A Canary in the Anglican Coalmine

“At a recent meeting in Germany, religious freedom experts from around the world warned of a climate of ‘increasing intolerance’ towards people of faith in Western nations. Anja Hoffmann, Executive Director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, who was one of the organisers of the event, said:

It is very worrying that the peaceful expression of personal religious beliefs on matters relating to marriage and family has become the potential end of a political career or employment, or even the beginning of a court case … This is a serious threat to religious freedom and leads to widespread self-censorship among traditional believers in the West.

Australia is not immune from this slide into intolerance. …”

– Mark Durie, Senior Research Fellow at the Melbourne School of Theology, has republished this important essay on his website.

Written for Quadrant, and first published in the March 2025 issue, it’s a wakeup call for Christians and churches across the country. Essential reading.

Concerns raised over ‘poor process’ and ‘lack of transparency’ around appointment of new Archbishop of Canterbury

“The process by which the next Archbishop of Canterbury will be appointed has been criticised at points as being ‘confusing’ and ‘lacking in transparency’, proper process and clarity, according to one academic.

Revd Dr Andrew Goddard, a member of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), has raised major questions and real concerns about the process by which the new archbishop will be appointed. …”

– from The Church of England Evangelical Council.

Sydney’s link to Chilean ‘blockbuster’ event

“Supporters from across the globe have travelled to the Chilean capital Santiago for a threefold ceremony that Anglican Aid CEO and former missionary to Chile, the Rev Canon Tim Swan, calls an ‘Anglican blockbuster event’.

The occasion was the retirement of Héctor (Tito) Zavala as Primate of Chile, the consecration of Juan Esteban Saravia as Bishop of Santiago, and the installation of Bishop Enrique Lago as Primate of Chile. …”

– Russell Powell reports at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Communion Restructure Fails to Bring Renewal — GAFCON

“To my brothers and sisters in the Gafcon family,

The recommendations of the December 2024 Report of IASCUFO (the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order) will fail to bring about renewal in the Anglican Communion.

There is merit in the leadership of the Primates’ Council and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) being handed over from the Archbishop of Canterbury to a rotating, international chair.

But their proposed restructure of the ‘Instruments of Communion’ fails to bring genuine renewal to our Anglican Church.

The IASCUFO recommendations weaken the foundations of our common doctrine by sanctifying the revisionist theologies of provinces and dioceses that have wandered from the truth. …”

– A message from The Most Rev’d Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council.

Related:

Fatal Flaws in the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals – Bishop-Elect Phil Ashey at The American Anglican Council.

Fatal Flaws in the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals

From by Bishop-Elect Phil Ashey at The American Anglican Council:

“In December 2024, the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) offered a new take on the divisions within the Anglican Communion. The IASCUFO Nairobi-Cairo (2024) proposals are the official statements of the Canterbury-led and TEC-funded Anglican Communion. These IASCUFO proposals call for a ‘reset’ of the Anglican Communion on the basis of mutual loyalty to a common faith, doctrine, and order.

So far so good. But in the process they proposed significant amendments to Resolution 49 of the 1930 Lambeth Conference, which describes the requirements for following Jesus in the Anglican way and therefore membership within the Anglican Communion.

It is these changes proposed by the IASCUFO Nairobi-Cairo (2024) proposals that simply fail to bring about the Communion—much less ‘the highest level of communion possible’—within the global communion of Anglican Churches on the basis of a mutual loyalty to biblical and apostolic faith and order. …

But why would any of us want to be included in a Communion of Anglican Churches that are held together by conversations rather than a common faith, order, and mission?…”

– Read it all here. (Bold added in first paragraph.)

Church of England General Synod summary — Church Society Podcast

Confused about what happened at the Church of England’s General Synod meeting this month?

From Church Society: “In this double-length episode of the podcast, Michael Hayden and Ros Clarke discuss the February 2025 meeting of General Synod, what happened, what didn’t, and the differences watching online and in person.”

– Listen here.

“Hate speech” and religious freedom: Recent developments in Australia

“Recently there have been a number of legislative moves or proposals attempting to deal with issues around the area of ‘hate speech’. The term of course is problematic – we will try to unpack it shortly.

But the context, in Australia at least, is the shocking rise in the number of anti-semitic slogans and actual violence being seen in the last few months. Insults have been daubed on buildings and cars, fires lit at buildings associated with the Jewish community. And more recently…”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster looks at what is happening in terms of Federal, NSW and Victorian legislation.

Stories of encouragement from Anglican Aid

Anglican Aid in Sydney has published several stories showing how aid from Australia is helping in Africa and India. Food for our prayers, and encouragement for generosity.

See them here.

Living in Love and Faith — A way forward which holds us together?

Anglican Futures has been providing daily summaries of the General Synod of the Church of England, meeting in London. From Day 4 (Thursday):

“Next was the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) update, led by Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow. He asked Synod to imagine a future together,

‘One church, with all our differences, or are we resigned to going our separate ways, mirroring society, where each person chooses their own truth?’

This is an extraordinary claim – a total reversal of reality. Surely, it is because some are choosing their own truth, rather than remaining under God’s truth, as revealed by the Apostles, that there is a need for separation?

He continued,

‘What we are offering is a possible way forward which holds us together, and it starts in the imagination, not the detail…’”

– Read it here.

Image from an October 2024 (now deleted) video by Bishop Snow.

Conservative bishops can ban same-sex blessings in their dioceses – they need to start doing this

“The Church of England’s turmoil over same-sex marriage continues.

With the resignation in November of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the latest development in the long-running saga is another delay by the bishops in bringing in standalone services to bless same-sex couples – services that will closely resemble same-sex weddings.

How did we get here?…”

– Writing in Christian Today, Dr Will Jones, a trustee of Anglican Mainstream, argues that conservative Church of England bishops have been poorly advised by some to believe that they can’t stop same-sex blessings in their dioceses.

Image: Bishop of York Stephen Cottrell, speaking at the Church of England’s General Synod this week.

Kristie Higgs wins as Court of Appeal rules dismissal for free speech is illegal

Here’s a Press Release from Christian Concern in the UK –

“In a seminal judgment for Christian freedom and free speech, the Court of Appeal has reversed a ruling which defended the dismissal of Kristie Higgs from Farmor’s School in Gloucestershire for raising concern on Facebook about extreme sex education and transgender ideology being taught in her son’s Church of England primary school.

The groundbreaking decision, handed down this morning by Lord Justice Underhill, Lord Justice Bean and Lady Justice Falk, re-examines and re-shapes England’s law on religious discrimination. (see legal analysis in notes to editors.)

The dramatic six-year legal battle has been supported by the Christian Legal Centre from the beginning. Mrs Higgs, 48, was represented in court by barrister, Mr Richard O’Dair.

The ruling confirms that the Equality Act protects traditional Christian beliefs on social issues, such as opposition to the ideas of transgenderism and ‘gender-fluidity’ and opposition to same-sex marriage.

The authoritative judgment re-shapes the law on freedom of religion in the workplace. For the first time in employment law, the judgment has effectively established a legal presumption that any dismissal for an expression or manifestation of Christian faith is illegal. …”

– Read it all at Christian Concern.

See also:

Kristie Higgs wins as Court of Appeal rules dismissal for free speech is illegal – Christian Concern.

Courage and Truth – Archbishop Justin Badi in Oxford

This 5 minute video recorded in Oxford by Archbishop Justin Badi, Chairman of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, is a reminder of the need to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Getting up to speed for the CofE General Synod meeting tonight

The Church of England’s General Synod continues to meet tonight, Australian time.

Anglican Futures gives a taste as to what to expect:

“Synod members have received thousands of pages of reports to read in advance of this week’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod and millions of words will, I am sure be written, over the coming days. But for those who have other things to think about – here is a quick summary of what to look out for…”

They cover –

1) Will the Archbishop of York get ‘cancelled’? [Update from Anglican.ink – no.]
2) What more can be said about the Makin Report?
3) Will General Synod vote for ‘greater’ independence of safeguarding?
4) Can the Church of England become less middle class?
5) What can be said about Living in Love and Faith in an hour?
6) Can synod fix the way bishops are chosen?
7) How can poorer dioceses avoid bankruptcy?

Read it all here.

Related:

The problem with the C of E: An open letter to Stephen Cottrell (Archbishop of York) – Ian Paul at Psephizo.

Pain, anguish and anger to be expected at the General Synod this week

“The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has given two interviews to the press this weekend, on the eve of the General Synod. the church’s parliament.

In an interview with the Church Times editor, Sarah Meyrick, he said the church was facing deep systemic challenges and he expected there would be a lot of pain, anguish and anger expressed at the synod, but hoped to focus on change. He also revealed that at a recent bishops’ meeting, there were “tears and penitence and a deep sharing with each other”, adding that there was also pain and a sense of the whole Church being humbled.

Speaking to Kaya Burgess at The Times, he said the general public is disgusted by the Church of England and its deeply shameful failures to tackle abusers in its ranks. …”

– The Religion Media Centre in the UK provides a summary of current religious news stories, including the continuing woes of the Church of England. Here’s their summary for 10 February 2025.

(Link via Anglican Mainstream.)

Report: Ashley Null elected Bishop of the Diocese North Africa

“The Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of North Africa is delighted to announce that The Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null has been elected as the next bishop of North Africa.  The Electoral Synod met on 4 February in N’Djamena, Chad, in the context of a Diocesan Synod that will continue until 6 February.

If the Synod of the Province of Alexandria confirms this election Dr Null will become the second, and first elected, bishop of the Diocese of North Africa, covering five countries (Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia) and including the territory of the see of St Augustine of Hippo.

Dr Null holds research degrees from Yale and the University of Cambridge. He has received numerous awards for his work, including Fulbright, National Endowment for the Humanities and Guggenheim fellowships as well as being elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries in London. He currently holds a research post funded by the German Research Council at Humboldt University of Berlin and is a visiting fellow at the Divinity Faculty of Cambridge University and St. John’s College, Durham University. His project is editing the private theological notebooks of Thomas Cranmer,

Commenting on the election the current bishop, the Rt Revd Anthony Ball, said ‘I am delighted that Canon Ashley offered, and has been chosen to share, his varied experience and renowned gifts as a pastor and theologian in the service of this wonderful diocese.  As the Chair of the Board of The Alexandria School of Theology he is already familiar with the Diocese.  He will now have the chance to broaden and enhance the work he has done for many years to promote and encourage Christian witness in this cradle of Christianity. I look forward to working with him and wish him every blessing as he prepares to assume his new role.’ ”

– Report from The Jerusalem and the Middle East Church Association in the UK.

A bit more background on Bishop Anthony Ball, who is quoted above –

“On 30 November 2021, shortly after the Province of Alexandria was recognized as a new Anglian Communion province, Ball was consecrated as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Egypt. He held this role on a part-time basis while remaining resident at Westminster Abbey. In January 2024, at a service in N’Djamena, Ball was installed as the first diocesan bishop of North Africa—which covers Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia—while retaining his appointments at Westminster.” – Source, Wikipedia.

Photo of Ashley Null: Gafcon.

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