Can the GSFA help the CofE bishops tell right from wrong?
“Church of England bishops are not known for their transparency – but sometimes there is a rare glimmer of honesty, particularly when a journalist is prepared to ask the right question.
This week, Dave Piper, a radio journalist, used Facebook to ask Rt Revd Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester a simple question and wonderfully he received an honest answer. …”
– This post at Anglican Futures looks at the dilemma facing the Church of England Bishops who want unity over truth.
By way of answer, it draws attention to the address at the GSFA Assembly by the Rev. Sam Ferguson, Rector of The Falls Church Anglican in Virginia:
“Living up to the challenge, in less than an hour, he set out three of the unarticulated assumptions which shape the world in which we live and are seen in the LGBT movement. He then offered a glorious, biblical alternative to each one.”
Can the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans chase the snakes out of the Anglican Communion?
“Yesterday, in a monastery in the Egyptian desert, the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) met for their first Assembly, under their new covenantal structures. Their purpose? To reset the Anglican Communion.
In his keynote address, the current Chair of the GSFA, the Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Archbishop Justin Badi, set out their plan. …
The Global South Fellowship of Anglicans has waited twenty-five years for the Instruments of the Anglican Communion to bring order to the divided church community, but they will wait no longer.”
– Susie Leafe writes at Christian Today.
The Assembly videos can be seen here.
Report from Global Assembly of Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, Egypt
From the American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey:
“Dear friends in Christ,
I am writing from the St. Mark’s Coptic Monastery in Khataba, Egypt, where almost 200 delegates from 11 Anglican Provinces, 3 ‘Provinces-in-formation’ duly constituted by Gafcon and recognized as such by the GSFA, and numerous mission agencies from over 40 countries are gathering for the first Global Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA). This Global Assembly marks an historic ‘reset’ of the Anglican Communion with regards to:
1. What Anglicans believe (a common confession of faith based on Biblical faith, Apostolic tradition and the Anglican formularies);
2. A true and genuine Communion of Anglican Churches based upon covenantal structures that provide clear and fair criteria for membership– with mutual accountability and discipline within the boundaries of Reformational Anglicanism; and
3. A passionate commitment to Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:16-20) – undeterred by false teaching – through mission partnerships that will enable Anglicans to proclaim Christ faithfully to all nations…”
– e-mail, via Anglican Mainstream.
GSFA takes on the challenge of resetting the Anglican Communion
Anglican Futures has published the second of three posts on the aims of this week’s Global South Fellowship of Anglicans Assembly in Egypt:
“The GSFA are resetting the Anglican Communion by creating a means of global accountability and discipline.” (Emphasis added)
– Read the second post – though you might want to begin with the first in the series, “The GSFA – a potted history”.
Image: GSFA leaders at Lambeth in 2022.
Latest George Whitefield College newsletter
Screenshot
The latest newsletter (May 2024) from George Whitefield College in Cape Town has been uploaded to their website.
Good to see what’s happening, and as fuel for your prayers. (Click PRINT FULL NEWSLETTER for the PDF version.)
Anglican Global South leaders meet in Egypt to reset and renew the Anglican Communion
“The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) is a recognised grouping within the Anglican Communion which includes some 75% of Anglicans worldwide and traces its origins to the first ‘South to South’ Encounter in Kenya in 1994. Since then, regular ‘Encounter’ gatherings have brought the voice of Global South to the wider Anglican Communion and next week, 11th-15th June, a group of 200 leaders is being gathered by the GSFA in Egypt as its ‘1st Assembly’ under a new Covenantal structure.
The Assembly will meet in the context of the rapid growth of Anglican Churches of the Majority World, in contrast to the Western Churches which, on the whole, have been unable to resist a cultural drift away from orthodox Christianity. …”
– Report on the upcoming GSFA Assembly in Egypt.
via Anglican.ink. Image: GSFA.
Is Article 20 a Roadblock to “Prayers of Love and Faith” in the Church of England?
Quick answer: “Yes”.
Longer answer at Anglican Futures.
Related:
“Prayers of Love and Faith” – Church of England.
‘Crunch Point’ on Religious Freedom: Catholic Schools and Hospitals May Close, Warns Anthony Fisher
“The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has warned the church will be forced to consider closing religious schools if the government strips them of the ability to preference the employment of teachers supportive of Christian teachings.
Archbishop Fisher, one of the nation’s most senior Catholic leaders, declared more radical actions could be needed in response to the infringement of religious liberties, and raised the prospect of withdrawing educational services as happened in the landmark 1962 Goulburn school strike. …”
– Story from The Australian (paywall).
Image: Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.
‘Episcopal Church unveils new Pride shield in celebration of LGBTQ+ inclusion’
We haven’t linked to news of The Episcopal Church in the USA in recent times. Here’s the latest:
“In affirmation and celebration of The Episcopal Church’s LGBTQ+ members, the Office of Communication is pleased to unveil a new Pride shield available online for churchwide use. …”
– From The Episcopal Church.
Gerald Bray Interview on the BCP — Church Society
From Church Society:
“Lee Gatiss talks to Gerald Bray about Gerald’s new Companion to the Book of Common Prayer.”
– Listen here.
How should we respond to the world as we now find it?
The Anglican Diocese of the Living Word’s Missions Conference and Synod was held in Pennsylvania over the last few days.
Dr. Carl Trueman was the invited speaker.
In his first talk, he focussed on the underlying things that shape the way we think today. Starting at 5:35.
In his second talk, Dr. Trueman speaks of the three things the church has to do in our present context. That address starts at 34:12.
(Prior to his address, Gafcon General Secretary Bishop Paul Donison is interviewed from 18:18.)
The previous night, the Rev. Yoel Ben David gave his testimony of conversion from Judaism.
At the start of the Conference, Bishop Julian Dobbs gave this address. This, alone, is well worth hearing.
The videos are available with thanks to Anglican TV.
Notice of The Anglican Church League’s 2024 Annual General Meeting
The ACL gives notice of, and warmly invites all members to attend, the 2024 Annual General Meeting.
Date: 6:00 pm, Thursday 13th June, 2024.
Location: T.C. Hammond Room, Moore Theological College, 1 King Street, Newtown NSW (enter via Carillon Avenue).
We will hear from God’s word, conduct elections, and pray for the League’s future work.
We will also hear an initial report from our President on the recent strategic planning conducted by the Council –
Roger Cunningham: A Strategic Review, with a View to the Future
The list of current council members can be found here.
Yours sincerely,
The ACL Council.
Joyful unity, diversity and gospel growth — Press Release from the Anglican Network in Europe
Here’s a Press Release from the Anglican Network in Europe:
The Anglican Missionary Congregations (AMC) becomes the third diocese to join the Anglican Network in Europe
The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) is delighted to announce that on 23rd May 2024, its Synod voted to welcome the Anglican Missionary Congregations (AMC) to join the emerging province.
Bishop Andy Lines, Presiding Bishop of ANiE, said, “It is a great thrill to me that Synod joyfully and overwhelmingly approved the accession of the Anglican Missionary Congregations as a third diocese after an open and constructive debate.”
This has taken place after many months of prayerful liaison and detailed discussion between the leadership of ANiE and AMC and is a witness to the unity that the gospel brings across the variety of human cultures.
AMC has grown from a single Nigerian diaspora congregation in Manchester to 35 congregations all over the UK and some parts of Europe, served by 52 self-supporting clergy.
AMC’s lead missioner, Venerable Dr Gideon Chukwudalu Ilechukwu said, “We are grateful to the Lord for what he has done in making it possible for us to be accepted as a Diocese in Gafcon’s Anglican Network in Europe. We are also grateful to the Most Reverend Dr Henry Ndukuba, Primate of All Nigeria, with whose blessings we got to this place. We are excited to be part of ANiE and we look forward to our ministry together in this family of believers in Christ. Europe needs the Lord and together as a team we will till this field by his grace.”
ANiE believes the different gifts and cultures of each Diocese and its members will contribute to the faithful proclamation of Christ to the nations of Europe and will work together powerfully for the furtherance of God’s kingdom. We trust that through this partnership “God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.” (Ephesians 3:10, CSB).
Note: Further details on a service to celebrate the inauguration of the diocese and the election and consecration of a diocesan bishop will be announced in due course.
The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) is the provision of the Primates’ Council of Gafcon (representing the vast majority of the Anglican Communion) to provide a faithful ecclesial structure for orthodox Anglicans within Europe.
ANiE now comprises three dioceses: The Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE), The Anglican Mission in England (AMiE), and The Anglican Missionary Congregations (AMC).
Also published at the ANiE website.
Following in Faith: The Good Shepherd Leads Global Anglicans
“Many global Anglicans face a challenging question: whether and when to join the Gafcon movement.
In this second conversation, Philip de Grey-Warter explains when and why he connected with Gafcon. Such decisions, complex and often costly, rightly begin in prayer, and Philip encourages church leaders to find comfort in their simple obedience to God.
When we follow the Good Shepherd, God will provide the support we need: friends, fellow leaders, genuine spiritual oversight, and strength in the gospel.”
– In the latest Global Anglican Podcast, Gafcon General Secretary Bishop Paul Donison continues his conversation with the Rev. Philip de Grey-Warter.
Why isn’t the House of Bishops prepared to engage?
“It is now fairly clear what the next stage of the Prayers of Love and Faith process will be. In July the House of Bishops will propose that stand alone services for the blessing of same-sex couples (including those who have entered into a civil same-sex marriage) will be permitted under the terms of Canon B5 and will also propose that the current discipline forbidding clergy to be in same-sex marriages will no longer be applied in at least some dioceses
It is also clear that, at the moment, the bishops are absolutely intransigent in refusing to even consider the possibility of either a provincial settlement to meet the needs of traditionalists as requested by CEEC, or even some kind of non-provincial transferred episcopal arrangements for traditionalists.
The maximum they seem prepared to offer is some kind of regionally arranged delegated episcopal oversight, which would still leave traditionalists under the ordinary jurisdiction of their diocesan bishops regardless of where that bishop stands on the sexuality issue.
What struck me as I digested this news over the weekend is that in coming to their current positions the bishops appear to have simply ignored four key statements made into three previous House of Bishops’ documents.…”
– Martin Davie points out key failures of the Church of England’s House of Bishops.
Image: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…