Anglican Identity and Mission paper
Last month, Bishop Robert Forsyth spoke at the Anglican Identity and Mission Conference in Adelaide.
“We have a crisis in which some Anglicans have removed themselves from the Anglican Churches of their provinces or dioceses, claiming that in doing so they, not the province or diocese, embody Anglican identity. Or at least are still really Anglican despite the breach with their bishop or national church. Are they? How would we go about answering that question?”
The paper he presented is now available here as a PDF file.
As well, the Diocese of Adelaide’s Guardian (PDF file) has a report (pages 4 & 5) on the conference. (With thanks to Rob Forsyth. Photo: The Guardian.)
The need for GAFCON
“The immediate cause for GAFCON was the invitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams to those who had consecrated Gene Robinson as a Bishop to attend the Lambeth Conference. This invitation was sent in July 2007, and the timing was significant as I will show later.
Following this invitation, Archbishop Peter Akinola made a visit in October 2007 at his own expense to London to meet with Archbishop Rowan Williams to ask him most seriously to delay the Lambeth Conference until the issue of the consecration of Gene Robinson by the Episcopal Church could be resolved. When Archbishop Williams proved immovable on this certain things became crystal clear to Archbishop Akinola and his colleagues. …”
– Chris Sugden spoke at last week’s launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, Southern Africa. Read the full text at Anglican Mainstream.
A New Evangelical Anglican Vision?
“Just this past term I have had the great pleasure of co-teaching – with Professor Ashley Null, the renowned Cranmer scholar – a MA unit offered here at Moore College entitled ‘Anglican Identity’. In it we made careful study of the development of the English reformation and the works of leading figures like Fisher, Cranmer and Hooker.
A highlight was reading the moving testimony of Catherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII, to her conversion to the gospel of justification by faith.
I was curious, however, as to why so few Sydney clergy thought this was a subject that might interest them, or that the study of the founding documents of our denomination might be well worth their while…
More than ever, we need to renew our vision of what it means to be an evangelical Anglican. My conviction is that not only is being evangelical the most authentic way of being Anglican – we’ve been saying that for years – but also that being Anglican is a great way of being evangelical.”
– Read Michael Jensen’s full post at The Blogging Parson.
Tea or Tanks on the Lambeth Palace Lawn?
“This week, seven ‘Communion Partner’ bishops from The Episcopal Church made a private visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury. We might well imagine them enjoying a cup of tea in the Lambeth Palace gardens and little more imagination is needed to guess the reason for their call…”
– Charles Raven’s latest piece on events in the Anglican Communion may be found at SPREAD.
Related: Canterbury hosts seven Episcopal bishops for private meeting – from EpiscopalLifeOnline.
Moralism is not the gospel
“Far too many believers and their churches succumb to the logic of moralism and reduce the Gospel to a message of moral improvement. In other words, we communicate to lost persons the message that what God desires for them and demands of them is to get their lives straight.…”
– Albert Mohler writes on the very real danger of preaching a false gospel.
The Nameless One
Carl Trueman writes about the ‘young, restless and reformed movement’ – and more – at Reformation21. –
“One striking and worrying aspect of the movement is how personality oriented it is. It is identified with certain big names, rather than creeds, confessions, denominations, or even local congregations…
Often cults of personality can degenerate in short order into cults, pure and simple, especially when every word of the guru figure becomes virtual Holy Writ…”
Update:
Tim Challies writes of this article –
“I had something else to post today but wanted to put it on hold for a day or two so I can draw your attention to what I consider a very important article… In the past few months I’ve sat down again and again to write out some of my thoughts about the whole Young, Restless, Reformed movement we are experiencing today. But never have I quite been able to convey my thoughts on it as clearly and succinctly as I’d like. I’ve wanted to share both praise for what God is doing and misgivings for what I think we, the church, are doing poorly. Never was I able to strike the balance, so I just left it rotting in my drafts folder.
Trueman, though, has nailed it. …”
815’s Day of Reckoning approaches
(‘815’ is the nickname for the TEC’s headquarters at 815 Second Avenue, New York.)
“[San Joaquin, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh and Quincy] are the four dioceses which have thus far voted to leave the Church, and each departure has spawned a lawsuit. ECUSA from the beginning has adopted a high-stakes, winner-take-all strategy which depends for its success on its ability to prove in court the proposition that a diocese is not free to withdraw from the voluntary unincorporated association which ECUSA has been since its formation at common law in 1789…
The fact is that ECUSA has never – until now – had to prove its unwritten prohibition against leaving in a court of law. But there are four court cases currently pending in which it will have to do so, sooner or later…”
– Christian lawyer A.S. Haley writes at Anglican Curmudgeon.
Image adapted from the TEC donation website.
Davies and Spong agree
“It is not often that I find myself in agreement with Bishop Jack Spong.
According to the Church of England Newspaper report of 21 August, the former Bishop of Newark has rejected Presiding Bishop Katharine Schori’s contention that nothing had changed as a result of the 76th General Convention’s votes on gay bishops and blessings…”
– Bishop of North Sydney, Glenn Davies, writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Preach on Alienation — to Reconcile
“Of course, there are great temptations not to preach on sin(!) Brian McLaren tells us that this is not the way to reach Gen-Xers. Robert Schuller told us this was not the way to reach Boomers. Harry Fosdick told us this was not the way to reach Moderns. I am sure we could find such sentiments all through history, and the reason is that we do not like to be told that we are sinners…”
– Chad Brand. (h/t Unashamed Workman)
Wearing the disguise of Faithfulness
“The inevitability of the votes to allow the affirmation of homosexual unions and the calling of homosexual ministers is rooted in decisions made prior to those crucial votes. The actions in Minneapolis would be inconceivable but for the fact that the denomination has for decades allowed increasing theological pluralism to mark its membership and its leadership…”
– Al Mohler writes on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s decisions last week,
Albert Mohler on the Future of the Southern Baptist Convention
President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Albert Mohler, last week spoke at The President’s Forum at the seminary. His topic was “The Future of the Southern Baptist Convention”.
Interesting listening and an insight into growing up as a Southern Baptist, US culture, and whether the Southern Baptists will be mission-minded or bureaucratic. While the culture is different, listeners will pick similar challenges for Sydney Anglicans.
Worth hearing. The 57 minute audio file is available at the SBTS website.
“Do not worry” — a devotional and a testimony
There’s a lot of worry in the Anglican world these days, and especially here in North America. “What will happen to the orthodox in TEC if we decide to stay?” “Will Canterbury act to provide a place for the orthodox to sign the Covenant and be on the ‘inside track’ without retaliation from 815?” “Will my bishop inhibit and depose me for even thinking about leaving?” “What if we lose our buildings…?”
The American Anglican Council’s Phil Ashey shares a story of the Lord’s kindness.
Related earlier posts – 1, 2, 3. (Photo: Screenshot from WBNG News, NY.)
Get a Bible with all the words
In this 2 minute video clip, John Piper explains why we need a Bible translation that has all the words.
It promises far too little — the false gospel of prosperity theology
“‘God knows where the money is, and he knows how to get the money to you.” That was the message of Gloria Copeland as she was speaking at the Southwest Believers’ Convention recently held in Fort Worth, Texas. …
This ‘turbocharged’ theology offers a false hope, presents a failed message, and is a False Gospel.”
– Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes bluntly about the false gospel of ‘prosperity theology’.
See also this from last year on Word of Faith preachers.
(Oh, and if you must see for yourself the messages given at “the Southwest Believers’ Convention”, you can do so here. Note: the mp4 video files are around 1GB each.)
The historic episcopate: a response
“I appreciate the feedback on the historic episcopate, following my blog of last fortnight, reflecting upon article 3 of the ACNA constitution.
3. We confess the godly historic Episcopate as an inherent part of the apostolic faith and practice, and therefore as integral to the fullness and unity of the Body of Christ. …”
– Bishop Glenn Davies expands his earlier comments about one article of the ACNA Constitution (PDF) – at SydneyAnglicans.net. (Photo: Russell Powell.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…