Will the Archbishops allow General Synod to speak?

“As the summer session of the Church of England’s General Synod opens in York, the mood is more than a little ‘niggly’ according to the former Chair of the Prayer Book Society, Prudence Dailey. …

Dailey described Synod as being ‘bypassed and managed’ – pointing to the record number of ‘presentations’ that Synod was being asked to endure.…”

– Susie Leafe writes at Christian Today. Attendees at recent Lambeth Conferences have experienced being ‘bypassed and managed’ firsthand.

Picture: Susie Leafe speaks with Kevin Kallsen on Anglican TV in January 2023.

Rev Brett Murphy leaves the Church of England

The Rev Brett Murphy, well known through his posts on YouTube, has announced he has left the Church of England and his church in the Diocese of Leicester – to start a church plant with a fellowship many know and love.

It would be good to uphold him and his family (and others in similar positions) in your prayers.

Watch here. Do watch right to the end.

Lord’s Prayer opening may be ‘problematic’, says Archbishop of York

“The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be ‘problematic’ because of their patriarchal association.

In his opening address to a meeting of the Church of England’s ruling body, the General Synod, Stephen Cottrell dwelt on the words ‘Our Father’, the start of the prayer based on Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4 in the New Testament. …”

– Report from The Guardian.

To be fair, in his Presidential Address, the Archbishop wasn’t advocating for a change to the Lord’s Prayer, or necessarily endorsing the views of those who find the use of ‘Father’ to be ‘problematic’.

Rather, the thrust of his address was that Christians should be unified by their baptism into Christ, even when they disagree. The context, of course, is the push by the Bishops to bless same-sex unions, contrary to Scripture, and that is where the Archbishop’s words about ‘unity’, while sounding lofty, may be seen as rather hollow.

Decide for yourself – the Archbishop’s full remarks may be seen here.

Photo: The Archbishop of York speaking at General Synod on Friday 7th July 2023.

Related:

From the previous Archbishop of York.

Letters reveal divisions among the Bishops over prayers for same-sex couples

“A burst of letter-writing has laid bare disagreements in the College of Bishops about the best mechanism for introducing the Prayers of Love and Faith to be used to bless same-sex couples in church.

The moves come as the General Synod prepares to gather in York on Friday.

Earlier this week (News, 5 July), a group of leaders from 11 different C of E organisations, including the HTB network, as well as the Catholic and Evangelical Groups on the Synod, wrote to the College of Bishops to argue that the Prayers, drafted under the auspices of the Bishops, should be subject to the Synod’s authorisation under Canon B2, a process that requires two-thirds majorities in each of the three Houses of Synod at the final-approval stage.…”

– Report from Church Times.

Related:

Text of the letter to the College of Bishops, as published by Anglican.ink.

FIEC Standing with Friends in the Church of England

In the latest FIEC podcast from the UK, Adrian Reynolds speaks with Lee Gatiss.

“What is ‘Living in Love and Faith’? How can we support our Anglican friends through the process?”

And what is the first thing Christians should be doing in the face of false teaching?

– Watch here.

Is taking over Calvary Hospital a religious freedom breach?

“There has been a lot of controversy around the recent decision of the ACT government to compulsorily acquire Canberra’s Calvary Hospital.

One question that is worth asking is this: could this move be an unlawful breach of religious freedom rights? In this post I want to consider the possibilities. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Associate Professor Neil Foster suggests some avenues which could be explored.

Image: Diocese of Sydney.

Rebranding of Calvary Hospital Bruce to North Canberra Hospital

“Canberra Catholics and staff of Calvary Public Hospital grieved as the compulsory acquisition of Calvary by the ACT Government took effect on 3 July.

The ACT Government took over the Catholic-run hospital from midnight, ending a five-week battle to save it from the takeover — including a failed Supreme Court challenge.

Now named North Canberra Hospital, all of the crucifixes and other religious symbols were removed and staff given unbranded uniforms to wear. …”

– Report from The Daily Declaration. Photo: Australian Christian Lobby.

Canadian Anglicans Approve Liturgies for Gender Transition

“Those delegates in favor said such liturgies would evangelize and bring people into the church for the first time, or bring them back. Bishop Stephen London of Edmonton said the liturgies were ‘well-written,’ ‘scriptural,’ and ‘theological.’ He added: ‘We can’t evangelize if people don’t trust us.’…”

– Report from The Living Church on the Canadian General Synod.

Photo: Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, opens the General Synod in Calgary, 28 June 2023.

An open letter from Calvary

This open letter form Calvary Health Care was posted on Friday, in anticipation of today’s ‘hostile takeover’ of Calvary Public Hospital, Bruce, by the ACT Government –

“This Sunday marks the end of an era for Calvary. We have been a trusted healthcare provider for public patients in the ACT for 44 years, providing care from birth to end of life, and everything in between.

Since Calvary Public Hospital Bruce opened its doors in 1979, we have been there for significant moments in the lives of many patients and their loved ones. …”

– Read it all here.

Related:

Canavan and Pocock call for Inquiry into the Calvary Hospital Takeover – Australian Christian Lobby.

Walking Together?

“There has been much talk in the church of ‘walking together’ despite differences.

Obviously on some issues and in some ways that is good. We don’t want a new church every time we disagree about the colour of the carpet. Churches can endlessly fracture over secondary matters, as the proliferation of denominations and congregations shows. But we must ask: walking together despite what differences? Walking in what direction? In what manner? What is the basis, purpose and mode of our unity, of our walking together? …”

– Marc Lloyd looks at what the Bible says about ‘walking together’ – at Church Society’s website. (Emphasis added.)

A possibly related photo: The Bishop of London speaks at the General Synod of the Church of England in February 2023.

Evangelicals in the Church of England are running out of options

“The Prayers of Love and Faith bus has departed and there is nothing CEEC can now do to stop it.

At the pre-Synod press briefing on June 22, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said the new services ‘are on track for November’. CofE evangelicals now belong to a denomination whose leadership has forsaken the traditional Christian sexual ethic and has earned the condemnation of the overwhelming majority of the worldwide Anglican Communion for doing so. …

It is actually not too late for CEEC to start to co-ordinate an exit strategy out of the CofE. The large evangelical churches among its members have resources and they could lead the way. Of course, leaving would be difficult, risky and messy.”

– An opinion piece in Christian Today by former CofE vicar Julian Mann.

Image: Members stand to seek the call at the Church of England’s General Synod in February 2023.

Related, from the General Synod meeting – good news is preached, even if the majority choose to close their ears:

Be encouraged again by Ben John’s appeal to the Church of England General Synod.

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.”

– from GAFCON.

Bishop Jay Behan gives thanks for GAFCON

“I rejoice at our relationship with Gafcon. We at CCA owe so much to our Gafcon family.

At a time when we had left the old structure in New Zealand (ACANZP) and had lost buildings, monies, status and structure, and when we were feeling pretty small and isolated, it was Gafcon who said to us: ‘We recognise you as authentically Anglican. We stand alongside you. Please know you are part of a global Anglican family.’

They did that in word, in decision (as the Gafcon Primates formally recognised the establishment of CCA), and in action as many of the global Gafcon leaders came to New Zealand for my consecration in 2019. …

It makes us part of a global family. It allows us to be in gospel partnership with brothers and sisters around the planet, and it requires us to care about and be involved in ministry outside of our own context.”

– In the latest edition (19 June 2023) of Ministry Matters from the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand, Bishop Jay Behan gives thanks for Gafcon.

Other encouraging articles in thus issue, edited by Geoff Robson.

Tomorrow (25 June 2023) is Gafcon Sunday!

Why is sexuality such a big deal?

“Why is the debate on sexuality and marriage in the Church of England (and other churches) such a big deal? Why can’t we just agree to disagree—to get on together and learn to live with difference?

Two groups regularly say that to me.

The first is those who want change in the Church’s teaching. Why are evangelicals making such a fuss? they ask. The Church has altered its practice on marriage in various ways in the past? Why can’t we make this adjustment now?

But the other group are those who are busy getting on with the business of planting new churches, growing current ones, and reaching young people. They are often younger, and have not been engaged so much with the ‘politics’ of the Church (lucky them!). Why can’t we just get on with the business of ministry? Will this issue really make much difference? After all, we have continued with gospel ministry in the past when the leadership has believed all sorts of questionable things—so why is this different?

An immediate response to both groups might be to say – you are right, it is not such a big deal. We are not talking about central Christian doctrines like the incarnation, salvation, or the Trinity. But here’s an interesting test case …”

– At Psephizo, Ian Paul lays out why sexuality is such a big deal, and a huge debate for the Church of England.

The Global Anglican 2022 Digital Digest

Church Society has published a Digital Digest with excerpts from Volume 136 of The Global Anglican:

“This new digital digest aims to make some of the best content from the previous year accessible to everyone.

Included are all four editorials from Peter Jensen, as well as an extra editorial piece from Bishop Keith Sinclair, published ahead of the 2022 Lambeth Conference.

There are four further articles and ten book reviews, selected from the four issues that comprise volume 136.”

It’s available for free download on this page – as an encouragement to subscribe.

Photo: Church Society Director Dr Lee Gatiss with Global Anglican Editor Dr Peter Jensen.

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