Sydney Standing Committee motion on Gippsland ‘breach of trust’
“The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Sydney has expressed ‘dismay’ at what it calls ‘a breach of fellowship and trust’ with the Bishop of Gippsland who has appointed a partnered gay man to a ministry position in his diocese.
The appointment was announced earlier this year in the Gippsland diocesan newspaper. The resulting controversy led to the adoption of an Australian bishops’ protocol on sexuality.
Now, Bishop John McIntyre has announced his intention to continue such appointments, saying to his Synod “I will appoint to office in our diocese those whom I believe God is calling to minister among us…….. I am willing to live with any consequences that may arise from remaining true to that commitment.”
The Standing Committee resolution ‘notes its dismay’ at the Bishop’s comments from which, it says, “it is reasonable to infer his intention to appoint, amongst others, practising homosexuals to ministry roles in his Diocese and support same-sex marriages.”
The resolution continued “Standing Committee considers that Bishop McIntyre’s earlier appointment of a practising homosexual to a ministry office and his May 18, 2012 statement represent – Read more
St. Hilda’s says goodbye to a building
“Today was our last Sunday worshipping in the building that has been known as “St. Hilda’s” for the last 53 years. A negotiated settlement with the Diocese of Niagara will result in the building being turned over to the diocese on June 1st. …”
– Anglican Essentials Canada blog reports on the last service at St. Hilda’s Oakville in Ontario.
Photo: David Jenkins. More photos here.
An Anglican Conference focussed on the Future
Gav Poole was among the attendees at the FCA Conference in London –
“The crisis has happened, there is impairment within the communion and now we look forward to the renewal of the Anglican communion.”
“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) leaders conference was held in London, 23 to 27 April. It was made up of 200 delegates within the Anglican communion from 30 countries. The theme of the conference was ‘Jesus the Christ: Unique and Supreme’.
The conference was designed to critique the current state of the Anglican communion and under teaching from the Scriptures move the delegates to a common commitment as to the direction of the FCA and its role within the Anglican communion. The program included Bible studies, services, seminars and networking. It culminated in the adoption of a conference commitment at the end of the week. Read more
Rick Lewers consecrated Bishop
On Friday night Rick Lewers was consecrated as Bishop of Armidale. Russell Powell has the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Southern Cone declines to ratify Bishop of Uruguay’s election
“The House of Bishops and provincial executive committee of the Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur (de América) have declined to ratify the election of the Ven. Michael Pollesel as Bishop of Uruguay.
At the close of their 21 – 25 May 2012 meeting in Montevideo the bishops released a statement saying that ‘after discussion and prayer and in accord with its canons the Provincial Executive of the Cono Sur together with its College of Bishops did not ratify the election of the Ven. Dr. Michael Pollesel as bishop-coadjutor for Uruguay’…
Last December, Dr. Pollesel, the former general secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada … was elected Bishop of Uruguay by the diocesan synod to succeed Bishop Tamayo who retires in June.
Concerns whether Dr. Pollesel shared the Cono Sur’s doctrinal and Scriptural views or followed those prevalent in the Anglican Church of Canada were raised after his election…”
– Full story at Anglican Ink.
(Photo of ACA Archbishop Fred Hilz with Dr Michael Pollesel: Anglican Journal.)
The costly faithfulness of The Falls Church
“The Falls Church is one of hundreds of congregations across the country that have given up their buildings rather than stay affiliated with a branch of their church they believe denies the final authority of Scripture. …”
– Alicia Constant writes about Falls Church at The Gospel Coalition. (h/t Tim Challies.)
Bishop McIntyre breaks ranks on homosexuality
How does this square with the Australian Bishops’ Protocol?
The Synod of the Diocese of Gippsland met in Sale, 18–20 May 2012. In his Presidential Address, Bishop John McIntyre spoke of the “new place” to which he had come in his understanding of homosexual people and the church. He said –
“I will appoint to office in our diocese those whom I believe God is calling to minister among us … and I am willing to live with any consequences that may arise from remaining true to that commitment.”
Read the full text of his address – linked from the diocesan website (PDF) – also quoted at length in The Gippsland Times (“Anglican Bishop enters gay marriage debate”, 19 May 2012).
Related posts. (Photo: Diocese of Gippsland.)
Anglican and Catholic Dioceses of Bathurst to enter into Covenant
A report from Bathurst Diocese’s Anglican News –
“Clergy from across the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst and their counterparts from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst will gather in Bathurst on Thursday May 24 to witness the signing of a covenant between the two denominational groups. Read more
Bishop of Bathurst to retire in November
From the Diocese of Bathurst Anglican News, May 2012 –
“Bishop Richard Hurford has formally announced his intention to retire on November 10, when he will lay up the Diocesan Pastoral Staff in a service of Pastoral Leave-Taking in All Saints’ Cathedral, Bathurst, commencing at 10.30am. Read more
2,200 Anglican women say ‘No Thanks!’ to having a woman bishop
“A petition signed by more than 2,200 Anglican women who oppose women bishops will be presented today to the House of Bishops at the start of their meeting in York…”
– Media statement from Reform.
Papers from the FCA leaders conference available
More papers from the FCA leaders conference in London have been uploaded to the GAFCON website.
See this page for the complete listing of resources from the GAFCON website.
The newly available papers are –
What is the Gospel? – from a seminar led by Drs Ngozi Okeke & Mark Thompson
A Summary of Anglican Ecclesiology – Ashley Null
16th Century Anglican Ecclesiology – Ashley Null
The Anglican Mind in Caroline and Tractarian Thought – Arthur MiddletonFaithful and Effective – Evangelism and Church Planting.
Bishop Coadjutor of New Hampshire elected
“The Rev. A. Robert (Rob) Hirschfeld was elected bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire today at St. Paul’s Church, on the first ballot. In January 2013 he will succeed Bishop Gene Robinson as the Xth Bishop of New Hampshire. …
Rev. Hirschfeld is married to Polly Ingraham… and has two sons and a daughter.”
– New Hampshire elects a bishop coadjutor. (Photo credit: Reynolds Winslow.)
How will Anglicans react if New Hampshire Episcopalians elect another Gay Bishop?
Time asks the question, and includes mention of FCA and quotes a response from Archbishop Peter Jensen –
“‘Having once made an appointment which defies both orthodox Christian teaching and the commitment of the majority of their fellow Anglicans, it would not be surprising that the Episcopal Church would continue its intransigent path,’ he wrote…”
– Story at Time. (Photo credit: Forester Photography, Concord NH via Dioc NH.)
The Bishop of Tasmania’s Pentecost message
In his Pentecost message, Bishop John Harrower reminds us that the Holy Spirit points us to Christ. Watch it here.
(In 2012, Pentecost falls on Sunday, May 27.)
Prayers for Defence ministry
Our friends who minister to Australia’s Defence personnel would be very glad of your prayers on a regular basis.
There’s the current Prayer Diary (pdf) and other prayer resources at this link.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…