ACL President’s address — 2013 Annual General Meeting
Posted on August 29, 2013
Filed under News, Sydney Diocese
President of the Anglican Church League, the Rev. Gav Poole, gave this address at the Annual General Meeting earlier this month:
“Chappo knew as much about denominational politics as anyone. He was after all a member of the ACL. But the legacy he left us with was a passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
ACL President’s address, 15 August 2013
In 2003 I received an important lesson in priorities. At the time I was ministering in The Episcopal Church (TEC), Dallas, Texas.
In 2003, the TEC General Convention consented to a practicing homosexual becoming the Bishop of New Hampshire. That led to a sequence of events that changed the Anglican Communion forever.
Bible believers in Dallas were woken from their slumber and determined to sweep clean our part of the denomination. We formed a group called the ‘Ad Hoc’ and embarked on the sort of work we do here at the ACL, making nominations, phoning people and producing how to vote cards. I purchased a mobile phone to make calls on the drive to our diocesan synod.
That year we experienced great success. We changed the makeup of Standing Committee, Executive Council and other diocesan bodies. Bible believers united like never before. I remember feeling very excited.
Not long after that synod we had a visit from Chappo (Canon John Chapman 1930-2012). We had organised a week of mission with Chappo as the main speaker at all our events. He was not very well known in that part of the world so we promoted him as the ‘Billy Graham of Australia.’ The Texans warmed to him very quickly.
I remember telling him about all the exciting news about our success in the Synod elections. About our counter strike on TEC and how we organised and changed the character of the diocese. He looked unimpressed and said, ‘Now brother, if only you could be as passionate about the gospel’.
Chappo … what would he know?
We said good bye to Chappo November last year but his memory is still strong. The stories become more exaggerated but we still remember what he taught us – the importance of making disciples.
Matthew 28:16-20 is a well-known one. It will be the key Bible passage for the GAFCON conference to be held in Nairobi later this year.
The operative word in that passage is ‘all’, ‘panta’. ‘All authority… ’ ‘… all nations …’ ‘… teaching them to obey all I have commanded’ and ‘I will be will you all the days’.
These are the words of Jesus to his eleven disciples, as he spells out the implications of his resurrection.
The extent and universality of his authority is now established. There is not one part of the world it doesn’t reach, not one part of our lives it doesn’t touch. He is Lord of all. This is the first lesson of discipleship.
In his last book, The Radical Disciple, John Stott wrote, ‘Basic to all discipleship is our resolve not only to address Jesus with polite titles, but to follow his teaching and obey his commands.’
‘Making disciples’ is a fitting key theme for GAFCON this year.
Nairobi will be the home to the second GAFCON.
The Kenyan people are looking forward to hosting the 1200 delegates from around the world. And having experienced something of their hospitality during April this year, I can assure you that there will be lots of singing, dancing, rich fellowship and rich food. It will be memorable.
We look forward to hearing about the East African revival that began in the mid C20th when missionaries (including Australians) brought the gospel to Africa. Like many revivals it was accompanied by persecution and many died for their faith.
We will be interested to learn what happens when the Holy Spirit takes over a country, a continent, how to prepare for revival and what to expect. We will be encouraged that the gospel works and does not presuppose a Western culture.
We will be encouraged to contend for the gospel. The battle against revisionism rages on within the Anglican communion. There are 3 realities which necessitate our meeting together.
These are:-
- The promotion of a false gospel within the Anglican Communion
- Impaired communion
- The failure of the traditional instruments of communion to properly deal with these issues
1) The promotion of a false gospel
False teachers have been around at least since Paul wrote to the Galatians. They have all the externalities of being men and women with authority from the church but undermine the authority of Christ.
We are now at a point where large parts of the Anglican communion, particularly in the West, teach or condone a false gospel.
The error of liberalism has effectively been to replace the word ‘all’ with ‘some’. That Jesus has ‘some’ authority over ‘some’ people and to teach ‘some of his commands’ and ignore those commands which are unpalatable to the modern mind. The prevailing culture has changed their gospel into a false one rather than the true gospel changing culture.
So it is important for faithful Anglicans around the world to come together, in a show of force, and to remind the world of the true gospel.
The first point of the Jerusalem Declaration states,
‘We rejoice in the gospel of God through which we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit’. The other 13 points spell out the implications of that first point.
Together we will proclaim the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
2) Impaired Communion
The 2003 TEC General Convention and related actions have torn apart the fabric of the Anglican communion. We now have a situation where many parts of the communion are in impaired communion.
Many of the Bible believers in TEC have left or been turfed out. Archbishop Duncan of Pittsburgh was charged with abandoning the communion.
Nigeria, the largest Anglican province in the world, has declared that they are in impaired communion with TEC. They redefined their constitution so that they share communion, not with those affiliated with the See of Canterbury but with ‘churches, dioceses and provinces that hold and maintain the Historic faith, doctrine, sacrament and Discipline of the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.’
It’s not hard to see that we have a relationship problem in the Anglican Communion.
Many of our Anglican brothers and sisters in Christ need support and need to be reminded of the fellowship we share in Christ.
GAFCON will remind and renew these relationships. We experience unity in Christ not in denominational structures.
3) The traditional instruments of communion have failed to adequately deal with these issues
The Anglican Covenant was a failed attempt to solve the problem. It failed in its substance and it failed to win the support of many provinces including the Church of England.
We are continually invited to listen. The Anglican Consultative Council engaged in long periods of ‘indaba’. The tactics are to stall by insisting on a process of listening without exhortation or rebuke. Rather than provide opportunity to listen, it has shut down the opportunity to express the orthodox position.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has been actively seeking reconciliation among some parts of the communion. But he fails to name the sin. There cannot be reconciliation without repentance.
Archbishop Duncan, the moderator of the ACNA, was denied a seat at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s instalment. He will not be denied a seat at GAFCON. He will be allowed to sit on whatever plastic chair he can find.
The Bishops of the Church of England have given mi
xed messages. They stated that it is possible for a Bishop to be in a same sex Civil Union if he is celibate. Is it any wonder that we feel it is only a matter of time until the Church of England will also condone homosexual practise among its leaders?
We can no longer look toward the instruments of communion to restore the impaired relationships in the Anglican Communion.
For this reason, it is important to stand side by side with our faithful Anglican brothers and sisters around the world and express our communion with them. GAFCON now provides that opportunity.
You can be very proud of the role Bishop Peter Jensen has played on the GAFCON Primates’ Council. It is a tribute to him that he has been invited to serve the council in the capacity of General Secretary.
Co-ordinating Primates from around the globe requires patience, wisdom and tenacity. All of which he has demonstrated.
I couldn’t imagine where GAFCON would be without his involvement. We thank God for Peter and hope and pray that his recent retirement will only free up more of his time to be involved in this important movement.
Other matters
The last 12 months has been a period of change for our diocese.
Dr John Woodhouse retired from Principal of Moore College and Dr Mark Thompson has taken up that role. We congratulate Mark and will continue to support and pray for him.
It was with sadness that we farewelled Archbishop Peter Jensen as he retired from the role of Archbishop.
We thank God that he has provided us with a new Archbishop-elect in Bishop Glenn Davies. We congratulate Glenn on his election and commit to praying for him. The office of Archbishop is a weighty one and he requires our cooperation and support. We look forward to doing that in a spirit of gospel unity.
I commend the suggested amendments to the ACL constitution. The suggested amendments to the principles bring clarity and align them more closely with our evangelical reformed heritage. And matters to do with the executive are cleared up and better defined.
Chappo knew as much about denominational politics as anyone. He was after all a member of the ACL. But the legacy he left us with was a passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The ACL will continue to play its role within our diocese. It will continue to make nominations and recommendations for diocesan offices. It will continue to serve but such activity will never be considered the main game. The value of our work can only be measured in the way we encourage churches and individuals to proclaim Christ.
Matthew 28:16-20 is great message of comfort, affirmation and commission. We are reminded that you cannot be in the business of making disciples unless at some point the word ‘Jesus’ spills from your lips. Our passion is the message of Jesus Christ, his ultimate and unique authority.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…