EFAC Global calls for prayer for C of E General Synod

Posted on July 4, 2024 
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“The General Synod of the Church of England will be meeting in York from the 5th to the 9th of July 2024.

There will be presentations and questions on the Living in Love and Faith report on Saturday afternoon (6 July) and a 5-hour session on Monday afternoon (8 July).

The paper to be discussed is 31 pages long, but the Executive Summary is as follows…”

– Anglican Mainstream has republished this call to prayer from Bishop Stephen Hale (Chair), Bishop Henry Scriven (General Secretary) and Bishop Keith Sinclair (Chair of Trustees) on behalf of EFAC Global.

Jesus Calling — and the Presbyterian Church in America

Posted on July 4, 2024 
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“Perhaps you are unaware of the controversy surrounding Jesus Calling among Reformed and Presbyterian churches. But there are good reasons why the book has generated so much resistance and strong critiques even as it has sold in the tens of millions and generated dozens of spin-offs. The problems with Jesus Calling begin with its origins. …”

– At Reformation21, Todd Pruitt explains why the Presbyterian Church in America discussed and voted on Jesus Calling at their recent General Assembly.

It’s worth being aware of the book and its many derivatives.

The article at Reformation21 references this 2015 post by Tim Challies: 10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling:

“Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling is a phenomenon that shows no signs of slowing down. … Yet it is a deeply troubling book. I am going to point out 10 serious problems with Jesus Calling in the hope that you will consider and heed these warnings.”

Bishop of Oxford names the Alliance proposal – “disproportionate schism”.

Posted on July 3, 2024 
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“Dear Colleague,

I write to make a number of points in response to your letter to the Archbishops of 26th June. Your letter makes a series of charges against the bishops of the Church of England and I have no doubt has caused hurt to LGBTQIA+ Christians and their friends and family. Your threat of schism means that we find ourselves on the front pages of the national press on this issue even in the midst of a General Election campaign when the world faces so many challenges and problems. …”

– Unsurprisingly, the Bishop of Oxford, Dr. Steven Croft, doesn’t like the letter from The Alliance and believes they are exaggerating the problem and the number of people who are unhappy. (via Anglican Mainstream. PDF of the letter here via Anglican.ink.)

Among other things he writes,

“You level against the bishops again the charge of Western elitism and ignoring the views of the Global South. However, your own letters pay no attention to the very considerable consensus at the Lambeth Conference in 2022 about accepting different views on sexuality yet still walking together. …”

For background, here are some articles about the claimed “very considerable consensus” at Lambeth 2022:

Archbishop Welby denounces as un-biblical the decision of African Primates to skip the Lambeth Conference – 13 June 2022.

Orthodox bishops to offer their own ‘Lambeth Resolution’ — won’t receive Holy Communion with gay-partnered bishops – 29 July 2022.

Clarity out of Confusion: Lambeth 2022 – 08 August 2022.

Peter Jensen on Lambeth — Repentance is needed – 09 August 2022.

Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches responds to C of E General Synod vote – 10 February 2023.

Read the Letter from The Alliance to which the Bishop of Oxford is responding.

Update:

Comment from Susie Leafe at Christian Today:

“It seems that, just like the Archbishop of Canterbury before him, Bishop Croft would rather forget that hundreds of bishops boycotted the Lambeth Conference because they could not walk together with those who have departed from the teaching of the Church. It also seems to have slipped his mind that many who did attend were also very clear that they too could not walk together.

The truth is, there was no vote at Lambeth and there was no opportunity for bishops to dissent from the party line espoused by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Bishop of Oxford may have forgotten the events of 2022, but surely he cannot have missed the more recent statements from Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, who between them represent about 75 per cent of the Anglican Communion. Again and again they have said that in seeking to change the teaching and practice of the Church, the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury have forfeited their leadership role of the global Communion. …”

How do we diagnose complex problems within our church?

Posted on July 3, 2024 
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“All the time in church there are unexpected things happening. We or someone else makes a decision to change something which then relationally or missionally impacts another area of church life that we didn’t expect. …

Whatever size your church is – the church system is complex, interdependent and interconnected.”

– Dominic Steele speaks with Greg Lee from Newcastle’s Hunter Bible Church.

Made in Our Image

Posted on July 2, 2024 
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Recently, on The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele interviewed Stephen Driscoll about the coming AI tsunami.

Stephen’s book Made in Our Image, is now available from Matthias Media.

“Artificial intelligence is coming. And this tech revolution, perhaps more than any such revolution that’s gone before, will change the world. No life will be left untouched.

How do Christians navigate their way through these momentous changes? What does Christianity have to say about this brave new world? What will living for Jesus look like in a world where humans, made in God’s image, coexist with intelligent machines made in our image?

Author, pastor and self-confessed ‘tech realist’ Stephen Driscoll sets out to answer those questions with a deep dive into the intersection of faith and technology. Avoiding the extremes of both the tech worshippers and the ‘doomers’, Driscoll offers accessible and illuminating insights into the nature of AI, along with practical tips on how Christians might use this technology for good. Most of all, he shows how the deepest structures of biblical thought will equip Christians to live with AI.

This book is a must-read for tech-savvy optimists and sceptics alike.”

You can watch the promo video above – and order the book here.

Root Not Fruit

Posted on July 2, 2024 
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“The news that the prominent Atheist Richard Dawkins is now claiming to be a cultural Christian, should not surprise.

Many of us know parents who send children to Christian schools because they like the product of such schools, yet insist they don’t want their children to be religious.

In my first parish I would meet C.E. Christians. I was told I could only expect to see them at Christmas (C) and Easter (E). So called ‘cultural Christians’ see no need to believe the supernatural elements of the Faith, they are Christians without the C and the E. …”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook reminds us why we must keep on preaching the Word.

Photo: David Cook preaching at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in 2022.

GAFCON Australasia Conference 2024 underway

Posted on July 1, 2024 
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“Starting with a children’s song and an Anglican confession in a large Baptist auditorium in Brisbane before an audience of people from across Australia, guests from the Pacific and South East Asia and including sixty under 18s, signals the comprehensiveness of GAFCON Australasia’s second conference. …”

– The GAFCON Australasia Conference is underway, and Russell Powell has this report.

Nungalinya College seeking new Principal

Posted on July 1, 2024 
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Nungalinya College, the Theological and Training College for Indigenous people, in Darwin – set up by the Anglican, Uniting and Roman Catholic Churches more than 50 years ago, is looking for a new Principal.

“The College is looking for a Principal who will lead a Christ-centred educational vision that respects Indigenous Languages and cultures and seeks to empower Indigenous Christians at every level of the College. …

Closing Date  – 26th July 2024.”

– Details at the College website.

Why share Jesus? You have the best news possible.

Posted on July 1, 2024 
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Mark Calder, Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst, reminds us Why we share Jesus. He turns to 2 Corinthians 5:11.

Part 2 in a 4-part series reflecting on the Diocesan strategic plan, “Sharing Jesus for Life”.

Week 1 – Compassion, Week 2 – Reverence, Week 3 – Love, Week 4 – Courage.

Encouraging – but also sobering.

Watch here. A very good way to start a new month.

Moore College Sunday 2024

Posted on July 1, 2024 
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Moore College Sunday 2024 is coming up on 4th August.

The College has made available some resources to help you pray for and be aware of what’s happening at Moore.

A Paper Province or a Proper Province?

Posted on June 30, 2024 
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“With the announcement of a ‘Parallel Province’, Anglican Futures asks, has The Alliance found the answers to the intractable problems of providing orthodox episcopal oversight within the Church of England? …”

– In the latest post at Anglican Futures, the question is asked how a ‘Parallel Province’ might actually work. The post reminds us how important it is for members of The Alliance to tease out how their goal, if it is needed, would be achieved.

It’s also a good reminder that wisdom would be a good thing to pay for.

A Theology of Reproductive Technology

Posted on June 29, 2024 
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“For the last few decades, Oliver O’Donovan’s Begotten or Made? has been difficult to find and expensive to buy. Thanks to the foresight of the Davenant Institute, an organization aimed at renewing the intellectual life of contemporary Protestantism, that’s no longer the case.

This ‘New Edition for the 21st Century,’ published some 38 years after the original, is now both readily available and affordable – at least on Kindle, and also in paperback for those in the U.S. and Canada. What’s more, it comes with a new introduction by Matthew Lee Anderson, which helpfully highlights the significance of the work, and a fresh afterword from O’Donovan himself.

Begotten or Made? is the published version of the London Lectures in Contemporary Christianity delivered by O’Donovan in 1983. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition, Rob Smith and Andrew Spencer provide an introduction to the second edition of “this increasingly important work”.

From the page for this book on Amazon, Carl Trueman writes:

“Though written decades ago, this little book by O’Donovan is a masterpiece and still one of the best reflections on what it means to be human in our modern world. It transformed my own thinking on key issues and deserves to be widely read by a new generation of theologians, philosophers, and pastors.”

Albert Mohler comments on the first US Presidential debate

Posted on June 28, 2024 
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Dr Albert Mohler comments on today’s US Presidential Debate under four headings –

“A Human and Political Tragedy: President Joe Biden’s Underwhelming Performance in the First Presidential Debate Last Night

‘Aggressive Panic’: Democrats Respond to President Biden’s Debate Performance — The Democrats are in Major (And Complicated) Crisis

Both Candidates Flopped on Abortion: Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump Disappoint on the Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life

Credibility in Leadership and Abortion: Americans Face Two Huge Issues in the Aftermath of Last Night’s Presidential Debate.”

– Whatever our interest (or lack thereof) in US politics, the Bible calls on Christians to pray for those in authority –

1 Timothy 2:1-4

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – ESV.

“The Alliance” coalition writes to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York

Posted on June 27, 2024 
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The Alliance – “a broad coalition of leaders of networks across different traditions supported by more than 2,000 clergy within the Church of England” has written to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York outlining their plans to form – if necessary a “parallel Province”.

“…we want to inform you that we are now proposing a positive way forward to allow those churches who support the Church’s teaching to carry on their mission and pipeline of ministry securely, founded on the Church’s doctrine.

If the further departure from the Church’s doctrine suggested by the Synod papers does go ahead, we will have no choice but rapidly to establish what would in effect be a new de facto ‘parallel Province’ within the Church of England and to seek pastoral oversight from bishops who remain faithful to orthodox teaching on marriage and sexuality.

We will encourage all church leaders who are in sympathy with The Alliance to join the parallel Province.

We will take action with immediate effect to open up a new pre-ordination stream for potential ordinands, in partnership with orthodox bishops, to reverse the decline caused in part by this unconstitutional and unorthodox process.

We are not leaving the Church of England or the Anglican Communion. We wish to stay loyal to the one holy catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world rather than be part of a schismatic move which departs from the teaching received…”

They conclude,

“We urge you, even at this late stage, to honour your oaths as archbishops and bishops in England and to follow the lawful constitutional path to preserve the unity of the Church throughout the Anglican Communion.”

Download the full letter (PDF file) from The Alliance website.

Bishop Stephen Hale’s EFAC Global message after the GFSA Conference

Posted on June 27, 2024 
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“Message from Bishop Stephen Hale, Chairman of EFAC Executive Committee

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This EFAC Global report has been written while I’ve been in Cairo participating in the Orthodox Leaders Meeting (AOL) organised by the GSFA and GAFCON Global. It is a new meeting that arose out of the Ash Wednesday Declaration of the GSFA in 2023 and the Kigali Commitment also in 2023. Its purpose is to connect the Primates with the many mission partners and groupings who are involved in conversations about resetting the Anglican Communion. A Statement from this meeting will be issued in due course.

The background to all of this for EFAC Global is a remarkable journey from the Lambeth Conference in 2022 to today. …”

– Read it all, via Anglican Mainstream.

Larger photo.

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