Stuart Townend says don’t censor ‘In Christ Alone’
“Liberal Anglicans do not like the reference to the wrath of God being satisfied in the hymn ‘In Christ Alone’, so what do they do? Censor it …”
– Julian Mann (‘Cranmer’s Curate’) writes about that much-loved modern hymn.
St. Helen’s looks back with thanksgiving
On Thursday 11th May 1961, the Rev. Richard Charles (Dick) Lucas was inducted to the parish of St. Helen, Bishopsgate, in London.
Many in Sydney can join with the congregation at St. Helen’s in giving thanks and praying for future growth.
Here’s a nicely-done 12 minute video released for the anniversary.
Abp Welby marks 20 years of women priests
“Men and women are “equally icons, witnesses, vessels of Christ for the world”, the Archbishop said today during a service at St Paul’s Cathedral marking the 20th anniversary of female priests.”
– Read Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s sermon here. Photo: ACNS.
Related: Reform press release.
Reform asks: Why is the C of E celebrating 20 years of the ordination of women?
Director of Reform Susie Leafe today asked, “What exactly are we celebrating? Women have been ministering in the church for 2000 years, not 20. The very fact that this event is taking place begs some serious questions about how some people view ministry in the Church of England. It seems we have forgotten that we follow Christ, who came to serve and not be served…”
– full press release from Reform in the UK.
Latimer Fellowship engages with ‘Ma Whea?’
NZ General Synod members will gather in the Bay of Islands for the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, May 10–15.
The recently-published report of the ‘Ma Whea?’ [Where to?] Commission on Same-Gender Relationships, Ordination and Blessing will be a topic for discussion.
The Latimer Fellowship has published some brief reflections to help Synod members think through the issues raised in the report.
“To aid General Synod representatives, and to encourage evangelical thinking and engagement with the Report and the issues contained within it, various members of the Fellowship have written short reflections on it. Our prayer is that these pieces might strengthen confidence in God’s word revealed in Scripture, and be widely disseminated.”
Communiqué from the GAFCON Primates Council, April 27 2014
The GAFCON Primates Council has been meeting in London, and at the conclusion of the gathering released a Communiqué, which addresses current issues in the Anglican Communion.
On The Church of England:
“We are particularly concerned about the state of lay and clerical discipline. The House of Bishops’ guidance that those in same sex marriages should be admitted to the full sacramental life of the church is an abandonment of pastoral discipline. While we welcome their clear statement that clergy must not enter same sex marriage, it is very concerning that this discipline is, apparently, being openly disregarded.”
Read the full Communiqué here.
‘Supreme Court of Canada deals final blow to Anglican parishioners’
“A breakaway group of Anglican parishioners has been dealt a deathblow in their legal battle over ownership of a Riverside church.
The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to grant St. Aidan’s parishioners leave to appeal, dismissing their case with costs.”
– report from The Windsor Star, Ontario. (h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.)
GAFCON Easter Message 2014
“What a wonderful truth we celebrate at Easter! The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead assures us that our sins are atoned for and death is defeated. This is the reason we can be confident that despite failure, frustration and the things that perplex us, God’s saving purposes will certainly be fulfilled…”
– Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council, with the GAFCON Easter Message 2014.
Anglican Network in Canada Easter Message
“Imagine someone announcing that:
- The problem of death has been dealt with completely.
- The power of sin has also been broken so that complete forgiveness is available to all and so that guilt is gone and the power to live a new and worthy life is now possible.
- Satan and all his demonic realm – who have long ruled this dark world wreaking evil havoc, cruelty, violence, all sorts of injustice and abuse, filling the world with lies – has received a death blow that guarantees his and their condemnation.
This, of course, is exactly the message we bring and would remind you of …”
– Bishop Charlie Masters’ Easter Letter.
More congregations leave the Church of Scotland
“Two of the wealthiest Church of Scotland congregations are quitting the Kirk just weeks before the General Assembly over the issue of gay ordination. The move is a new cash blow with the two congregations contributing £315,000 between them to the Church…”
– Report from The Herald Scotland.
Tweet #Eastermeans, says Church of England
“Theologian and religious commentator @vickybeeching said: ‘I’m excited about the #EasterMeans campaign – it encourages Christians to give the world a window into their personal faith; why Easter matters to them and how the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection have impacted their life.’…”
– Good idea, via the Anglican Communion News Service.
‘First gay clergyman to wed plunges Church into crisis’
“A senior Church of England clergyman yesterday became the first to enter into a gay marriage – in direct defiance of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby – plunging the Church into a fresh crisis.
Canon Jeremy Pemberton tied the knot with Laurence Cunnington under new laws allowing same-sex marriages pushed through by David Cameron in the face of bitter opposition from backbench MPs and the Church…”
– from Mail Online.
Church Society gives thanks for John Richardson
Church Society’s Director Lee Gatiss has penned this note of thanksgiving for John Richardson.
He includes this detail: “At the National Evangelical Anglican Congress in Blackpool (2003) he famously donned a purple (ish) clerical shirt, and delighted in telling us how he was ushered into all kinds of places as a result!” – Read it here.
And here is a 70 second audio clip (280kb) where John speaks about going to Moore College (from a ‘weekend away’ talk on Marriage and Singleness for St. Peter’s Harold Wood).
Niagara Bishop to get public apology from blogger
“The legal squabble between Niagara Bishop Michael Bird and an Oakville blogger who criticized him is over. The Diocese of Niagara says the pair has reached a settlement. …”
– Story from The Hamilton Spectator.
Apology and Timeline from David Jenkins (Anglican Samizdat).
(Photo of Bishop Michael Bird from the Diocese of Niagara.)
Also from Anglican Samizdat, The Diocese of New Westminster sells a church to make way for a mosque.
NZ Report on same sex blessings and ordinations released
“The long-awaited report of the Ma Whea? Commission into the question of same-gender blessings and ordinations has been released.
The report, which is the fruit of 15 months’ work by five eminent New Zealand citizens, lists 10 options to inform the General Synod debate at Waitangi next month.”
– The Ma Whea? (Where to?) Report can be downloaded from this page.
Photo Anglican Taonga.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…