The Doctrine That Doesn’t Matter Remains Unchanged

Posted on December 26, 2023 
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion Comments Off on The Doctrine That Doesn’t Matter Remains Unchanged

“When the first rites of blessing for same-sex couples came out in the Anglican church, they were accompanied by a lot of bluster about how they were not to be equated with marriage rites and that they did not constitute a change in doctrine.

In 2003, the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster in Canada published a form of blessing for same-sex couples. Then-Bishop Ingham made a point to distinguish these blessings from the sacrament of marriage. …”

– At Crisis Magazine, former Episcopalian priest – and now Catholic – James Merrick argues that changing Pastoral Practice might be more significant than changing Doctrine. It’s happened in the Anglican world, and is now happening in the Roman Catholic world.

Photo: Then-Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, in 2002.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s Christmas sermon 2023

Posted on December 25, 2023 
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Archbishop Kanishka Raffel shared the good news of the Lord Jesus at the 10:00am service at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney this morning.

Speaking of the Lord Jesus, he reminded us, “There is no other Saviour. … No other has provided purification for sins.”

Watch here. (Link should go to the start of the sermon – or see the service from the start here.)

Related:

Two Ways to Live – a very helpful outline of the Christian message.

What now for those Evangelicals who fled to Rome?

Posted on December 25, 2023 
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion Comments Off on What now for those Evangelicals who fled to Rome?

“Where to now for the young evangelicals who left the Reformed faith for the safety and security of Rome? A Rome whose walls would never be breached, we were led to believe, by the ravages of the post-Christian Sexular Age?

The announcement by the Pope that same sex relationships can be blessed by the church raises a serious question for the trickle leading to a flood of evangelicals (often young men, with growing families who wanted to be more crunchy in their faith) who crossed the Tiber.

And where to now for former Church of England bishop, Michael Nasir-Ali, who left for Rome , for similar reasons? What reasons did he give for leaving? Here he is in his own words …”

– Written a couple of days ago, Steve McAlpine asks some valid questions.

See also:

The Icing on the Cake of Pope Francis: the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions – Leonardo De Chirico.

Misgendering and Misuse of Discipline

Posted on December 24, 2023 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars Comments Off on Misgendering and Misuse of Discipline

After the report Vicar Faces Official Rebuke From Church of England For Saying Trans Archdeacon is “Biologically a Bloke”, earlier in the week, the Rev. Brett Murphy has responded on his video blog.

Brett was also interviewed by Kevin Kallsen at Anglican TV.

When did Multiple Services begin?

Posted on December 24, 2023 
Filed under History Comments Off on When did Multiple Services begin?

“When did evangelical churches in America begin holding multiple services?

Throughout the nineteenth century, American churches traditionally held two distinct Sunday services: one in the morning, one in the evening. …

Slowly, however, this began to change. The advent of the automobile, growing urbanization, and the rise of America’s first megachurches all led to the multiple service model becoming the norm.”

– While not directly applicable to Australian churches (or is it?), this article by Caleb Morell at 9Marks gives some interesting history, and is a reminder that some of our practices might not be all that ancient, or always necessarily helpful.

“Don We Now Our Gay Apparel”

Posted on December 24, 2023 
Filed under Australian dioceses, Opinion Comments Off on “Don We Now Our Gay Apparel”

“Is the decline in Christianity among Anglican clergy moving pari passu with the decline in Western civilisation? Good question. Indubitably, is the answer. …

Mosques are crowded, churches are emptying. To have any chance of turning the tide, Christianity needs biblically-based priests. Priests like Glenn Davies; Bishop of the breakaway Diocese of the Southern Cross and former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney.”

– In an opinion-piece at Quadrant Online, contributor Peter Smith takes a hard look at what is happening in many parts of the Anglican Church. His article is supplemented by an excerpt from a well-known episode of “Yes, Prime Minister”.

Image from the website of the Anglican Church of Australia.

GSFA Chairman’s 2023 Christmas Message and Year-end Review

Posted on December 24, 2023 
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The Chairman of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, Archbishop Dr Justin Badi Arama, has released this Christmas message and year-end review:

A FAITHFUL WITNESS IN ALL SEASONS

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness,  to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.”
John 1:6-7

To be a faithful witness to the light of Jesus Christ is GSFA’s self-identity under God.

The work of a person who is a witness is to establish the truth beyond a reasonable  doubt. May all of us continue to be strong witnesses of the God who has revealed  Himself in the holy scriptures. John the Baptist was the faithful witness and the voice  in the wilderness who announced the coming of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings who  rules and defends us, and restrains and conquers all of his and our enemies.

In the week when we are about to celebrate our Lord’s incarnation, let us resolve to be like Him by giving ourselves sacrificially in service to those in need. Let us all resolve to share what God has given us with the poor, the suffering, the destitute as well as with all our fellow men and women who have yet to confess Jesus as Saviour & Lord.

The Year in Review 

In many ways, 2023 was a momentous year for GSFA. The Lord gave us three special  blessings:

1. Courage to stand for the truth

We thank God for the luminosity and the courage He gave to the primatial  leadership of GSFA to stand for the truth by issuing the GSFA Ash Wednesday Statement. The Statement declared that by taking this action, which followed  closely on several revisionist-leaning actions by Canterbury since Lambeth 2022,  the Archbishop of Canterbury had forfeited his role as primus inter pares (“first  among equals”) of the Communion.

The Ash Wednesday Statement emphasised that despite this departure from the ‘faith once for all delivered’ by the founding Province of our Communion, GSFA is not abandoning the ship. We are not leaving the historic Anglican Communion. We are stewards of all the good gifts the Lord has given our Communion through the centuries. We are therefore prepared, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to help re-set the Communion on its biblical foundation and continue our common life as God’s faithful people, rooted in the Word of God and expressed in common worship, distinctive liturgical formation, mutual care and accountability, and collective mission and ministry.

Events that have unfolded since the February 2023 Church of England General  Synod Resolution, including prayers of blessing for a same sex couple for the first  time on 17th December confirm GSFA’s reading of the situation and the timeliness  of our response. A similarly dangerous innovation in pastoral practice on same sex  blessings just announced by the Roman Catholic Church only serves to underline  the depth of the spiritual crisis.

2. Love to build unity with other orthodox leaders

Looking back, I am grateful to God that He was pleased to use the Ash Wednesday  Statement as a catalyst for unity. GSFA was privileged to host the gathering of  Anglican Orthodox Leaders (AOL) in Cairo from 17th-19th October 2023 in which  a total of 13 orthodox Primates participated, and they were joined by 10 Anglican  leaders who were invited as Observers.

The purpose of the meeting was to consult and to develop a collective response to what it means to be a faithful Church in these unprecedented times. What emerged was a commitment to stand together for the truth of God’s word and to work together to take the gospel out to a needy and pain-ridden world (AOL Communique). This wider circle of Anglican primates recognised the viability of the GSFA Covenantal Structure as a locus of unity for the orthodox in the  Communion which enables the full flowering of communion life. Importantly also, the Primates at AOL pledged that they would stand with orthodox Anglicans in revisionist and revisionist-leaning provinces.

3. Joy in God’s provision for the work of GSFA

We marvel at God’s faithfulness in not only providing the human resources for the  work of GSFA but in granting us in 2023 an operational centre in Cairo for our  growing ministry. We are especially grateful to Archbishop Samy Shehata of the  Province of Alexandria for the provision of a beautiful office space in the All  Saints’ Cathedral compound in Cairo. The opening of the Centre on 20 October  2023 captures the joy of this great step forward in our life and mission.

Plans for the coming year 

GSFA plans to start the new year by conducting a Bishops Formation Retreat for  new bishops and their wives in Uganda in February 2024.

We are getting ready for our first GSFA Assembly from 11th – 15th June 2024 in  Egypt. Please be in prayer for this Assembly that it might be a time of spiritual  refreshing and growing momentum. May we be like John the Baptist, fearless in the  declaration of God’s truth and preparing the hearts of many to be faithful disciples of  Christ. To our God and King be all majesty, power, authority, honour and glory,  world without end.

I take this opportunity to wish you all the joy of Christmas and the blessings of the  newborn King and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and
Chair of GSFA.

Source (with images): GSFA.

For Archbishop of Canterbury, Heading Anglican Church Is ‘High-Wire Act’

Posted on December 22, 2023 
Filed under Church of England, People Comments Off on For Archbishop of Canterbury, Heading Anglican Church Is ‘High-Wire Act’

“When the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, welcomed friends to sing Christmas carols at his London residence last week, his remarks ran, as they often do, to his coronation of King Charles III in May. …”

– The New York Times has this piece on Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

It tells us,“he is keenly aware of the limits on what he can accomplish before he hands over to the next archbishop in 2026. A bitter, yearslong debate over how the Church of England should treat same-sex marriage will not be resolved during his term, he said in an interview at Lambeth Palace…”

That You May Believe

Posted on December 22, 2023 
Filed under Good News Comments Off on That You May Believe

“I feel so strongly that among those of us who have grown up in church and who can recite the great doctrines of our faith in our sleep, and yet who can yawn through the Apostles’ Creed — that among us something must be done to help us once more feel the awe, the fear, the astonishment, the wonder of the Son of God, begotten by the Father from all eternity, reflecting all the glory of God, being the very image of his person, through whom all things were created, upholding the universe by the word of his power. …”

– In this Advent devotional, John Piper prays that all Christians will be overcome with wonder by the gospel.

Image: JWST.

Course: Talking with Catholics about Jesus

Posted on December 22, 2023 
Filed under Good News, Resources Comments Off on Course: Talking with Catholics about Jesus

Lionel Windsor draws attention to a very helpful course:

“An opportunity to understand Catholics and have great conversations together about Christ.

A new resource by Certainty4Eternity, distributed by Matthias Media. A course to consider for your church or small group 2024!”

Be better equipped to love your Catholic friends.

Image: Mark Gilbert.

Relationships, Results and Rhythms of Ministry Teams – with Grahame Fuller and Jo Gibbs

Posted on December 22, 2023 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Relationships, Results and Rhythms of Ministry Teams – with Grahame Fuller and Jo Gibbs

This week from The Pastor’s Heart:

“As we head to 2024 most of us are recasting ministry teams for the new year.

But how can we do this without making some of the mistakes that we have made in 2023?

How do we do better with staff teams  and all the various volunteer ministry teams across our church?

And even in the best places – there’s an inertia that we will slip back to functioning as rosters… How do we fix that?

Grahame Fuller is a long term senior leader at EV Church on the Central Coast.  Jo Gibbs is the Effective Teams consultant for Reach Australia.”

– Watch or listen here.

Kanishka Raffel: We must not lose sight of this simple Christmas message

Posted on December 21, 2023 
Filed under Good News, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Kanishka Raffel: We must not lose sight of this simple Christmas message

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has written this editorial which was published in The Daily Telegraph today.

What can we say when people come face to face with evil? How can we make sense of this desperate world? We need a word from God, which is exactly what Christmas is. God has spoken through his Son, Jesus.

Full text below:

The beginning of this year seemed to offer a ‘fresh start’ as we came out of COVID. Yet, as 2023 unfolded, the cost of living rose beyond the means of many, we witnessed with grief and horror, man-made calamity in war and conflict, as well as natural disasters, tragic accidents, and terrible crimes. 

We in Australia were not isolated from the international conflicts. Many have family and friends in war-torn areas and watch helpless as the television news brings the horrors into our lounge rooms. In Gaza, Israeli hostages are held by the terrorists while civilians have been tragically killed or displaced. The salt in mothers’ tears is the same, whether they are in Ukraine, Sudan or the Middle East. In far too many places around the world, children suffer in wars and conflicts not of their own making. 

Neither have we been insulated from rising inflation and the consequent effect on interest rates. The price of grocery items soared as home-owners were hit by five increases in interest rates this year. According to the research by Anglicare in its Rental Affordability Snapshot, the crisis in housing security has deepened for those in low-income households and the most vulnerable family groups. Basic affordable housing is beyond the reach of single parents, or single people, on any of the various welfare payments. The crisis in affordability has been made worse by rental availability plunging to levels not seen for more than a decade.

During COVID, there was a rise in domestic violence and we continue to see cases resulting in the death of women of all ages. I am told that younger women, between the ages of 18 to 34 years, are at greatest risk. These are terrible statistics and I commend the work of services such as 1800 Respect (1800 737 732). No women should have to suffer any form of abuse or coercive control. This is not God’s way for our families.

The introduction, last month, of the Voluntary Assisted Dying laws is a backward step for our society. Although introduced with what many consider to be the strictest protocols, I believe this will create pressure on already under resourced palliative care and diminish our commitment to protecting and valuing every human life. 

We have seen this play out in Canada, a country not unlike our own. While euthanasia was introduced in 2016, initially only for the terminally ill, it now accounts for 4 percent of all deaths in that country. New measures next year will extend the availability of assisted suicide in Canada to situations where a person’s sole medical condition is a mental illness.

The idea that all human life is inherently precious was not generally affirmed in the world into which Jesus Christ was born (although it was a tenet of Judaism). It spread with the growth of early Christianity and finds expression today in the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

Laws create culture. Practices shape values and community expectations. For two thousand years, Christian teaching has asserted the inestimable value of the individual created in the image of God and precious by virtue of life’s sanctity, not merely life’s utility or quality.  We abandon that principle at our peril. 

The horrors we see overseas, reach deep into our society too, as the Middle East conflict has brought a rise in anti-semitic sentiment. Flag burnings and aggressive verbal incitements to violence against Jewish people have shocked and repulsed our city. The sin of antisemitism has a long and shameful history. It must be repudiated in the strongest terms, so in October, I joined other faith leaders in calling for national unity and harmony so that our multi-cultural, multi-faith community may continue to thrive without hate or violence.

What can we say when people come face to face with evil? How can we make sense of this desperate world? We need a word from God, which is exactly what Christmas is. God has spoken through his Son, Jesus. The Bible describes Jesus as the Word of God – he is God’s word to us in good times and in bad.

When God came into the world he came in the vulnerability of childhood. He was born, amidst whispers of scandal, to an unwed mother. His parents searched fruitlessly for a place to stay. The secular power of the day sought his death and propelled his family to flee their home. He was born, unmistakeably, into this world with all its threats and insecurities, especially for children and the poor.

Yet, Jesus came to bring a word from God. To those who received him he gave the right to become children of God, St John says in the majestic opening to his Gospel. To a world wearied by war, human wickedness, death and decay – Jesus speaks a word of life, light, hope and adoption into God’s family.

Rising costs may have forced a stripped-down Christmas this year yet when you strip away the tinsel you have the simple message of Christmas, so simple a child can believe and yet so substantial that its wonders and glories can fill our hearts and sustain us through life’s challenges. At its heart the message of Christmas is nothing other than Jesus, and nothing better than Jesus.

May I wish you and those you love a very happy Christmas.

____________________________

– See also the Archbishop’s shorter Christmas video.

(With thanks to Russell Powell for the text. Image: SydneyAnglicans.net)

What is the Good News? A Response to Jayne Ozanne’s Reinterpretation

Posted on December 21, 2023 
Filed under Church of England, Opinion Comments Off on What is the Good News? A Response to Jayne Ozanne’s Reinterpretation

“I was astonished last week to see that Premier Christianity published what to be frank was just a heretical article from Jayne Ozanne…even more so after my own experience of being cancelled by them lest I upset some people (Why was I Cancelled and Repented for by Premier Christianity?)

They seem to have little difficulty in upsetting biblical Christians! I was not going to respond and then I came across a couple of other Christians who were influenced by Ozanne and did not see a major problem with what she said – so I wrote this piece  – which Christian Today have thankfully published. …

‘But what is this Good News? The Church of England, as the Church of Scotland and much of the rapidly declining mainstream denominations in the West, seem greatly confused. I recall a group of Scottish politicians who had asked a group of “representative” clergy to give advice and how confused they were. ‘You seem to believe in two different religions’ was their accurate observation. Indeed the trumpet has been giving an uncertain sound for many years.

Jayne Ozanne, the former evangelical, who once believed the Good News, has now come to agree with this view that there are two different versions of Christianity which are incompatible with one another. She wrote of this in a revealing article earlier this month. …’

– David Robertson responds in his usual helpful way – by drawing us back to the word of God. At The Wee Flea.

A word from God to a desperate world

Posted on December 20, 2023 
Filed under Good News, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on A word from God to a desperate world

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has released his Christmas video for 2023.

Great to share.

Posted, with some background, at SydneyAnglicans.net.

See also: Kanishka Raffel: We must not lose sight of this simple Christmas message.

Diocese of Bathurst Bishops’ Newsletter — Christmas 2023 edition

Posted on December 20, 2023 
Filed under Australian dioceses Comments Off on Diocese of Bathurst Bishops’ Newsletter — Christmas 2023 edition

The Christmas 2023 edition of the Bishop of Bathurst’s newsletter is now available.

Download your copy (PDF file) to be better informed, so you pray for – and seek to encourage – those who hold out the word of Life in this vast area of NSW.

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