The Unravelling of the Anglican Communion
“From 2003 to 2013 — it took just ten years for ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada to unravel the Anglican Communion…”
– A. S. Haley at The Anglican Curmudgeon, provides a quick overview of the last ten years.
Related: The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns – by Dr Mark Thompson, March 2008.
GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter September 2014
From the September 2014 Pastoral Letter from GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Eliud Wabukala –
“In the twenty first century, it is becoming clear that we must see the once missionary nations of the West as now themselves mission fields. The fact that the United Kingdom came close to breaking up last week is a symptom of the disintegration that follows when a once common Christian faith has been lost and I want to appreciate the work of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) who are sharing with other mission minded Anglicans in England as they meet for the ‘ReNew’ Conference this week.
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. In my message of greeting to the conference I said
‘We understand the challenges that faithful Anglicans face in England. At GAFCON 2013 here in Nairobi we recognised that the focus of the struggle for biblical faithfulness has shifted from North America to England. The temptation to dilute the message of Jesus Christ and compromise with the surrounding culture is strong, so it is vital for the gospel in England, and also for the world, that you continue as a beacon to the revealed truth of the Scriptures. The salvation of people from hell is at stake. So nothing could be more important.’…”
– Read it all here. (Photo: Archbishop Wabukala welcoming the Archbishop of Canterbury to Nairobi last year.)
ReNew: united, confessing, missional
“Is the Commitment signed on Tuesday by delegates at the ReNew conference a manifesto for schism? In a word, no. …
The partnership of Church Society with Reform means that there remains a strong commitment to working within the existing structures of the Church of England. There is a real desire to take Archbishop Welby at his word, that as Conservative Evangelicals are considered to be part of authentic Anglicanism and encouraged to “flourish” (according to the July statement on Women Bishops), so churches in this tradition should be encouraged to grow and multiply.…
The controversial part of the commitment is the recognition that there will be times when pioneering new congregations will on occasion mean operating without Diocesan approval, and the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) is the mechanism to enable this.”
– Anglican Mainstream’s Andrew Symes looks at the new vision for growing evangelical churches in England.
CESA Presiding Bishop Desmond Inglesby to retire
P
residing Bishop of REACH South Africa (formerly known as CESA), Bishop Desmond Inglesby announced his early retirement –
“It is with great sadness that I need to inform you that, for medical reasons, I have decided to retire early. This means that I will be stepping down as Presiding Bishop with effect from the end of September.”
Read more at the REACH-South Africa website – and please pray for Bishop Inglesby and for the work of the gospel in South Africa.
GAFCON Chairman to assist at investuture of ACNA Archbishop
‘It has been announced that the Chairman of GAFCON, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, will assist at the Service of Investiture for the new ACNA Archbishop.
The service will take place on October 9, to formally mark the beginning of the Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach’s [pictured] ministry as Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a denomination of more than 112,000 members spanning Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The historic transition is the first for the new denomination, as its founding leader, The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, retired in June 2014 at the conclusion of a five-year term.
Dr Wabukala, who is also Archbishop of Kenya, has been invited to help lead the service, which will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Oct 9th at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia and will be attended by 8 global archbishops representing more than 50 million Anglicans.”
– from GAFCON.
Archbishop Davies welcomes new Roman Catholic leader
“The Archbishop of Sydney issued a statement of welcome to Bishop Anthony Fisher, named as the successor to Cardinal George Pell as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.”
– read Archbishop Davies’ statement here.
(Photo credit.)
‘Gay rector faces backlash in pews’
“An Anglican clergyman is facing opposition from parishioners over a service in his local church to bless his same-sex civil partnership.
The Rev Dominic McClean, the Rector of 13 parishes around the village of Market Bosworth in Leicestershire, invited parishioners to the special service this weekend to mark his civil union with his partner…” – Story from The Telegraph. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net) Photo: Market Bosworth Benefice.
‘Imam in Residence program’ at Canadian Anglican church
“A unique Imam in Residence program is being launched at St. Martin’s Anglican Church in October in conjunction with the Al Madinah Calgary Islamic Assembly…”
– Report from The Calgary Herald.
Abp Welby and Orthodox Coptic Bishop host meeting on Iraq and Syria
“In an unprecedented ecumenical gathering at Lambeth Palace hosted by The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and initiated by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, a joint statement was agreed by leaders and representatives of the Churches of the Middle East and the wider Christian Church in Britain…”
– Press release and photo from the Coptic Orthodox Church.
(h/t Anglican Mainstream.)
‘Government should back Nationals’ urgency motion to help Islamic State victims’
Here’s a media release from The Australian Christian Lobby:
“The Australian Christian Lobby has renewed its call for the Federal Government to urgently lift the humanitarian refugee intake to assist refugees fleeing Islamic State brutality in Iraq and Syria.
This follows unanimous support for such a move at this weekend’s Nationals Federal Council meeting in Canberra. Read more
UK must offer asylum to terror refugees — Abp of York
“The Archbishop of York has urged the government to do more to offer asylum to Christians and others being persecuted by Islamic State terrorists…”
– Report from BBC News. (Photo: Diocese of York.)
David Platt new President of SBC International Mission Board
“Our IMB president must be one who can drive our missions focus in a new way for a new era. It’s not enough that Southern Baptists’ global missions leader motivates us all to give and to go (although he must do that). He must be someone who can connect from the Scriptures how the Great Commission, and especially our global Great Commission responsibilities, are the urgent concern of all of us.”
– Russell Moore gives thanks that David Platt has been elected as President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board.
Same-Sex Blessings arrive at Falls Church
“A historic Episcopal parish that counts U.S. President George Washington among its past vestry members has hosted its first blessing of a same-sex union…”
– Report from Juicy Ecumenism.
Background (and photo): The costly faithfulness of The Falls Church – May 2012.
“The tragedy of the situation at The Falls Church is not that the congregation will die, but that yet another a historic symbol of American Christianity has fallen into the hands of those who teach doctrines contrary to Scripture.”
Sadness as Mark Driscoll steps aside for a period
Mark Driscoll made this statement (video) at Mars Hill in Seattle yesterday.
Please especially uphold in prayer Mark and his family and the Mars Hill church in this time. (1 Corinthians 12:26.)
‘GAFCON in talks with New Zealand parish’
“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is in talks to offer alternative episcopal oversight to a breakaway New Zealand congregation, The Church of England Newspaper has learned…
A spokesman for the GAFCON secretariat in Sydney confirmed there had been “initial contact” with the parish leaders…”
– story from Anglican Ink. Please continue to pray for West Hamilton Community Church (as it is now called) and the Pastor, Michael Hewat. (Photo: Affirm.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…