Will the Church in Wales be extinct in 15 years?
“The Church in Wales may be small (a weekly attendance of 25,000 and falling) but as this blog has noted in the past it seems determined to shrink further. The Church Growth Modelling website predicts that it might be close to extinction in less than fifteen years, with just a few large urban congregations surviving.
John Heyward, who made this prediction, explains why the Church in Wales faces such a bleak future…”
– Anglican Futures reports that The Church in Wales seems intent on going the way of all flesh.
The GSFA’s Chairman’s Quarterly Letter — September 2024
The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches has released this Quarterly Letter from Chair of the GSFA Steering Committee, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
Dear GSFA Family and Friends,
I am writing this letter on September 3rd which, according to the Anglican Lectionary, we observe as the Festival of Gregory the Great who died in 604. For Anglicans, he has a special significance as the Pope who had the missionary vision to send Augustine, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, to evangelise the Anglo-Saxons in 597.
It is good to remember that our Communion originated from bold missionary enterprise, not only in more recent centuries, but also in its deep past. And there are other aspects of Gregory’s life and ministry from which we can learn. The Anglican Communion is going through a time of crisis and change and so was the Church of Rome when Gregory became Pope. The glory of ancient Rome had departed and both secular and church leadership were weak, leading to widespread poverty and insecurity.
Yet despite this weakness, Gregory’s papacy began the transition to a new Rome which rose to become the centre of Western Christendom. As heirs of the Reformation, we are aware of the errors of the late mediaeval Church, but this does not take away from Gregory’s achievements. In addition to the mission to England, he reformed both church and secular government, systematised relief for the poor, renewed the liturgy and established Rome as the leading Church of the West.
We too live in a time of historic transition. Tragically, the See Augustine founded has departed from the faith Augustine taught and I see lessons of hope for us in the life of Gregory as we continue the great task of resetting the Communion.
Firstly, he was a man of deep spirituality who knew his weakness despite his strong natural and spiritual gifts. He suffered poor health and perhaps this reinforced his sense of dependence upon God. The challenges before us cannot overcome in our own strength. Like St Paul, we need to be people of prayer who know that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
Secondly, Gregory knew that practical action and good administration is necessary if the Church is to be effective in its witness and the care of people. This is our understanding too. At the First Assembly in June, the GSFA relaunched its three Tracks and I am delighted to report that action plans to take us up to the next Assembly in 2027 have already been presented to the Primates Steering Committee. Please pray for the newly appointed Track Chairmen as they take this strategic work forward: The Rev Dr Timothy Chong from Singapore (Missions Partnership), the Rt Rev Prof. Alfred Olwa, Bishop of Lango, Uganda (Leadership and Ministerial Formation) and Mr Diogo Henriques of the Anglican Church in Brazil (Economic Empowerment). I am delighted that they will be supported in this work by our Track Facilitator, Mr Daniel Magagnin on a part time secondment from one of our Mission Partner organisations, The Relay Trust.
Thirdly, Gregory saw that without effective leadership, the growth and life of the Church in the West would be compromised. He established Rome as a locus of spiritual leadership in teaching, liturgy and mission, not to emulate the past glories of Empire, but to restore the Church’s effectiveness in a world that had changed profoundly. Likewise, the GSFA, through the Cairo Covenant, has established a new locus of leadership to deal with a new reality, now that the historic centre of the Communion has surrendered to a secular culture which is alien to the vast majority of its members.
Fourthly, Gregory was a missionary leader. At a time when the Church of Rome could have been inward looking because of its many challenges, Gregory took missionary initiatives that would change the course of history. Likewise, mission is the great purpose to which we are committed and I rejoice that the Missions Track is already under way with GSFA Mission Partners joining the Diocese of Singapore’s Mission Roundtable in Bangkok next month. We are already enabling strategic connections and I praise God that arising from a conversation at our First Assembly in June, the Ven Darrell Critch of the Anglican Church in North America has been elected as a missionary bishop for the Diocese of Mahajanga, Madagascar in the Province of the Indian Ocean. Please pray for Bishop-elect Critch and his family as they prepare to leave Canada and begin this new journey of faith.
Let me conclude by urging us to hold in prayer those of our brothers and sisters within the GSFA family who suffer; for an end to war in Sudan, for peace as my own nation of South Sudan decides whether to go for elections in December or not, and for those affected by widespread flooding in both countries. We also continue to pray for the people of Myanmar and Eastern Congo facing growing fragmentation and violence, and of Bangladesh as they adjust to a new government and struggle with floods which have displaced many thousands.
May the all sufficient grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen
The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Archbishop and Primate of the
Episcopal Church of South Sudan and
Chair of the GSFA Steering Committee.
Source: The GSFA.
Tickle v Giggle: Sex and Gender Identity
“In his decision in Tickle v Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd (No 2) [2024] FCA 960 (23 August 2024) Bromwich J in the Federal Court of Australia found that the company Giggle had been guilty of indirect gender identity discrimination when its director, Sall Grover (who was also sued), had removed Roxy Tickle from her women-only social media app. …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster comments on a ruling “which raises concerns for religious folk, many of whom see sex as a biological category determined at conception and ordained by God”.
When will bishops be held to account?
“I have been the victim of religious discrimination within the Church of England. Because of a sermon delivered in 2019, I am being treated as a safeguarding risk. I don’t know why, because they have so far failed to tell me exactly what the problem is, but it appears to be because my sermon upheld the Church’s own teaching on marriage.
I was reported to secular safeguarding authorities, but they have all cleared me. Only the Church stands out against the acceptability of the Church’s own beliefs. …”
– The Rev. Dr Bernard Randall shares his story.
Background:
Chaplain who was sacked for identity politics sermon to appeal ruling – March 2023.
Image: Christian Concern.
Beloved English hymn writer dies
“The writer of one of the most popular and inspirational hymns of the 20th century has died at the age of 97.
Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, who wrote the words to ‘Tell out, my soul’ in 1962, died in Cambridge on August 12th, 2024. …”
– Russell Powell has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net. Includes a tribute from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel.
(Image from a 2020 message from Bishop Dudley-Smith to the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland.)
Update:
Bishop Dudley-Smith’s family is posting links to obituaries on his website.
Giving thanks for Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-2024)
From The Living Church:
“Timothy Dudley-Smith, who wrote ‘Tell Out My Soul’ and more than other 400 hymns and served as Bishop of Thetford in the Church of England from 1981 to 1992, died August 12 at 97. …”
– Read here.
Image from a 2020 message from Bishop Dudley-Smith to the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
See also:
One of many recordings of Tell Out My Soul – this one is from Grace Community Church in California.
Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided – London Emmanuel Choir.
From defensive to offensive in the religious freedom debate
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Religious Freedom leaders are calling on Australia’s Government to quickly bring a Religious Discrimination Act to the parliament.
Mark Sneddon says the Religious Discrimination Act is not about granting unlimited freedoms, but about preventing adverse treatment of religious individuals and organizations.
He says there needs to be a fair compromise that the rights of all involved, which should be supported by both sides of politics. …”
The Collapse of the Anglican Church of Canada
“New numbers for the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) are out, and they show that Canada is the first major province of the Anglican Communion to have collapsed.
This is highly significant, both for Canada and for other Western provinces following its trajectory. …
First, this is not a church ‘in decline’ or ‘close to collapse.’ This is what collapse looks like. Ecclesial collapse includes large falls in attendance and financial woes.”
– A sobering story from The Living Church.
Related:
In July 2024, Dr Ian Paul warned the Church of England’s General Synod of what will happen if the C of E continues its redefining of sexual ethics. (Link to his speech.)
Image: Map of dioceses and provinces of the Anglican Church of Canada.
St Helen’s Bishopsgate, fears ‘repercussions’ for newly commissioned leaders
“The names of the seven men commissioned as ‘leaders’ at a service in St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, last week, are not being publicised out of concern about ‘repercussions’, the Rector of the church, the Revd William Taylor, said on Wednesday.
Mr Taylor told the Church Times that he was concerned that those who had been commissioned might be sanctioned by bishops in their dioceses. …”
– Report from Church Times – via Anglican Mainstream.
Image: Scene from the Commissioning service included in the video of William Taylor’s explanation of the event.
Bishop of Ebbsfleet’s Regional Conferences Talks
From Church Society:
“On Soundcloud now are uploaded talks from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet’s regional conferences.
Eleanor Hayden on positive ministry relationships.
Are we in our churches reflecting well the beauty of God’s complementarian design in our mixed ministry teams? Eleanor examines the biblical ideal God is calling us to, some of the challenges we face in living it out in 21st-century England, and ends with some questions to help us face our weaknesses and blind spots.
Lee Gatiss on biblical ministry oversight.
Conservative evangelicals are profoundly uneasy about the current state of the Church of England and deeply concerned about its trajectory. Do we need to question the whole structure of having bishops in the first place? But let us not throw out the ‘baby’ of episcopacy with the ‘bathwater’ of current failings.
Rob Munro preaches on Acts 20: 17–38 and reflects on the crisis of ministry in the Church of England.
He explains that at the heart of biblical ministry is the principle of self-sacrifice.”
No, I don’t trust you — The importance of accountability, structure, and submission
“There are two people I would never trust: myself, and anyone who trusts himself/herself.
What do I mean by this, and why do I say it? …
When the parish of which I was vicar, the West Hamilton Anglican Parish, left the ACANZP ten years ago, many resisted the idea of joining up to another denomination. Why not be an independent church – pure, and freed from the shackles of a parent body? My response: ‘You’d be crazy to place that sort of trust in me or the vestry!…’”
– Vicar General Michael Hewat, reminds us of the need for accountability – in the latest e-mail update from the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand.
Significant Commissioning Service at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate
On Wednesday 24th July 2024, a Commissioning Service took place at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London.
It was made necessary by the actions of the Church of England’s House of Bishops and the General Synod in pushing ahead to bless same-sex unions.
The next day, William Taylor, Rector of St. Helen’s, recorded this explanation of the event. In part, he said,
“This act of commissioning has been made necessary due to the tragic failure of the majority of bishops in the House of Bishops of the Church of England.
Our archbishops and most bishops have failed doctrinally.
They have failed to uphold faithful biblical doctrine, to guard the gospel of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus and to show loyalty and love for Jesus and his people by teaching the scriptures faithfully.”
The full video includes supporting statements from many evangelical Church of England leaders.
Related:
Alternative Spiritual Oversight – CEEC.
What is the ecclesiological problem with a third province?
“In a letter of 2 July this year to the signatories of a letter from the Alliance group within the Church of England to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York the Bishop of Oxford wrote as follows:
‘The mind of the majority House of Bishops now seems to me to be settling on questions of pastoral reassurance after many months of uncertainty. There is a now a reluctant acceptance of the need for some regional provision of episcopal ministry to recognise divergent views on marriage and same sex relationships, supported by a House of Bishops statement, Code of Practice and Reviewer. However, the House is also clear that going beyond these arrangements to diverse jurisdictions, a third province and a church within a church undercuts the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology and represents a red line we cannot cross.’
The references in the final sentence of this quotation to ‘diverse jurisdictions,’ ‘a third province’ and ‘a church within a church’ are all different ways of referring to the same idea, the idea put forward by the Alliance and the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) that in the event that the House of Bishops and the General Synod continue down the path of permitting the blessing of same-sex sexual relationships and allowing those in same-sex sexual relationships to serve as ordained Church of England ministers, a third province of the Church of England should be created to provide a secure and permanent home for those who cannot in good conscience accept these developments.
The Bishop of Oxford rejects this idea on the grounds that it ‘undercuts the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology’ and therefore ‘represents a red line we cannot cross.’ What he does not explain in his letter, and what he has not explained elsewhere, is why the proposal for a third province goes against ‘the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology.’
It is very difficult to see why he thinks is the case. …”
– Martin Davie rules out possible arguments against ‘a third province’ in the Church of England.
Photo: Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft.
Why stay (at least for now)?
Anglican Futures is publishing a series of essays by various contributors on whether they should leave, or stay, in the Church of England:
“The debate over whether to remain in or leave the European Union divided families and our nation and still does not seem to be finally settled.
The discussions over what members of the Church of England should do, given the clear trajectory of the Prayers of Living in Love and Faith, is no less fraught. Already people on both sides of the debate have voiced their dissatisfaction and left.
The reasons for people remaining are equally diverse and in some ways divisive. …”
– In reading this and the other contributions, do uphold in prayer our brothers and sisters in England who seek the Lord’s wisdom for the best way forward.
Image: Church of England website.
FREEDOM24 conference August 5
From Assoc Professor Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia:
“Freedom for Faith is hosting the FREEDOM24 Conference 9am-4pm on Monday August 5th at Village Church Annandale in Sydney. I highly recommend this conference!
Livestream tickets are free, to maximise access for those who cannot attend in person.
FREEDOM24 conference will develop your understanding of threats to religious freedom in Australia from historical, theological and policy perspectives.
Historian Sarah Irving-Stonebraker will examine the history of religious freedom, while John McClean of Christ College will share a theological perspective on how the church is to respond to legal threats to ministry. We will also have a number of experts unpack the major religious freedom concerns in Australia, as well as implications and paths forward for advocacy.
Issues examined will include: …”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…