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.
Church of England proposes repeal of protection for opponents of women bishops
As first reported in the Daily Telegraph, the House of Bishops of the Church of England is indeed bringing a proposal to the General Synod in July to adopt the first approach outlined in the Manchester Report to provide for the consecration of women bishops, which will remove the legislative provisions put in place in 1993 and replace them with a ‘Code of Practice’. …
– Report from John Richardson at The Ugley Vicar.
‘Without gay priests Church would be lost’
The openly gay bishop whose ordination sparked the crisis in the Anglican Communion has claimed the Church of England would be close to shutting down if it was forced to manage without its gay clergy. …
He said many of the English church’s clergy lived openly in their rectories with gay partners, with the full knowledge of their bishops.
– Story by Ruth Gledhill in The Times Online. Ruth also posts an interview with Gene Robinson here, amid speculation that he is about to marry.
(Photo credit: Geoff Forester and Diocese of New Hampshire.)
Statement from Archbishop Peter Jensen on the Lambeth and Jerusalem conferences
Statement from Archbishop Peter Jensen
6th June 2008
It is not long now before I leave for the Jerusalem Conference. I am immensely grateful for the support and prayers of so many of you. I’m looking forward to meeting with the leaders representing 35 million Anglicans across 27 different countries and it is my hope that God will give us wisdom during our time together. As we look to the future of this great communion of churches, I am praying that we will maintain the highest level of unity possible.
I have just written to the Archbishop of Canterbury to assure him of my prayers for him and for the success of the Lambeth Conference. We have different views on how best to see the future of the Anglican Communion at this time.
But we are at one in seeking its good health and doing what can be done to make sure that the turmoil created by those who have set aside fundamental Christian teaching does not destroy it. On the contrary, our aim should be to see it united as never before in the service of Christ in this world. I am praying that both the Lambeth Conference and the Jerusalem Conference will help achieve that goal. Will you join me in your intercessions?
Kent Hughes on Life and Preaching
Kent Hughes, Pastor Emeritus at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, is one of the speakers at the coming 2008 Ministry Intensive at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
Mark Dever recently spoke with Kent about Life and Preaching for the 9Marks Audio Interviews. Who does he count as influences in his ministry?
You can hear or download the audio via this page.
Manchester Cathedral ‘unambiguous message of inclusion’ for LGBT people
“Manchester Cathedral is to host a special service of welcome aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at 7.30pm on 12 June.
The event, which will be a Christian service recognizing and open to all faiths, is the result of partnership working over the last five years between the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, The Bishop of Manchester and his Advisory Group on Sexuality.
The Bishop of Manchester has said many times that he is committed to having a broad church which honours everyone irrespective of faith, race, gender or sexuality. The Bishop of Manchester will preach and the Dean of the Cathedral will be present at the event which will be complemented by having both the Cathedral Choir present and Manchester’s Lesbian and Gay Chorus. Paul Martin, from LGF and Transgender Campaigner, Christine Burns will also take part. …
The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, said: ‘This service is one of a number of initiatives that have been running in the Diocese of Manchester creating, what we hope, will be seen as an unambiguous message of welcome, affirmation and inclusion for LGBT people. Rejection is not good for health; nor is a church that rejects people a healthy Church.’ …”
– From the Diocese of Manchester website. Emphasis added. (Thanks to Anglican Mainstream.)
‘Death knell’ for the Anglican communion not really about homosexuality
As the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, prepares to leave for the conference that will decide the fate of the worldwide Anglican church, fresh trouble in North America suggests the 450-year old communion has little hope of holding together. …
But Archbishop Jensen argues: “This dispute is not really about homosexuality. It’s really about authority and who runs the church. And fairly clearly, to most of the rest of us, God runs the church through the Bible.” …
– Full report in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Related: In an article on GAFCON and Lambeth, The New Vision (Uganda) interviewed Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi –
The Church in Uganda was not shutting out gays, but believes that they can change, the archbishop explained. “We believe in the transforming power of Jesus and that homosexuals can change.”
Besides, there were other issues dividing the Church, Orombi stated, citing the assertion that Jesus was not the only way to God and His birth was not of a virgin nature.
Short and Packer threatened by Bishop Ingham with charges of trespassing
Former Sydney Anglican, the Rev David Short, who has been charged with abandoning Anglican doctrine, has now been threatened with charges of trespassing if he sets foot on the property of St John’s Shaughnessy, in moves which could see more Canadian churches forced from their properties.
Mr Short, who is the rector at St John’s, and all other clergy belonging to the Anglican Network in Canada in the Diocese of New Westminster received letters outlining the charges from Bishop Michael Ingham on Monday.
The letters also advised that the clergy were forbidden to ‘trespass’ on the church properties, exercise any ministry and remove anything from the properties, including books. …
– Read the full report from SydneyAnglicans.net. Emphasis added.
(Photo: David Short and James Packer.)
Archbishop of Canterbury ‘False Teacher’
A group of influential global Evangelical Anglicans believes that the Anglican Communion is fatally flawed and that there must be a clear and decisive separation from the See of Canterbury with the formation of a new Communion that is global in scope and truly Anglican in doctrine.
“Anything less will leave faithful Anglicans throughout the world as unwilling collaborators in a counterfeit Communion which makes a virtue out of the toleration of teaching contrary to scripture, is rife and ingrained with such false teaching and is led by an Archbishop of Canterbury who himself so teaches.” … say the writers representing themselves under the umbrella of the The Society for the Propagation of Reformed Evangelical Anglican Doctrine (SPREAD). …
– Story from VirtueOnline.
See also this earlier story – “Overview of the teaching of Rowan Williams on Scripture and sexuality”. (Photo: Anglican Communion News Service.)
San Joaquin responds to TEC claims
The Diocese of San Joaquin: June 4, 2008, Fresno, California
The following facts are given to correct and clarify recently published misunderstandings and misstatements regarding legal claims against the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin.
All actions taken by the Diocese of San Joaquin were authorized by its governing bodies, namely, its Standing Committee and its Diocesan Council, along with Bishop Schofield. These actions were done in complete compliance with California law and were done to secure the property until a California court can rule on the issue of ownership. …
– Read the rest of this statement from the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin in response to claims made by The Episcopal Church that funds had been improperly transferred.
(See also “Merrill Lynch freezes disputed San Joaquin diocesan accounts pending court ruling” from Episcopal Life Online.)
Melburnians called to say ‘sorry’ to the earth
Melburnians are being called to say “sorry” for damage to the environment in a series of public services timed to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5.
… Themed “stations” will be set up around the Cathedral, and services will feature readings, conversation, song, and the opportunity to light a candle or place a pebble in water as an expression of connection with the earth. …
– from a media release from Anglican Media Melbourne.
(Archbishop Philip Freier lights candles in St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. Photo courtesy Diocese of Melbourne.)
Both bishops of San Joaquin off to Lambeth
Bishops Jerry Lamb and John-David Schofield both report having accepted their invitations to next month’s Lambeth Conference.
Bishop Lamb, who was nominated provisional Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, said he received his invitation on May 27. … But Bishop John-David Schofield of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin also will be attending the conference. He has received his Lambeth study materials and has begun familiarizing himself with them …
– Full report from The Living Church.
New Westminster synod wrap up
The New Westminster Synod was held in Vancouver on May 30 and 31. Here are some excerpts from the synod edition of the diocesan newspaper, ‘Topic’ –
Members of Synod split over whether the diocese should oppose the legalizing [of] brothels. In the end the majority (128 votes) agreed … that the Diocesan Council should explore uniting with other churches and faiths to tell the Vancouver City Council and Provincial Government “institutionalization of violence towards women and children through legalization of prostitution and the establishment of brothels” was wrong.
In a report to about 300 synod members… the bishop [Michael Ingham] insisted that the decision of four congregations to join the South American Anglican Church of the Southern Cone, was not simply “divorce” but “schism…the setting up of an unlawful authority” to challenge the rightful authority, which is Diocesan Synod.
Also, the synod adopted Bishop Ingham’s ten priorities for the diocese for the next decade.
Read the special synod edition of Topic (1.1MB PDF file) on the New Westminster website.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…