‘Lambeth power list’
The Telegraph in the UK has published the final instalment of it’s list of the top 50 ‘influential figures’ in the Anglican Church.
Not necessarily edifying, but some may find it of interest – at The Telegraph.
New website displays Certainty
Just in time for World Youth Day, the Certainty.org.au website is now live. Check it out and pass on the address to your friends.
(For background, see this earlier post.)
Bishops waver as Lambeth beckons
With the once-in-a-decade Lambeth Conference just days away, hundreds of bishops are planning to stay away whilst others remain in two minds after this week’s vote in support of women bishops. … The Archbishop of Kenya, the Most Rev Benjamin Nzimbi, meanwhile confirmed in a statement on Thursday that the Kenyan Church would not attend Lambeth in protest of pro-gay bishops present at the conference. …
Although the conference is due to open on Wednesday, the Bishop of Europe, the Rt Rev Geoffrey Rowell, said he was “astonished” at the lack of information handed out so far on the details of the Lambeth programme, according to The Telegraph. …
– Report from Christian Today. (Photo of Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi: Joy Gwaltney.)
No other foundation
“The foundation of the true church was laid at a mighty cost. It needed that the Son of God should take our nature upon Him, and in that nature live, suffer and die, not for His own sins, but for ours. It needed that in that nature Christ should go to the grave, and rise again. In needed that in that nature Christ should go up to heaven, to sit at the right hand of God, having obtained eternal redemption for all His people. No other foundation could have met the necessities of lost, guilty, corrupt, weak, helpless sinners.
The foundation, once obtained, is very strong. It can bear the weight of the sins of the world. It has borne the weight of all the sins of all the believers who have built on it. Sins of thought, sins of imagination, sins of the heart, sins of the head, sins which everyone has seen, and sins which no man knows, sins against God, and sins against man, sins of all kinds and descriptions — that mighty rock can bear the weight of all these sins, and not give way. The mediatorial office of Christ is a remedy sufficient for all the sins of all the world.”
– Encouraging words from Bishop of Liverpool, J.C. Ryle, in Holiness. (With thanks to First Importance.)
Jerusalem Post interviews David Anderson
In the lead up to next week’s Lambeth Conference, The Jerusalem Post has published this interview with Bishop David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council. The interview took place when Bishop Anderson was at GAFCON.
– from The Jerusalem Post. (Photo: Joy Gwaltney.)
Church denied leave to appeal
Anglican Network in Canada, 11 July 2008:
Today, a judge of the BC Court of Appeal, Madam Justice Rowles, denied a request by the congregation of St. Mary of the Incarnation in Metchosin (St. Mary’s), for leave to appeal an earlier decision related to use of their church building. Read more
What’s wrong with Women Bishops?
Reform London has posted on their website a helpful talk given at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in 2006 by Professor Gerald Bray. He shows there are good theological reasons for opposing the introduction of women bishops – and also raises many other worthwhile topics.
Dr Gerald Bray is Director of Research for the Latimer Trust.
– Hear the 40 minute talk (and 12 minute question time) in this 9.1MB mp3 file (direct link) from Reform London.
Archbishop Greg Venables on BBC TV
Archbishop Greg Venables was the guest of Stephen Sackur on BBC-TV’s HARDtalk programme on Thursday.
Video of the 24 minute interview (in RealVideo format) is available from the BBC. (Image: BBC.)
Hong Kong primate criticises GAFCON
The Anglican primate of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui has criticized the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), held in Jerusalem this June, for bringing ‘severe harm’ to the Anglican Communion.
Archbishop Paul Kwong said that Anglicans with different opinions on human sexuality issues should address their concerns through dialogue. …
– News item brought to you by The Episcopal News Service.
(Photo: Anglican Communion Office.)
Certainty during WYD
“A city-wide chalking campaign led by a Sydney Anglican minister is being used to reach Roman Catholic pilgrims as they arrive in town for next week’s World Youth Day.
The Rev Mark Gilbert, who is a former Roman Catholic and currently an assistant minister at Holy Trinity, Kingsford is calling on Christians to ‘follow in the footsteps of Arthur Stace’ and boldly proclaim the certainty they have in Christ’s death for their sins as the only means for their salvation. …”
– Article from SydneyAnglicans.net. (And who was Arthur Stace?)
All you need is love – in the Diocese of Niagara, anyway
“Here is the video the Diocese of Niagara is sending to Lambeth. I am trying to think of something nice to say about it.”
– Anglican Essentials Canada’s blog on the video being sent from the Diocese of Niagara to Lambeth. (5 minute, 15.7MB wmv file – direct link.)
Choosing a Bible: free download
If you read Tim Challies’ article Every word of God (yesterday), arguing for an essentially literal translation of the Bible, you may also find this book by Leland Ryken, Professor of English at Wheaton College, helpful –
His 32 page Choosing a Bible: Understanding Bible Translation Differences is available as a free PDF download, through the generosity of Crossway Books.
“The persistent, detonating logic of Lee Ryken’s pen will educate and convince any fair-minded person that the primary Bible for study and preaching must be an essentially literal translation.” – Kent Hughes.
“A masterful and convincing argument for literal, that is to say, transparent translation of the Holy Scriptures.” – J. I. Packer.
You can get it from this page. (Direct link to the 310kb PDF file here.) Printed copies may also be ordered. Dr Ryken is also Editor of the forthcoming ESV Literary Study Bible.
(Crossway, a not-for-profit Christian ministry, publishes the ESV.)
Reform predicts Synod vote will ‘further rouse the sleeping giant’
Reform predicts Synod vote will “further rouse the ‘sleeping giant’ of evangelical Anglicanism”
This initial response from Reform to the C of E General Synod vote has just been issued –
Reform members who took part in the Synod debates are very disappointed that no legal provision has been made for those who cannot in conscience receive oversight from a female bishop. We note that the opinions of four out of the five most senior bishops on both the content and timing of this measure were swept aside in the course of the debate.
We will scrutinise the proposed code of practice in February’s debate carefully, but remain very sceptical as to its usefulness.
By giving no legal provision Synod has effectively said: “We don’t want people like you in our Church of England.” This message will no doubt further rouse the ‘sleeping giant’ of orthodox and evangelical Anglicanism in the UK and around the globe.
– from Reform.
Catholic and Post-modern at Lambeth
“There will be a strong ecumenical presence at the 2008 Lambeth Conference. The Archbishop of Canterbury will welcome more than 75 representatives from a wide variety of churches and Christian communities.
Two of the principal speakers at the conference come from the ecumenical world.
Cardinal Ivan Dias is head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples … [and] Brian McLaren… an American evangelical … and an internationally recognised contributor to post-modern thought and culture. …” (emphasis added)
– From an ACNS press release. See also these earlier posts mentioning Brian McLaren.
(Photo: brianmclaren.net.)
Further reactions to the C of E decision
Both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican have issued statements about the Church of England General Synod’s decision to allow the consecration of women bishops –
“This decision is of course painful in the inter-Christian dialogue, as it is further alienating the Anglican community from the Apostolic tradition,” Priest Igor Vyzhanov, secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, said in an interview with Interfax-Religion on Tuesday… – via Interfax.
“The decision will be ‘a new obstacle to reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England,’” – Vatican spokeman – via ABC News. Update: see also this.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…