Archbishop of Canterbury on pilgrimage to Walsingham

“The Most Reverend Justin Welby appeared as a guest preacher at the National Pilgrimage to the Anglican Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham. …

The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham has a long religious history, dating back to 1061 when it is said that the Virgin Mary led Richeldis de Faverches to Nazareth in spirit and asked her asked her to build a replica of the house where the Annunciation occurred.”

– Story from Eastern Daily Press in Norwich.

What is the Anglican Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham? From their website:

“After nearly four hundred years, the 20th century saw the restoration of pilgrimage to Walsingham as a regular feature of Christian life in these islands, and indeed beyond. In 1897, there was a Roman Catholic pilgrimage to the restored 14th century Slipper Chapel, now at the centre of the Roman Catholic National Shrine.

Fr Hope Patten, appointed as Vicar of Walsingham in 1921, ignited Anglican interest in the pre-Reformation pilgrimage. It was his idea to base a new statue of Our Lady of Walsingham on the image depicted on the seal of the medieval Priory. In 1922, this statue was set up in the Parish Church of St. Mary, and regular pilgrimage devotion followed. From the first night that the statue was placed there, people gathered around it to pray, asking Mary to join her powerful prayer with theirs. This work of intercession continues to this day.”

The Archbishop has visited Walsingham several times previously.

Earlier: Reversing the Reformation? – Church Society.

(Photo: The Anglican Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham.)

Vicar resigns as primary school imposes transgender ideology

“A Church of England primary school has taken the unprecedented step of allowing a child to transition from a boy to a girl in the school without informing parents until the day of the transition or putting any agreed policies and procedures in place. A rare audio recording has also revealed how the school brought in controversial trans lobby group Mermaids to train staff and governors. …

The Christian Legal Centre is supporting the courageous Rev. John Parker who resigned as a governor after his concerns were ignored and silenced.”

– See the video from Christian Concern.

See also:

“After his worries were dismissed by the bishop, Mr Parker quit the church where he had been a vicar for 14 years, and also the school after seven years as governor.”

– from The Daily Mail, via Anglican Mainstream.

Uniting Church threatens to split over liberal same-sex marriage stance

“The Uniting Church is facing growing unrest as conservative factions push for it to reverse its decision to allow ministers to perform same-sex marriages.

Multiple conservative movements have been gaining force since the church last year gave ministers the right to perform the ceremonies.

…conservative worshippers claim they are being disciplined and isolated for participating in networks like the Assembly of Confessing Congregations.

Members of the Campsie Uniting Church in New South Wales said they were barred from the church and left to worship on the footpath. …”

– Story from ABC News.

Earlier, related, stories.

(Photo: Dr. Deidre Palmer, Uniting Church President.)

Giving thanks for BCA at their Centenary

One hundred years ago, on 26th May 1919, the Bush Church Aid Society was formed in Sydney.

Be encouraged to learn more at this link – download the Centenary videos – and give thanks to Almighty God for this work of his gospel.

(You can also download BCA’s latest Prayer Notes and The Real Australian.)

Reversing the Reformation?

“A number of events have happened in the past few weeks which make one wonder what on earth has happened to this nation’s ‘Protestant Reformed Religion established by Law.’  This phrase is, of course, is taken from the Coronation Oath, and is meant to describe the Church of England.

More often than ever it seems important to remember what is actually established by law and what is commonly found to be contrary to it.  Canon A5 tells us that:

‘The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures.  In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal.’  — Canon A5

In other words, the doctrine of the Church of England is that of the Bible and those who agree with it. When asked ‘what do those people who agree with the Bible look like?’ — the Church of England replies, ‘they look like those who uphold the 39 Articles of Religion, the 1662 BCP, and the Ordinal.’

There are no prayers to Mary, or asking for Mary’s prayers, in the BCP. There is no veneration or adoration of statues or images in the BCP. Indeed there are no images or statues at all, nor are there pilgrimages, or a sacramental confession. Quite the contrary in fact. …”

– At Church Society’s blog, Adam Young points to some disturbing developments in the Church of England.

Related:

Journey with Mary from The Ascension to Pentecost: A guide to praying with Mary for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (“Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement … started in 2016 as an invitation from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York…”)

(Photo of the statue of “Our Lady of Walsingham” being carried into Westminster Abbey, courtesy Westminster Abbey.)

Archbishop Foley Beach’s first Pastoral Letter as GAFCON Primates Council Chairman

“It is estimated that there are 2.1 billion people on the earth who have no contact with any Christian witness, and therefore, above all else, I want to see Gafcon uniting and equipping Anglicans around the world to be a missionary movement.

As the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration affirms, the reason we first gathered in Jerusalem in 2008 was ‘to free our Communion for a clear and certain witness to Jesus Christ’ and this remains our great purpose. …”

– Read all of Archbishop Beach’s pastoral letter here.

Jay Behan to be first bishop of the new diocese of Confessing Anglicans in NZ

A significant development in New Zealand.

From the Synod of the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand:

“Today representatives from twelve churches throughout New Zealand gathered and formed the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand.

By the grace of God we are a new Anglican Diocese in these Islands, standing firmly in Anglican faith and practice, and structurally distinct from the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

This new Diocese is united in the crucified, risen, ascended and glorified Christ, committed to the authority of the Bible, and dedicated to our common mission of proclaiming to all the good news of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. We praise God for his guidance and grace, and the sense of unity and common purpose we shared as we met.

We also prayerfully elected as our first Bishop the Rev. Jay Behan, Vicar of St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Christchurch.

Jay is a man of humility and grace, committed to the authority of the Bible and the Lordship of Jesus. He is an excellent preacher and caring pastor, and will serve and lead the Diocese as together we seek to reach these Islands with the transforming power of the gospel. …”

– Read the full statement via the GAFCON website. (Emphasis added.)

Gracefully leaving an apostate denomination

From Dominic Steele at The Pastor’s Heart:

“Minister of St Stephen’s Christchurch Jay Behan tells the heartbreaking story of leading his church away from the traditional Anglican Church in New Zealand and working to form a new Diocese for faithful Anglicans.

Jay Behan tells of his tearful resignation from the New Zealand Anglican Church’s General Synod, just hours after the Synod voted to abandon the teaching of Jesus on sexuality. …”

– Watch here.

From Susie Leafe, Director of Operations, Gafcon UK:

Today and tomorrow (Friday & Saturday) the inaugural synod of a new Anglican extra-provincial diocese will be meeting in New Zealand. Last month, the Gafcon Primates affirmed the decision to form this new diocese and it would be great to pray for them as they face this ‘day of small things.’

And from the Gafcon Secretariat (via e-mail), some history:

In 2016, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (ACANZP) accepted a report which stated that the Church wanted to find a way to remain united despite having two integrities on matters of sexuality. After much debate, the Church changed their canons last year to allow the formal blessing of same-sex relationships.

For some, the decision in 2016 caused them to leave the ACANZP, others followed when the canons were changed.  Relationships between these folk and between them and the ACANZP have, for the most part been gracious and cordial.

The churches forming the extra-provincial diocese include those who left in 2016 and those who left later. As they made their decisions about the future, their desire to serve each other and those who will come after them, was evident.

4 Urgent Conversations Australians need to have after Folau

“The Israel Folau saga has uncovered an urgent need for Australians to have conversations about the sort of society we want to live in.

When Folau first posted his controversial Instagram post, there was an immediate reaction from many cultural commentators, demanding he step down. Rugby Australia, his employer, was only too happy to agree. But as time has passed and emotions have cooled, there seems to be a growing backlash against Rugby Australia’s actions toward Folau. And I don’t just mean from Christian or conservative voices. …”

– Akos Balogh writes at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

Hell just won’t go away

“It is time for Christians to think about what they really believe and why, and to formulate answers to these hot topics, explanations that are grace seasoned with salt. If colleagues at work or fellow students uni are aware that we follow Jesus, are they not already asking us these kinds of questions?

Surely it is prudent for us to be thinking biblically, lovingly, clearly, and winsomely.”

– Murray Campbell on how Christians should respond to the topic which introduced into the election campaign this week.

Before you vote

“… I need to inform the church on recent events, and then I add my own plea based on the conviction that now is a critical moment in the life of our nation. Clearly, we have moved into a post-Christian world, and we expect this not to be reversed soon. But this doesn’t mean Christians lay down and roll over.

Because I was out of the country, on my invitation our Clerk signed letters on behalf of the PCA to Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten asking a series of searching questions ranging from religious freedoms in general, to employment in Christian Schools and holding to biblical views on marriage. The letters contained the same eleven probing questions, but couched differently according to the track record and previous statements made by each leader on particular subjects. They were co-signed by several evangelical churches and Christian schooling groups.

Yesterday, we received a reply from PM Scott Morrison. I encourage you to read the letter yourself …

No reply has been received from the Labor Party, except an automated confirmation that our concerns have been forwarded to their Campaign Team. …”

– Presbyterian Moderator-General John P Wilson shares the responses (so far) to the letter from Christian leaders to Mr Morrison and Mr Shorten.

Read it all, with the attachments linked to that post.

Religious Freedom and the Federal Election

“Australia goes to the polls in a Federal election on May 18, 2019.

It seems worthwhile to note, for those interested, some recent information about the views of the major political parties on religious freedom, and to report an important study of public opinion on the topic. …”

– A new post from Associate Professor Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia.

Standing with Israel Folau and religious freedom

“Archbishop Glenn Davies and the chair of the Religious Freedom Reference Committee, Bishop Michael Stead, have been pushing for assurances on religious freedom as the election campaign enters its final stages.

Concern about the issue has been heightened by the actions of Rugby Australia in sacking star player Israel Folau for a Christian message on Instagram.

Bishop Stead first raised concern soon after the controversy began when he told The Australian newspaper last month ‘If a rugby player can be sacked by doing nothing more than posting on his social media page what is essentially a summary of the Bible then it’s a signal to the rest of us that we better keep our mouths shut.’…”

– Read the full story from SydneyAnglicans.net. (SBS image.)

See also this SBS report.

Israel Folau decision may set a course for the future

“Christians across Australia have been given a message, ‘don’t commit social blasphemy’ and ‘be careful if you choose to use the Bible’. …

Lest we conclude that this story will soon be forgotten as a blip on the cultural radar, Rugby Australia’s stance may well soon find legislative legs. The Australian Labor Party (as the Greens have already done) have announced that they are considering expanding ‘anti-discrimination legislation to shield gay and transgender ­people from harmful speech if elected, in a move that has alarmed lawyers and free-speech advocates.’…”

– Murray Campbell writes about what seems to be coming – and how Christian believers should respond.

Workplace Laws “a Test of Faith”

“Christian leaders have warned that workplace codes of conduct could force Australians to leave their faith ‘at home’, after Bill Shorten and Scott Morrison hid behind employment law in their comments on rugby union star ­Israel Folau.

Michael Stead, chair of the religious freedom reference group for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, said he was frustrated that Mr Morrison and Mr Shorten characterised the dispute between Folau and Rugby Australia during Wednesday’s leaders debate in Canberra as a matter of workplace law. …”

– Story from The Australian. (Subscription)

Related:

Israel Folau’s case prompts Australian religious leaders to pen letters to Scott Morrison, Bill Shorten – ABC News.

← Previous Page — Next Page →