St. John’s Vancouver transition FAQ

Posted on July 21, 2011 
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For your prayers for the members of St. John’s Vancouver as they plan to move to another location — there’s now a Transition FAQ here.

Anglican Education Commission statement on ethics classes

Posted on July 21, 2011 
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“Anglican Diocese of Sydney – Media Statement – 21/7/2011

Ethics classes objections remain but AEC will not seek to overturn legislation

The Sydney Morning Herald of 21st July 2011 reported Sydney diocese as ‘backing’ ethics classes. In a story quoting Anglican Education Commission executive director Bryan Cowling, the paper said the diocese had ‘reversed its position’.

This is incorrect. The Diocese of Sydney, along with the other providers of SRE (Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Moslem) campaigned against the legislation in order to protect the opportunity for parents to choose to have their children participate in SRE.

The substantive diocesan position remains that ethics should not have been placed in direct competition with Special Religious Education. There is concern about the legislation rushed through in the dying days of the previous government. There are other issues that the churches, individually and jointly, have taken up with the education department.

However, in a spirit of co-operation and to minimise disruption to students, the AEC and the diocese will not seek the overturning of the classes midway through the school year.  Read more

The Doctrine of Baptism – DWB Robinson

Posted on July 21, 2011 
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Church Society has republished a 1962 paper by Donald Robinson (then Vice-Principal of Moore Theological College, and later Archbishop of Sydney) on the doctrine of Baptism.

“For our Church’s doctrine of baptism we must go first of all to the Thirty-Nine Articles. The Prayer Book services must always be interpreted in accordance with the Articles, and not the other way about.”

– This enlightening paper is available as a PDF file from Church Society.

(This has also been republished as chapter 26 in Volume 2 of Donald Robinson, Selected Works, Australian Church Record / Moore College, 2008.)

New Principal for Melbourne School of Theology

Posted on July 20, 2011 
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Here’s a press release from the Melbourne School of Theology (formerly the Bible College of Victoria) –

Melbourne School of Theology announced today that Mr Timothy Meyers will take on the role of Principal of the College from December 2011.

MST Council President Ian Cathie said the Council was united and excited about Mr Meyers’ appointment and expressed the Council’s thanksgiving to God.

“The Council earnestly sought the Lord’s leading over many months to identify the person of His choosing for this unique and strategic role, and we give thanks to God for providing the Council with such a clear sense of conviction.   Read more

ACC report on Canadian Lutherans

Posted on July 20, 2011 
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“More than 500 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) gathered in Saskatoon, Sask., July 14 to 17, for its 13th biennial National Convention. Meeting under the theme ‘Covenant People: In Mission for Others,’ delegates passed a variety of motions, including several relating to human sexuality and structural renewal.

The Anglican Church of Canada, full communion partner of the ELCIC, supported the meeting. The Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, addressed convention and presided at closing worship. …

Delegates … passed three motions … an Affirmation Concerning the Unity of the Church; a policy statement allowing ministers to preside at or bless legal marriages, including those between same-sex couples, according to the laws of the province; and a policy paving the way for the ordination and installation of gay and lesbian pastors.”

–  The Anglican Church in Canada reports on the National Convention of partner denomination, ELCIC. (Photo: Trina Gallop / ELCIC Communications.)

John Lennox on Q&A

Posted on July 19, 2011 
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John Lennox was a member of the panel on ABC TV’s Q&A last night.

The video is now available for download from the ABC. (Image: ABC.)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada approves statement on human sexuality

Posted on July 17, 2011 
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“Following more than two hours of debate, delegates of the 2011 ELCIC National Convention approved a Social Statement on Human Sexuality. The results came late in a day and were done by written ballot, with 213 votes in favour of the motion and 134 against. …

Delegates voted on whether to call the question and the results were announced as 166 in favour and 162 against. As convention moved on to consider the adoption of the social statement, a steward announced that there had been an error with the previous count and the majority of delegates had voted not to call the question.

After a brief time of reflection, Bishop Johnson … ruled the decision to call the question stood, since delegates had proceeded in good faith according to information from the stewards. …

The original vote to approve the proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality resumed, and after voting, delegates heard a presentation and several announcements. … At around 7:30 p.m., Bishop Johnson announced the statement had been adopted by a vote of 213 to 134…”

– from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. (h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.)
Related: Bishop Johnson and Archbishop Hiltz’s Christmas greetings 2010.

One way of looking at it

Posted on July 17, 2011 
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“On July 10, 2011 clergy of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) who since May 2008 had been occupying the Anglican Church of Canada building on Guilford Drive in Abbotsford left that building to conduct worship in Grace Church a few blocks away. Worshippers who support those ANiC clergy also left the Anglican Church of Canada building to worship with those clergy…”

– The Bishop’s Warden of the Anglican Church of Canada parish at Abbotsford in Vancouver in a letter to BC Local News. (Photo: Diocese of New Westminster.) h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.

We rejoice in the emergence of the AMIE — Richard Coekin

Posted on July 16, 2011 
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“England is increasingly secularised and hostile to Christian faith and ethics and is consequently suffering immense social damage. It needs to be re-evangelised with the spectacular saving grace and transforming hope of the gospel of Christ crucified, risen and returning in glory. This is the cause to which the Anglican Mission in England (A.M.I.E.) is clearly committed…”

– Richard Coekin, Director of Co-Mission, explains why the emergence of the Anglican Mission in England is a cause for rejoicing.
(h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

No Fault Today, No Marriage Tomorrow

Posted on July 16, 2011 
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“I do not generally seek advice about marriage from celebrity models, but I could not help noticing that Christie Brinkley said she’ll ‘never get married again’. …”

– Phillip Jensen writes on the end point of the ‘no fault divorce’.

‘Could the Church of England be dead in 20 years?’

Posted on July 16, 2011 
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“Historic reformers, whether Martin Luther, Calvin, or even Wesley, were seldom successful in their attempts to reform the church from within. If the experiences of past reformations have taught us anything, it is that reformers will only succeed by creating an alternative structure. Luther’s deep desire to remain in the Medieval Church and reform it from within failed miserably—a valuable lesson here. …”

– Dr. Michael Youssef argues for an alternative to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

No change to American ban, ACC says

Posted on July 15, 2011 
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“The Archbishop of Canterbury’s ban on American participation in the Anglican Communion’s international ecumenical dialogues remains in place, a spokesman for the Anglican Consultative Council reports. …

Since Dr. Rowan Williams issued his May 28, 2010 Pentecost letter to the Anglican Communion, there has been controversy over how faithfully its terms have been implemented by the London-based staff of the ACC. …

The reappointment of one of the dismissed Americans to the ALIC, with the same role in the dialogue as before but with the new title of “consultant” further diminished the credibility and integrity of the ACC staff, one Global South leader told CEN.”

– Report from George Conger for the Church of England Newspaper. (Photo taken at the November 2008 JSC meeting: ACNS Rosenthal.)

Anglican Evangelism and Evangelical Anglicanism, 1945-2011 — the challenge we face

Posted on July 14, 2011 
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This week John Richardson spoke at the Evangelical Anglican Junior Clergy Conference in the UK, and he’s posted the text of his first address online. It’s a very interesting overview of Post-war UK evangelical Anglicanism. He includes mention of some help, in the Lord’s providence, from the colonies –

“Many in the Evangelical Anglican constituency were therefore increasingly uncomfortable with the direction being taken by the movement, and in the mid-1980s, under the leadership of Dick Lucas, the Evangelical Ministry Assembly and the Proclamation Trust struck out in a different direction.

The Proclamation Trust aimed unashamedly, and in its own mind principally, at a recovery of preaching. Nevertheless, this inevitably entailed a recovery of theology, and so the speakers invited to address the EMA were often men of theological acumen as well as skilled communicators.

Notably, however, most of them came from abroad — it seemed that in the UK they were in short supply. Many were from America but some, and in the end the most influential, were from the Diocese of Sydney in Australia.

Two key English Evangelicals made some revealing comments about the impact of just one of these visitors, John Chapman, who then headed the Department of Evangelism in the Diocese of Sydney. …”

– Read it all at The Ugley Vicar. (Photo of John Chapman, courtesy of AFES.)

Biblical Authority in an Age of Uncertainty

Posted on July 13, 2011 
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In this video from The Gospel Coalition, Don Carson, John Piper and Tim Keller speak together about the importance of knowing what the Bible says.

Related: David Ould looks at the debate in the UK on Women Bishops – “It’s Just the Vibe of the Thing” – at Stand Firm.

Vancouver church says farewell to old site

Posted on July 12, 2011 
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“The crowd of about 500 walked silently through the streets of an Abbotsford neighbourhood Sunday afternoon, following religious leaders in flowing robes. A cross and the Holy Bible were carried at the front of the line.

Most of the neighbours glanced at the solemn crowd and then returned to their lawn-mowing and garden-tending, likely not realizing the significance of the procession…”

– BC Local News reports on St. Matthew’s Abbotsford – one of ‘the Vancouver four’.

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