DISCOVER Diocese of Kilimanjaro

GAFCON has posted this encouraging video from the Diocese of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

More than 1,000 vicars vow to defy any vaccine passport plans for churches

“In an open letter to the [British] Prime Minister concerning vaccine passport proposals, the church leaders said: ‘To deny people entry to hear this life-giving message and to receive this life-giving ministry would be a fundamental betrayal of Christ and the Gospel.‘…”

– Story from The Telegraph (via MSN).

And from the Letter:

Open Letter from Christian Leaders to the Prime Minister Concerning Vaccine Passport Proposals

“Dear Prime Minister,

As Christian leaders across a range of denominations, we continue to pray at this time for your government ‘and all in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity’ (1 Timothy 2:2).

However, we write to you concerning an area of the most serious concern, namely the potential introduction into our society of so-called ‘vaccine passports’ which have also been referred to as ‘COVID-status certificates’ and ‘freedom passes’. We are wholly opposed to this suggestion and wish to make three points about the potential consideration of any scheme of this type. …“

– Read the full letter here. It is signed by a number of UK Christians leaders who would be known to our readers.

Church Society response to the 31:8 Lessons Learned Review

Church Society in the UK has released this Open letter to their members concerning Church Society’s response to the recent 31:8 Lessons Learned Review (concerning Jonathan Fletcher).

See also: Glen Scrivener speaks with Lee Furney, one of 27 victims who spoke to the independent review.

NSW Parliamentary report supports religious discrimination law

“The recently released NSW Parliamentary Report of the Joint Select Committee on the Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020 (handed down on 31 March 2021) has recommended that the NSW government introduce amendments to make it unlawful in NSW to discriminate on irrelevant grounds relating to religious belief or activity.

The proposals supported by the Committee are a good idea and I think their recommendations (with a couple of minor reservations noted below) should be implemented. …”

— Assoc. Professor Neil Foster has the latest on NSW proposals.

Joint Primate Statement from Abp. Foley Beach & Abp. Henry Ndukuba

Here’s a Joint Statement from Archbishop Foley Beach (Primate of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and Archbishop Henry Ndukuba (Primate of the Church of Nigeria (CoN) reaffirming their commitment to Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10.

Delighting in the Triune God from the Book of Revelation

Melvin Tinker is contributing this month’s Lift up your hearts devotions for GAFCON.

(And do check out his book That Hideous Strength: A Deeper Look at How the West was Lost.)

 

Bishop William Love leaves TEC to join ACNA

“The Rt. Rev. William Love, the former bishop of Albany who resigned last month, announced on March 30 that he is leaving The Episcopal Church to join the Anglican Church in North America. Last October, Love agreed to resign while facing disciplinary action over his ban on same-sex marriage in his diocese.…”

– Report from The Episcopal News Service.

Prayers for North East Nigeria

From GAFCON:

“Rev Hassan John reports: ‘we rejoice for the release of one of our pastors, Bulus Yilkura, who was kidnapped in Peni village on 24th December 2020 and has been released by Boko Haram.

We still have Rev Polycarp Zongo being held captive. We need prayers for his release.’ (Photo is of Bulus Yilkura on his release).”

See the GAFCON website for daily prayer updates.

John Anderson announces he is available for preselection to the Senate

In a video statement on his website, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, John Anderson AO, explains why he is offering himself for preselection for The Nationals Senate ticket in NSW.

GAFCON’s Lift Up Your Hearts Devotions for March 2021

From GAFCON:

“Canon Craig Roberts, along with his colleagues at Anglican Youthworks (Australia) contribute to the Lift Up Your Hearts Devotions for the month of March.

The focus of the devotions demonstrates how throughout scripture, we see God at work through intergenerational discipleship.

The devotions are also available in Spanish and Portuguese, and in audio version in English.”

VCAT Given New Powers to Investigate Christians for Praying

“Sinicization is not only an agenda being forced upon the Chinese people by an authoritarian regime. We now have our own version here in Victoria as the State now subjects its citizens to new invasive and extreme laws that will strip people of basic freedoms of conscience, speech and association. Perhaps we should call it, Victorianization.

The Victorian Parliament last month passed the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020.

Under this Act, criminal charges can be laid and convicted persons may face up to 10 years imprisonment and fines of $200,000. There is also a civil avenue for people wishing to make complaints against fellow Victorians, and it’s these new powers given to VCAT that are the focus of The Age’s story.

An anonymous complaint is a sufficient reason for VCAT to open an investigation, compel you to produce personal documents and information, and force you to attend reeducation programs that will teach you what to believe about sexuality and gender.”

– In Melbourne, Murray Campbell highlights more of what is coming for the residents of that state.

To win power in the Church of England?

“The newly-launched Movement of Supporting Anglicans for an Inclusive Church (Mosaic) has a clear political motive: to win power on the Church of England’s governing body, the General Synod. …”

– At Conservative Woman, Julian Mann shares his thoughts on a newly formed group seeking fundamental change in the Church of England.

The Dennis Canon Dead in Texas

“With its denial of certiorari (review) this morning to two of the Episcopal Church in the USA’s (“ECUSA’s”) groups in Fort Worth, Texas, the United States Supreme Court has put to rest the multiple adverse claims made for the last twelve years against the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

All of those various claims, and the stages of their ups and downs, have been chronicled on this blog, which began just before the legal disputes emerged.

It is gratifying, therefore, to report that this blog has managed to outlive, along with (retired) Bishop Jack Iker and his faithful flock, the Machiavellian intrigues of the schemers at 815 Second Avenue to hound and intimidate them into surrender of their properties…

The success in Texas leaves just one long-standing ECUSA dispute still festering: its pursuit of Bishop Mark Lawrence and his Diocese of South Carolina.”

– Read it all at The Anglican Curmudgeon, the blog of Christian lawyer A. S. Haley.

And much earlier, on our website …

Diocese of Fort Worth: Living with litigation – Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker, September 2013.

“Living with litigation has become a way of life for us as members of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. For the past 4 ½ years, we have been under the cloud of a lawsuit brought against us by The Episcopal Church and its local supporters, seeking to deprive us of our buildings and assets.”

Also, most of these post are relevant to Fort Worth.

And on South Carolina, most of these posts are relevant.

How to Pastor when Sanctification becomes Illegal

“Where I live and pastor some aspects of sanctification are now illegal.

A recent decision in my home state of Victoria – in Australia – seeks to overturn this work of God’s grace. The Victorian Parliament has adopted the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020.

Amongst other things, the Conversion and Suppression Practices Bill criminalizes any prayers or conversations in which one person aims to persuade another that pursuing certain sexual activity is not the best course of action.

It’s not only illegal to pray or speak with an individual about changing their sexual orientation or gender identity – unless, of course, this change means embracing an LGBTIQ lifestyle – the law states that suppression is also illegal.

‘Suppression’ includes prayers for celibacy, and any advice that communicates sexual faithfulness to one’s spouse is a matter of holiness.…”

– 9Marks in the USA has published this piece by Murray Campbell in Melbourne.

When and how to obey God, not man, in Victoria?

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Harsh new rules have just been approved by the parliament of the Australian state of Victoria, banning conversion practices relating to sexuality.

The parliament has made illegal practices that have been part of Christian religion since the start of the church. 

What does the law say a pastor should do if asked for guidance on matters of sexuality? What does God say?  Pastors have questions on what the law says in regards to teaching in church, in small home groups and 1:1, and on how evangelical pastors respond in love to people with questions about personal sexuality. …”

– Neil Foster, Associate Professor of Law at Newcastle University, Peter Barnes, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, and Heath Easton, Pastor of Drouin Presbyterian Church in regional Victoria, are Dominic Steele’s guests in the latest episode of The Pastor’s Heart.

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