Global South Statement in response to the Pilling Report
“The Global South considers forward movement on the Pilling Report’s recommendations as equal to what the North American churches did ten years ago which caused much confusion in the Communion.
This reminds us of Eli the High Priest who turned a blind eye to the wrongdoings of his sons which led to a period of spiritual dryness when the Spirit of God departed from the midst of His people (Ichabod).”
– Archbishop Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis, Chairman of the Global South of the Anglican Communion, and Archbishop Ian Ernest, Hon. General Secretary, have issued this Statement – read it via Anglican Mainstream (PDF file).
High Court throws out ACT’s same-sex marriage laws
“Same-sex couples who wed in the ACT will have their marriages annulled after the High Court ruled against the laws. … today the High Court in Canberra unanimously ruled that the laws were inconsistent with the Federal Marriage Act, and were therefore unconstitutional.”
– Report from ABC News.
Related: Legality and Validity – Mark Thompson.
Legality and Validity
“Does something become legitimate by virtue of legislative enactment? Does the decision of a parliamentary majority or of a court of law suffice to settle the question of whether a course of action is appropriate, or legitimate or valid? Can Christians recognise the legal or constitutional reality of a situation without for a moment consenting to its reality in a deeper sense — something that legitimately exists in a world constituted by God’s word?
Two recent developments in Australia raise this question in stark terms for us.
The first is the conduct of same sex ‘marriage’ services in the Australian Capital Territory last weekend. …
The second development is the consecration of women as bishops in the Anglican Church of Australia.”
– Moore College Principal Mark Thompson writes an important post at Theological Theology. Challenging times ahead.
Mike Ovey responds to the Pilling Report
“We humans have to live with grey. Sometimes we must weigh whether an action or life-choice is right or wrong. But so often, actions and life-choices are shades of grey rather than simply black or white. …”
– Oak Hill’s Principal, Dr Mike Ovey, responds to the Pilling Report –
Part 1 – God’s work versus God’s will?
Part 2 – Does sincerity grant a veto?
Two (more) reasons to give thanks for Moore College
Two (more) reasons to give thanks for – and to pray for – Moore College:
1. Now is the moment of opportunity for Moore graduates.
2. Moore College distance education goes viral.
Reform’s ReNew Conference 2013 audio files
Reform’s “ReNew conference met Nov 26th to 27th, 2013. The conference was predominantly for church leaders and for women in paid positions of ministry in the Church of England. The purpose of the conference was to establish the basis on which Anglican evangelicals can work together and to begin to chart a way ahead.”
– Audio files of the talks are currently being added to the Reform website. The audio is a little over-compressed, but is quite audible and the talks are well worth hearing.
So far they have the talks by –
- Hugh Palmer – Proclaiming the gospel – the urgency of the hour
– 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, - Alasdair Paine – Defending and contending for the gospel – Romans 16:17-20,
- and Vaughan Roberts – JC Ryle – an Anglican Evangelical role model.
High Court reserves decision on challenge to ACT same-sex marriage laws
“Australia’s first ever same-sex marriages will take place from Saturday, after the High Court reserved its decision on the Commonwealth’s challenge to ACT’s same-sex marriage laws.
The court says it will hand down its decision next Thursday, and in the meantime will allow same-sex marriages to take place in Canberra.”
– Report from ABC News. Photo courtesy High Court of Australia.
Young Christian surfer killed in shark attack
“Christian surfer Zac Young has died following a shark attack near Coffs Harbour on Saturday. The 19-year-old was just about to start an apprenticeship with Christian Surfers and Youth for Christ, and has been described by his pastor as wanting to “give his life over to telling the whole world about Jesus”. …
Zac’s church held a memorial service for him yesterday, which was attended by more than 500 people.”
– from Eternity Newspaper. (Photo: Dave Malvern, Christian Surfers.)
ABC News report.
(At last night’s gathering at The Point Community Church, Ed Springer spoke about what changed Zac – about 20 minutes from the start of Ed’s sermon on Ecclesiastes 7:1-14.)
The Church of England facing ‘officially sanctioned apostasy’?
The Rev. Andrew Symes, Executive Secretary of Anglican Mainstream, works through The Pilling Report (PDF) to see the huge impact if its recommendations were to be adopted in The Church of England.
From his conclusions:
“This is why we are faced with officially sanctioned apostasy in our own church. It has finally happened. What do we do? The first thing to say is that the report has not yet been endorsed by the house of Bishops. We must pray for them and lobby them as politely but intensively as we can before their meeting to discuss the document.”
– Be sure to take the time to read his analysis in full here.
Anglican Mainstream also has a comprehensive list of links to reactions to the Report.
And some essential background:
The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns – Mark Thompson (from The Sydney Lambeth Decision Briefing – 16 March 2008)
The Limits of Fellowship – Phillip Jensen (from The Sydney Lambeth Decision Briefing – 16 March 2008)
Are we stronger than He? (PDF) – David Short (January 2005)
Some questions for the new Archbishop of Canterbury – by Mark Thompson (09 November 2012)
‘Tearing the Fabric’ — 2012 edition – American Anglican Council (PDF)
Bishop Charlie Masters’ Advent letter
“Advent, this year beginning conveniently on December 1st, is the first and best argument for observing the Church Year. Surely there is no other reality or central teaching of the Bible, more forgotten or functionally dismissed, by even serious Christians, than the doctrine of the return of Christ.
Thankfully, Romans 13, the first Epistle for the First Sunday of Advent, almost like an alarm clock interrupts the peaceful repose which is our lives and begins the church year with these words; ‘And do this, understanding the present time: the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.’ (Romans 13:11). …”
– Charlie Masters, Bishop of the Anglican Network in Canada sends his Advent greetings via the Anglican Essentials Canada blog.
Reform’s Chairman ‘deeply ashamed’ of the ‘very divisive’ Pilling Report
“Reform Chairman Prebendary Rod Thomas said today that he was “deeply ashamed” that the Pilling Report was opening up divisive discussions about the church’s stance on human sexuality.
He said: “Anglican evangelicals want to encourage the best possible provision of pastoral care for everyone involved in parish life. The calling of Christians is to a transformed life. True pastoral care in the case of those experiencing same-sex attraction will be to help them live Christianly. The report does not do this in its recommendations for “pastoral accommodation”. Reform profoundly regrets this insensitivity to real pastoral need.
Speaking at the close of the pan-evangelical ReNew conference, attended by over 250 senior Anglican leaders, Rod Thomas said that the report’s proposals were “very divisive and distressing”. He warmly endorsed the Bishop of Birkenhead’s dissenting statement with its understanding that the trajectory of the report “…undermined the discipleship and pastoral care of many faithful Christians”.
The Reform Council gave initial consideration to the report today. It concluded that the inevitable result of the report’s recommendations would be that pressure will increase for changes to the church’s understanding of marriage and of God’s purposes for human flourishing as outlined in the Bible. The Council reiterated its belief that the Anglican approach to doctrine and ethics can only be based on Scripture and therefore was not open to negotiation in facilitated conversations.”
– Source: Reform.
See also: The Bishop of Birkenhead’s dissenting statement.
Anglican Mainstream statement.
Church Society responds to the Pilling Report on sexuality
“Church Society welcomes the publication of the Report of the House of Bishops Working Group on Human Sexuality, so that it can be discussed openly and publicly by the whole church.
Like the apostle Jude, in the Bible, we would prefer to discuss the good news of Jesus Christ and the salvation he offers to all, but feel constrained to respond to the teaching of those who are changing the gospel into an affirmation of immoral behaviour.
We call on the church to read the report prayerfully, and to weigh its teaching and recommendations carefully in the light of scripture’s very clear teaching on sexuality, to which the Church of England is committed in its canons, doctrinal formularies, Synodical statements, and the resolutions of the Lambeth Conference. We particularly commend to people the “dissenting statement” in the report from the Bishop of Birkenhead, and thank him for its clarity and care. A further statement will be made in due course.” – Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society.
Click here for full Pilling Report and CofE statement (CofE website).”
– from Church Society’s EV news.
Governor-General backs ‘gay marriage’
“Governor-General Quentin Bryce has publicly backed both Australia becoming a republic and gay marriage in a landmark speech in Sydney…”
– Report from ABC News. (Photo: Governor-General website.)
Tasmanian Parliament decriminalises abortion
“Tasmania has joined Victoria and the ACT in removing abortion from its criminal laws after seven months of deliberations in Parliament. …
Anti-abortion campaigners in Tasmania are warning some doctors may resign over the law.”
– report from ABC News.
And in NSW: Zoe’s Law to protect foetuses passes NSW Lower House.
Abp Welby’s presentation to the General Synod
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby spoke on the first day of the Church of England’s General Synod in Westminster –
“While I was in Nairobi for the condolence visit, I was there just before the beginning of GAFCON, and I had the opportunity to benefit from meeting a number of primates who had arrived for it. This was a great pleasure, and, as always, an education. As leader of GAFCON Archbishop Wabukala was as gracious as could have been wished.
There were naturally, as you may have noticed, different views expressed about different aspects of the Anglican Communion while I was in Nairobi and subsequently, including views about me, it has to be said not invariably warm and cuddly, but I was genuinely most glad to have had the opportunity to meet, and I have to say that the overwhelming response was not only kind but also deeply encouraging.”
– full text at The Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…