Background on GAFCON
GAFCON is the Global Anglican Future Conference being held in Jerusalem from 22nd – 29th June 2008.
There are three purposes:
- To provide an opportunity for fellowship as well as to continue to experience and proclaim the transforming love of Jesus Christ
- To develop a renewed understanding of our identity as Anglican Christians.
- To prepare for an Anglican future in which the Gospel is uncompromised and Christ-centred mission is a top priority. …
– Read the full press release from the Church of Uganda – now on the GAFCON website.
Pittsburgh Annual Convention moved forward
Faced with an expected attempt at deposition by TEC Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the TEC House of Bishops, Pittsburgh Bishop Bob Duncan has announced that the Annual Convention of his Diocese has been moved forward by just over a month.
Bishop Duncan’s letter is available here as a PDF file.
See also this earlier story (March 18) and this May 27 statement from the Pittsburgh Standing Committee.
Plan to Plant Conference, Saturday July 26
“You may be an experienced church planter, or someone who really wants to be.
You may want to start new ministries in a sub-culture or in a new way.
You may be a part of a larger team or working by yourself.
You may have no ideas or be full of them… but if you want to be stimulated by others who are currently multiplying Gospel ministry – you need to be here.”
Martin Morgan, from Rouse Hill Anglican Churches in Sydney’s west, invites you to a day for all who want to multiply gospel ministries.
Saturday 26th July 2008 at Rouse Hill. Download a leaflet for details.
GAFCON not about Gays
More than 35 members of the Australian contingent to GAFCON gathered in Sydney to hear Archbishop Peter Jensen declare that the conference is about “facing new realities in the (Anglican) communion and turning them into gospel opportunities”. …
– SydneyAnglicans.net has a helpful story on GAFCON – including interviews with Dr. Karin Sowada and the Rev. Craig Roberts by Russell Powell.
New Southern Baptist Convention President
Johnny Hunt, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia, has been elected the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention. …
It’s clear that Hunt is no fan of the growing Calvinist movement within the Southern Baptist Convention. He’s hosting a major conference to refute Calvinism at his church in November. … Things may have gone quite differently had Al Mohler, the Calvinist president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, stayed in the race (he suffered health complications).
– Report by Ted Olsen in the Christianity Today Liveblog.
See also this story from Baptist Press. (Photo: Baptist Press.)
Arctic synod greatly disappointed at same-sex moves
The synod of the diocese of the Arctic, meeting in Iqaluit, Nunavut from May 27 to June 3, passed a motion criticizing decisions by four dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada that support blessing same-sex unions.
“Synod expressed great disappointment as some diocesan synods have decided to move forward with approving the blessing of same-sex civil marriages, after General Synod 2007 (made) it clear that this would not be allowed until the Lambeth Conference had time to discuss the issues this summer,” said a press release issued by the diocese of the Arctic synod. “This then indicates that Canadians are not serious about unity elements that hold the church together.” …
– Report from the Anglican Journal. See also Diocese of the Arctic website. (Photo: Christopher Patterson.)
Obama’s Abortion Bombshell
Barack Obama, the presumptive pro-abortion nominee of the Democratic Party, has plans to reward the allies that helped him topple Hillary Clinton from her throne by making total unrestricted abortion in the United States his number one priority as President. …
– Report from LifeSite News.
Bishop plans ads to attract same-sex couples
Bishop Marc Andrus of California announced in a letter that the diocese will soon begin an advertising campaign “celebrating the [recent California] Supreme Court ruling and inviting same-sex couples to our churches for pre-marital counseling and nourishment in communities of faith.” …
– Story from The Living Church. (Photo: Diocese of California.)
Bishop Martyn Minns interviewed on BBC
Bishop Martyn Minns was interviewed on the BBC’s HARDtalk on Monday. Following the usual style of the programme, the mode of Stephen Sackur’s interview is aggressive.
The 23 minute segment may be seen in Real Video format via this page. (Photo: BBC.)
‘The archbishop says No’ (to reforms)
“The Anglican Church faces a modern Great Schism, with gay-tolerant Christians on one side and radical ‘Bible-believers’ on the other. And at the forefront of the hardliners is Australia’s outspoken evangelist Peter Jensen. …”
– David Marr in The Good Weekend in last Saturday’s The Sydney Morning Herald. It’s those hardline “radical ‘Bible-believers’” causing trouble again!
See Archbishop Jensen’s statement last Friday, for a somewhat different perspective. (Photo: Ramon Williams.)
Canadian Pastor fined and told to remain silent
On Friday, the Alberta Human Rights Commission ordered Alberta pastor Stephen Boissoin to desist from expressing his views on homosexuality in any sort of public forum. He was also commanded to pay damages equivalent to $7,000 as a result of the tribunal’s November decision to side with complainant and homosexual activist Dr. Darren Lund. The tribunal has also called for Boissoin to personally apologize to Lund via a public statement in the local newspaper. …
– Full story from LifeSite News. (Photo: CanadianChristianity.com)
Integrity’s Susan Russell interviewed on Gene Robinson’s ‘wedding’
Integrity USA President Susan Russell preached at the civil union of Gene Robinson and his partner of 20 years on Saturday. In this video clip, she describes the service.
Watch the Integrity video if you must – on Google Video via Stand Firm. It runs for 5’27”. There’s also a report in The Sydney Morning Herald.
David Wells interviewed on his new book
David Wells was interviewed about his new book on Al Mohler’s radio programme on Thursday. The Courage to Be Protestant is an overview of his earlier books, designed to be more accessible to a wider readership.
One of his main points: Historic Christianity is doctrinal in its shape – and when that is lost, there’s not much left.
Take the time to listen to the interview, which starts 11 minutes and 20 seconds into the audio file. (The book is available from MooreBooks.)
Gay Bishop vs. Straight Bishop
The first bishop married his gay partner in New Hampshire this weekend. The second bishop will be settling into a new house with his wife in a New Jersey suburb, chosen so that he can shuttle more easily between conservative churches opposed to the first one’s theology and lifestyle.
– Time magazine on Gene Robinson and Bishop Martyn Minns, as a backgrounder for Lambeth and GAFCON.
(Photos: TEC and Truro Church.)
‘Doubts about the Bishop of Durham’
Bishop Tom Wright has an international reputation as an Evangelical whose credentials as a biblical scholar, teacher, preacher, and pastor are of the highest order. When he is suspected of compromising traditional Evangelical teaching, especially in relation to the iconic doctrine of justification, then the big guns need to be trained on him — and among Evangelical conservatives, the guns don’t get much bigger than John Piper. …
– John Saxbee, Bishop of Lincoln, provides some background to John Piper’s book – in The Church Times.
Stand Firm also note a reply from Bishop Wright. See also our earlier stories, Godliness and good learning by Mike Ovey and Paul Helm on The Future of Justification (both reviews of John Piper’s book) and The Theology of N T Wright from the White Horse Inn of June 1st 2008.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…