Welcome to Nairobi

Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop of Kenya and Chairman of GAFCON, welcomes GAFCON attendees – and also the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is present for the earlier two-day GAFCON Primates’ meeting.

“I am very happy to welcome you to All Saints Cathedral this morning and I especially want to recognise His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury who will be our preacher this morning. This is the second visit to Kenya he has made this year so we are very privileged! It is a great joy that we are together in this service as we enjoy fellowship in Christ with our brother Primates.

But the word on everybody’s lips today is GAFCON. … We are welcoming over 1,300 delegates from around the world, some of whom are already with us to share in our worship this morning. We are so happy you are here and we welcome you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. …”

– Read it all at the GAFCON website. Photo: Russell Powell.

GAFCON 2013 and Authority in the Church

GAFCON 2013 begins in Nairobi tomorrow, so now would be a good time to uphold in prayer this significant gathering.

This 2008 theological resource paper by Dr Mark Thompson is a good reminder as to why GAFCON is committed to the authority of the Bible.

We’ll be posting news from GAFCON as it comes through.

‘Swedish Archbishop prefers Allah’

“…the Church of Sweden’s new archbishop is Antje Jackelén. … Like kings, all bishops have their own motto and Jackelén chose ”God is greater” … ”Allahu akbar”. …

Many have been taken aback by the theological opinions Jackelén revealed during a questioning in Uppsala on October 1. The candidates for the highest position in the Swedish church were asked if they thought Jesus presented a truer picture of God than Muhammed. …”

– News from a little earlier in the week, from Dispatch International.

Photo: Jan Nordén/Church of Sweden.

Tasmanian euthanasia bill defeated

“The legislation would have allowed terminally ill Tasmanians to end their lives 10 days after making three requests to their doctor.”

– Report from the ABC.

Uniting parishioners ‘devastated as churches sold off’

“Angry parishioners at the Glenroy Uniting Church in Melbourne’s northern suburbs have told 7.30 that there had been little consultation by the church hierarchy, which invoked a ‘special circumstances’ clause to sell the properties without the permission of the local church councils representing each congregation.” – 7:30 Report. Image: ABC TV.

Australian Baptist leaders support federal challenge to ACT marriage reform

“Baptist leaders have commended Prime Minister Tony Abbott for his Government’s support of the current legal definition of marriage, and for a proposal to challenge the ACT Government’s same sex marriage bill in the High Court as soon as it becomes law. Read more

The Religion of the Self

At Jesmond Parish Church in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Rev. David Holloway explains why the church-sponsored brownie and guide units are refusing to make the new Girl Guide promise.

“There was a problem at the beginning of last month. On 1 September 2013 the Girl Guide promise, “the beating heart of guiding” according to the Chief Guide, was to change. The promise that was being discarded was as follows:

I promise that I will do my best
To love my God
To serve the Queen and my country
To help other people
And to keep the Brownie/Guide Law

Instead it was mandated from Girlguiding’s central authority that from the 1 September every girl and leader must say these words:

I promise that I will do my best
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs
To serve the Queen and my community
To help other people
And to keep the Brownie/Guide Law …”

Read it all at the JPC website.

Beware of imposters

Just in case you get any appeals for money –

“It has been ascertained that there are accounts on Facebook purportedly using the name of the Primate of the Anglican Church in Nigeria Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh asking for funds for various projects. This is no doubt the handiwork of fraudsters to extort money. To link the name of the Primate with these clandestine activities on the Internet is deceitful. Primate Okoh will not ask for this, never.

We therefore warn people of questionable character to desist from these illegal acts or face the wrath of God.”

– from the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.

Update: Scam warning for Anglican Communion members.

Australian Church Record — October 2013

The latest issue of The Australian Church Record is now out.

“Every now and again ancient institutions can be forgiven for indulging in a little public self-reflection.

On January 1st, 1914, the first issue of ‘The Church Record: A Church Paper for the Commonwealth, Catholic, Apostolic, Protestant, and Reformed’ appeared, sixteen months after a Sydney group first met to float a company to run a federal paper.

As the centenary of this issue draws nigh, it seems fitting to reflect a little on the Australian Church Record as it is poised on the edge of its next one hundred years.”

– as well, there are articles on the General Synod, GAFCON, Archbishop Welby, and there’s a tribute to Bishop Dudley Foord. Downloadable from their website.

And in a reprint of an article from 1972, Bishop Donald Robinson looks at the names behind The Record in the early days.

GAFCON and the Archbishop of Canterbury

“The Archbishop of Canterbury will visit GAFCON primates just before the opening of GAFCON 2013 in Nairobi.

GAFCON Primates are holding a two day meeting, then 1200 leaders and lay people from the UK, Asia, Africa, the Pacific and South America will fly in to Nairobi for the Global Anglican Future Conference starting on Monday, October 21st.

GAFCON Chairman Eliud Wabukala invited Archbishop Justin Welby to send greetings to the conference and he indicated he was unable to do so in person because of commitments during the week. His office has since confirmed he will make a flying visit to speak with the Primates.

The general secretary of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, Dr Peter Jensen, says “The Archbishop’s decision to come to the Primates meeting is a recognition of the importance of such a large and significant gathering of Anglicans from around the world and he will be made very welcome.”

Issued 7/10/13.”

– News from GAFCON.

Related: Unforced Anglican errors from The Telegraph – GetReligion.

Remembering Archbishop Gitari

“Archbishop David Gitari, the retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) died Monday … He was 76.

Gitari was one of those larger than life figures. He was absolutely courageous, brilliant, and committed to the implications of the Gospel in everyday life. He was marked for death by government hit squads and three times had to escape in the middle of the night when they came to kill him. One of the times, he escaped through the roof of his house and slipped into the jungle. …”

– Bishop Bill Atwood remembers and gives thanks.

A future for Anglicans?

“In October 2013 GAFCON II will meet in Nairobi. GAFCON (Global Anglican Futures Conference) might be described as the illegitimate brainchild of Rowan Williams when he was archbishop of Canterbury and it may yet turn out to be his most enduring legacy…”

– In his editorial in the Autumn 2013 issue of Churchman, Gerald Bray gives his take (PDF file) on GAFCON II and the future of the Anglican Communion.

New BCA Regional Officer for NSW & ACT

BCA has appointed the Rev Peter Adkins as its next NSW / ACT Regional Officer, starting in the new year.

7:30 Report on SSM and the Anglican Church

The 7:30 Report on ABC TV tonight ran a 6 minute story on an Anglican minister in Perth, Chris Bedding, who is moving a motion on same-sex relationships at the Perth Synod this week.