A Communiqué from the Gafcon Primates Council meeting in Sydney– 6th May 2019

Posted on May 6, 2019 
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON Comments Off on A Communiqué from the Gafcon Primates Council meeting in Sydney– 6th May 2019

The GAFCON Primates, meeting in Sydney last week, have released a Communiqué at the end of their gathering. Global evangelism is a key theme:

“Our primary focus this week has been upon the great tasks of mission and evangelism. As a global fellowship we are uniquely positioned to support one another in ministry to a world where mass immigration and globalisation are reshaping our countries.

There are billions who have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the field is ripe for the harvest. In this new world every believer has a role in preaching Christ faithfully to the nations. There are even more who have heard, but not understood.  In many situations the main challenge is not ignorance, but unbelief.

We ask you to join us in prayer for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s power to break into the hearts and minds of those who have not yet believed.”

Also, the Primates speak of Lambeth 2020 and plan for a Gafcon Bishops Conference in 2020:

“On the one hand, we have no interest in attempting to rival Lambeth 2020.  On the other hand, we do not want our bishops to be deprived of faithful fellowship while we wait for order in the Communion to be restored. Therefore, we have decided to call together a meeting of bishops of the Anglican Communion in June of 2020.”

– Read the whole Communiqué here.

SMBC Principal Stuart Coulton to retire

Posted on May 6, 2019 
Filed under People Comments Off on SMBC Principal Stuart Coulton to retire

“Geoff Deane, SMBC Chairman has announced the retirement from SMBC of Rev. Stuart Coulton, Principal, effective January 2020, following over 30 years of service at SMBC with the last eight years as Principal. …”

– Announcement from the Sydney Missionary and Bible College. (PDF file.)

Greg Clarke announces resignation as CEO of Bible Society Australia

Posted on May 6, 2019 
Filed under People Comments Off on Greg Clarke announces resignation as CEO of Bible Society Australia

“It is with a mix of gratitude, sadness and faith for the future, that the Board of Bible Society Australia accepts the resignation of Dr Greg Clarke from the position of CEO.

Over the last 9 years, Greg has served the Society with absolute distinction – leading us through the amalgamation of the six States into one national body, and the acquisition of Eternity news service, the media company Centre for Public Christianity (which Greg co-founded), the retail book chain Koorong, and two publishing businesses (Acorn Press and Morning Star Publishing). …”

– Read the complete press release from Bible Society Australia Chairman Anne Robinson.

Federal election 2019: ‘Labor’s bid to ban anti-gay speech’

Posted on May 6, 2019 
Filed under Australia, Culture wars Comments Off on Federal election 2019: ‘Labor’s bid to ban anti-gay speech’

“Labor will consider expanding anti-discrimination legislation to shield gay and transgender ­people from harmful speech if elected, in a move that has alarmed lawyers and free-speech advocates. …”

– story from The Australian.

Related:

How Labor Will Impose the Queer Revolution – Quadrant Online:

“In December 2018, the ALP voted on the national platform they will take to the federal election. Among a suite of policies to advance the cause of LGBT rights, it included a statement of strong opposition to the deplorable practice of ‘conversion therapy’. On the face of it, there should be nothing alarming in this…”

What’s Next? Confidently Preaching Christ.

Posted on May 6, 2019 
Filed under Australia, GAFCON Comments Off on What’s Next? Confidently Preaching Christ.

Archbishops Ben Kwashi (GAFCON General Secretary) and Foley Beach (GAFCON Chairman) are in Australia for the GAFCON Primates meeting which has just concluded.

After speaking in Sydney on Saturday 4th May, they will travel to Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth – details at GAFCON Australia.

Their topic is: What’s Next? Confidently Preaching Christ.

The Drive to reach Australia

Posted on May 5, 2019 
Filed under Australia, Encouragement Comments Off on The Drive to reach Australia

“We all want to reach Australia with the gospel. We want to see our friends, family and colleagues come to know and love the Lord Jesus. That’s a rallying point that we can all get behind.

And yet, at present, we’re facing an increasingly uphill battle. The average church size is no more than 70 across Australia, and ‘No Religion’ is now the fastest growing category of belief in Australia (ABS Census). What’s more, 56% of Aussies say they don’t even know anything about their local church. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Andrew Heard announces the launch of Reach Australia, and passes on news of their first conference.

“Welby’s Lambeth invite apology smooths way for Anglican Consultative Council to walk together”

Posted on May 5, 2019 
Filed under Anglican Communion Comments Off on “Welby’s Lambeth invite apology smooths way for Anglican Consultative Council to walk together”

“Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, working with others, preserved the unity of the 17th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council on May 4 by apologizing for his 2020 Lambeth Conference decisions about bishops in same-sex relationships and agreeing to renew the communion’s 21-year-old promise to listen to the experiences of LGBTQ people.

‘I ask your forgiveness where I made mistakes,’ Welby said.

The April 28-May 5 meeting came close to breaking down during the afternoon of its last business day, not over the Lambeth Conference, but over the larger issue of how much the council ought to say about the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in the life of the church. …”

– This report from The Episcopal News Service speaks of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s apology for seeking to disinvite the spouses of bishops in same-sex marriages from the 2020 Lambeth Conference.

Photo: Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.

For some historical perspective on the trajectory of the Anglican Consultative Council, see this post from ten years ago (June 2009) from the American Anglican Council:

Corrupting the Anglican Communion Listening Process:

“The next stage of the Anglican Communion’s attempt to resolve its differences over theology, sexuality and the authority of scripture will involve more “listening processes,” but this time those processes will be paid for by a retired Episcopal priest who advocates same-sex blessings. The money given by the Episcopal priest will be monitored by a group of sex “experts” who advocate a vision of sexual freedom and “justice” that bears little resemblance to mainstream Christian doctrine or tradition …“

and also this June 2009 statement from then President of the Anglican Church League, Rev. Dr. Mark Thompson –

Apostasy and deception: Statement on ACC-14 from the Anglican Church League:

“The reports from the 14th Anglican Consultative Council meeting being held in Jamaica make for depressing reading. ‘Assume incompetence rather than malevolence’, the old saying goes. That is becoming harder and harder to do, even for the optimists amongst us.

The intervention of the Archbishop of Canterbury at crucial points to serve the interests of TEC and its presiding bishop and to thwart the attempts to bring real accountability to bear on those who have abandoned the teaching of Scripture and are pursuing the property of faithful Anglicans through the courts, undermines any suggestion that he is providing genuine leadership at this crucial time. The activities of other officials from the Anglican Communion Office were even more openly serving the revisionist agenda. …”

Plus this report from Canon Phil Ashey in 2012 –

A Report from the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Auckland:

“In terms of what schemes seem to be emerging, I would respectfully suggest the following as a ‘pincer’ movement that ACC/ACO is going to place upon confessing Anglicans:

1.  Through Continuing Indaba dialogue and stories, bolstered by the work of the BILC resources, Biblical interpretation of human sexuality and its limits will be rendered value-neutral with no limits on Biblical interpretation within the Communion. Lambeth 1.10 will be declared in effect non-binding;

2.  Then, through the new Code of Conduct and the Safe Church resolution, any objection to sexual expressions that are not Biblical will be deemed ‘harassment,’ chilling any speech and bringing consequences to those who, in Anglican communion meetings, dare to raise the subject.

I pray I am mistaken, but that is my best look into the future. …”

– and many other posts on our website.

GAFCON Affirms it will not attend or observe Lambeth

Posted on May 4, 2019 
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON Comments Off on GAFCON Affirms it will not attend or observe Lambeth

“At an event hosted by GAFCON Australia today here in Sydney, Archbishop Foley Beach (Primate of the ACNA and now chair of the GAFCON Primates Council) reaffirmed that they will be turning down Archbishop of Canterbury’s invitation to attend the 2020 Lambeth Conference. …”

– David Ould reports.

Bishop of Grafton speaks on Israel Folau

Posted on May 4, 2019 
Filed under Australian dioceses, Culture wars Comments Off on Bishop of Grafton speaks on Israel Folau

“He claims that free speech gives him the right to say anything he wants and blames others for the offence they take.

While he is free to hold to particular religious views, how he expresses these views in public is another matter. Free speech is not hate speech and should not be used to vilify others. Threatening people in this way cannot be disguised as protected religious activity. …”

– Bishop of Grafton, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Murray Harvey, has issued this Media Statement. (PDF file.)

Related:

SMBC “Hot Topics” paper on “Religious Freedom in Australia” delivered by Associate Professor Neil Foster on 01 May 2019 (PDF file).

Reflections on the Israel Folau affair – Associate Professor Neil Foster, 14 April 2019.

“…the question seems to boil down to this: can a statement that ‘homosexuals’ (along with ‘drunks’ and ‘thieves’ and others) are destined for eternal punishment unless they repent, be said to be ‘hateful’ or ‘vilifying’?

Of course many in the community will reject the notion of a God who created the world, who cares about the behaviour of human beings whom he made in his image, who judges their rebellion, and who has graciously offered a way out of condemnation through sending his son Jesus Christ to die and rise again.

But those are doctrines that have been held by the majority of people who have lived and died in the Western world for thousands of years. … These are the clear teachings of the Bible…”

Photo: Diocese of Grafton.

God’s multidimensional wisdom

Posted on May 3, 2019 
Filed under Encouragement, Theology Comments Off on God’s multidimensional wisdom

“Do you think that God, the one who created all things, is boring? If you do, it might be because your view of God is one-dimensional. …”

– Encouragement which should lead to praise – from Ephesians 3:9-11 – via Dr Lionel Windsor.

EFAC Press Release – 02 May 2019

Posted on May 2, 2019 
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON Comments Off on EFAC Press Release – 02 May 2019

THE EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
PRESS RELEASE BY THE TRUSTEES

The Trustees of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC) have read reports of the address by Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the General Secretary of the Anglican Communion, to the Anglican Consultative Council currently meeting in Hong Kong in which he attributed the crisis in the Anglican Communion to “largely autocratic Primates and bishops in the Global South who do not behave as Anglicans” and asked the questions, “’How should we respond to GAFCON?” – the Global Anglican Fellowship of conservative Provinces that has been acting increasingly independently in recent years, after a split over sexuality. ‘How do we handle this to prevent schism in our Communion?’”

The Trustees have written to Archbishop Josiah stating that we will want to unpack with him in due course his criticism of GAFCON in circumstances where it is not disputed that the crisis within the Anglican Communion was started by the Episcopal Church acting independently over the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson and has been driven ever since by the independent actions of the Episcopal Church and other liberal provinces, acting against the advice of the Instruments of Communion.

In his address, Archbishop Josiah also suggested that, for a solution to the present crisis, one should look to the example of EFAC “which, in the 1960s, had deliberated breaking away to form an independent Evangelical Church, but had been dissuaded by the late Revd Dr John Stott”. In our communication with Archbishop Josiah, the Trustees of EFAC have stated that this is an inapt and unhelpful analogy, even if it were correct in fact (which it is not). The current crisis in the Anglican Communion is caused by a different issue, same-sex marriage and partnerships, an issue on which the views of the Revd Dr John Stott were clear:

“If you want me to stick my neck out, I think I would say that if the Church were officially to approve homosexual partnerships as a legitimate alternative to heterosexual marriage, this so far diverges from biblical sexual ethics that I would find it exceedingly difficult to stay. I might want to stay on and fight a few more years, but if they persisted, I would have to leave.” (John Stott, Balanced Christianity, p. 63)

This is also an issue on which EFAC is clear. EFAC’s constitution provides expressly, inter alia, as follows:

“We acknowledge God’s creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family. We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married.”

There is no division between EFAC and GAFCON on issues of human sexuality and any attempt to create division will be resisted prayerfully and strenuously.

We have asked Archbishop Josiah publicly to correct the false analogy (in the same way as he has corrected his perceived critique of the Roman Catholic Church).

Bishop Keith Sinclair (Chairman)
Stephen Hofmeyr QC
Revd Canon Dr Chris Sugden
Carl Hughes.

Received by e-mail. Text extracted from this PDF file.

File image: Anglican Communion crest.

Father gagged, found guilty of ‘Family Violence’ for calling his Trans daughter a ‘She’

Posted on May 2, 2019 
Filed under Culture wars Comments Off on Father gagged, found guilty of ‘Family Violence’ for calling his Trans daughter a ‘She’

“Last week, Justice Francesca Marzari of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada, declared a father guilty of ‘family violence’ against his 14-year-old daughter on the sole basis that he had engaged in ‘expressions of rejection of [her] gender identity.’ These ‘expressions’ revolved entirely around his polite refusal to refer to his daughter as a boy in private, and his steady choice to affirm that she is a girl in public. …”

– Report from The Federalist.

Albert Mohler speaks about the case in The Briefing for 1st May 2019.

Book Review: Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry

Posted on May 1, 2019 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Book Review: Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry

“This is a deeply personal story of a life that leads to God. In among the muck; the violence, abuse, sadness, depression, and struggle Jackie’s story is also a story of hope, transformation, love, encouragement, inspiration, and challenge.

From the very beginning of her book Jackie tells the story of her life in two particular parts. The story of who she was and the story of who she is becoming. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Jon Coombs in Melbourne has a review of ‘Gay Girl, Good God’.

The drawing power of our loving Saviour

Posted on May 1, 2019 
Filed under Encouragement Comments Off on The drawing power of our loving Saviour

“A magnet draws iron to itself. You’ve seen a great magnet held over a little box of sawdust and iron filings? As it comes within a certain range, the air seems electric and the little particles of iron become restless. A movement passes through them … they vibrate and tremble. There’s some strange power possessing them and attracting them. Quite suddenly, they cling together, spring up and attach themselves to the magnet.

A magnet irresistibly draws iron to itself. While the effect is indisputable, the cause remains hidden. The sun draws earth’s moisture upwards into clouds. While the resultant rain is obvious, the way it works is invisible. So Christ draws his people to himself with unmistakable effect, but by all sorts of inexplicable means. Referring to his crucifixion, Jesus said: ‘When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself’ (John 12).

What drew you to Christ? I’d love to hear your story.

I ‘knew’ a man who had quite a past. He was not the sort of bloke you’d expect to come to faith in Christ. He was only 30, but he’d seen so much of the world and had lived such a wild life. …”

– Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, John P Wilson, shares some strong encouragement.

Launching UniChurch Belfast: An interview with Dave Jensen

Posted on April 30, 2019 
Filed under People Comments Off on Launching UniChurch Belfast: An interview with Dave Jensen

“Ministry here has some strong similarities with Sydney, and some distinct differences. The gospel is the gospel, sin is sin, and the solution to sin is the gospel no matter where you are! So whether in evangelism or general church ministry, we have that same mission to see lives transformed through Christ.

Although on a surface level Australia and Northern Ireland are culturally similar, beneath the surface they are completely different. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Dave Jensen shares what’s happening with UniChurch in Belfast.

← Previous Page — Next Page →