GAFCON Chairman’s October 2014 Pastoral letter
The October 2014 Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala (Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council) –
“the investiture demonstrated that the realignment of the Anglican Communion is now established and unstoppable.”
Extract:
“The recent news that Lambeth 2018 has been postponed, perhaps indefinitely, is the latest sign that the old institutions of the Communion no longer command confidence. We must remember that the fundamental reason for this is doctrinal. We are divided because the Faith is threatened by unbiblical teaching.
In contrast, GAFCON 2 demonstrated that we were emerging as a new and effective ‘instrument of unity’ for the Anglican Communion. Nearly twelve months later, that reality was underlined at the investiture of Archbishop Foley Beach as the second Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America by the Primates gathered in Atlanta, representing GAFCON and the Anglican Global South, receiving him as a Primate of the Anglican Communion.
Speaking shortly after that historic service I said ‘It is a sign of great hope for the Gospel in the world. It is not a small thing that has happened’. There was no need for us to be reminded of the reasons why GAFCON had called the Anglican Church in North America into being five years ago because the investiture demonstrated that the realignment of the Anglican Communion is now established and unstoppable.
Anglicans around the globe are now affirming this fact. Last month the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Kenya unanimously approved a resolution to be in formal partnership with the GAFCON movement. Then just before the investiture, the Synod of the Diocese of North West Australia passed a resolution recognizing ‘the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia’. Shortly afterwards, the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney passed a resolution which recognized ‘that GAFCON is an emerging instrument of communion when others have failed to provide the well needed leadership’ and stated ‘recognizing Synod’s desire to be in full communion with the ACNA.…. Synod congratulates the Most Reverend Foley Beach on his consecration as Archbishop to the ACNA.’…”
– Read the full Letter on the GAFCON website.
Bill Shorten speaks at Australian Christian Lobby national conference
“Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has told a Christian conference he supports same-sex marriage.
Mr Shorten made the comments in a speech to the Australian Christian Lobby national conference in Canberra this morning.
‘When I see people hiding behind the bible to insult and demonise people on the basis of who they love, I cannot stay silent, I do not agree,’ he said…”
– Story from ABC News. (Photo: BillShorten.com.au)
Related: Australian Christian Lobby media release.
ANiC statement on terrorist attack in Ottawa
“Today, Canadians are grieving the deaths of two members of the Canadian Armed Forces at the hands of terrorists this week. …
Let us pray for those who are caught up in this hatred, and actively seek to extend to them the gospel of peace.”
– The Anglican Network in Canada’s Bishop Charlie Masters speaks on the attack in Ottawa yesterday.
The Pulse Oct-Nov 2014
Presbyterians in NSW are are dealing with many similar issues to Sydney Anglicans.
Read about them in the latest edition of The Pulse (3.4MB PDF) which features another Moore College graduate on the cover.
Who or what defines the Anglican Communion?
“In an interview with the editor of the Church Of Ireland Gazette (Canon Ian Ellis), the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has given his opinion on what defines a church as part of the Anglican Communion, and therefore, by implication, what is critical for Anglican identity…”
– SydneyAnglicans.net published this piece by Moore College Principal mark Thompson shortly before Synod. Take the time to read it all.
Sydney Synod resolution on Global Anglicanism
The Synod of the Diocese of Sydney has passed a resolution, encouraging GAFCON to continue and expand its work. Here is the complete text:
“9.23 Global Anglicanism
Synod –
(a) gives God thanks for the success of GAFCON 2013 (Global Anglican Future Conference) being made up of 1358 delegates from 39 countries including the 99 delegates from Australia,
(b) recognises that GAFCON is an emerging instrument of communion when others have failed to provide the well needed leadership at a time of growing liberalism within Anglicanism, aggressive secularism, militant Islamism and seductive syncretism,
(c) encourages and supports GAFCON/FCA (Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans) in its desire to expand its membership, develop networks, authorise and affirm those who have been excluded by their dioceses or provinces,
(d) recognising Synod’s desire to be in full communion with the ACNA (Synod resolution 46/09), Synod congratulates the Most Reverend Foley Beach on his consecration as Archbishop to the ACNA (Anglican Church of North America),
(e) encourages the development of FCA Australia and its inaugural conference, “The Anglican Future Conference” to be held in Melbourne next year,
(f) looks forward to the next GAFCON as a principle gathering of leaders in the Anglican Communion, and
(g) requests the Secretary to write to The FCA Primates’ Council, The ACNA and FCA Australia informing them of this.
(The Rev Gavin Poole/The Rev Dr Michael Stead).”
– via the GAFCON website. Emphasis added.
Mark Driscoll resigns from Mars Hill
“On Tuesday, October 14, Pastor Mark Driscoll submitted his resignation as an elder and lead pastor of Mars Hill Church.
The Board of Overseers has accepted that resignation and is moving forward with planning for pastoral transition, recognizing the challenge of such a task in a church that has only known one pastor since its founding. We ask for prayer for the journey ahead…”
– from a statement posted on the Mars Hill website.
‘ACNA is Anglican’
“The Anglican Church in North America is Anglican and its primate is an archbishop of the Anglican Communion, declared seven archbishops last night.
At the close of the prayer of investitute of the Most Rev. Foley Beach at the Church of the Apostles on 9 Oct 2014, the primates of Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Myanmar, Jerusalem and the Middle East and South America, and bishops representing the primates of the Congo, Sudan and South East Asia laid hands on Archbishop Beach. Giving him their primatial blessing, they also acknowledged him by word and through laying on of hands to be a fellow primate of the Anglican Communion.
The archbishops’ act comes one week after the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the Church of Ireland Gazette the ACNA was an ecumenical partner of the Anglican Communion and was not Anglican…”
– George Conger reports at Anglican Ink.
GAFCON primates help celebrate ACNA investiture
“GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Eliud Wabukala joined Deputy Chairman, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the Global South’s Archbishop Mouneer Anis and clergy and bishops from around the world at the investiture of Archbishop Foley Beach as Primate of the Anglican Church in North America.
The majority of the world’s Anglicans were represented at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia. Archbishop Wabukala, who was among those who led the service, described the three and a half hour event as very significant…”
– Read the full report from GAFCON.
Related:
- 3 1/2 hour video archived here.
- “A.C.N.A. is a separate church. It’s not part of the Anglican Communion” – Archbishop Justin Welby (Church of Ireland Gazette interview. Direct link to 10.2MB mp3 file. Starting from 2:30.)
- Diocese of North West Australia “recognizes the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia”.
(Photos: from the ACNA live video stream. Archbishop Foley Beach at top.)
Investiture of new ACNA Archbishop to be streamed live
The Service of Investiture of Dr. Foley Beach as Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America will be streamed live on the web from the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia.
It’s at 7:00pm Thursday 9th October 2014 US Eastern Time – that is, 10:00am AEDT Friday 10th October. If you’re keen, you can watch it here.
Reform calls for ‘decisive intervention’ to save shared conversations on sexuality from collapse
“At its most recent meeting on Wednesday, 1st October 2014, the Reform Council expressed its dismay that the objectives of the ‘shared conversations’ on Scripture, Sexuality and Mission had been changed and that as a result orthodox Anglicans had been in effect excluded. It called on its members not to participate in the conversations under these conditions…”
– A media release from Reform.
Related: Church of England College of Bishops meeting, 17 September 2014.
Diocese of NW Australia recognises ACNA as “a member church of the Anglican Communion”
“The Diocese of NW Australia, meeting in synod this weekend, passed the following motion,
That this synod:
- welcomes the impending investiture of the Most Reverend Dr Foley Beach, the Archbishop of The Anglican Church in North America;
- recognizes the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia; rejoices that the orthodox faith is proclaimed in word and deed through ACNA and its member churches;
- continues with ACNA to pray for and call for repentance from those churches which have turned to a different gospel;
- calls upon faithful Anglicans around the world to join us in joyful praise to God for the renewal and rebirth evident in ACNA and the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. …“
– from David Ould.
Lambeth Conference to be postponed — report
“The precarious state of the Anglican Communion has led the Archbishop of Canterbury to postpone indefinitely the every ten year meeting of the bishops of the Anglican Communion…”
– according to a report from George Conger at Anglican Ink.
GAFCON backs English renewal
“GAFCON understands the challenges that faithful Anglicans face in England, according to the Chairman Eliud Wabukala.
The Archbishop made the comment in a message to the recent RENEW conference, organised by the groups Reform, Church Society, and the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).
Archbishop Wabukala, who chairs the GAFCON Primates Council, recently issued a pastoral letter in which he said “AMiE is authorised by the GAFCON Primates to work within and, where necessary, outside the structures of the Church of England as a missionary society”.
The conference committed delegates to “work for a nation of healthy, local Anglican churches throughout England.”
In particular, it committed to looking at opportunities for church planting, training and to “to contend together for the faith once delivered to the saints by developing a joint approach to working within our diocese /region given the theological convictions and teaching of the diocesan leadership.”
The conference also approved a doctrinal statement which began “Knowing that unity is a work of the Holy Spirit which can only be established through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, we rejoice in the fellowship of all those who subscribe to the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration.”
The Jerusalem Declaration was agreed to by the first Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in 2008.”
– from GAFCON.
Related:
GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter September 2014.
TEC PB to step down in June 2015
“Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first woman elected to head a national branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, announced Tuesday (Sept. 23) that she will not seek a second nine-year term in office…”
– from The Huff Post.
(Photo: TEC Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori with the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. ACNS, via ENS.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…