GAFCON Chairman’s September 2017 letter
“Gafcon is about hope and the future. It is about godly unity and faithful witness for generations to come, and I want to state these positive things very clearly as I share my reasons for not attending the Primates Meeting in Canterbury next month.
I attended the Canterbury Primates Meeting held in January 2016 because I believed it might be possible to make a new start and change the pattern of repeated failure to preserve the integrity of Anglican faith and order. I was disappointed. The Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Lusaka the following April neutered the Primates’ action to distance The Episcopal Church of the United States (TEC) from Communion decision making.
TEC has not repented, and continues to take aggressive legal action against orthodox dioceses. For example…”
– Read the latest pastoral letter from The Most Rev’d Nicholas D. Okoh, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council.
Fascinating Political Times
“I had the good fortune of reading Eric Metaxas’ biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in my holidays.
In a vacuum of leadership Metaxas writes, ‘…the German people clamoured for order and leadership. But it was as though in the babble of their clamouring, they had summoned the devil himself…’
Nations can do that when good people do nothing. Without even realising, with a little slumber, a folding of the hands you can allow the summoning of a devil that has a nation reap the whirlwind. …”
– Rick Lewers, Bishop of Armidale, writes of the disarray our nation is facing. Where can stability and hope be found?
Bathurst schools bombshell: Scots buys All Saints’ College
“The Presbyterian Church of Australia in NSW – owner of The Scots School, Bathurst – has been confirmed as the new owner of All Saints’ College. …”
– Report from The Western Advocate.
See also: Presbyterian Church agrees to buy All Saints’ College – Diocese of Bathurst.
Image: All Saints’ College.
New Primate of the Indian Ocean
“Bishop James Wong of the Seychelles has been elected as the new Archbishop and Primate of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He succeeds Archbishop Ian Ernest who served for 11 years. …
Before his episcopal election, he was … Chairman of Scripture Union Mauritius.”
– Report from The Anglican Communion News Service.
Constitutional challenge to anti-discrimination laws
“Two preachers subject to a complaint for preaching against homosexuality and same-sex marriage have launched action to halt the case on constitutional grounds, in a challenge that could invalidate state anti-discrimination laws.
A complaint against Hobart Presbyterian pastor Campbell Markham and street evangelist David Gee was accepted last month by Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Sarah Bolt. But the preachers have filed a Supreme Court application seeking to strike out the complaint on the ground the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act is unconstitutional…”
– Story by Matthew Denholm in The Australian. (Subscription)
Related:
I was born in a free country – Campbell Markham.
Why I fight for free speech – Campbell Markham.
GAFCON in the Midst of Missional crisis
“We’ve looked at how GAFCON came to be and why it matters. Here we’ll unpack the challenges GAFCON and orthodox Anglicans face as we seek to be a missional movement to win people for Christ.
In what kind of landscape does the GAFCON movement now find itself? In what kind of environment do Orthodox Anglicans find themselves living day to day and doing ministry? To steal a phrase from the General Secretary of GAFCON, we find ourselves in the midst of a missional crisis. That is, in 2017 we are faced with a decision: how will we relate to the culture of our times and do mission within this culture?…”
– At The Australian Church Record, Caitlin Hurley concludes her brief series on GAFCON.
Hard truth about soft power
“How has the Anglican Communion managed to more or less stay together and even at times give the appearance of growth despite nearly twenty years of doctrinal and ethical chaos?
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s presence in Khartoum, Sudan, for the inauguration of the 39th Province of the Anglican Communion on July 30th illustrates the point. …”
– Charles Raven, Membership Development Secretary of GAFCON, takes a look at some of the ways power is used within the Anglican Communion.
Looking forward to Jerusalem 2018
“As I write, invitations to the next Global Anglican Future Conference are beginning to go out to people around the Anglican Communion. The first Jerusalem Conference occurred in 2008. The second was in Nairobi in 2013.
The Primates are summoning representatives from all around the Communion to Jerusalem in June 2018. …”
– Dr Peter Jensen shares a personal testimony in the run up to Jerusalem 2018.
Albert Mohler on the Australian Plebiscite
In his daily commentary, The Briefing, for 17th August 2017, Albert Mohler speaks about the Australian plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
Worth hearing an outsider’s perspective.
Related: ABC offer helpline to staff distressed by same-sex marriage debate – Nine News.
GAFCON: What it does and why it matters
“At GAFCON 2013, Dr Peter Jensen (the General Secretary of GAFCON) moderated a session entitled We are not alone.
In this session Dr Jensen introduced and encouraged members of the Anglican Communion to share their experiences as Anglicans standing up for and promoting the authority of Scripture and the Lordship of Christ. A constant refrain from those who presented was that the GAFCON movement had shown them that amidst severe persecution from governments or litigation by their own diocese they were not alone. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Caitlin Hurley continues here three-part series on GAFCON. (Part 1 here.)
Why marriage should be between a man and a woman
” ‘On the issue of marriage I think the reality is there is a cultural, religious, historical view around that which we have to respect. The party’s position is very clear that this is an institution that is between a man and a woman.’
If I told you that was a quote from Cory Bernardi, Lyle Shelton or worse, that oft condemned unreconstructed traditionalist Tony Abbott, would you consider it just more evidence of their homophobia? Many commentators would. It seems right now no one can make any statement in favour of marriage without being condemned for being a ‘hater’ or ‘bigot’.
However, the statement doesn’t come from Mr Bernardi, but from that other strong-minded senator from South Australia, Penny Wong. …”
– Read the full article by Michael Kellahan, executive director of Freedom for Faith, at The Sydney Morning Herald. (Subscription.)
See also: Churches lay out plebiscite fears for PM, The Australian. (Subscription.)
The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, and leading Catholic officials have written to Malcolm Turnbull demanding that any proposed bill on same-sex marriage be released before Australians are asked to vote on the issue. …
“This timeframe is inappropriately short, particularly given there remain a number of unresolved questions concerning the postal plebiscite process,” Archbishop Davies wrote.
John Anderson on what’s happening in Australia over the same-sex marriage plebiscite
Former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson spoke about his very real concerns for Australia – on ABC News.
Well worth watching – on YouTube. (9’30”.)
Same-sex marriage: Prime Minister sets date for postal vote
“Australians could start receiving ballot papers to vote on same-sex marriage in their letter boxes from September 12.
The Federal Government has decided on a non-binding postal ballot if the Senate refuses to approve a compulsory plebiscite. …”
– Report from ABC News.
Update: Same-sex marriage will be legal by Christmas predicts Brandis. – ABC News.
What’s the go with GAFCON?
“In November last year, the date and location of the next GAFCON conference were announced – 17-22 June 2018, in Jerusalem. It is expected that over 2000 will attend.
But how did GAFCON start? What is it and what does it do? And why is it such a big deal? …”
– At The Australian Church Record, ACL Council member Caitlin Hurley begins a short series on GAFCON. Worth passing on to church members.
Bill fails religious protection test – Anglican Diocese of Sydney Media Statement
Anglican Diocese of Sydney
Media Statement, 6th August 2017
Bill fails religious protection test
“There are serious religious issues and freedom of conscience concerns arising from the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 being promoted by some liberal MPs” said the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney today. Read more
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…