Failing the Green Test II: A critical examination of the advice from the Church of England’s Legal Office

“In my previous paper on the bishops’ proposals I applied what I called the ‘Green test.’

This test, named after the late Canon Michael Green who taught it to me, holds that that there are two key questions that a student should ask of any item on a theological reading list.

These two questions are

(a) ‘What is this writer trying to sell me?’ and

(b) ‘Is this something I should buy?’

In my previous paper I argued that the bishops’ proposals failed this test. In this new paper I want to argue that the advice from the Legal Office likewise fails this test with the consequence that it does not show that what the bishops are proposing is legal. …”

– Martin Davie continues his analysis of the House of Bishops’ proposals for the blessing of same-sex marriages.

Part 1 here.

Photo: The late Canon Michael Green.

Global South Releases Response to Same-Sex Blessings in Church of England

The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA)

Press Release

For Immediate release 24 January 2023

CHURCH OF ENGLAND ‘BLESSING’ GAY UNIONS WOULD VIOLATE BIBLICAL TEACHING & JEOPARDISE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY’S CONTINUING ROLE IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

IF the General Synod of the Church of England affirms the House of Bishops’ recommendations to ‘Bless’ Same Sex Marriage, or Civil Partnerships, the Church of England will be in violation of the “clear and canonical teaching of the Bible”, and it will lead to “impaired communion with many provinces of the Anglican Communion”.

The role of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as a “moral leader, and a figure of unity within the Communion” will also be “severely jeopardised”. So says the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) which covers around 75% of Anglicans across the globe, ahead of the Synod’s London meetings, February 6-9.

The House of Bishops’ Response to the six-year Living in Love and Faith ‘listening’ process says lawyers have advised them that the official Doctrine of Marriage would remain, despite the Church, from now on “joyfully welcoming and recognising permanent, stable same sex relationships” through services and prayers of blessing.

The Most Reverend Justin Badi, Primate of South Sudan, and Chairman of the GSFA responded, saying: “What the English bishops are recommending constitutes unfaithfulness to the God who has spoken through His written word. Their Response belies the loss of confidence by the bishops in the authority and clarity of the Bible as we have received it. They are re-writing God’s law for His creation; laws that are re-affirmed by Christ in the Gospel accounts.”

Last summer, at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, the GSFA sounded a global call to re-affirm ‘Lambeth 1.10’ (the Anglican Communion’s official teaching that the only place for sexual intimacy is marriage between one man and one woman for life, and specifically rules out blessing of same sex relationships). Archbishop Badi says the bishops’ proposals are “in clear contravention of Lambeth 1.10” , and “will lead to consequences for the Communion if the General Synod affirms. We therefore call on Synod to reject the bishops’ proposals on blessing same sex unions.”

Archbishop Badi said the GSFA “laments the bishops’ collective failure to keep their ordination/consecration vows to defend biblical truth by their life and doctrine, and are dangerously accommodating the culture of the day”. He said their 53-page Response: “turns out to be a farcical compromise, with many contradictions, and no theological case made for blessing same sex unions.” The GSFA says that the proposed pastoral resource of Prayers of Love and Faith for blessing and affirming gay couples, contradicts Holy Scripture taken as a whole, and in particular, the bible’s teaching on marriage and sexual ethics.

Theology apart, the GSFA also says the attitude towards the Anglican Communion shown by the House of Bishops in their Response once again demonstrates a problematic relationship between the Mother Province and the world-wide Anglican church.

Archbishop Badi said: “Anglican ecclesiology requires that provinces don’t act independently of each other. Even more so for the CofE in its special historical and ecclesiastical role in the Anglican Communion. Assent by General Synod would show disregard for the wider Communion (the majority of whom hold to orthodox teaching on Marriage & sexuality), and will increase the pressure for the Communion to fragment. Several GSFA provinces are already in ‘impaired communion’ with revisionist provinces like The Episcopal Church (USA), the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church in Wales. If Synod votes to back the bishops’ recommendations, then it is foreseeable that several Global South provinces will also be in impaired Communion with the Church of England.”

However, the primate says this does not mean GSFA provinces will leave the Communion. He added: “It would only double their desire to reset and revitalise the Communion along biblical lines, and in keeping with its formative theology, ecclesiology and ethos. The Anglican Church has always seen itself as an expression of God’s ‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.’

“GSFA provinces are committed to our calling to be ‘a holy remnant’ within the Communion, marked by its loyalty to God and the plain teaching of holy scripture – whatever the cultural winds of the day. But a Synod vote in favour of the bishops’ proposals would be a major step in revisionism and sadly, alienate the Mother Church from large swathes of the Communion. It will inevitably lead to a re-configuration, and a re-structuring of the Communion as we currently know it.”

Archbishop Badi says it would also remove the Archbishop of Canterbury’s moral right to be an Instrument of Unity for the Communion. He said: “Archbishop Welby cannot compartmentalise his role as Primate of England from his role as ‘first among equals (head of the world-wide Communion)’. He says he will not personally use the ‘prayers of blessing’, but his “extremely joyfully celebratory” welcome of the blessing prayers, and his leadership of the House of Bishops in proposing this Response, means that he is actually advocating false teaching from a biblical point of view.”

The GSFA says if any Communion province was considering changing its Doctrine of Marriage, and/or its Pastoral Guidelines, then this should first be discussed and decided by the Primates’ Meeting. That is, if a global Anglican Church as a ‘communion of churches’ is to be maintained, rather than “a loose network, or federation of autonomous national or regional Churches,” he explained.

To orthodox clergy and laity in the Church of England, Archbishop Badi was keen to send a clear message of encouragement and support. He said: “The GSFA is committed to care for those who abide by the ‘faith once delivered’, and who want to be true to the Communion, and its foundational roots, while responding to a changing world. In a word, we seek to continue to ‘shepherd’ those who want to be faithful to the covenant-keeping God revealed in Christ and the Scriptures. This includes Orthodox Anglicans in England, bishops, clergy and laity. We will do this as best as possible in a non-schismatic way.

“We will also be especially mindful to care for, and encourage those who are same sex attracted, but whose love of the Lord, and His teaching, mean they abstain from same sex unions. Our mission of ‘truth and grace’ in a broken world will also include welcoming and relating to those in some form of same sex relationship. We will welcome them as persons into our church communities, relate to them as they present themselves, and seek to introduce them to the transforming love of Christ that heals our brokenness, and helps all of us sinners to be continually transformed more and more into His likeness.”

Finally, the GSFA leader says he believes that particularly over the last decade, the debate on marriage and sexuality has distracted, if not diverted, the life in many parts of the Communion, and certainly the Church of England, from the main task of the Church: proclaiming Christ and making disciples of all who live in the nation, including those who increasingly, in a confused and morally ambivalent society, struggle with issues of identity. He concluded: “The mission Christ entrusted to His Church must cause us to take the Gospel out to those who have yet to know and respond to the good news of Jesus Christ, and to live out the kingdom in a holistic way. We will, in the grace of God, both defend and propagate this death-defeating, life-transforming Gospel.”

The GSFA has recently invited orthodox provinces across the Communion to formally sign up as full Covenant Members of the Fellowship. It is also in the process of offering Associate Membership to Anglican Churches and organisations within revisionist provinces who are seeking to be a ‘holy remnant’, and who may require support from the global body of Anglicans, including alternative episcopal oversight at some point.

• For more information about the GSFA, and membership, visit www.thegsfa.org

ENDS

(This copy with thanks to The American Anglican Council.)

Woe to the English Bishops – with Lee Gatiss and Ben Kwashi

From The Pastor’s Heart – a “Must watch”:

“The Bishops of the Church of England have announced that same sex relationships will be able to be blessed in Church of England churches.

In a massive turnaround, the English bishops are saying that what God says is sin, is blessed.

The prophet Isaiah says,

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. – Isaiah 5:20

Despite the u-turn, in a fudge, the Bishops claim that by not authorising same sex weddings in church, there is no change in doctrine.

We talk with General Secretary of the Gafcon Movement, Ben Kwashi and Director of the Church Society UK, Lee Gatiss.

– Watch or listen here.

How can we bless what God detests?

“Arguments against the use of Leviticus 18 in any serious discussion in the church about same-sex relationships have become so commonplace as to feature in everything from Radio 4’s The News Quiz to Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing.

If we want to argue that homosexual sexual activity is wrong, the argument goes, we must stop eating prawn sandwiches, put people to death for working on the Sabbath, and get rid of any polycotton garments we might own.

And yet, even a quick glance at the chapter in question will show that none of those things are mentioned. In fact, the list of things prohibited in Leviticus 18 is rather more sinister: various forms of incest, child sacrifice and bestiality. I wonder whether President Bartlet would have been happy to make those things legal. I certainly doubt that Bishop Stephen Croft would want to support them, despite his willingness to use the argument of President Bartlet his recent publication Together in Love and Faith (p31-32).

I suggest that we need to take a clearer look at (i) the place of the Old Testament law in Christian ethics and (ii) the particular context of Leviticus 18, rather than rely on the tired lines of stand-up comedians and political satire. …”

– This was written in December 2022, after the Bishop of Oxford had released his booklet endorsing same-sex marriage. Church Society’s Associate Director, Dr. Ros Clarke addresses the big question behind the call for the church to bless same-sex relationships.

In her conclusion she asks,

“How can we tell people that something God has said will lead to death, will actually lead to life? How could we be so wicked as to lie about something so important? How could we hope to avoid God’s judgment on us for knowingly leading people astray?”

‘Praying in Love and Faith’: an initial response – CEEC

“The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) shares the profound concern being expressed by evangelicals across the Church of England in response to the bishops’ proposals published on Friday and the Archbishop of York’s interview with BBC Radio 4 yesterday morning.  

At a meeting of the Evangelical Group on General Synod (EGGS) on Saturday there was overwhelming support for opposition to these proposals. 

John Dunnett, Director of Strategy and Operations, CEEC, said: “I share the profound dismay expressed by thousands of evangelicals across the country. I’m deeply troubled by the bishops’ proposals which seem to me to be either contrary to or indicative of a departure from Church of England doctrine. 

“I want to reassure you all that the CEEC will be leading and coordinating a robust response as we contend together for faithfulness to biblical teaching within the Church of England, on issues of sex and marriage.”

CEEC is holding its annual residential this week. CEEC is the body founded by John Stott, which brings together evangelicals from Diocesan Evangelical Fellowships (DEFs) and all the main evangelical networks, organisations and societies. It will be agreeing how CEEC will lead and support evangelicals at this time.  We will issue a statement later this week with further details. 

Please pray for all at the CEEC annual residential this week and evangelicals in local churches, deaneries and dioceses who are at the frontline of contending for the faith as we have received it. 

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you (Philippians 1: 27-28a).”

– from The Church of England Evangelical Council, 23 January 2023.

The Hypocrisy of Authoritarian Bishops

Here is this week’s ‘Must read” response to the House of Bishops to get a sense of how serious is the situation in the Church of England –

“Like many clergy, over the weekend I read GS2289, the response of Church of England bishops to Living in Love and Faith.

Let me confess honestly, that in my personal lived experience I am experiencing this stuff from the bishops as a deeply hypocritical, flawed, insulting, and overtly manipulative attempt at institutional gaslighting.

The whole document feels to me personally like an insincere jargon-filled betrayal of the gospel and an abandonment of all I hold dear and love about Anglicanism. It gives me immense pain and sorrow. I feel profound personal grief. I am hurt, embarrassed, and humiliated that the leaders of my denomination could be so brazen in their rejection of the Bible and in their sneaky attempt to pretend that it is not a rejection of the teaching of Jesus as we have always received it. I am upset that I have been treated with intellectual and spiritual contempt by such a poorly argued, thinly veiled power grab. The emotional impact of GS2289 for me is akin to being mugged. …”

– Director of Church Society, The Rev Dr Lee Gatiss, quite rightly has strong words to say about the Church of England’s House of Bishops.

Be sure to read it all – and do pray. Pray for those who hold dear to Christ and his authoritative word, that they might have godly wisdom – especially as the Church of England’s General Synod approaches next month.

The Anglican Network in Europe asks, “Where is repentance?”

Here’s a Press Release from Bishop Andy Lines and The Anglican Network in Europe:

The Anglican Network in Europe wholeheartedly echos Archbishop Foley Beach (Chair, Gafcon Primates’ Council):

“We, in Gafcon, call on leaders in the Church of England to repent and return to the teaching and practice of Holy Scripture and the historical one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.”

We do so as the provision for faithful orthodox Anglicans in Europe initiated by the Gafcon Primates’ Council.

The proposals presented by the House of Bishops as the outcome of Living in Love and Faith are incoherent and contradictory but, most seriously, they reject the clear teaching of Scripture in favour of plural truth and personal preference. The suggested use of the commended prayers denies the Lord Jesus Christ’s call to repentance and faith as his loving invitation to all people.

Our heart goes out to those who have been profoundly disappointed and feel sadly betrayed by such abject failure of leadership. We pray for those who are now struggling to discern how to remain loyal to their Lord without compromise and cultural capitulation within the Church of England.

We join with all faithful orthodox Anglicans around the world in deploring this lamentable departure from ‘the faith once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3) and call on them to declare impaired communion with those who have failed to uphold the truth and drive away error.

We commit ourselves to work with others in Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans to safeguard the gospel of Christ in a renewed faithful Anglican Communion as we continue to offer an authentic and globally recognised home under the Jerusalem Declaration.

ENDS

Note: An excellent and helpful initial critique of the House of Bishops’ proposals has been written by Rev Ian Paul at psephizo.com

This present darkness and the crisis of contemporary Anglicanism: Thesis 1

“The world of the 21st century is dominated by principalities and powers opposed to God and the biblical faith.

In much of the non-Western world, enmity and persecution has come from militant religions and totalitarian regimes.

In the West, postmodern ideologues have sought to overturn the biblical worldview of God as the Creator and Lord of life and death and of sexuality and marriage as His blessing for mankind and the sign of His love for the Church. In this quest, they have enjoyed apparent success (but cf. Psalm 2).

Many Anglican churches and their leaders in North America and the UK have succumbed to this false ideology and are promoting its agenda. …”

– Dr Stephen Noll publishes the first of fourteen theses toward reviving, reforming and reordering the Anglican Communion.

Photo: GAFCON.

What are the bishops saying and doing in response to the end of LLF?

“Well, the time has come. The long-awaited (and much leaked) statement from the House of Bishops after the exhausting process of Living in Love and Faith has at least been made public. …

It is difficult to know how different groups in the Church will respond to this. Justin Welby has said (at the press conference) that he himself will not use  these prayers, in light of his role in the Anglican Communion—but that will make no difference at all. This will be the last straw, and the complete break-up of the Communion, which began to happen at the Lambeth Conference in the summer, will surely follow swiftly.”

– British theologian Ian Paul at Psephizo takes a close look at the Bishops’ commitment to blessing same-sex marriages.

Anglican Unscripted 782 – Living in Love & Faith

Earlier this week, Anglican TV’s Kevin Kallsen spoke with Susie Leafe about the UK House of Bishops’ announcement on the blessing of same-sex marriage.

Church of England publishes draft prayers for blessing same-sex couples

From The Church of England today:

“The draft texts, proposed by the bishops of the Church of England, will be considered by General Synod next month alongside other proposals in response to a six-year process of listening, learning and discernment on questions of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage known as Living in Love and Faith. …”

– Read here. And see the Draft prayers (PDF).

2018 GAFCON interview with Vaughan Roberts

At GAFCON 2018 in Jerusalem, Dominic Steele spoke with Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St. Ebbe’s Oxford. Worth watching again in the light of this week’s disastrous moves by the Church of England House of Bishops.

“You  can’t compromise on the Apostolic faith. … if people move away from the Apostolic faith, they’re the breakers.”

Watch here.

An Eton Mess: The Failure of English Bishops

“The Church of England has finally announced its proposals to their General Synod to deal with the vexed question of how to respond to same-sex marriage. The presentation was led by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Eton-educated Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, who together are seeking to lead the Church of England through these difficult times.

For the last six years the Church of England has been going through a process of discussion called “Living in Love and Faith” in order to get to this moment.

In a press release issued while Australia slept, the House of Bishops outlined the legislation they will propose to the upcoming General Synod.

So what are the plans, what do they mean, and what effect will they have on the wider Anglican Communion—especially here in Australia?…”

– David Ould writes at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

What’s an Eton mess?

“It’s a bowl full of broken bits of meringue, fruit and topped off with cream. If at this point you’re thinking that sounds awfully like what you did with your pavlova last year when you dropped it on the floor and rescued those bits not red-carded by the five second rule, then you would be absolutely correct. Eton Mess is, at it’s heart, a failed Pavlova dressed up in a fancy bowl and passed off as something worthy. It is the next generation of that other famous Anglican sweet; the fudge.”

What else is the Church of England on about these days?

Archbishop of Canterbury FC lace up for green campaign alongside Premier League stars

“The Archbishop of Canterbury’s football team will host a ‘green’ football match as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of the Climate Crisis with football the focus for practical steps to reduce carbon.”

GAFCON Response to CofE Bishops Statement

Archbishop Foley Beach responds on behalf of GAFCON to this week’s press release from the Church of England’s House of Bishops:

“What are the faithful in England and around the world to do now that the mother Church has departed from biblical faith and morality?  We cannot follow the Church of England down this path which leads to spiritual and moral bankruptcy.  Lord, have mercy upon us all.”

“19 January 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,
Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ during this Epiphany Season!!

I write to you with a heavy heart as we are hearing of the continued Crisis of Leadership and Faith coming out of the Church of England.  Once again, our Western Anglican Provinces continue to ‘go their own way’ on matters of faith and practice without consultation or concern for the majority of Anglicans around the Global Communion.  Their actions not only deny holy practice, but reject the authority of Scripture, the teaching of the historic church, and the consensus of the Body of Christ from every tribe, tongue, people and nation alive today.

The release of the recent statement “Bishops propose prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for God’s blessing of same-sex couples” (Find It Here) is a clear rejection of Lambeth 1998, I:10, and cannot help but ask the question: “What is next?” We continue to find ourselves disillusioned with the incredible audacity of major unilateral decisions (e.g. changing the nature of what it means to be ‘male and female’ in his image (Genesis 1:27) that run counter to ‘the faith once delivered’ (Jude 3).

What makes this current (and continued) Crisis of Leadership and Faith in the Church of England especially troubling is the clear and willful decision by the bishops to blatantly ignore the global Anglican consensus (as well as many more other Christian traditions) and ‘bless’ in the Name of Christ and the Church what God clearly calls sin.  God does not bless sin regardless of the stamp of endorsement by church leaders, clergy, and bishops.

Most of our Provinces have their origins in the Church of England because of the incredible and sacrificial missionary ministry of faithful British followers of Jesus.  What are the faithful in England and around the world to do now that the mother Church has departed from biblical faith and morality?  We cannot follow the Church of England down this path which leads to spiritual and moral bankruptcy.  Lord, have mercy upon us all.

Gafcon has a better story to tell: the story of our Lord Jesus who has and is rescuing us from brokenness (and often ourselves) and His unmistakably gracious offer of salvation which calls us ‘into the light’ where repentance and trust mark a new, right relationship to God through Christ.  Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus can be saved (Romans 10:13).  And in this great salvation story through Jesus, the Apostle Paul remarks about our former way of living, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” [see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11].  He says further that “If anyone is in Christ, s/he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Jesus adds that his followers are called to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-21).  We in Gafcon, call on the leaders in the Church of England to repent and return to the teaching and practice of Holy Scripture and the historical one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

Brothers and Sisters, let us pray earnestly for the faithful followers of Jesus in the Church of England as they struggle to fight and repel this false teaching which has been thrust upon them.  Let us also pray for their bishops and leaders that God would turn their hearts to return to His ways.

The Lord richly bless you!
Your Brother in Jesus Christ,

The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach 
Chair, Gafcon Primates Council and Primate of North America.”

– From GAFCON.

See also:

Together in Love & Faith? Should the Church Bless Same-Sex Partnerships? A Response to the Bishop of Oxford – Vaughan Roberts.

“Who do they think they are?” Church Society responds to the CofE House of Bishops Proposals for Same-Sex Blessings

Church Society’s Lee Gatiss responds to the ‘unworkable compromise’ that is the Church of England’s House of Bishops proposal for Same-Sex Blessings:

“The bishops of the Church of England have finally announced what it is they want to do at the end of the Living in Love and Faith process. …

They will be issuing an apology to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Queer, Intersex, and other people (LGBTQI+) for the ‘rejection, exclusion, and hostility’ they have faced in churches. After what they describe as a 6 year period of listening and learning, they have decided they will ‘offer the fullest possible pastoral provision without changing the Church’s doctrine of Holy Matrimony for same-sex couples through a range of draft prayers, known as Prayers of Love and Faith, which could be used voluntarily in churches for couples who have marked a significant stage of their relationship such as a civil marriage or civil partnership.’

They will also be replacing Issues in Human Sexuality, which binds clergy to celibacy outside of heterosexual marriage, with new pastoral guidance. The basis for this is given in large bold letters as ‘God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.’ (1 John 4:16). …”

He argues that, despite claims to the contrary, it is a change of doctrine. Of the Bishops behind this, he writes,

“Who do they think they are? Bishops are asked at their consecrations: ‘Will you teach the doctrine of Christ as the Church of England has received it, will you refute error, and will you hand on entire the faith that is entrusted to you?’ Were they serious when they replied ‘With the help of God, I will’? What are we to conclude about God’s help, if they no longer will? It would be a fearsome thing to be led by those whom God had abandoned.”

Further, he writes,

“There has been no convincing argument made for us to change our doctrine and practice. Living in Love and Faith and its associated survey, provided no warrant for change, no biblical justifications for a shift of this magnitude, as I have already stated elsewhere.

The Bishop of Oxford made no real attempt to argue from the Bible in his case for change, so ably countered by Vaughan Roberts.

The Bishop of Worcester delved so deeply into the Bible that he was able to make a puerile point about Solomon having hundreds of wives, which apparently proves there is no biblical doctrine of marriage. Teenagers would hoot at such impudence in a sixth form debating society, but it is hardly biblical scholarship. Again, Martin Davie easily takes his argument apart piece by rusting piece.”

– Read it all at Church Society’s blog.

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