Presidential Address to the opening of C of E General Synod
Posted on February 12, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Presidential Address to the opening of C of E General Synod
“Some of what has been heard is a very long way indeed from what was actually said in the Royal Courts of Justice last Thursday. But I must of course take responsibility for any unclarity in either that text or in the radio interview, and for any misleading choice of words that has helped to cause distress or misunderstanding among the public at large and especially among my fellow Christians. …”
From the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Presidential Address to the Church of England General Synod last night Australian time.
(Photo: Jim Rosenthal, Anglican Communion News Service.)
Advice to Pastors: Preach the Word
Posted on February 12, 2008
Filed under Resources, Theology Comments Off on Advice to Pastors: Preach the Word
John Piper’s sermon from the installation of a colleague is good advice –
My message to you is very simple and very precarious. It is 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word.”
I call it precarious, because there is a constant temptation to do other things in the place of this. There ARE other things to do in the ministry, as these letters to Timothy show. And we must do them to be found faithful. But none of them is treated as solemnly and forcefully as this one simple exhortation from the apostle: “Preach the Word.” …
Available as text and audio download from Desiring God.
Book to be launched in UK: “God, Gays and the Church”
Posted on February 12, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Book to be launched in UK: “God, Gays and the Church”
Anglican Mainstream has an item about “God, Gays and the Church”, a new book to be launched on Wednesday to coincide with the Church of England’s General Synod meeting –
“Orthodox Anglicans make a new contribution to the homosexuality debate within the Church of England, by launching a book containing testimonies of Christians who once believed they had a homosexual orientation …”
See Anglican Mainstream for the article and Latimer Trust to order copies.
Elections for two new NZ bishops
Posted on February 11, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Elections for two new NZ bishops
The Anglican Church in New Zealand is in the process of choosing two key leaders – new bishops for the Dioceses of Waiapu and Christchurch.
The Diocese of Waiapu Electoral College gathered in Havelock North last Friday evening (February 8) and ran through until the following evening. And the Christchurch Electoral College convenes in Christchurch this coming Friday evening (Feb 15) and runs through till Sunday Feb 17. …
– from a press release from the Anglican Church of New Zealand.
Row over gay clergy threatens to divide a Synod still reeling over Sharia furore
Posted on February 11, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Row over gay clergy threatens to divide a Synod still reeling over Sharia furore
The row over the Church of England’s attitude to homosexuality revives this week, posing another headache for the Archbishop of Canterbury as he tries to reduce the temperature over his remarks about Islamic law. …
Story from Times Online.
See also “Synod turns on Rowan Williams in sharia row” from The Telegraph.
(Photo: Church of England.)
Spot the difference? Why Rowan said so much about Islam and Sharia
Posted on February 11, 2008
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on Spot the difference? Why Rowan said so much about Islam and Sharia
“Right now I’m feeling rather less sympathetic towards Rowan Williams than I was on Friday night.
The reason is this. Go to the Archbishop’s website, as I (and doubtless many others) did in the wake of the controversy in the press, for the text of his talk …”
Read the full comments from John Richardson on Ugley Vicar. See also this opinion piece from The Spectator.
(Photo: Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.)
Episcopalians support break from church
Posted on February 10, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Episcopalians support break from church
Nearly 100 leading laity in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh have signed an open letter expressing their “strong support for the godly direction” of Bishop Robert W. Duncan Jr. in removing the diocese from the national church and realigning it with a more biblically conservative province of the worldwide Anglican Communion. …
Story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Read the letter.
See also this pastoral letter to his congregation – dated 2nd February 2008 – from the Rector of Church of the Ascension Pittsburgh, The Rev. Jonathan Millard. He writes, in part –
“What about us? Will we be steadfast? I want to exhort you not to lose heart, not to give up, not to waiver. Please remember that the real issues facing us are rooted in the authority of God’s Word as revealed in Holy Scripture. We are not arguing about human sexuality, or the minutiae of canon law, but the timeless truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is life and hope and salvation to those who are perishing. Because of this we cannot just agree to differ and carry on as if nothing has changed.”
New Westminister: Leave? You can’t
Posted on February 10, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on New Westminister: Leave? You can’t
Bishop Michael Ingham sat down with a group of 17 Anglicans from parishes across the Diocese to talk about several issues facing the Church and answer questions they had. …
The Bishop stressed that Anglicans belong to a diocesan Church. Dioceses establish parishes — and not the other way round. …
Read the report and other material from the New Westminister website.
See also “Neighbouring Bishop warns separatists in his diocese”.
(Photo: Diocese of New Westminister.)
Williams ‘shocked’ at Sharia row
Posted on February 9, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Williams ‘shocked’ at Sharia row
“The Archbishop of Canterbury is said to be overwhelmed by the ‘hostility of the response’ after his call for parts of Sharia law to be recognised in the UK. Friends of Dr Rowan Williams say he is in a state of shock and dismayed by the criticism from his own Church. …” – BBC News report.
Reactions to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s comments continue – Anglican Mainstream has the text of a BBC interview with Archbishop Ben Kwashi, Archhbishop of Jos in Northern Nigeria. (This is apparently not yet available on the BBC website.)
Related: Liberal Christianity Intensifies Radical Islam Threat in Christian Post.
Disputed parts of Covenant redrafted
Posted on February 9, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Disputed parts of Covenant redrafted
The design group in charge of steering the Anglican Covenant through its various stages has produced a new draft …
Pat Ashworth in Church Times reports on the changes.
(Photo: Anglican Communion News Service.)
Statement from the Anglican Diocese of Sydney on comments by the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding Sharia law
Posted on February 8, 2008
Filed under Australia, News Comments Off on Statement from the Anglican Diocese of Sydney on comments by the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding Sharia law
A media release from the Diocese of Sydney:
The Sydney Diocesan spokesman on this issue is the Bishop of South Sydney Robert Forsyth –
“We do not agree with the Archbishop’s comments. In the case of Australia, we are thankful for freedom of religion, but would oppose the idea of different systems of law for different people groups.”
Sharia law in UK is ‘unavoidable’ – Williams
Posted on February 8, 2008
Filed under News Comments Off on Sharia law in UK is ‘unavoidable’ – Williams
The Archbishop of Canterbury says the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK “seems unavoidable”. …
– Report from BBC News.
To see what was actually said, read the press release from the Archbishop’s website – and also a transcript of the BBC interview. For one reaction and links to others, see Ruth Gledhill’s blog.
(Photo credit: Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.)
Orthodox attendance at Lambeth would give wrong impression
Posted on February 8, 2008
Filed under News, Opinion Comments Off on Orthodox attendance at Lambeth would give wrong impression
Dr. Chik Kaw Tan, a member of the Church of England’s General Synod, has written to the Church of England Newspaper –
“If orthodox bishops really believe that Anglicanism as practised in many parts of the Western world is a denial of Scripture and is inconsistent with apostolic teachings, then they cannot, indeed must not, share communion with the leaders of that new pseudo-Christian religion. On that count, I cannot but express my highest regard for those primates and bishops who choose, at great personal cost, not to attend Lambeth 2008. …”
Text of the full letter is worth reading at Anglican Mainstream.
(Photo credit: Jim Rosenthal, Anglican World.)
‘Global South’ Anglican Catechism in Outline
Posted on February 7, 2008
Filed under News, Theology Comments Off on ‘Global South’ Anglican Catechism in Outline
“The Anglican Catechism in Outline project was unanimously endorsed and commissioned by the Global South Primates or their representatives present at its meeting at Kigali, Rwanda, September 2006. It was agreed that an interim report should be sent to the Global South Primates by February 2008 for their comments, and the final report be submitted by June 2008.
It is a historic and important project initiated by the Global South at this very critical juncture of the life and witness of our Anglican Communion.
The Global South Anglican Theological Formation and Education Task Force submitted their Interim Report to the Global South Primates Steering Committee on 6 January 2008.
We commend the Interim Report for careful study and feedback.”
Read the 60 page ACIO Interim Report (PDF) here.
Bishop John Rodgers interviewed
Posted on February 7, 2008
Filed under News, Opinion Comments Off on Bishop John Rodgers interviewed
Bishop John Rodgers, one of the founders of AMiA and Interim Dean and President of TSM, has been interviewed on his hopes for the Anglican Communion:
“We have assumed we are part of a global Anglicanism that is true and good and turned a blind eye to its actual condition. We have been idolatrous about the Anglican Communion. The truth is that for us to be faithful Anglicans we can no longer be simply identified with the present Anglican Communion. It must be reformed or divided.”
Read the full interview on VirtueOnline.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…