It is my hope that this revival, reform, and reordering of the Communion may follow apace. But I do recall a similar hope five years ago. I had been on the Statement Group that produced the "Letter to the Churches" from GAFCON III in Jerusalem. This statement had set out similar bold expectations and was greeted with similar acclaim. Many of those hopes remained unrealized five years later.
Read moreThose of us who gathered last week in Kigali, Rwanda, for the fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON IV) are believing and praying this crisis is the birth pains of a renewed Communion, not its death throes.
Read moreIt is no accident Gafcon leaders chose this passage. It reflects the poignant and sacrificial moment of sifting in which the Anglican Communion finds itself--sifting between those who will remain faithful to Jesus and his teachings and those who have "betrayed their ordination and consecration vows to banish error and to uphold and defend the truth taught in Scripture."
Read moreBy colonialism it seems what was meant is the concept that the government of one nation has control of the governance of another nation, whereas, on a spiritual plain it is the idea that a national Church of one country should have dominion over the Church of another country.
Read moreKnock-knock.... (door is eventually opened by a person holding and stroking a Yorkshire Terrier)
'Yes?'
'Afternoon, Mum. We'd like to speak with Mr. Canterbury, please. Oh! Ah, No offense. I was just confused by the dress. Would you be Mr. Canterbury, then, Sir?'
'This is not a dress. I'm wearing a robe.'
'Right. Very good, Sir. Harold here likes to dress up, too!'
'Oi, knock it off, mate!'
Read moreThe call to repentance was met with great sadness, but the Gafcon and Global South delegates who represent ±85% of Anglicans worldwide made it abundantly clear that they are not leaving the Anglican Communion, or even creating a new Communion, but that it is the Church of England which has moved away from the Communion. Gafcon and the Global South will now in essence eject the heretical Church of England until they repent and return to the Gospel.
Read moreThe argument is interesting: An established national church cannot ultimately oppose the culture of her nation. Some (including myself) would argue that this is precisely why no church should be established, since such politically motivated alliances always have a dominant partner, and history makes it very clear who the dominant partner always is.
Read moreAs much as the GSFA Primates also want to keep the unity of the visible Church and the fabric of the Anglican Communion, our calling to be 'a holy remnant' does not allow us to be "in communion" with those provinces that have departed from the historic faith and taken the path of false teaching.
Read moreFrom its inception Gafcon has been to an extent "political". It was born out of the boycott by many bishops of the 2008 Lambeth Conference and that first meeting produced the Jerusalem Declaration and Statement. The former sets out what are the widest possible bounds of legitimate diversity within Anglican orthodoxy, and the latter helps that to land in practice. They may well prove some of the most important documents ever written in Anglicanism.
Read moreWhile there is not the indication that these will include prayers of blessing the couple in particular, what is evident is that there is an implied recognition and affirmation of the basic goodness and rightness of a domestic structure and relationships headed by a same-sex couple.
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