John Wycliffe and the English Bible
Posted on July 23, 2008
Filed under Resources Comments Off on John Wycliffe and the English Bible
The Church Society has made available a helpful article on John Wycliffe and the English Bible by F.F. Bruce – first published in Churchman in 1984.
As the Lambeth Conference rolls on, with some defying the clear teaching of the Bible, it’s good to reminded of those who laboured long and hard to make God’s Word accessible to us all.
The article is available as a PDF file – direct link.
Williams offers ambiguous response to sexuality question
Posted on July 22, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Williams offers ambiguous response to sexuality question
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams offered an ambiguous response to a direct question posed to him about sexual behaviour saying that sexual sin is defined as “any relationship outside a public covenant of mutual support and love in the presence of God,” seeming to endorse committed same sex arrangements. …
– David Virtue reports from the Lambeth press conference.
Lambeth: bishops divided over opening Eucharist
Posted on July 22, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Lambeth: bishops divided over opening Eucharist
The opening Eucharist service of the 2008 Lambeth Conference exemplified everything that is wrong with the Communion and the Conference, with substance given a second place to ceremony, one Global South primate told ReligiousIntelligence.com. …
The tensions have led to three primates and an undisclosed number of bishops declining to receive the sacraments during the opening Eucharist, highlighting the tensions lurking beneath the surface of the every ten year gathering of the bishops of the Anglican Communion. …
– Report by George Conger at Religious Intelligence. (Photo: Lambeth Conference media.)
Archbishop Kolini speaks out on Lambeth
Posted on July 22, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Archbishop Kolini speaks out on Lambeth
The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Emmanuel Kolini, has spoken out on their refusal to attend the Lambeth Conference, saying that they cannot sit to deliberate on wicked issues.
The Archbishop claimed that it was not a boycott since they had declined the invitation. He said that their stand was based on strong Biblical views yet Canterbury had ignored the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality. …
Asked whether by refusing to attend the meeting, the members were not deepening the rift in the church, Kolini said this year’s conference could not be the platform for unifying them because they had always spoken against gay marriages but the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has always ignored their advice. …
– from The New Times, Rwanda. (Photo: Joy Gwaltney)
The shindig begins…
Posted on July 22, 2008
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on The shindig begins…
The 14th Lambeth Conference had everything befitting a party that has been ten years in the planning: bouncers, paparazzi, an international guest list of thousands, in Canterbury Cathedral the most well-established venue in the city, world-renowned musicians and even half-naked dancers.
It also had everything you might expect at an awkward family party: unspoken feuds, some people refusing the invitation, others not asked to come, the host looking a little nervous and speeches entreating everyone to get along. …
The Bishop of Pittsburgh, the Right Rev Bob Duncan, said: “It was a glorious service, it was a gathering of the family, but there were troublesome elements – the Buddhist chant, for example, and the sermon had a few challenges. A number of our brothers didn’t make their Communion.”… (emphasis added)
– Comment by Joanna Sugden at Times Online. (Photo: Lambeth Conference.)
EFAC ‘heartily endorses’ GAFCON declaration
Posted on July 21, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on EFAC ‘heartily endorses’ GAFCON declaration
“We heartily endorse the fourteen points of the Jerusalem Declaration of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and, like those at GAFCON, are fully committed to remaining within the Anglican Communion, and to bearing joyful witness to evangelical distinctives. …”
– From the EFAC UK pre-Lambeth meeting at Trinity College Bristol – via Anglican Mainstream. (GAFCON photo: Joy Gwaltney.)
GAFCON reports: a highlight of the ACL’s Annual General Meeting
Posted on July 21, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on GAFCON reports: a highlight of the ACL’s Annual General Meeting
SydneyAnglicans.net has posted four video clips from the ACL’s Annual General Meeting held at Moore College last Thursday night.
Sydney delegates to GAFCON related their impressions of the Jerusalem gathering. Among them, 21-year-old Sylvia Tong, called for more involvement by young people in the movement, saying they need to be aware of the struggles of their brothers and sisters around the world.
See the video clips –
- Sylvia Tong speaks on young people and GAFCON and her experience in Jerusalem.
- The Rev John Mason speaks of liberal tactics in North America,
- Tony Payne looks to the future of the GAFCON movement,
- Claire Smith speaks about the diversity of the GAFCON participants.
SydneyAnglicans.net also has this report by Russell Powell.
GAFCON and England: Judgment and Mercy
Posted on July 21, 2008
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on GAFCON and England: Judgment and Mercy
Just three weeks after the announcement of the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration, it is already clear that GAFCON has irrevocably changed the Anglican Communion. The majority of the world’s Anglicans now no longer look to Canterbury.
Structures that stifle spiritual life will eventually find themselves bypassed and this is exactly what was expressed in the courteous but firm response of the GAFCON Primates Council to Rowan Williams’ criticisms, declaring in the final paragraph that ‘We assure the Archbishop of Canterbury of our respect as the occupier of an historic see which has been used by God to the benefit of his church and continue to pray for him to be given wisdom and discernment.’ …
– Charles Raven writes for VirtueOnline.
(Charles is Senior Minister of Christ Church Wyre Forest in the UK. From the files: a press statement from 2002.) Photo: GAFCON media team.
Who’s NOT at Lambeth?
Posted on July 19, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Who’s NOT at Lambeth?
David Virtue has compiled a partial list of those bishops who haven’t gone or been invited to Lambeth. The list includes “Anglicans who would never be invited because they are not part of the Lambeth Conference and yet are, by any theological definition, Anglican.”
The point? “The Lambeth Conference is not the sum total of the Anglican Communion. It is now one of many networks that make up the Anglican Communion.”
See the list (which still has names being added) at VirtueOnline.
(Photo: GAFCON media team.)
St. Andrew’s draft text of Anglican Covenant flawed – GAFCON
Posted on July 19, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on St. Andrew’s draft text of Anglican Covenant flawed – GAFCON
“… An Anglican Covenant was intended as a response to a crisis in the Anglican Communion which has been accurately described as ‘a rending of the Communion at the deepest level’. Determined departures from the teaching of Scripture on human sexuality by The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada are the immediate cause this situation.
There appears no prospect of repentance from this repudiation of biblical authority on the part of either of these bodies (or from those elsewhere who have followed their lead in endorsing behaviour which Scripture explicitly forbids).
Underlying these actions is a long history of marginalising, avoiding and at last rejecting the plain teaching of the Bible. In other words, the issue which we should expect this covenant to address is one of apostasy. …”
– This response from the GAFCON Theological Resource Team points out serious theological flaws in the draft Anglican Covenant.
– See also this earlier post with links to the Draft Covenant.
GAFCON responds to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Posted on July 19, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on GAFCON responds to the Archbishop of Canterbury
“The Global Anglican Future Conference gathered leaders from around the Anglican Communion for pilgrimage, prayer and serious theological reflection. We are grateful to the Archbishop of Canterbury for engaging with the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration. We wish to respond to some of his concerns. …”
– from the GAFCON Primates.
See also the Archbishop of Canterbury’s response to GAFCON, published on June 30 2008.
One Bishop’s reflections on Lambeth 1998
Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on One Bishop’s reflections on Lambeth 1998
Featured article: In 1998, the then Bishop of North Sydney, Dr. Paul Barnett, attended the Lambeth Conference as part of the Sydney contingent. Human sexuality was the crucial issue.
Bishop Barnett spoke at the ACL’s Sydney Synod Dinner in October 1998 and gave his personal reflection on Lambeth. His perceptive talk is well worth re-reading in the light of all that has happened in the last ten years.
Spong said the fight for gay rights would go on and that Lambeth 2008 would be a different story…
– in the ‘old’ section of our website.
David Ould reports on the ACL’s AGM
Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on David Ould reports on the ACL’s AGM
Last night (17th July) the Anglican Church League (ACL) of Sydney held their AGM, which included a panel session with delegates from GAFCON. …
– David Ould summarises the panel discussion for readers of Stand Firm.
We’ll have more on the ACL’s 2008 Annual General Meeting in coming days.
More bishops than members?
Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on More bishops than members?
Stand Firm has pointed us to this interesting graphic relating to the Church of England – from The Times.
Click on the image for the full size graphic as a PDF file.
Cavalcanti on ‘Anglicanism: The System in Crisis’
Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on Cavalcanti on ‘Anglicanism: The System in Crisis’
Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti, Bishop of the Diocese of Recife, now under Primatial Authority of the Province of the Southern Cone of America, writes on ‘Anglicanism: The System in Crisis’ —
What has become evident to the global media is the fact that the leadership of the Anglican Communion is unwilling to accept things as they really are, that the hegemonic Anglo-Saxon centre is unwilling to lose its hegemony, and that the only objective is the maintenance of the institution, whatever the cost…
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…