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.

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.

Goodbye St. Hilda’s

Anglican Samizdat reports on the sale and demolition of the former St. Hilda’s Anglican Church building in Oakville, Ontario. The congregation lost it to the Diocese of Niagara in 2012 after leaving the Anglican Church of Canada. via Anglican Eessentials Canada blog.

Archbishop Wabukala defends GAFCON

On Tuesday night, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Chairman of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans spoke at The Ridley Institute in South Carolina.

He spoke on “In Defense of GAFCON” with reference to The Thirty Nine Articles.

His address deserves wide distribution and is most encouraging. Archbishop Wabukala’s address begins 16 minutes into the video recording. (The address runs for about 45 minutes, followed by the question time which begins, after a break, at 1 hour 15 minutes into the recording. Also worth watching.)

Update: The text of his address is now available (PDF) on the GAFCON website as well as at The Ridley Institute.

Here’s a quote:

“I am so thankful to God that Christianity as moralism was not, on the whole, the gospel brought from England and the West to Africa and what we now call the Global South during the great missionary initiatives of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although the GAFCON movement coined the phrase ‘Confessing Anglicans,’ Provinces like mine which are the fruit of missionary endeavors have always been ‘confessing.’ For many of us the writings of John Stott and J.I. Packer simply were normal Anglicanism and too many of us assumed that the rest of the Communion thought the same way!

However, in the past thirty years it has become clear that the West has finally exhausted the capital of its Christian heritage. The combination of secularization and the growth of global media and communications has laid bare a fundamental theological divergence between Western secularized moralistic Anglicanism and confessional Anglicanism. The resulting strains have seriously damaged the Communion — many faithful orthodox Anglicans have been marginalized or even ejected from the formal structures of their Churches. Sexual immorality has not only been tolerated but held out to be holy and the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other formal instruments of Communion are no longer able to fulfill their basic purpose of gathering the Communion. …”

Stay in Noah’s Ark — or get into the lifeboat?

“I’ve just completed four years of training for ministry in the Church of England, and, God willing, have ahead of me many years of gospel ministry in the Anglican Church.

However, there seems to me to be more pressure than ever to doubt the integrity of that position. How can an evangelical who takes seriously his stewardship of revealed truth, ever with a good conscience take office in the Church of England? …”

– At The Church Society, Oak Hill graduate Matt Graham asks if it’s worth sticking with the Church of England. (PDF file.)

Australian Christian Lobby welcomes defeat of NSW same-sex marriage bill

“The Australian Christian Lobby welcomes the defeat of the NSW same-sex marriage bill 21 to 19 votes in the upper house today. ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton said it was time for state parliaments to stop using parliamentary time to debate a federal issue. …” – Media release from the Australian Christian Lobby.

New Westminister nominees list is out

The names of those nominated for the position of Bishop of New Westminster, in the Anglican Church of Canada, have now been released. Anglican Essentials Canada Blog have helpfully added links to the CVs and videos of the candidates. Lots of talk of diversity.

The Synod begins 30th November, to replace Michael Ingham, pictured, who retired in August. Bishop Ingham famously declared that J I Packer and David Short had abandoned Christian ministry.

High Court challenge to ACT same-sex marriage set for December 3 & 4

The Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton sent this 90 second video update from outside the High Court in Canberra.

Another Reflection on GAFCON 2

“GAFCON was likened to ‘a taste of heaven’, with believers from many nations, races, colours and languages worshipping the one Lord together. The daily pattern was praise and prayer, a morning Bible exposition from the book of Ephesians, followed by plenary lectures and seminars.…”

– Andrew Atherstone gives his perspective on GAFCON 2013.

MAF Pilot attempts 140 takeoffs to raise money for second East Timor plane

“An Australian pilot is today attempting to complete a record number of takeoffs in one day to raise enough money to buy aid agencies in East Timor their second plane.

Since the withdrawal of the United Nations last year, aid agencies in East Timor have only one plane left to do their work. The plane is used by 30 non-government organisations working in the developing country.

Which is why, at Parkes in the central west of New South Wales today, pilot Ron Watts will attempt to take off 140 times to set a new Australian record.”

– from ABC News. Watch the MAF video on Vimeo. Donation page.

Background: A little on the church in Timor Leste – via APWM.

Church Society report on GAFCON

“Last week I had the privilege to attend the Global Anglican Futures Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. My experience of this conference of over 1300 bishops, clergy, and laity from around the Anglican world was moving, positive, and optimistic. …”