Did God really say?

Christian Concern has published this excerpt from the Church of England’s General Synod debate on an amendment prior to the vote which passed allowing the blessing of same-sex unions.

Lay member Ben John, who spoke so passionately at the General Synod in February 2023 now makes the point, “Living in Love and Faith can be summarised in four words…”.

– See the excerpt here. Very sobering, and spoken with a very heavy heart. Watch with tears.

See it in context here (2 hours, 2 minutes into the video of Wednesday morning 15th November 2023).

Statement from the Gafcon Primates 16 November 2023

Statement from the Gafcon Primates 16 November 2023

This week marks a tragic moment in the history of the Church of England. On Wednesday, November 15, its General Synod approved a proposal to encourage its bishops to continue their work in creating and implementing liturgical prayers of blessing for same-sex unions. The Synod additionally voted to approve an amendment that will allow clergy to go ahead and conduct standalone services of blessing on a trial basis. This means that, beginning next month, Anglican clergy in Church of England churches will be able to do what the prophet Balaam could not and would not do by going against the Word of God and blessing that which God has condemned (Num 24:12-14).

Holy Scripture is clear and unequivocal in its affirmation that the only proper context for sexual intimacy is the relationship of a man and woman who have been joined together in marriage. All forms of sexual intimacy outside of this context are condemned as immorality and are behaviors from which the people of God are regularly called to repent. In I Corinthians 6:9-10, the apostle Paul tells us “not to be deceived” on the seriousness of such immorality and warns us that those who fail to repent of it will not inherit the kingdom of God. And one of the behaviors he specifically names is that of homosexual activity. Elsewhere the New Testament specifically warns against false teachers who promote sexual immorality within the church (2 Peter 2:1-3, Jude 3-4, Rev. 2:19-24) and instructs us not to listen to or heed their words.

This week, the Church of England has made it clear that they disagree with Holy Scripture. They have decided that they can bless that from which the Bible calls us to repent. What is more, although these motions were passed by very narrow votes among the clergy and laity, the bishops gave their support and approval by a very clear majority. This is a tragedy for Anglicans, for not only has the Church of England done what its own Thirty-Nine Articles forbid by approving ceremonies that are “contrary to God’s Word written” (Articles XX, XXXIV), but a majority of its bishops have broken the vows which they swore at their consecration, to “banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God’s Word” (BCP Ordinal).

We lament the actions of the Church of England’s synod this week and we commit ourselves to pray and support those within its fold who continue to uphold the authority of God’s Word and to defend the faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Nearly fifty percent of the clergy and lay delegates at the Synod voted against these motions and we have no doubt that they, along with many other Anglicans throughout England, are currently experiencing grief and pain over these developments. We grieve with them, and we recommit ourselves to supporting the ministry of biblically faithful Anglicans throughout England, especially through the faithful ministry and mission of the Anglican Network in Europe.

Jesus Christ has promised us that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church (Matt 16:18). Today we remember that promise and, even as we grieve, we rejoice that Christ is both the head of the church and the Lord of history and that his Word and his Kingdom will prevail.

The Most Rev Dr Laurent Mbanda
Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda
Chairman
Gafcon Primates Council
16 November 2023.

PDF version.

Photo: Gafcon Primates Council meeting in London, 6-9 November 2023.

“The Archbishop Should Resign” — Rev Dr Lee Gatiss from The Church Society

“If you want to change something in the church, you start by thinking, ‘What does God say about this?’ … They haven’t even tried to make a case for this… We have not even been allowed to see the legal advice …

The Church does not belong to those who had their fingers crossed at ordination and consecration when they made those vows and promises. The Church does not belong to Archbishops and Bishops …

We haven’t begun to fight – this is not the end.”

– Church Society’s Dr Lee Gatiss speaks with TWR-UK.

Link thanks to Anglican Mainstream.

For those at a crossroads — press release from The Anglican Network in Europe

For those at a crossroads

A response to the General Synod of the Church of England’s resolution on 15 November 2023

Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”(Jeremiah 6:16 ESV)

Yesterday a majority at General Synod voted to continue to travel along a road that arrogantly rejects the authority of scripture, the historic teaching of the church from earliest times and the vast majority of Anglicans worldwide. They have walked away from the life transforming grace and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We reiterate the deep sadness we expressed after February’s General Synod: “We grieve with those who have been dismayed and heartbroken by this betrayal in the abandonment of the sufficiency and supremacy of scripture which has until now been the bedrock and rule of the Church of England. We honour those who have courageously contended for orthodoxy… We especially feel the pain of those who continue to make costly stands for godliness and have been abandoned by those who were meant to shepherd and protect them.”

For both clergy and laity who cannot travel the road chosen by General Synod, the next weeks and months will mean much heartfelt prayer, seeking the Lord and wrestling in conscience with the implications of what it means for each one to be faithful. However, we stand with you and we are much in prayer for you.

“You are not alone. You have a home.”

Rt. Rev. Andy Lines (Presiding Bishop of ANiE)
Rt. Rev. Stuart Bell (Assistant Bishop of ACE)
Rt. Rev. Tim Davies (Assistant Bishop of AMiE)
Rt. Rev. Ian Ferguson (Assistant Bishop of ACE)
Rt. Rev. Lee McMunn (Assistant Bishop of AMiE)

ENDS

GSFA Statement Following the Church of England’s General Synod Resolution (Nov 13 – 16, 2023)

We are saddened to know that the General Synod of the Church of England has passed a resolution to bless same sex unions despite almost 50% of the Synod opposing the bishops’ proposal. This disastrous decision creates the same serious consequences of differentiation and division as in other provinces and further fractures our beloved Anglican Communion.

On behalf of the Primates of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA), I once again affirm the GSFA Ash Wednesday Statement which we made on Feb 20th his year (2023). We wholeheartedly support the faithful bishops, clergy and laity within the Church of England and assure them of our continuing prayers and pastoral commitment as a global body.

“……. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Archbishop and Primate of the
Episcopal Church of South Sudan, and
GSFA Chair

– Source: Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches.

Joy comes in the morning

“The result of today’s Synod debate on Living in Love and Faith was not unexpected. Those who had been doing the Synodical maths had been warning that a version of the motion put forward by the House of Bishops would probably go through by a very small majority, and they were right.

However nothing in the nine hours of debate that took place on the Prayers of Love and Faith proposals provided any rational justification for this outcome. …”

– Whatever happens with the Church of England, Anglican theologian Martin Davie reminds us that – when it comes to Christ’s church – the gates of hell will not prevail against it, and that joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5).

The Tragedy and the Bigger Picture

In the light of this morning’s vote by the Church of England General Synod to move forward with the blessing of same sex couples, Principal of Moore Theological College, Dr. Mark Thompson, responds:

“It is very hard not to dissolve into a flood of tears as this all plays out in England. We on this side of the world owe so much to the English church and to its evangelical wing in particular.

We have been brought to faith, nourished in faith, grounded for a lifetime of ministry in faith, by the faithful ministries of men like Whitfield, Simeon, Ryle, Stott and Packer (and many others of course) and to watch much lesser men squander that inheritance brings great grief.

When we remember the Reformation martyrs, and the courage of generation after generation of their heirs, we have great cause to thank God and great cause to weep over what is happening now.”

Be sure to read it all below –

“The behaviour of the Archbishop of Canterbury in recent months has been nothing short of scandalous. Not only has he betrayed his ordination vows, as the delegates at GAFCON in Kigali earlier this year recognised, but he has recklessly pursued an agenda contrary to the Scriptures and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ despite urgent and repeated warnings from the vast majority of Anglicans worldwide not to do so. In this he has been supported by the Archbishop of York. The Archbishop will have a higher Judge than the rank and file of the Church of England, the GAFCON and Global South movements, and even future chroniclers of the history of the church to answer to for this, and, quite frankly, who would want to be in his shoes (James 3:1; Matthew 18:16; Hebrews 13:17)?

The bigger question now, though, is not how can Justin Welby recover from this (short of wholesale repentance I cannot see how he can) but how do faithful men and women within the Church of England continue to pursue the goal of re-evangelising the United Kingdom in the wake of what he, the Archbishop of York, and collectively the House of Bishops have done? This is, after all, the urgent need of the moment. Men and women all over Britain are heading blithely into judgment while ignoring or ridiculing or even openly defying the only one who can save them. How can we sit by and just watch that happen while we fight among ourselves?

It is very hard not to dissolve into a flood of tears as this all plays out in England. We on this side of the world owe so much to the English church and to its evangelical wing in particular. We have been brought to faith, nourished in faith, grounded for a lifetime of ministry in faith, by the faithful ministries of men like Whitfield, Simeon, Ryle, Stott and Packer (and many others of course) and to watch much lesser men squander that inheritance brings great grief. When we remember the Reformation martyrs, and the courage of generation after generation of their heirs, we have great cause to thank God and great cause to weep over what is happening now.

So what is the way ahead? Who am I to tell my English brothers and sisters what they should do? It is up to them now, the faithful remnant within the Church of England joining cause with those who over recent years have left for refuge elsewhere, to find the way to put the things that matter most back at the centre of the agenda. We need to do that here too, of course. We can all let the heartache at God’s word being trampled by those charged with preaching it and defending it distract us from the victory of Christ, the urgency of his call to faith and repentance, and the clear, gracious yet insistent preaching of the gospel and its implications. But we cannot afford to do so.

When we stop talking about Jesus, we stop talking about the gospel. When we stop loving his word, we stop loving his people and the world over which he wept. So let’s not fall into that trap, even as we respond in tears to what has been done by the leadership (so-called) of the Church of England. Let’s get back to the core truths and hold on to them even more tightly. Our world is lost because we have sought to determine for ourselves what is right and what is wrong without reference to God, let alone in humble obedience to him. The only hope for every man and woman is the Saviour who came among us to exhaust the judgment we deserve and triumph over every consequence of our sin (John 3:16). In his generosity he calls on all to “come to me” and to “find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28–30). But it is only those who do come to him in faith, abandoning the empty, disappointing allegiances of their life without him, and taking hold of the rescue only he can provide, who will be saved (Rom. 10:9, 13). Most wonderful of all, he promised “whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

So what has happened is scandalous and the last day will unmask its perverse folly. But what lies ahead is a magnificent challenge. This is still the age of gospel proclamation. It is only when the gospel of the kingdom has been “proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to the nations” that the end will come (Matt. 24:14). The sheer brilliance of that gospel will not be seen if, for whatever reason, we soft-pedal on the truths our world finds unpalatable. So our excitement at the challenge must be matched by a courage not to budge even a millimetre from the truth taught in Scripture. Nevertheless, I dare to dream of a new reformation, not just in the Church of England, but in churches throughout the world.”

– First published at Theological Theology.

CEEC responds to General Synod decision

Revd Canon John Dunnett, National Director, Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), said:

“CEEC is grieved and saddened that the General Synod passed a motion earlier this afternoon to continue with the implementation of the bishops’ proposals. These proposals depart from a biblical understanding of sex and marriage, in particular by enabling blessings for same sex couples in parish churches. This decision follows a process that has been widely observed as unduly hasty, incomplete and haphazard.

“This is, however, more than just a departure from the biblical understanding of sex and marriage. Sadly, today marks a ‘watershed’ moment, in that it appears that the Church of England no longer sees Scripture as our supreme authority. 

“If the bishops continue with the implementation of their proposals, we believe this will have a devastating impact on churches across the country and beyond. It will tear local parish congregations apart, damage the relationship between large numbers of clergy and their bishops and cause churches across the dioceses to feel as though their shepherds have abandoned them. It may also serve a final blow to the unity of the Anglican Communion. 

“CEEC longs for a resurgence of faithfulness to biblical teaching, which would deepen the unity for which Jesus prayed in John 17. 

“CEEC is committed to supporting the ministry of orthodox evangelical lay people and ministers across the dioceses. In the next few days CEEC will announce a series of provisions for orthodox evangelicals and work to do all it can to ensure evangelical life and witness in the Church of England continues for years to come.”

– Source: CEEC.

Anglican Futures account of the long debate in the C of E General Synod

Including this statement in the Synod from Church Society’s Dr Ros Clarke –

“… makes it clear just how divided the bishops are – not just on the subject of same-sex relationships but also on the legal advice and the motion before us. Synod, it is not progress to be presented with legal advice which most of us have not been allowed to see and which has divided those who have seen it.”

– Read the record of some key speeches and votes at Anglican Futures’ How many amendments?

C of E General Synod backs trial of special services asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples

From The Church of England’s General Synod meeting (early this morning, Australian time):

“The motion passed, as amended, was:

The Bishop of London to move:

‘That this Synod, conscious that the Church is not of one mind on the issues raised by Living in Love and Faith, that we are in a period of uncertainty, and that many in the Church on all sides are being deeply hurt at this time, recognise the progress made by the House of Bishops towards implementing the motion on Living in Love and Faith passed by this Synod in February 2023, as reported in GS 2328, encourage the House to continue its work of implementation, and ask the House to consider whether some standalone services for same-sex couples could be made available for use, possibly on a trial basis, on the timescale envisaged by the motion passed by the Synod in February 2023.’

The voting on the final motion was: 

Press release from the Church of England here. Emphasis added.

Reaction to follow.

Image: The Bishop of London moves the motion in General Synod.

Keep contending!

“I’ve recently had my 5-year health check, and am waiting for a letter from the NHS promising all sorts of details: blood pressure, pulse rate, cholesterol level and so on. Who knows what it might say!

But as someone who loves eggs, chocolate and cheese, the temptation when it arrives will be to either not read, or totally ignore, the cholesterol part because I don’t want to be told to cut down on foods I like. In actual fact, of course, I shall not only read the whole thing but do that in company with Katie my wife, because I believe doctors know what they’re talking about, and I would need accountability and help with any parts of the letter requiring challenging changes.

Many of us know this same temptation with Scripture. …

This is why I found Lee Gatiss’s ‘Fight Valiantly’ so helpful. He examines all of God’s commands relating to contending, and thereby protects me from simply pursuing what is instinctive …”

– At Church Society’s blog, Andrew Towner commends the new expanded edition of Fight Valiantly.

The post includes a link to a free PDF of Chapter 8.

GAFCON Australasia Conference 2024

The GAFCON Australasia Conference is coming up 1-4 July 2024 in Brisbane.

Details and booking here.

What do bishops actually have to believe?

“Mr Benjamin John, a lay member of General Synod is on a mission to find out what bishops in the Church of England are required to believe. And the answer is frightening.

Some readers of this blog may remember how Mr John bore the brunt of the Archbishop of York’s derision in February 2023 – when his perfectly reasonable question was met with a lecture about the development of doctrine and the suggestion that he might like to read the New Testament. …

This time, Mr John has addressed his question to the Chair of the House of Bishops, the Archbishop of Canterbury – he has been very careful in his explanation of how current controversies seem to contradict a previous answer given by the Archbishop, and he ends by asking his question, ‘..what do Bishops actually have to believe?’…”

– Anglican Futures reports the reply given by the Archbishop of Canterbury. (It’s not very deep.)

Image: Ben John at the Church of England’s General Synod in February 2023.

What is an ‘inclusive evangelical’?

“There was a small social media storm last week when the newish group ‘Inclusive Evangelicals’ issued a letter, with 600 signatories, supporting progress in authorising prayers of blessing for same-sex couples, rooted in the conviction that ‘prayerful reading of scripture has led us to an inclusive position on same-sex relationships.’ …”

– At Psephizo, Ian Paul asks, “What is an ‘inclusive evangelical’?”

Statement from the Gafcon Primates Council 6-9 November 2023

In a statement issued at the end of their meeting in London, the GAFCON Primates reaffirm they are not leaving the Anglican Communion.

The Council received the resignation of Archbishop Ben Kwashi, former Bishop of Jos, as the General Secretary and announced that Paul Donison, Rector and Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Plano, Texas, will be the new General Secretary.

Much more in their full statement below:

 

Statement from the Gafcon Primates Council

The Gafcon Primates Council met in Uxbridge, UK from 6-9 November 2023 under the chairmanship of the Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop of Rwanda.

We commenced each day with prayer, praise and reflection on Holy Scripture, encouraged by the teaching of Paul, reminding Timothy of the importance of discipleship, the faithfulness of God and that the servant of God should not be ashamed as a workman who correctly handles the word of truth, and to his letter to the Corinthians regarding the importance of preaching Christ Crucified and nothing less.

Conscious of the forthcoming meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England, the Primates reaffirmed their commitment to the Jerusalem Statement of 2008, which describes Gafcon as ‘a spiritual movement to preserve and promote the truth and power of the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ as we Anglicans have received it.’ The Jerusalem Statement rejects the proposition that authentic Anglicans are only those recognised by the Archbishop of Canterbury. On the contrary, the criteria of Anglican identity are outlined in the fourteen points of the Jerusalem Declaration which continue to define authentic Anglicanism, despite the abandonment of many of these features by those who purport to be Anglicans. We have witnessed over the past twenty-five years the slow, but relentless, moral decay in parts of the Anglican Communion where the world’s values have been endorsed and embraced, replacing the clear teaching of God’s word written.

We continue to affirm that we are not leaving the Anglican Communion. We are delighted to work with the Global South (GSFA) in the task of resetting the Communion, which was foreshadowed in the 2008 Jerusalem Statement, and explicitly declared in the Kigali Commitment of 2023. Given the failure of the so-called Instruments of Communion, we shall not be attending the 2024 Primates Meeting in Rome, convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and encourage all orthodox Primates to join us in this stand against those who support a revisionist agenda.

Furthermore, we encourage Gafcon Provinces to consider withdrawing all links with any English diocese whose bishop supports the proposals, currently before the General Synod, to sanction the blessing of same-sex couples. We also extend the right hand of fellowship to and support all bishops, clergy and laity who oppose these revisionist doctrines and courageously uphold the teaching of Christ on the sanctity of marriage as God has ordained it (Matthew 19:4-6). We especially commend those English bishops who have distanced themselves from the egregious recommendations of the House of Bishops.

We likewise commend the ministry and witness of the Anglican Network in Europe as the appropriate and necessary provision of Gafcon for those who cannot in good conscience remain in a Church which flagrantly abandons the teaching of Scripture.

We rejoiced in hearing reports of gospel growth in various extra-provincial dioceses authenticated by the Gafcon Primates. Both the Anglican Mission in England and the Anglican Convocation in Europe, which comprise the Anglican Network in Europe, have been blessed with a growth in number of congregations and members. Likewise, the Church of Confessing Anglicans in Aotearoa New Zealand and the recently formed Diocese of the Southern Cross in Australia have also seen gospel growth as Christ is faithfully proclaimed.

We welcomed Presiding Bishop Glenn Lyons to take his seat on the Primates Council, having endorsed the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of Southern Africa (REACH-SA) as an authentic Anglican Province, after a 150-year history of successive Archbishops of Canterbury, who refused to endorse, let alone acknowledge, what Archbishop Cranmer would have clearly seen as an authentic Anglican Church (Article XIX, On the Church).

As our movement grows, we agreed to refocus our attention on strengthening the nine Networks established in 2018. These networks covered a range of Christian ministries, for the health of the Church.

We have reactivated the Bishops Training Institute (BTI) under the guidance of Bishop Henry Orombi. While the BTI has been in abeyance since the onset of COVID-19, we pledged to work with the GSFA in the education and formation of those elected as bishops in the church of God.

We received the resignation of the Most Reverend Ben Kwashi, former Bishop of Jos, as the General Secretary, a position he has held for five and a half years. We acknowledged the extraordinary gifts of this servant of Christ, his global promotion of Gafcon and his passion for evangelism and equipping the saints. Archbishop Kwashi will continue to be involved in various programs of the Gafcon Movement. We appointed the Very Reverend Paul Donison, Rector and Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Plano, Texas, as the next General Secretary and pray that God will bless him as he takes up this significant and strategic role in the Gafcon Movement.

Faithfulness to Christ is costly. We grieved over a report from the Province of Myanmar, whose church and people face significant challenges. We also received news from the Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo, Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, that on All Saints’ Day, one of his churches in Omdurman had been destroyed by warring factions in the area. We commended both of our episcopal brothers and their provinces to the gracious care of our Sovereign God. We also prayed for those suffering in South Sudan, in Gaza and Israel and in Ukraine.

Without the gospel, we are lost. Without the fellowship of like-minded Anglicans, we are impoverished. Without prayer, we are powerless. We therefore commend the following Gafcon Prayer to all members of our Gafcon family for regular petition before our gracious God.

GAFCON COLLECT

Eternal God and gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ died for our redemption; commissioned His disciples to preach the good news;
and sent the indwelling Holy Spirit in every generation to embrace and proclaim salvation in Christ alone:
Arise and defend your Church, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.
Shine the light of your Holy Word upon hearts darkened by error and strengthen the work of Gafcon so that the Anglican Communion throughout the world proclaims Christ faithfully to the nations, that captives may be set free, the straying rescued, and the confused restored.
Bind your children together in truth, love, unity and courage, that we, with all your saints, may inherit your eternal kingdom, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
Amen.

The Gafcon Primates Council
The Most Reverend Laurent Mbanda – Rwanda
The Most Reverend Miguel Uchoa – Brazil
The Most Reverend Foley Beach – North America
The Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba – Church of All Nigeria
The Most Reverend Stepehen Kaziimba – Uganda
Presiding Bishop Glenn Lyons – The Provence of REACH Southern Africa
The Most Reverend Tito Zavala – Chile
The Most Reverend Stephen Than Myint Oo – Myanmar
The Most Reverend Ezekiel Kondo – Sudan
The Most Reverend Samy Shehata – Alexandria
The Most Reverend James Wong – Indian Ocean
The Rt Reverend Malcolm Richards – representing the Archbishop of Sydney

9 November 2023

Source: GAFCON.

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