Statement from Archbishop Peter Jensen on the Lambeth and Jerusalem conferences
Posted on June 6, 2008
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Statement from Archbishop Peter Jensen
6th June 2008
It is not long now before I leave for the Jerusalem Conference. I am immensely grateful for the support and prayers of so many of you. I’m looking forward to meeting with the leaders representing 35 million Anglicans across 27 different countries and it is my hope that God will give us wisdom during our time together. As we look to the future of this great communion of churches, I am praying that we will maintain the highest level of unity possible.
I have just written to the Archbishop of Canterbury to assure him of my prayers for him and for the success of the Lambeth Conference. We have different views on how best to see the future of the Anglican Communion at this time.
But we are at one in seeking its good health and doing what can be done to make sure that the turmoil created by those who have set aside fundamental Christian teaching does not destroy it. On the contrary, our aim should be to see it united as never before in the service of Christ in this world. I am praying that both the Lambeth Conference and the Jerusalem Conference will help achieve that goal. Will you join me in your intercessions?
The Death and Doctrine of Nicholas Ridley
Posted on June 6, 2008
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Bishop Nicholas Ridley is one of the martyrs of the English Reformation – dying with Bishop Hugh Latimer in Oxford on October 16th 1555. But what was it all about?
In this helpful talk, Dr. Garry Williams of Oak Hill Theological College, London, puts the death and doctrine of Nicholas Ridley into their historical and theological context.
Dr. Williams’ 54 minute talk is available as an mp3 file at The Theologian.
Kent Hughes on Life and Preaching
Posted on June 6, 2008
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Kent Hughes, Pastor Emeritus at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, is one of the speakers at the coming 2008 Ministry Intensive at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
Mark Dever recently spoke with Kent about Life and Preaching for the 9Marks Audio Interviews. Who does he count as influences in his ministry?
You can hear or download the audio via this page.
Manchester Cathedral ‘unambiguous message of inclusion’ for LGBT people
Posted on June 6, 2008
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“Manchester Cathedral is to host a special service of welcome aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at 7.30pm on 12 June.
The event, which will be a Christian service recognizing and open to all faiths, is the result of partnership working over the last five years between the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, The Bishop of Manchester and his Advisory Group on Sexuality.
The Bishop of Manchester has said many times that he is committed to having a broad church which honours everyone irrespective of faith, race, gender or sexuality. The Bishop of Manchester will preach and the Dean of the Cathedral will be present at the event which will be complemented by having both the Cathedral Choir present and Manchester’s Lesbian and Gay Chorus. Paul Martin, from LGF and Transgender Campaigner, Christine Burns will also take part. …
The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, said: ‘This service is one of a number of initiatives that have been running in the Diocese of Manchester creating, what we hope, will be seen as an unambiguous message of welcome, affirmation and inclusion for LGBT people. Rejection is not good for health; nor is a church that rejects people a healthy Church.’ …”
– From the Diocese of Manchester website. Emphasis added. (Thanks to Anglican Mainstream.)
‘Death knell’ for the Anglican communion not really about homosexuality
Posted on June 6, 2008
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As the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, prepares to leave for the conference that will decide the fate of the worldwide Anglican church, fresh trouble in North America suggests the 450-year old communion has little hope of holding together. …
But Archbishop Jensen argues: “This dispute is not really about homosexuality. It’s really about authority and who runs the church. And fairly clearly, to most of the rest of us, God runs the church through the Bible.” …
– Full report in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Related: In an article on GAFCON and Lambeth, The New Vision (Uganda) interviewed Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi –
The Church in Uganda was not shutting out gays, but believes that they can change, the archbishop explained. “We believe in the transforming power of Jesus and that homosexuals can change.”
Besides, there were other issues dividing the Church, Orombi stated, citing the assertion that Jesus was not the only way to God and His birth was not of a virgin nature.
Short and Packer threatened by Bishop Ingham with charges of trespassing
Posted on June 5, 2008
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Former Sydney Anglican, the Rev David Short, who has been charged with abandoning Anglican doctrine, has now been threatened with charges of trespassing if he sets foot on the property of St John’s Shaughnessy, in moves which could see more Canadian churches forced from their properties.
Mr Short, who is the rector at St John’s, and all other clergy belonging to the Anglican Network in Canada in the Diocese of New Westminster received letters outlining the charges from Bishop Michael Ingham on Monday.
The letters also advised that the clergy were forbidden to ‘trespass’ on the church properties, exercise any ministry and remove anything from the properties, including books. …
– Read the full report from SydneyAnglicans.net. Emphasis added.
(Photo: David Short and James Packer.)
Archbishop of Canterbury ‘False Teacher’
Posted on June 5, 2008
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A group of influential global Evangelical Anglicans believes that the Anglican Communion is fatally flawed and that there must be a clear and decisive separation from the See of Canterbury with the formation of a new Communion that is global in scope and truly Anglican in doctrine.
“Anything less will leave faithful Anglicans throughout the world as unwilling collaborators in a counterfeit Communion which makes a virtue out of the toleration of teaching contrary to scripture, is rife and ingrained with such false teaching and is led by an Archbishop of Canterbury who himself so teaches.” … say the writers representing themselves under the umbrella of the The Society for the Propagation of Reformed Evangelical Anglican Doctrine (SPREAD). …
– Story from VirtueOnline.
See also this earlier story – “Overview of the teaching of Rowan Williams on Scripture and sexuality”. (Photo: Anglican Communion News Service.)
San Joaquin responds to TEC claims
Posted on June 5, 2008
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The Diocese of San Joaquin: June 4, 2008, Fresno, California
The following facts are given to correct and clarify recently published misunderstandings and misstatements regarding legal claims against the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin.
All actions taken by the Diocese of San Joaquin were authorized by its governing bodies, namely, its Standing Committee and its Diocesan Council, along with Bishop Schofield. These actions were done in complete compliance with California law and were done to secure the property until a California court can rule on the issue of ownership. …
– Read the rest of this statement from the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin in response to claims made by The Episcopal Church that funds had been improperly transferred.
(See also “Merrill Lynch freezes disputed San Joaquin diocesan accounts pending court ruling” from Episcopal Life Online.)
Pilgrim’s Progress audio book: free download
Posted on June 5, 2008
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ChristianAudio.com is offering a free unabridged audio book of John Bunyan’s classic gospel work The Pilgrim’s Progress during the month of June. This reading by Nadia May was produced in 2006.
Though the shopping cart will show a price of $25.98, simply use the code JUN2008 at the last step of the check out for the free download.
There are nine mp3 files totalling 278MB. The whole lot runs for more than 10 hours. At $0, it’s a real bargain! Download it while you can. (Thanks to Between Two Worlds.)
Melburnians called to say ‘sorry’ to the earth
Posted on June 5, 2008
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Melburnians are being called to say “sorry” for damage to the environment in a series of public services timed to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5.
… Themed “stations” will be set up around the Cathedral, and services will feature readings, conversation, song, and the opportunity to light a candle or place a pebble in water as an expression of connection with the earth. …
– from a media release from Anglican Media Melbourne.
(Archbishop Philip Freier lights candles in St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. Photo courtesy Diocese of Melbourne.)
Battle Fatigue: A review of Prince Caspian
Posted on June 5, 2008
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Prince Caspian is the perfect summer movie for audiences that know nothing about Narnia, or, even, perhaps would prefer to know nothing about Narnia. For in its 2 hours and 40 minutes, you will spend ample time in Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth, William Wallace’s Scotland, Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, and maybe even fleeting moments in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, but you will not spend more than 15 minutes in the world that Aslan made and that C. S. Lewis invented.
Is that a bad thing? Not if your goal is to erase the basic tenets of the Narniad, and re-envision the realm as primarily grim internecine warfare, a land, 1300 years since we last visited, surprisingly full of crossbows and catapults and other Vader-like war machines. There is evil in this world, but its roots are fundamentally different from Lewis’s version, for in his book, the problem with Narnia is suppressed knowledge, a spiritual amnesia, a people separated from its own nature, a true prince denied his throne. …
– Dr. Bruce L. Edwards, Professor of English at Bowling Green State University in Ohio thinks the new movie lacks something. Read his review.
Also see his next post, Forward to the Past: The Real Prince Caspian.
Both bishops of San Joaquin off to Lambeth
Posted on June 4, 2008
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Bishops Jerry Lamb and John-David Schofield both report having accepted their invitations to next month’s Lambeth Conference.
Bishop Lamb, who was nominated provisional Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, said he received his invitation on May 27. … But Bishop John-David Schofield of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin also will be attending the conference. He has received his Lambeth study materials and has begun familiarizing himself with them …
– Full report from The Living Church.
The Gospel According to N T Wright
Posted on June 4, 2008
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In this week’s episode of The White Horse Inn broadcast, Michael Horton and friends turn to the theology of the Bishop of Durham N T Wright – and the teaching of the New Perspective.
See also this earlier post on Mike Ovey’s review of John Piper’s book “The Future of Justification: A Response to NT Wright”.
New Westminster synod wrap up
Posted on June 3, 2008
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The New Westminster Synod was held in Vancouver on May 30 and 31. Here are some excerpts from the synod edition of the diocesan newspaper, ‘Topic’ –
Members of Synod split over whether the diocese should oppose the legalizing [of] brothels. In the end the majority (128 votes) agreed … that the Diocesan Council should explore uniting with other churches and faiths to tell the Vancouver City Council and Provincial Government “institutionalization of violence towards women and children through legalization of prostitution and the establishment of brothels” was wrong.
In a report to about 300 synod members… the bishop [Michael Ingham] insisted that the decision of four congregations to join the South American Anglican Church of the Southern Cone, was not simply “divorce” but “schism…the setting up of an unlawful authority” to challenge the rightful authority, which is Diocesan Synod.
Also, the synod adopted Bishop Ingham’s ten priorities for the diocese for the next decade.
Read the special synod edition of Topic (1.1MB PDF file) on the New Westminster website.
Vagante bishop invited to Lambeth
Posted on June 3, 2008
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In what can only be viewed as a major slap in the face at orthodox Episcopalians and Anglicans the Archbishop of Canterbury has invited the fly-in bishop of San Joaquin, Jerry A. Lamb, to the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury in July. …
– Story from VirtueOnline. (Photo: Episcopal Life Online.)
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