Church Society Editorial: Good Lord!

“There’s been a lot of talk about the doctrine of the Church of England of late. The doctrine of the Church of England is clearly stated in Canon Law. Canon A5 says:

“The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures.

In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal.”

I have devoted my life and ministry to these things. …”

– In this important editorial, Church Society’s Director, the Rev Dr Lee Gatiss, wonders what we can do when we are exasperated by bishops and the direction of the Church of England.

He goes on to say this about ‘canonical obedience’ to bishops –

“if bishops now require obedience or acquiescence in something neither lawful nor honest, and against the plain and public definition of Anglican doctrine, it is clearly not just a matter of conscience but my duty to the truth to say no. They should expect resistance.”

(Emphasis added.)

CofE conservatives cannot stop same-sex blessings from becoming facts on the ground

“Despite appearances, Church of England conservatives have not won a victory after the bishops announced that new services of blessing for same-sex couples now require two-thirds majorities in General Synod. The services are set to come into use anyway after November’s Synod.

The announcement from Church House Westminster on October 9, after the bishops made their decision on the legal route they are now pursuing, certainly highlighted the bishops’ commitment to get the new services into use. …”

– Julian Mann writes at Christian Today.

Update:

See also Lee Gatiss’ Church Society Editorial.

“Not fit for office” — The Anglican Network in Europe calls on the C of E House of Bishops to repent

Here’s a Press Release from The Anglican Network in Europe, 11th October 2023:

A response to the statement of  the House of Bishops of the Church of England 9th October 2023

Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture! (Jeremiah 23:1)

We grieve with millions of faithful Anglicans around the world at the disastrous decision by the House of Bishops in the Church of England to agree in principle to commend Prayers of Love and Faith for same-sex couples. This action is offensive to the God of love. It replaces his wonderful gospel of grace with a distorted message, blessing what God calls sin. This is heart-breaking, wicked and outrageously arrogant.

Together the House of Bishops have embraced heresy by departing from the clear teaching of Scripture on matters of sexual conduct. As a result, they have betrayed their office. At their consecration service, each bishop was instructed to “be to the flock of Christ a shepherd, not a wolf; feed them, devour them not.” However, by introducing, and not banishing “erroneous and strange doctrine”, they have become wolves. Together they have demonstrated they are not fit for office. They stand under judgement as did the shepherds of Israel in Jeremiah’s day.

Their shame is further compounded by a seriously misleading and distorted appeal to reconciliation. In the House of Bishops’ statement, the Bishop of London asserts “the heart of the gospel is reconciliation.” However that reconciliation is first and foremost with our heavenly Father through the atoning death of Christ upon the cross, and only then, on that basis, to one another as forgiven sinners who serve Jesus as their Lord. To appeal to the cross as the grounds to “remain together as one Church in our uncertainty”, and, as a reason for embracing sin and failing to call for repentance, is an astonishing and blasphemous corruption of the grace of Christ and an entirely different gospel.

We call on the House of Bishops to repent.

We urge orthodox bishops, who have courageously fought for the truth, now to publicly dissent and distance themselves from their episcopal colleagues who are promoting these dangerous prayers.

We continue to pray for our faithful brothers and sisters in the Church of England as they weep, resist this apostasy and trust our Sovereign Lord.

With God’s help, we remain committed to the unchanging Biblical gospel which brings light, life and love to all who repent and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit compel us to preach Christ faithfully to the nations.

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)

11th October 2023

The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) is the provision of the Primates’ Council of Gafcon to provide a faithful ecclesial structure for Anglicans within Europe. It currently comprises two dioceses: The Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE) and The Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).

(Received via e-mail.)

GAFCON Australia prayer request

“From GAFCON Australia: Eugenie Harris is one of a number of Gafcon supporters who are part of an Israel study tour. From the relative safety of Jerusalem, she has asked that we join in prayer …”

– Read it at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Photo: Jerusalem, GAFCON 2008.

Who wants the Prayers of Love and Faith anyway?

“On Monday evening, at the end of the first day of the House of Bishops meeting, a press release was issued announcing that the Prayers of Love and Faith were being commended. Bishops are free to commend prayers at any time, without requiring synodical approval. However, such prayers should not constitute liturgy and should be consistent with the doctrine of the church.

The bishops think they have cleverly avoided the first requirement by telling us that there will be liturgy brought to General Synod for scrutiny in 2025…”

– Church Society’s Associate Director, Dr Ros Clarke, observes that “the word of a bishop, it seems, doesn’t count for much these days”.

CofE bishops commend prayers blessing same sex couples

“The Church of England’s House of Bishops has agreed in principle that prayers asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples – known as Prayers of Love and Faith – should be commended for use when they are presented to the next meeting of the general synod from 13-15 November. …”

– Anglican Mainstream.

Image from the livestream of the Church of England General Synod, 09 February 2023.

“Why we left the Church of England”

Here’s news from The Anglican Convocation in Europe –

On Sunday 1 October 2023, Bishop Andy Lines inaugurated Wellfield Church, Leyland, Lancashire, into the Anglican Convocation in Europe and instituted Mark Simpson as Rector.

Mark reflects on their journey out of the Church of England and into ACE:

“When people used to ask me, ‘Why are you still in the CofE when (a) you have little to do with it; and (b) you don’t like where it’s going?’, my answer used to be the standard evangelical one: It’s a good boat to fish from, and the revisionists are the cuckoos in the nest, not us. The foundational teaching of the Book of Common Prayer and the Articles is excellent, even if many of the leaders don’t seem to believe it, follow it or teach it.

I still think that’s right. However, it’s also quite convenient to take view that mean means you don’t have to change anything. February 2023 was a turning point.

The more I (and church members) watched of that dreadful General Synod, the more we were utterly disgusted. There was the total ignorance of “the Scriptures and the power of God” that many of our leaders displayed; there was the way the Archbishop of York patronised those who appealed to Truth; it was even just that these basic issues were open for debate at that level. I’d taken part in ‘Shared Conversations’ several years ago; I know how disingenuous church leaders can be. But now here they were, not sworn to confidentiality, but in public.

When I said to people in church, for the first time, “I think we have to leave, don’t we?”, they all said yes. I’m not saying that choosing to stay in the CofE is a sin; but actually deciding, after all this time, to leave had the same feeling of repenting of a long-held sin. It felt right.

There were many parts of scripture that drove the conviction to leave. One in particular was Hebrews 13:13, to first-century Jewish Christians who were squeezed out of the life of the synagogue – “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.” It must have been hard for them. Maybe, like us, they said, ‘They’re the cuckoos in the nest – this is our heritage!’ Maybe it was hard to hear the writer effectively saying, ‘Let them have it all – the buildings, the infrastructure, the familiarity and stability.’ But this is the way of Jesus and his kingdom.

In many ways it was easy for Wellfield Church to leave. We didn’t have to leave buildings, or church members or a vicarage behind. But really, that’s largely because we’d planned it that way for many years. We’d kept our finances separate from the diocese, bought our own house, got our church building owned in Trust. When the time came to act on our convictions, we were ready.

When we were looking for somewhere else to belong, we were glad to discover ACE. We’re so pleased to be able to stand clearly with the real men of God who lead GAFCON. The covid years showed us that the Conservative Evangelical world that we are a part of is really not the be-all-and-end-all, in terms of having courage and battle-readiness in a hostile world. People in ACE may not all agree on everything, but do agree on the gospel and the pressing issues of our generation, and seek to trust and obey our Lord. That’s the fellowship we were looking for. It might be small, young and fragile; but that’s our story as a church too. And I think it’s the story of the true church down the ages, and what Jesus taught us to expect.”

Photo: Mark Simpson is handed a Bible as a symbol of his pastoral office by Bishop Andy Lines.

Received by e-mail.

To learn more about Wellfield Church, see their website.

Global Encouragement for Wales

In this media release from the Anglican Convocation in Europe, Bishop Stuart Bell writes about last week’s visit of Archbishop Ben Kwashi to Wales –

“Archbishop Ben was the guest of the Evangelical Fellowship of the Church in Wales meeting with Anglican leaders for 24 hours (28-29 September) at the Hookses, the retreat of the late John Stott in Dale, Pembrokeshire.  In one session he spoke of what God is doing more widely in the Anglican communion and in another he gave encouragement from the Scriptures and from his own experience that we should stand firm.  ‘We have nothing in Nigeria’, he said, ‘so if we give up Christ then we would have less than nothing; whereas if you in the west were to give up Christ you still would have your comfortable lifestyle.’

‘The church has delegated the care of persecuted Christians to other organisations.’ It seems so wrong that the church should pass motions about climate change and human sexuality but at the same time seem to ignore the suffering of fellow Christians who are being persecuted around the world.

During the following 24 hours (29-30 September) he spoke at the Wales Leadership forum.  On the Friday evening he was interviewed about his own Christian experience and then he responded to questions from the floor.  On the Saturday morning he spoke on the theme of hope in a bruised and broken world.  He based his address on the concluding words of Habakkuk inviting us to rejoice however difficult our circumstances might be.  Those comments come from a man who has lived through the killings of more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria and the burnings of hundreds of churches in his own diocese.  ‘If we embrace homosexuality,’ he said, ‘then that would give the Muslims one more reason to kill us’.

Not only has Archbishop Ben faced death by the hands of murderous opponents, but more recently he has faced death from stage four cancer on two separate occasions.  He retired from his ministry in Jos on 30th September whilst he was with us, only to continue his ministry as General Secretary of Gafcon but now moving to a new compound where his wife will be caring for 400 orphans.  That’s fruitful living!”

– Received via e-mail.

What’s wrong with the Church of England? — Church Society podcast

From Church Society:

“The second in the mini series looking at the Church of England featuring Charlie Skrine, James Cary, George Crowder, Lee Gatiss and Ros Clarke.”

Includes clips from the recent Junior Anglican Evangelical Conference.

– Listen here.

Bishops in Communion and Prayers in Love and Faith

“To say that the House of Bishops Occasional Paper Bishops in Communion, published in 2000, is not well known is an understatement. Twenty-three years after its publication very few people in the Church of England even know of its existence. However, despite this fact, Bishops in Communion remains an important document because the understanding of how bishops are meant to conduct their ministry which it puts forward continues to shape the way in which bishops operate in the Church of England today.

To put it another way, the actions that the bishops of the Church of England have taken, and continue to take, during the Prayers of Love and Faith process directly reflect the thinking about the role of bishops which is found in the pages of Bishops in Communion. …

The model of episcopal ministry set out in [the paper] sees bishops as facilitators. The job of the bishops, it says, is to ensure that dialogue between those of different views continues until a consensus emerges about the mind of Christ for his Church. This understanding of the bishops’ role is what shaped the Living in Love and Faith Process. The whole point of that process was to encourage an open process of discernment across the Church of England between those with different views about human sexuality.

If this is indeed the model that is shaping the way that the bishops are acting, it follows that the existence of the Prayers of Love and Faith proposals following on from Living and Love and Faith must mean that the bishops collectively believe that a new consensus has been reached. …”

– At his Reflections of an Anglican Theologian, Martin Davie looks at the self-understanding apparent in the Church of England’s House of Bishops – and why that is a huge problem.

Related:

Churches backing traditional marriage are cut loose by their bishops –

“Paul’s suffering supported his apostolic authority to appeal to these baptised Christians in virulently pagan Ephesus to stand together for the truth of the biblical gospel centred on Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God the Father almighty. Such unity based on a shared understanding of the essentials of Christian truth is vital if the Church is to be effective in proclaiming the gospel and defending it in a hostile culture.

Sadly, the deep doctrinal divisions in the Church of England undermined a united response to a recent attack on orthodox Oxford churches by the university’s powerful 3,000-member LGBTQ+ Society. …”

– Julian Mann asks how can bishops who support novel doctrines be a support for those churches which stick to the Bible.

New Presiding Bishop of REACH-SA

Today’s GAFCON prayer request –

“We prayed for the synod of REACH-SA last month. Three new area bishops were elected. Also, The Rev. Dr. Siegfried Ngubane has been elected as the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa. Pray for each of these bishops to know the Lord’s help and guidance as they prepare to take up their roles.

(Photo: Presiding Bishop Elect, Siegfried Ngubane, meeting with Bishop Glenn Lyons).”

At Sydney Synod earlier this month, Bishop Malcolm Richards moved –

‘Synod, noting –
(i)  the long partnership between the Diocese of Sydney and the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA), and
(ii)  that the Synod of that Church met from 11 to 13 September 2023,

(a)  gives thanks to God for –

(i)  the election of the Rev Dr Siegfried Ngubane as the eighth Presiding Bishop of the REACH-SA,
(ii)  the faithful service of the current Presiding Bishop, the Rt Rev Glenn Lyons who will hand over leadership at a date to be announced, and
(iii)  the election of three new Area Bishops for the largest regions (dioceses) in REACH-SA, and

(b)  requests that the Archbishop’s office write to Dr Siegfried and Mrs Maureen Ngubane and to Bishop Glenn and Mrs Sandra Lyons assuring them of the prayers of our people, expressing the congratulations of this Synod and the commitment of this Diocese to continued gospel partnership.’

from the draft Synod minutes.

National Police Remembrance Day 2023

Friday 29 September 2023 is National Police Remembrance Day.

It’s a good reminder to pray for all who serve in the police services, and also Christian chaplains to the Police.

in 2018, Archbishop Glenn Davies wrote a prayer for the occasion.

Image: NSW Police Legacy.

Will there be a place for me in the Church of England?

“In August, the Church of England announced that a series of meetings were to be held in September ahead of the bishops presenting to November’s General Synod ‘proposals t o enable same-sex couples to come to church following a civil marriage or civil partnership for prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and for God’s blessing’. …

Where does this leave those of us who wish to uphold the faith ‘as we have received it’? Having been an ordained minister in the Church of England for more than 35 years, I wonder if there will be a doctrinal place for me in my later years?…”

– The CEEC’s John Dunnett asks the question and looks at what would be required – in Evangelicals Now, this copy with thanks to Anglican Mainstream.

Related:

The Church that needs you — Charlie Skrine at JAEC 2023.

The Church of England Evangelical Council.

New book on the Peter Cameron Presbyterian “Heresy trial”

Many Sydney Anglicans will remember the so-called ‘heresy trial’ of Presbyterian minister Dr Peter Cameron.

It began in 1992 when Dr Cameron, the Principal of St Andrew’s College at the University of Sydney, spoke at a centenary women’s event at Ashfield where he referred to the Bible as ‘sub-Christian’. In response to the apostle Paul teaching about women, he replied, ‘So what?’.

The disciplinary proceedings came about not because Dr Cameron was in favour of women’s ordination (even though most media reports claimed that was the case), but because he dismissed the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture (not just in that sermon, but on other occasions).

The Presbyterian Church had to make a crucial decision. Would they accommodate theological liberalism as did the Uniting Church which they had declined to join fifteen years earlier?

Now, thirty years on, Paul Cooper and David Burke have edited a series of essays exploring what happened and why –

From the back cover of the book:

“In 1992, the Presbyterian Church of Australia through its disciplinary procedures convicted one of its ministers, the Rev Dr Peter Cameron, Principal of St Andrew’s College, of what the newspapers of the time called ‘heresy’. The secular media and commentary were strongly supportive of Cameron and highly critical of the Church.

Cameron, in 1994, published ‘Heretic’ which told the story from his point of view.

This book, Principle & Principal, invites the reader to consider the other side of the Cameron Case. It reflects a different bias to that propagated by Cameron and his supporters. It tells why the Presbyterian Church took this action knowing that it would result in an avalanche of criticism. While over thirty years have passed since the finalisation of the Cameron Case, and the ranks of those involved have thinned, many of the chapters in this book are written by people who participated in these events.”

Campbell Markham at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Hobart has written this review for AP.

– Details and ordering information from Eider Books.

Related:

The Crisis of ’77 – personal reflections by the Rev Bob Thomas on the decision of Presbyterians to ‘continue Presbyterian’.

Ben Kwashi retires as Archbishop of Jos

GAFCON General Secretary Archbishop Ben Kwashi is retiring from his position as Archbishop of Jos, Nigeria, after 31 years as Bishop.

Prayer request from GAFCON.

Brief news stories from The Guardian (Nigeria) and This Day Live (Nigeria).

Give thanks for his service to the Lord Jesus Christ – particularly in the Diocese of Jos, and also globally through GAFCON.

Photo: Archbishop Kwashi with Archbishop Peter Jensen in Jerusalem in 2018, courtesy GAFCON.

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