl.org.au.
National Day of Prayer for Defence
“Each year, the Military Christian Fellowship of Australia hosts a National Day of Prayer for Defence.
This year’s National Day of Prayer for Defence ison Saturday 28 March 2015.
All who have a heart to pray for Defence are welcome to join us in Canberra at the Duntroon Chapel, or remotely in the regions…”
– from Defence Anglicans.
Pakistan bomb attack — March 15 2015
“The attacks took place as Christians met together for Sunday morning worship services in the predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Youhanabad in Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The two churches targeted were separated from each other by about half a kilometre…”
– Barnabas Fund has this summary and appeal for prayer and financial assistance.
And the Primate of The Church of Pakistan, Bishop Samuel Azariah, also asks for prayer. (Anglican Communion News Service.)
Presbyterian Appeal for Vanuatu
David Cook, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, has launched an appeal for Vanuatu:
“The Presbyterian Church of Australia has a unique relationship with the Church in Vanuatu, we have a long history of Ni Vanuatuan students training for ministry in Australia, and have had a strong connection with the Bible Training College in Talua.
At this stage we dont know of about loss at Talua, the worst impact of the cyclone was in the south, whereas Talua is in the north.
Please pray for Vanuatu, pray for relief to be provided, pray that there will be selfless rescue and generous love shown both from those on the ground in Vanuatu and neighbouring nations…”
– from Australian Presbyterian World Mission.
And an update (Monday 16 March) here.
‘There is no biblical justification, in any circumstance, for domestic violence.’
Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney
Media Statement March 13th, 2015
Domestic violence and churches
(response to SMH and ABC)
“There is no biblical justification, in any circumstance, for domestic violence. The classic Christian understanding of a husband’s loving, sacrificial, servant-like leadership leaves absolutely no room for violence or fear.
We would be very open to participating in a cross-denominational survey of domestic violence issues, benchmarked with society in general. Whether or not such a survey is conducted, we will continue to speak out against domestic violence through education, training and advocacy.
I also encourage our ministers to explore this issue further with their congregations, making them more aware of the problem and the necessity of properly dealing with specific cases where-ever they may be found.
Archbishop Glenn N Davies,
March 13, 2015.”
First published at SydneyAnglicans.net.
First C of E woman bishop to be installed at Chester Cathedral
“The Church of England’s first woman bishop, Libby Lane, will be formally installed in her new role as Bishop of Stockport this afternoon. More than 1,500 people are expected to attend the event at Chester Cathedral on International Women’s Day…”
– Report from ITV.
NSW Liberal and Labor leaders speak at pre-election event
Over at Bible Society Australia, John Sandeman summarises answers to questions put to NSW Premier Mike Baird and Opposition Leader Luke Foley at an event organised by the Australian Christian Lobby.
Phillip Jensen on Anglican Evangelicalism
In the latest Preaching Matters video from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, Phillip Jensen speaks about what it is to be an Evangelical Anglican.
In doing so, he explores the difference between ‘followers of Calvin’ and ‘followers of Calvinism’. (Mike Ovey responds here.)
GAFCON Lent Pastoral Letter
“A Church that is no longer able to say ‘it is written’ has placed itself in great spiritual danger, but that is where the Anglican Communion could be led according to a review just released of ‘Living Reconciliation’, a book written to promote the ‘Continuing Indaba’ project…”
– Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council, writes in his Lent Pastoral Letter.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…