Can Conservative Evangelicals and Traditional Anglo-Catholics really work together?
Posted on November 2, 2008
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In 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, the Apostle Paul asked some searching questions of believers who wanted to take their new-found freedom in Christ too far:
For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?
Right now, a lot of people are asking the same question about any possible cooperation between Conservative Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics over the issues of women bishops and, to a lesser but still significant extent, same-sex relationships and their effect on the global Anglican Communion…
– Conservative Evangelical John Richardson gave this Address to the Annual Meeting of the Lincoln branch of Forward in Faith yesterday.
The most important issues in this election
Posted on November 2, 2008
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Where is your trust in this world? Where is your allegiance? John Piper speaks very helpfully on what’s really important as the US elections loom.
It’s a 4 minute video at Desiring God.
Taking a crack at the stained glass ceiling
Posted on November 1, 2008
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Church history will be made this weekend if Canberra’s Dr Sarah Macneil is elected the 10th Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn.
… only four remained from an original field of five nominees when the electoral synod began meeting yesterday in Goulburn. … Others nominated are Assistant Bishop and Vicar General of the diocese, Allan Ewing; Assistant Bishop and rector of the parish of St Matthew, Wanniassa, Trevor Edwards; and the rector of the parish of St Paul, Chatswood, Stuart Robinson.
– Report from The Canberra Times. (emphasis added)
FiF UK reacts to recent news from Sydney
Posted on November 1, 2008
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“Forward in Faith regrets the recent decision of the Synod of the diocese of Sydney with regard to lay and diaconal presidency at the Eucharist, both of which are clearly contrary to the foundational documents of Anglicanism.
It trusts that the Archbishop of Sydney will use those powers available to him to ensure that such innovations are not set forth, in order that further division is not thereby introduced into the life of the Communion.”
– a Statement from Forward in Faith UK.
However, the motion at Sydney Synod simply re-stated the Synod’s long-held opinion. There was no legislation involved. It seems many are reacting to exaggerated media reports. See Jeremy Halcrow’s report at SydneyAnglicans.net
See also George Conger’s article for The Church of England Newspaper.
Designing for Christmas
Posted on November 1, 2008
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Christmas is not far off – how will your church advertise what’s on?
There’s the Create Conference on November 15.
And as well, Phil Campbell at Mitchelton Presbyterian Church in Brisbane, shares his church’s Carols flier – and other good ideas – at Design4Church.
The key doctrine of Justification
Posted on November 1, 2008
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Mike Reeves chats with John Piper about the subject of justification – for the UCCF’s Theology Network.
There’s a very helpful stress on the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.
It’s a 17MB mp3 download – from this page.
The Manifesto of the Reformation
Posted on October 31, 2008
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The Manifesto of the Reformation
Luther vs. Erasmus on Free Will
The clash between Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus over the issue of free will is “one of the most famous exchanges in western intellectual history”…
Read the article by Lee Gatiss (editor of The Theologian) via the PDF file here (direct link).
Reformation Day
Posted on October 31, 2008
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It’s Reformation Day, and over at the Sola Panel, Sandy Grant has posted links to some useful resources.
See also our post from earlier this week.
Traditions Old and New
Posted on October 31, 2008
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In the Reformation the leaders of the day had to work out what to change and what to retain. With some things it was easy, because the need to change screamed out. But falling for the temptation to change everything led to some terrible follies and abuses.
It was the wisdom of Thomas Cranmer, which guided the Church of England through the Reformation changes. He did not accomplish all that he wanted to do. However, in 1549 he laid down some principles upon which he was working…
– Phillip Jensen wrote in last weekend’s Cathedral newsletter.
True Woman conference audio online
Posted on October 31, 2008
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Audio and text files of the talks given at the 2008 True Woman Conference, held in the Chicago area earlier this month, are now online.
Speakers include Mary Kassian, Joni Eareckson Tada and John Piper.
The talks are available at True Woman.
Arguing for GAFCON
Posted on October 30, 2008
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Wallace Benn and Mark Burkill respond to Iain Murray
The Christian work and fellowship started by GAFCON in Jerusalem in June 2008 has only just begun.
We are well aware that it faces plenty of dangers and obstacles as it seeks to renew the Anglican Communion in the work of the gospel. We know that it has already been misunderstood in various quarters. This may lead some to hesitate about supporting it. That is why we want to respond to the particular misunderstandings and historical errors that are stated in the article by Iain Murray in the September 2008 issue of EN, although both of us have enormously appreciated books he has written over the years…
– Wallace Benn and Mark Burkill in Evangelicals Now – in response to ‘The Church of England in crisis’ by Iain Murray.
(Photo of Bishop Wallace Benn at GAFCON: Peter Frank.) h/t Anglican Mainstream.
How others see us: What’s up Down Under?
Posted on October 30, 2008
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“The recent decision of the Diocesan Synod of Sydney, in the Anglican Church of Australia, to allow the administration of Holy Communion—i.e., the celebration of the Eucharist—by deacons and eventually laity seems outlandish to many overseas Anglicans. It makes considerably more sense within the context of Australian Anglicanism, which has a very different history than The Episcopal Church (TEC) and its various offshoots (I will get to that later). Australian Anglicanism is exceptionally diverse as a result of that history, and its diversity has led the Anglican Church of Australia to adopt a unique pattern of organization.
Just as some Episcopalians are frustrated when other Anglicans cannot understand TEC’s particular form of synodical governance, so I expect Australians feel when outsiders try to apply their own context to matters Down Under. I write the following as an American outsider, but one who has long been fascinated enough by the local variations on the common Anglican theme to make a study of them. (I hope that any Australians who read this will take the trouble to correct my inevitable mistakes by commenting below.)…”
– A thoughtful piece by Dale Rye in Covenant. (Photo: Covenant.)
Hat tip: Anglican Mainstream.
‘Christless Christianity’ reviewed
Posted on October 30, 2008
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“I am not arguing in this book that we have arrived at Christless Christianity,” says Horton, “but that we are well on our way. … My concern is that we are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American church life where the Bible is mined for ‘relevant’ quotes but is largely irrelevant on its own terms; God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshipped and trusted…”
– Tim Challies reviews the new book by Michael Horton.
Petition in support of St. John’s Shaughnessy
Posted on October 30, 2008
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Just a reminder about that petition…
The Badder the Bad…
Posted on October 29, 2008
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Over the weekend I read Michael Horton’s new book Christless Christianity. I greatly enjoyed reading it (despite chapters that were slightly longer than my attention span) and found that it gave me a lot to think about. A few days earlier I had read a new book by Rick Warren, The Purpose of Christmas. What a contrast there was between the two of them…
– Tim Challies writes at Challies.com.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…