Posted by David Virtue on 2010/4/29 17:20:00
Appeal will press forward, said Archbishop Duncan.
Parishes urged to stand firm and continue in Mission
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
April 29, 2010
Leaders from all 55 parishes in the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh met with diocesan leaders on April 25 at St. Martin's Anglican Church, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, to worship and discuss the current status of their litigation with The Episcopal Church.
Archbishop Robert Duncan read a prepared statement, which addressed financial concerns, timelines, and the way forward in mission. Bob Devlin, chancellor for the diocese, and members of the standing committee responded to questions and concerns from parish leaders. These leaders were also given various resources to guide them in moving forward with their mission.
"We have come to a remarkable clarity and unity about our path forward, both legally and missionally. It is this we want to share with you today," said Archbishop Duncan.
Duncan said that appealing the decisions by the Court of Common Pleas in Calvary Church v. The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan et al. (the court's final order issued on January 29, 2010) was in the best interest of all - and critical to the defense of - all the parishes of the diocese.
"[Myself] and the Standing Committee have thoroughly examined this course of action, together with a number of other legal options (including ending all legal action), and have given our lawyers instructions to press forward with the appeal as a result of this careful examination. Throughout all of the deliberations and debates about how best to proceed, the over-riding concern before the Bishop and Standing Committee has been how best to protect your parishes and your mission.
"The appeal will address numerous errors by the trial court, including how it treated the question of whether the diocese validly withdrew from The Episcopal Church. The issue of validity of diocesan withdrawal unavoidably includes validity of parish withdrawal. We expect a decision on our appeal in the first quarter of 2011."
Duncan said that he and the Standing Committee have continued to seek a negotiated settlement throughout all these months. Both formal (letters) and informal (conversations) means have been employed, but he said that he and the Standing Committee have come to a fresh appreciation of the importance of all parishes "hanging together, lest we hang separately."
"On the legal front this means that the appeal of the Court of Common Pleas decision is the unified course of action for all parishes. Nevertheless, the Standing Committee has also foreseen the possibility that one or more parishes may be drawn to pursue an independent and alternative course as a result of peculiar local circumstances. The Standing Committee's resolve in this is that such a parish - in order to protect the best interests of all other parishes - be respectfully urged to formally consult with the Standing Committee, and receive the Standing Committee's endorsement, before thus proceeding. We believe that in this way true interdependence - classic Anglican "accountable autonomy" - can be exercised to the benefit of all and the detriment of none."
The Bishop and Standing Committee also reaffirmed the position of the Anglican Church in North America and of their own amended local canons that "all parish property is owned by the parishes" without any trust claim by the diocese, he said.
Cost Containment
"The Bishop and Standing Committee are resolved to contain legal costs as effectively as possible. A single diocesan approach on behalf of all the parishes, rather than multiple parish actions, is one feature of this containment. Additionally, the renegotiation of rates, pro-bono consultation and the development of a multi-tiered legal team assists this strategy. Because the issues will be focused, and our lawyers are well-versed in the legal issues that will be addressed on appeal, our appellate legal fees will be substantially less than those at the trial court level. The Bishop and Standing Committee have a confidential fee agreement with our counsel."
Duncan said that legal costs are being paid from gifts to the Staying Faithful Fund and from proceeds of the $200,000 external matching challenge gift announced in November. No funds are being taken from parish assessments to the diocese or from the operating budgets of the diocese or its parishes. All legal bills are paid as of this report. Services are closely monitored and pre-approved. Management is pay-as-you-go. "We will not spend what we do not have. Gifts to the Staying Faithful Fund continue to be solicited and to be given. So far $112,803.32 has flowed through the Fund. The challenge grant increases the value of every gift by 50%. The challenge grant expires December 31st of this year. We do believe it is necessary to fight this fight."
The archbishop said the timeframe for the appeal is 10 to 12 months. Much time is spent waiting for court dates. Because much of the research, approach and writing has already been developed in the first stage of the case, the costs on appeal are not expected to be anywhere near as great. The Bishop and Standing Committee do have a confidential estimate.
Moving Forward in Mission
"The most important thing each parish can do is to move forward in mission. As a parish, whom are you called to reach? Is there an overlooked people-group, social need, or institution at your doorstep? What do you need to reach them? How important are your present buildings to the mission? Are there attractive alternatives? How much does the result of the diocesan appeal actually matter? Could your parish assign a small team to look at contingencies, while the vast majority of your congregation focuses on the mission? Can you shape and plant new congregations, can you draw new people, regardless?
"The lawsuit is a distraction - for now a necessary distraction - but the mission of the Gospel must be our abiding focus. "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." [Luke 5.4] Jesus' direction to us is clearer than ever.
Looking at the immediate situation, Duncan said good stewardship meant keeping the facility in good repair, but this may not be the time for unnecessary capital expense, pending either the results of the appeal or your work with the Board of Trustees, he said.
"If you are one of the 25 parishes named in Judge James' order, you may want to appeal to the TEC Diocese for emergency repairs. Such requests are best submitted through the Board of Trustees of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. Another place to find help is the Parish Strategic Thinking and Real Estate Committee of the Board of Trustees. This committee is eager to work with parishes as they analyze property decisions of all kinds."
Duncan urged rectors not to give back the keys. "Even if your parish is one of the 25 named in the judge's order, you should not hand back your keys. The judge's ruling states specifically that no property should change hands without a further order of the court. In addition, the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh has appealed this order. Of course, if you think that your current building does not fit the parish's ministry needs, you should talk to the Parish Strategic Thinking & Real Estate Committee of the Board of Trustees. They will help you analyze the situation and figure out a way forward. "
The archbishop said rectors and vestries should not change the locks. "There is no reason to change the locks, unless you have given keys to too many people and have lost track of them. In that case, it may be wise to 'start over'." The bishop did say it was a good idea to incorporate.
"Incorporation has the effect of limiting personal liability for the obligations of the corporation. When a parish is incorporated, the members, vestry members and clergy cannot normally be held personally liable for the parish's obligations, unless they personally cause an injury - something that is very rare. The decision to incorporate should be made without regard to the lawsuit or the appeal. Incorporation should not be viewed as a means of protecting assets that existed prior to realignment."
Duncan said By-laws should be updated to reflect the change in our diocesan name. "This is a great opportunity to be sure that your by-laws reflect actual current practice. The Standing Committee is responsible for approving parish by-laws and the diocesan office will keep a copy on file for future reference. Sample by-laws are available from the diocesan office."
On the issue of assets, the archbishop said it was important to distinguish assets that existed before realignment from funds that were raised after realignment. One easy way to do that is to put new funds in a different bank account
Asked if the diocese has a contingency plan if the appeal fails, Duncan said, "The Standing Committee will continue to work with the diocesan legal team to protect both parish and diocesan interests. We cannot discuss specific strategic considerations without undermining our work. In any case, the Diocese has already been operating without its assets, so we know that however the lawsuit unfolds, we will continue our work of strengthening congregations.
"No matter how distracted we are by our concerns about the lawsuit, we must focus on mission. We have been a great opportunity to learn how to "seek first the kingdom of God," trusting in God's provision."
Asked if parishioners can we be thrown out of their building, Duncan said "Not without adequate warning and a court order, and we believe such an action is unlikely (though not impossible) while the appeal is in process. The judge's order is very clear that no property can be sold and no congregation made to leave its property without a further order of the court.
"If the TEC diocese keeps sending assessment bills do not pay them. If you are a part of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, you do not need to pay assessment to the TEC diocese. Paying the mortgage is a legal and moral obligation," he said.
The leaders of eighty percent of the World's Anglicans from 20 Anglican provinces have affirmed [in Singapore ]that the Anglican Church in North America is "a faithful expression of Anglicanism" and welcomed them as "partners in the Gospel." These leaders called for all remaining provinces to "be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA," concluded Duncan.
END
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wrightians and the Neo-Reformed: 'All One in Christ Jesus'
A dispatch from Together for the Gospel and Wheaton's Theology Conference with N.T.
Wright.
Brett McCracken in Louisville and Wheaton | posted 4/22/2010 10:05AM
"Nothing justifies schism." This was the sober, stone-faced, and curiously truncated response by N.T. Wright when asked—at last week's Wheaton College Theology Conference—what might justify such action. The question wasn't theoretical: he currently serves as Bishop of Durham in the Church of England.
I attended the Wheaton Conference one day after attending another conference—Together for the Gospel (T4G)—which took place in Louisville and featured a who's who of "Young, Restless, Reformed" leaders/pastors for whom Martin Luther's ultimate schismatic act stands as one of the greatest, most heroic, God-ordained actions in Christian history.
The juxtaposition of these two sold-out conferences, which represent two of the most important strands of evangelical Christianity today (the neo-Reformed movement and the "N.T. Wright is the new C.S. Lewis" movement), made the question (problem?) of unity within the church impressively pronounced.
The conferences were very different, and I would venture to guess that I was one of only a few—if not the only one—to attend both. Louisville and Wheaton are not that far from each other geographically, but my experiences in both places felt like two different worlds. At the end of it all, after more than 20 lectures by renowned speakers (everyone from Mark Dever and John MacArthur to Jeremy Begbie and R.C. Sproul), I was left wondering whether unity really is evident in the church today, and if so, in what sense.
"Nothing justifies schism." In that powerful statement, Wright, perhaps the world's leading Christian theologian/writer/intellectual, was calling for the church to prioritize unity and emphasize common ground, not at the expense of doctrine and not in a universalist way, but because the "unity of the church is a sign to the world that there is a new way of being human." Unity, said Wright, "sends a message to the would-be rulers of the world that Jesus is Lord and they are not."
Wright, who is currently working on a massive tome on Paul, to be released "no sooner than 2012," spoke about unity a lot during the Wheaton conference. The overarching argument of his Paul book (the next volume in his magnum opus series that so far includes The New Testament and the People of God, Jesus and the Victory of God, and The Resurrection of the Son of God) seems to be that "the main symbol of Paul's worldview is the unity of the church." At various points in the conference he said things like, "The cross brings together—unthinkably—the slave and the master" (talking about Philemon), and, "The cross is the place where the unreconcilable can be reconciled."
It's hard to argue with that. One does get the sense when reading the New Testament that unity within the church is, well, important. So why is it so hard for us to achieve?
On one level, the idea of unity is easy to agree upon. Most Christians are probably on the same page with Wright when he underscores the barrier-crashing importance of Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
But "all one" is easier said than done. And at the two conferences I attended, the contradictions and complexities of what it means to be one body and one family in Christ were made manifest.
Both of these conferences—on the surface and in their rhetoric—speak the "unity language." "Together for the Gospel" bespeaks a coming-togetherness or coalition of various wings of Christianity for the sake of the "main thing"—the gospel. Wheaton's conference was entitled "Jesus, Paul & the People of God: A Theological Dialogue With N.T. Wright"—language that also indicates a sort of coming-togetherness, perhaps in a more academic sense.
But there is a fundamental difference between the approaches of each group to unity. At T4G, which this year had the theme "The (Unadjusted) Gospel," unity often means keeping the heresies out. To be unified is to fight "together for the gospel" against the inroads, questions, and reexaminations that some Christians are undertaking. Speakers at the Wheaton conference at times had points of real disagreement with Wright (though they were all clearly on board with his main points and themes). T4G, by contrast, was more like a club patting each other on the back for their mutual buttressing of the "unadjusted gospel" against threats from various corners.
For the T4G folks, protecting disputed doctrines against heresy is where good theology is born. Clear thinking comes from friction and protestation, from Hegelian dialectics (R.C. Sproul spoke on this), but not from compromise. The Patristic Fathers got it right whenever they were ironing out disputed doctrines and fighting against heresy, said Ligon Duncan in his talk. But on matters that were not disputed, he said, their thought sometimes got muddled up.
The exact opposite point was made at the Wheaton Conference by Kevin Vanhoozer, professor of systematic theology at Wheaton, who suggested that theologians like Wright (and, presumably Christians in general) are more often correct in matters they collectively affirm than in matters they dispute. This statement reflects the contrasting spirit of the Wheaton Conference as regards unity: It's what we affirm that matters. Are we on the same page on the core issues? Can we agree on the claims of the creeds? Yes? Then let's hash out the details of theological minutia (which is definitely important) in a spirited, friendly debate as the people of God exercising the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:2).
Speaking of debate, the elephant in the room at both conferences was the ongoing (and increasingly well-known) debate on the doctrine of justification between N.T. Wright and John Piper. And at their respective conferences, both spoke on justification and referred to the other's arguments (with cheers from their respective rallied troops in the audience). The problem is that these men, both pastor/theologians who speak eloquently and love God, are talking past each other on this topic. They are not in dialogue. This might change for the better come November, when the two will square off in person at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in Atlanta. But for now, it's hard to see much unity in their debate.
It's hard when one side (Piper/T4G) sees the Reformed doctrine of justification (imputed righteousness) as the lynchpin litmus test wherein believers are found to be either orthodox or borderline heretical. Disagreement on justification seems to stymie any further discussion for the neo-Reformed crowd, a position which immediately rules out fellowship with large (increasingly so) swaths of Christendom. For Wright, justification is certainly crucial, but what seems even more crucial for him is the unity of the church. Paul, after all, speaks of justification only in a few places (Romans, Galatians, etc.), while unity is a topic that shows up constantly in nearly everything he writes.
But I think Wright would also do well to show the Reformed side a bit more respect and not write them off for "asking late medieval questions," let alone dismissing the very idea of schism within the church (isn't schism appropriate in some cases? As in, if the Gospel truly does become "adjusted" in significant ways?).
However intellectually at odds Piper and Wright might be (which is fine), they are first and foremost brothers in the house of God. I hope they—and their respective supporters in the fray—can begin to model a more unified spirit. Imagine the witness of that!
The highlight of T4G for me was the singing of classic hymns like "And Can it Be" and "It is Well" with 7,000 fervent voices all in one accord. And at the Wheaton conference, I was most moved by a final prayer in a packed auditorium where hands were laid on Wright as we prayed for him and his ministry. It strikes me that unity is most viscerally experienced in moments like this: singing songs together, praying in concert, in fellowship with one another.
What if both conferences had merged and two seemingly antagonistic groups of Christians put aside their differences for a few minutes to just sing (in both conferences the hymn "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" was sung), side-by-side, in worship of the triune God who gives the same grace through which all who follow Christ have been saved? That would be a unity the rulers of the world would truly be afraid of.
Brett McCracken blogs at The Search and is the author of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide, which comes out in August. "Speaking Out" is Christianity Today's guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication.
Hat tip: Doug LeBlanc
Wright.
Brett McCracken in Louisville and Wheaton | posted 4/22/2010 10:05AM
"Nothing justifies schism." This was the sober, stone-faced, and curiously truncated response by N.T. Wright when asked—at last week's Wheaton College Theology Conference—what might justify such action. The question wasn't theoretical: he currently serves as Bishop of Durham in the Church of England.
I attended the Wheaton Conference one day after attending another conference—Together for the Gospel (T4G)—which took place in Louisville and featured a who's who of "Young, Restless, Reformed" leaders/pastors for whom Martin Luther's ultimate schismatic act stands as one of the greatest, most heroic, God-ordained actions in Christian history.
The juxtaposition of these two sold-out conferences, which represent two of the most important strands of evangelical Christianity today (the neo-Reformed movement and the "N.T. Wright is the new C.S. Lewis" movement), made the question (problem?) of unity within the church impressively pronounced.
The conferences were very different, and I would venture to guess that I was one of only a few—if not the only one—to attend both. Louisville and Wheaton are not that far from each other geographically, but my experiences in both places felt like two different worlds. At the end of it all, after more than 20 lectures by renowned speakers (everyone from Mark Dever and John MacArthur to Jeremy Begbie and R.C. Sproul), I was left wondering whether unity really is evident in the church today, and if so, in what sense.
"Nothing justifies schism." In that powerful statement, Wright, perhaps the world's leading Christian theologian/writer/intellectual, was calling for the church to prioritize unity and emphasize common ground, not at the expense of doctrine and not in a universalist way, but because the "unity of the church is a sign to the world that there is a new way of being human." Unity, said Wright, "sends a message to the would-be rulers of the world that Jesus is Lord and they are not."
Wright, who is currently working on a massive tome on Paul, to be released "no sooner than 2012," spoke about unity a lot during the Wheaton conference. The overarching argument of his Paul book (the next volume in his magnum opus series that so far includes The New Testament and the People of God, Jesus and the Victory of God, and The Resurrection of the Son of God) seems to be that "the main symbol of Paul's worldview is the unity of the church." At various points in the conference he said things like, "The cross brings together—unthinkably—the slave and the master" (talking about Philemon), and, "The cross is the place where the unreconcilable can be reconciled."
It's hard to argue with that. One does get the sense when reading the New Testament that unity within the church is, well, important. So why is it so hard for us to achieve?
On one level, the idea of unity is easy to agree upon. Most Christians are probably on the same page with Wright when he underscores the barrier-crashing importance of Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
But "all one" is easier said than done. And at the two conferences I attended, the contradictions and complexities of what it means to be one body and one family in Christ were made manifest.
Both of these conferences—on the surface and in their rhetoric—speak the "unity language." "Together for the Gospel" bespeaks a coming-togetherness or coalition of various wings of Christianity for the sake of the "main thing"—the gospel. Wheaton's conference was entitled "Jesus, Paul & the People of God: A Theological Dialogue With N.T. Wright"—language that also indicates a sort of coming-togetherness, perhaps in a more academic sense.
But there is a fundamental difference between the approaches of each group to unity. At T4G, which this year had the theme "The (Unadjusted) Gospel," unity often means keeping the heresies out. To be unified is to fight "together for the gospel" against the inroads, questions, and reexaminations that some Christians are undertaking. Speakers at the Wheaton conference at times had points of real disagreement with Wright (though they were all clearly on board with his main points and themes). T4G, by contrast, was more like a club patting each other on the back for their mutual buttressing of the "unadjusted gospel" against threats from various corners.
For the T4G folks, protecting disputed doctrines against heresy is where good theology is born. Clear thinking comes from friction and protestation, from Hegelian dialectics (R.C. Sproul spoke on this), but not from compromise. The Patristic Fathers got it right whenever they were ironing out disputed doctrines and fighting against heresy, said Ligon Duncan in his talk. But on matters that were not disputed, he said, their thought sometimes got muddled up.
The exact opposite point was made at the Wheaton Conference by Kevin Vanhoozer, professor of systematic theology at Wheaton, who suggested that theologians like Wright (and, presumably Christians in general) are more often correct in matters they collectively affirm than in matters they dispute. This statement reflects the contrasting spirit of the Wheaton Conference as regards unity: It's what we affirm that matters. Are we on the same page on the core issues? Can we agree on the claims of the creeds? Yes? Then let's hash out the details of theological minutia (which is definitely important) in a spirited, friendly debate as the people of God exercising the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:2).
Speaking of debate, the elephant in the room at both conferences was the ongoing (and increasingly well-known) debate on the doctrine of justification between N.T. Wright and John Piper. And at their respective conferences, both spoke on justification and referred to the other's arguments (with cheers from their respective rallied troops in the audience). The problem is that these men, both pastor/theologians who speak eloquently and love God, are talking past each other on this topic. They are not in dialogue. This might change for the better come November, when the two will square off in person at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in Atlanta. But for now, it's hard to see much unity in their debate.
It's hard when one side (Piper/T4G) sees the Reformed doctrine of justification (imputed righteousness) as the lynchpin litmus test wherein believers are found to be either orthodox or borderline heretical. Disagreement on justification seems to stymie any further discussion for the neo-Reformed crowd, a position which immediately rules out fellowship with large (increasingly so) swaths of Christendom. For Wright, justification is certainly crucial, but what seems even more crucial for him is the unity of the church. Paul, after all, speaks of justification only in a few places (Romans, Galatians, etc.), while unity is a topic that shows up constantly in nearly everything he writes.
But I think Wright would also do well to show the Reformed side a bit more respect and not write them off for "asking late medieval questions," let alone dismissing the very idea of schism within the church (isn't schism appropriate in some cases? As in, if the Gospel truly does become "adjusted" in significant ways?).
However intellectually at odds Piper and Wright might be (which is fine), they are first and foremost brothers in the house of God. I hope they—and their respective supporters in the fray—can begin to model a more unified spirit. Imagine the witness of that!
The highlight of T4G for me was the singing of classic hymns like "And Can it Be" and "It is Well" with 7,000 fervent voices all in one accord. And at the Wheaton conference, I was most moved by a final prayer in a packed auditorium where hands were laid on Wright as we prayed for him and his ministry. It strikes me that unity is most viscerally experienced in moments like this: singing songs together, praying in concert, in fellowship with one another.
What if both conferences had merged and two seemingly antagonistic groups of Christians put aside their differences for a few minutes to just sing (in both conferences the hymn "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" was sung), side-by-side, in worship of the triune God who gives the same grace through which all who follow Christ have been saved? That would be a unity the rulers of the world would truly be afraid of.
Brett McCracken blogs at The Search and is the author of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide, which comes out in August. "Speaking Out" is Christianity Today's guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication.
Hat tip: Doug LeBlanc
Families Told They Will Have To Move Remains From Memorial Garden In Watertown
April 27, 2010|By JOSH KOVNER, The Hartford Courant
Jean and Carol Herman are devout, tough and resilient people.
They had to draw hard on their faith when their daughter, Kristina, 13, a freshman at Litchfield High School, was struck and killed while crossing the street to her bus stop on a rainy, winter morning in 1989.
The couple's adoption, five years later, of three children, one with special needs, helped replenish their reserves. A close-knit, cheerful family, they sell fish out of a spotless, white-tiled industrial kitchen in the basement of their otherwise comfortably cluttered stone house in Torrington.
But lately, they've had to draw deeply from their spiritual well again.
Kristina's ashes, buried for the past 21 years in the memorial garden of Christ Church in Watertown, will have to be disinterred.
The Episcopal church, hurt by defections and struggling financially, is being sold to The Taft School. The peaceful, lushly green memorial plot, with the cremated remains of between 40 and 50 parishioners, including Kristina and Jean Herman's mother, Madeliene, is not being preserved as part of the sale.
The Hermans, who left Christ Church with other congregants in 2007, say they are deeply disappointed by the decision of the diocese. They don't understand why the memorial garden, with its stone bench and circle of evergreens, can't remain.
"That's our first question — why?" said Jean Herman, standing with Carol in the garden on Monday afternoon. "We buried Kristina's ashes and we didn't plan on disturbing them."
"Take away the bench," he said, "cut down the trees. Plant flowers, but leave the ashes where they are. They have gone back to the Earth. Let them stay."
In Connecticut and throughout the country, Episcopal churches have been losing congregants who disagree with church doctrine and policies. The Hermans said they left not because Episcopal churches have ordained openly gay men and women — a policy they say they have no problem with — but because they felt the diocese was straying from the teachings of the Bible. The couple helped form a new parish, the New Hope Anglican Church, led by the Rev. Bryan Bywater of West Hartford.
Faced with having to disturb Kristina and Madeliene's ashes, the couple said they found it difficult to return to Christ Church, even for a visit to the garden.
The Rev. Stanley Kemmerer, pastor of Christ Church, said the diocese made a business decision.
Hat tip: Fr. Bryan Bywater
Jean and Carol Herman are devout, tough and resilient people.
They had to draw hard on their faith when their daughter, Kristina, 13, a freshman at Litchfield High School, was struck and killed while crossing the street to her bus stop on a rainy, winter morning in 1989.
The couple's adoption, five years later, of three children, one with special needs, helped replenish their reserves. A close-knit, cheerful family, they sell fish out of a spotless, white-tiled industrial kitchen in the basement of their otherwise comfortably cluttered stone house in Torrington.
But lately, they've had to draw deeply from their spiritual well again.
Kristina's ashes, buried for the past 21 years in the memorial garden of Christ Church in Watertown, will have to be disinterred.
The Episcopal church, hurt by defections and struggling financially, is being sold to The Taft School. The peaceful, lushly green memorial plot, with the cremated remains of between 40 and 50 parishioners, including Kristina and Jean Herman's mother, Madeliene, is not being preserved as part of the sale.
The Hermans, who left Christ Church with other congregants in 2007, say they are deeply disappointed by the decision of the diocese. They don't understand why the memorial garden, with its stone bench and circle of evergreens, can't remain.
"That's our first question — why?" said Jean Herman, standing with Carol in the garden on Monday afternoon. "We buried Kristina's ashes and we didn't plan on disturbing them."
"Take away the bench," he said, "cut down the trees. Plant flowers, but leave the ashes where they are. They have gone back to the Earth. Let them stay."
In Connecticut and throughout the country, Episcopal churches have been losing congregants who disagree with church doctrine and policies. The Hermans said they left not because Episcopal churches have ordained openly gay men and women — a policy they say they have no problem with — but because they felt the diocese was straying from the teachings of the Bible. The couple helped form a new parish, the New Hope Anglican Church, led by the Rev. Bryan Bywater of West Hartford.
Faced with having to disturb Kristina and Madeliene's ashes, the couple said they found it difficult to return to Christ Church, even for a visit to the garden.
The Rev. Stanley Kemmerer, pastor of Christ Church, said the diocese made a business decision.
Hat tip: Fr. Bryan Bywater
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
CONNECTICUT: Parishioners never led away by church leader
Via VirtueOnline:
by Karen Wescott Mystic
http://www.theday.com/article/20100425/OP02/304259959/1069/rss06
April 25, 2010
Recent articles regarding the Episcopal Church's lawsuit against Bishop Seabury Church are misleading. ("Bishop Seabury parishioners can continue to use building," April 16. "Episcopal Diocese is ruled owner of Bishop Seabury Church in Groton," March 20.)
Father Ronald Gauss has not "led" us away. He doesn't have a vote. The Episcopal Church radically changed its doctrine, and is demanding we support it financially and exclusively, or else.
It was the parish's unanimous decision to also affiliate with the Anglican Church, which is in the same denomination as the Episcopal Church.
We haven't formally disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church. We added the other affiliation in order to obtain godly episcopal care. The opposition wants the court to order our Anglican bishops to not set foot in our building without their permission.
The judge refused.
Also, 35-40 (not 25) of us attended court. At the most recent hearing, Father David Cannon - so-called "priest in charge" - had nobody with him except attorneys, because there are no dissenters in the parish.
In fact, the hearing was the first time parishioners saw Father Cannon. His attorneys claim to represent the parish, but the only people they represent are Father Cannon and his imaginary congregation, which does not exist.
END
Here is Karen Scott's full (unedited) letter sent to VOL by Fr. Ron Gauss
April 28, 2010
It would be nice to just once see the facts stated correctly in this matter. Calling us "his [Gauss'] followers" makes Bishop Seabury parishioners look like lemmings, blindly following a self-serving rogue leader. Further, this article exudes the diocesan view, with only one brief comment from Fr. Gauss and no comments from our attorneys. It is nakedly, transparently telling a story from the point with which the reporter agrees. Apparently telling both sides of the story doesn't sell enough papers. Let me explain what Ms. Florin has misstated and left out.
Somebody needs to tell our side, so if not the reporter, I guess it might as well be a parishioner.
First point: Fr. Gauss did not lead us away. As the rector, he doesn't even have a vote on such matters. He is a member of the vestry "ex-officio". It was the parish's UNANIMOUS decision to also affiliate with the Anglican Church. We find the theological innovations of the Episcopal Church in recent years to be unacceptable, and cannot in good conscience support them. We haven't technically disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church.
Second point: The beef that the Diocese has with us nothing to do with what we believe, and they never said it did. We could affiliate with the Druids and the bishop wouldn't care. Their objections with us can all be traced back to their own money problems. You see, a little-known fact is that they're just upset because ever since 2003 we don't send them money anymore. The Diocese was comfortably accustomed to getting about $50,000 a year from our parish because we believe in giving a tithe to the church. This we do without ever passing offering plates. They can't wait to get their accountants in to see what their booty will be. It's all about the money.
Third point: We have not changed our beliefs to become more conservative, and it's not just about sexuality. It involves the exclusivity of Christ as Savior, his sinless life, and other beliefs central to the core of the Christian faith. The Episcopal Church has changed these beliefs, and is demanding that we conform to their radical views and practices or else. People say that if we don't like it we should leave. We respectfully disagree. When the powers that be in the Episcopal Church no longer believed the articles of religion and deemed them to be quaint "historical documents" of the church, it is THEY who should have left. In other words, they started it. The Bible hasn't changed (though that would be convenient for them), and God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Therefore, we haven't changed our 2000-year-old sacredly-held beliefs and we feel that to do so would be nothing short of heresy.
Fourth point: How is it that a secular court of law can make us choose between changing what we believe or forfeiting all assets to those we see as heretics if we don't? Where is the separation of church and state that liberals so love to enforce to get what they want? I guess they couldn't confiscate all our money and property if they bring up that annoying little point.
Fifth point: We are not "Fr. Gauss' followers". He works for us. We follow Jesus Christ, led as we trust by the Holy Spirit, as expressed in our unanimity of all parish decisions. Nothing happens in our parish unless everyone agrees after prayerful consideration. If one person dissents, things stay as they are. It's really quite a unique way of ensuring that we do nothing unless everyone feels led by the Spirit of God to do it.
Sixth and final point: I attended the court hearing yesterday, and the previous one. There were about 35-40 of us, not 25. We filled a small bus and 2 cars. Every seat in the courtroom was filled. This is a significant percentage of our voting membership, who dropped everything on one day's notice to pile into a bus on a weekday. People took time off from work and other responsibilities to be there. The judge even thanked us for coming. On the other hand, Fr. Canon, the diocese's "priest in charge" had nobody with him except his attorneys.
In fact, yesterday was the first time we in the parish have ever seen him. We recognized him from photos. Fr. Canon's attorneys claim to represent "Bishop Seabury Church", when in fact, the only people they represent are Fr. Canon and his imaginary congregation. They don't exist. So before people start commenting on how good it is that "the real BSC finally got what is rightfully theirs", they should know that WE are the real BSC, and the one they are thinking of is a figment of the collective imaginations of our opponents.
*****
Footnote from Fr. Gauss to VOL:
Our Judge has not set a time for ending the stay. He has said that he will decide when he decides, not TEC or the Diocese. One thing the judge said: After reading all of the cases from across the country..."I have been corrected by the appellate court in the past, and I may be corrected again".
by Karen Wescott Mystic
http://www.theday.com/article/20100425/OP02/304259959/1069/rss06
April 25, 2010
Recent articles regarding the Episcopal Church's lawsuit against Bishop Seabury Church are misleading. ("Bishop Seabury parishioners can continue to use building," April 16. "Episcopal Diocese is ruled owner of Bishop Seabury Church in Groton," March 20.)
Father Ronald Gauss has not "led" us away. He doesn't have a vote. The Episcopal Church radically changed its doctrine, and is demanding we support it financially and exclusively, or else.
It was the parish's unanimous decision to also affiliate with the Anglican Church, which is in the same denomination as the Episcopal Church.
We haven't formally disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church. We added the other affiliation in order to obtain godly episcopal care. The opposition wants the court to order our Anglican bishops to not set foot in our building without their permission.
The judge refused.
Also, 35-40 (not 25) of us attended court. At the most recent hearing, Father David Cannon - so-called "priest in charge" - had nobody with him except attorneys, because there are no dissenters in the parish.
In fact, the hearing was the first time parishioners saw Father Cannon. His attorneys claim to represent the parish, but the only people they represent are Father Cannon and his imaginary congregation, which does not exist.
END
Here is Karen Scott's full (unedited) letter sent to VOL by Fr. Ron Gauss
April 28, 2010
It would be nice to just once see the facts stated correctly in this matter. Calling us "his [Gauss'] followers" makes Bishop Seabury parishioners look like lemmings, blindly following a self-serving rogue leader. Further, this article exudes the diocesan view, with only one brief comment from Fr. Gauss and no comments from our attorneys. It is nakedly, transparently telling a story from the point with which the reporter agrees. Apparently telling both sides of the story doesn't sell enough papers. Let me explain what Ms. Florin has misstated and left out.
Somebody needs to tell our side, so if not the reporter, I guess it might as well be a parishioner.
First point: Fr. Gauss did not lead us away. As the rector, he doesn't even have a vote on such matters. He is a member of the vestry "ex-officio". It was the parish's UNANIMOUS decision to also affiliate with the Anglican Church. We find the theological innovations of the Episcopal Church in recent years to be unacceptable, and cannot in good conscience support them. We haven't technically disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church.
Second point: The beef that the Diocese has with us nothing to do with what we believe, and they never said it did. We could affiliate with the Druids and the bishop wouldn't care. Their objections with us can all be traced back to their own money problems. You see, a little-known fact is that they're just upset because ever since 2003 we don't send them money anymore. The Diocese was comfortably accustomed to getting about $50,000 a year from our parish because we believe in giving a tithe to the church. This we do without ever passing offering plates. They can't wait to get their accountants in to see what their booty will be. It's all about the money.
Third point: We have not changed our beliefs to become more conservative, and it's not just about sexuality. It involves the exclusivity of Christ as Savior, his sinless life, and other beliefs central to the core of the Christian faith. The Episcopal Church has changed these beliefs, and is demanding that we conform to their radical views and practices or else. People say that if we don't like it we should leave. We respectfully disagree. When the powers that be in the Episcopal Church no longer believed the articles of religion and deemed them to be quaint "historical documents" of the church, it is THEY who should have left. In other words, they started it. The Bible hasn't changed (though that would be convenient for them), and God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Therefore, we haven't changed our 2000-year-old sacredly-held beliefs and we feel that to do so would be nothing short of heresy.
Fourth point: How is it that a secular court of law can make us choose between changing what we believe or forfeiting all assets to those we see as heretics if we don't? Where is the separation of church and state that liberals so love to enforce to get what they want? I guess they couldn't confiscate all our money and property if they bring up that annoying little point.
Fifth point: We are not "Fr. Gauss' followers". He works for us. We follow Jesus Christ, led as we trust by the Holy Spirit, as expressed in our unanimity of all parish decisions. Nothing happens in our parish unless everyone agrees after prayerful consideration. If one person dissents, things stay as they are. It's really quite a unique way of ensuring that we do nothing unless everyone feels led by the Spirit of God to do it.
Sixth and final point: I attended the court hearing yesterday, and the previous one. There were about 35-40 of us, not 25. We filled a small bus and 2 cars. Every seat in the courtroom was filled. This is a significant percentage of our voting membership, who dropped everything on one day's notice to pile into a bus on a weekday. People took time off from work and other responsibilities to be there. The judge even thanked us for coming. On the other hand, Fr. Canon, the diocese's "priest in charge" had nobody with him except his attorneys.
In fact, yesterday was the first time we in the parish have ever seen him. We recognized him from photos. Fr. Canon's attorneys claim to represent "Bishop Seabury Church", when in fact, the only people they represent are Fr. Canon and his imaginary congregation. They don't exist. So before people start commenting on how good it is that "the real BSC finally got what is rightfully theirs", they should know that WE are the real BSC, and the one they are thinking of is a figment of the collective imaginations of our opponents.
*****
Footnote from Fr. Gauss to VOL:
Our Judge has not set a time for ending the stay. He has said that he will decide when he decides, not TEC or the Diocese. One thing the judge said: After reading all of the cases from across the country..."I have been corrected by the appellate court in the past, and I may be corrected again".
Online missionaries spread Gospel in cyberspace
From the Toledo Blade via TitusOneNine:
Article published April 24, 2010
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
For 2,000 years, Christian missionaries have traveled to foreign lands to spread the Gospel.
Today, there are thousands of missionaries preaching around the world without leaving home. Sometimes even while wearing pajamas.
Global Media Outreach, a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, held a Webinar, or online seminar, this week to raise awareness and to motivate people to participate in online missions.
With tomorrow being designated Internet Evangelism Day (by the Internet Evangelism Coalition), Michelle Diedrich of GMO said she wants "to change the way we think" about the Internet.
"We are the first generation - ever - to hold in our hands the technology to give every person on earth multiple chances to accept Jesus Christ," Ms. Diedrich, GMO's communications director, said in the Wednesday seminar.
The latest estimates report that 1.8 billion people are on the Internet, and every day, she said, they make "2 million searches for spiritual needs."
"There is a lot of evil on the Internet, things that should not be there. When they seek, what are they going to find?" Ms. Diedrich asked. "If Christians aren't there to help people find Jesus, what will they find? If that scares you a little bit, it probably should."
Many churches are catching the vision that GMO has advocated since its founding in 2004, she said. At first, she said, churches and pastors considered the Internet to be "a piece of technology," but in recent years they've been seeing it as a ministry.
Online missions, she said, are "when you use the Internet, throughout whatever device - laptop, Internet cafe, mobile phone - to share the Gospel. These are new opportunities to share Jesus. Churches can reach millions more."
In the first year after its founding in 2004, GMO reported 21,066 people "indicated a decision for Christ" through its online missions. Last year, "10 million Christ decisions were realized," Ms. Diedrich said. "So it's huge and it's growing."
In a followup survey, GMO reported that 87 percent of 8,500 respondents said they are "certain" of their salvation; 63 percent said they attend church regularly; 58 percent pray daily, and 44 percent read the Bible daily.
The Rev. Tom Schaeffer, pastor of Threshold Church in Toledo, said he has reservations about Internet evangelism when it does not lead to real-world interaction and community.
"I agree to some point, but I am skeptical of any use of the Internet that didn't ultimately somehow try to get people connected to a community of believers," he said. "Our God is a relational God. People might find information on the Web, but they're going to need to find a place to plug in and develop relationships."
Among the GMO's 4,400 online missionaries is Amy Gross, a mother and a blogger who particicpated in the Webinar.
When GMO receives e-mails from seekers on its more than 100 Web sites, it forwards the messages to participating missionaries.
Ms. Gross said she receives e-mails from English-speaking people and then responds to their questions. GMO matches the seekers to missionaries who speak their language, and also provides extensive resources to help the missionaries find answers to some of the tougher queries.
Ms. Gross said she has shared the Gospel with people all over the world, and was somewhat amazed at how many speak English. She added that she keeps track of her online ministry by using a world map, using push pins to mark the cities and countries where she has traded e-mails with people.
"As a mom, I have my blog and I can disciple people that way," Ms. Gross said. "But with Global
Media Outreach, I can go on a mission trip every day. I don't have to leave home. I don't have to pack my suitcase. It's a great way to serve. I can go to India in my pajamas, and I love that."
Ms. Diedrich added that online evangelism is intended to complement, not replace, traditional church programs and services. But "more people use the Internet than go to church. New thinking is required for outreach in the post-Christian age."
One big advantage of Internet evangelism is that it can bring the Gospel to countries where real-world missionaries are forbidden, Ms. Diedrich said.
She cited a 2009 study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life that said 64 countries, or about one-third of all nations, "have high or very high restrictions on religion."
Online evangelism also can be practiced by people who are disabled or who lack the time or money to travel. "The other piece is building community with believers online," Ms. Diedrich said. A lot of people who would not visit a traditional church may go to a Web site for information or view an online church service, she said.
"This is only the beginning," she said. "We are just starting to touch the things that can be done. I think you're going to see a huge explosion" in Internet evangelism.
Information on Internet Evangelism Day is available at GMOAlwaysReady.com.
- David Yonke
Article published April 24, 2010
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
For 2,000 years, Christian missionaries have traveled to foreign lands to spread the Gospel.
Today, there are thousands of missionaries preaching around the world without leaving home. Sometimes even while wearing pajamas.
Global Media Outreach, a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, held a Webinar, or online seminar, this week to raise awareness and to motivate people to participate in online missions.
With tomorrow being designated Internet Evangelism Day (by the Internet Evangelism Coalition), Michelle Diedrich of GMO said she wants "to change the way we think" about the Internet.
"We are the first generation - ever - to hold in our hands the technology to give every person on earth multiple chances to accept Jesus Christ," Ms. Diedrich, GMO's communications director, said in the Wednesday seminar.
The latest estimates report that 1.8 billion people are on the Internet, and every day, she said, they make "2 million searches for spiritual needs."
"There is a lot of evil on the Internet, things that should not be there. When they seek, what are they going to find?" Ms. Diedrich asked. "If Christians aren't there to help people find Jesus, what will they find? If that scares you a little bit, it probably should."
Many churches are catching the vision that GMO has advocated since its founding in 2004, she said. At first, she said, churches and pastors considered the Internet to be "a piece of technology," but in recent years they've been seeing it as a ministry.
Online missions, she said, are "when you use the Internet, throughout whatever device - laptop, Internet cafe, mobile phone - to share the Gospel. These are new opportunities to share Jesus. Churches can reach millions more."
In the first year after its founding in 2004, GMO reported 21,066 people "indicated a decision for Christ" through its online missions. Last year, "10 million Christ decisions were realized," Ms. Diedrich said. "So it's huge and it's growing."
In a followup survey, GMO reported that 87 percent of 8,500 respondents said they are "certain" of their salvation; 63 percent said they attend church regularly; 58 percent pray daily, and 44 percent read the Bible daily.
The Rev. Tom Schaeffer, pastor of Threshold Church in Toledo, said he has reservations about Internet evangelism when it does not lead to real-world interaction and community.
"I agree to some point, but I am skeptical of any use of the Internet that didn't ultimately somehow try to get people connected to a community of believers," he said. "Our God is a relational God. People might find information on the Web, but they're going to need to find a place to plug in and develop relationships."
Among the GMO's 4,400 online missionaries is Amy Gross, a mother and a blogger who particicpated in the Webinar.
When GMO receives e-mails from seekers on its more than 100 Web sites, it forwards the messages to participating missionaries.
Ms. Gross said she receives e-mails from English-speaking people and then responds to their questions. GMO matches the seekers to missionaries who speak their language, and also provides extensive resources to help the missionaries find answers to some of the tougher queries.
Ms. Gross said she has shared the Gospel with people all over the world, and was somewhat amazed at how many speak English. She added that she keeps track of her online ministry by using a world map, using push pins to mark the cities and countries where she has traded e-mails with people.
"As a mom, I have my blog and I can disciple people that way," Ms. Gross said. "But with Global
Media Outreach, I can go on a mission trip every day. I don't have to leave home. I don't have to pack my suitcase. It's a great way to serve. I can go to India in my pajamas, and I love that."
Ms. Diedrich added that online evangelism is intended to complement, not replace, traditional church programs and services. But "more people use the Internet than go to church. New thinking is required for outreach in the post-Christian age."
One big advantage of Internet evangelism is that it can bring the Gospel to countries where real-world missionaries are forbidden, Ms. Diedrich said.
She cited a 2009 study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life that said 64 countries, or about one-third of all nations, "have high or very high restrictions on religion."
Online evangelism also can be practiced by people who are disabled or who lack the time or money to travel. "The other piece is building community with believers online," Ms. Diedrich said. A lot of people who would not visit a traditional church may go to a Web site for information or view an online church service, she said.
"This is only the beginning," she said. "We are just starting to touch the things that can be done. I think you're going to see a huge explosion" in Internet evangelism.
Information on Internet Evangelism Day is available at GMOAlwaysReady.com.
- David Yonke
Key Anglican Leaders Sad Yet Hopeful About Future
From Christian Post via TitusOneNine:
Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2010 Posted: 5:57:54PM HKT
As a watching world wonders if Anglicanism is falling apart, major players in the Anglican Communion are assured of unity. But it is an assurance that is mingled with a deep sorrow.
These were recurrent themes in conversations The Christian Post had with most of the Global South archbishops and representatives. This paper had met them at a significant summit held last week at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
For the Global South archbishops, there is no question about whether there will be a split in the largest Protestant communion.
“There is really only one Anglican Communion,” said the Most Revd. Henri Kahwa Isingoma of Congo. “It is the North American Churches that have gone far from the roots of our common faith.”
Isingoma went on to explain that the Global South is a ‘resistance’ movement to stem the tide of theological liberalism. For him and other archbishops at the meeting, the Anglican Communion is defined not by self-styling but by biblical orthodoxy.
The worldwide communion was thrown into chaos when two North American Churches started blessing same-sex unions and ordaining homosexuals as bishops eight years back.
Homosexuality is a sin in the official view of the Anglican Communion. While the Bible teaches that Christians should treat homosexuals with compassion, they are not to promote homosexuality.
“These things are there,” said the Rt. Revd. Peter Jasper Akinola. “But you don’t have to praise them, you don’t celebrate them, you don’t rejoice in them.”
Western Churches have abdicated their responsibility, said the immediate past head of the Global South. Akinola was also head of the 20 million-strong Anglican Church in Nigeria.
“They are not allowing the Church and the Christian ethics to influence their society and their culture,” said the Most Revd. Mouneer Hanna Anis. “They are allowing the culture and the context and the mores of society to come in and penetrate the Church.” Anis’ jurisdiction covers parts of Africa and the Middle East.
On one level, the problem appears to be the lack of a clear and universal articulation of the Anglican faith. Closely related to this is the lack of Communion-wide structures of real authority. The Anglican head, the Archbishop of Canterbury, exerts moral rather than functional authority.
The Anglican Communion has itself perceived this ‘ecclesial deficit’ and has proposed the adoption of an Anglican Communion Covenant.
But many archbishops to whom this paper spoke were convinced that the crisis is centred on the question of whether the Bible can be trusted.
Thinking themselves ‘enlightened’, Westerners since the 19th century sought to find another way of reading the Bible according to the Most Revd. Gregory James Venables of Latin America’s Southern Cone.
“Whatever they think is right in terms of modern cultural trappings will be made to supersede Scriptures,” said Bishop Akinola.
Global South leaders felt that the issue cannot be solved simply by setting up ecclesiastical structures.
“If we cannot wipe out sin in our hearts, no one, nothing, including the Covenant, can help us,” said the Most Revd. Stephen Thanh Myint Oo of Myanmar.
The Covenant can only be a ‘guideline’. It cannot replace the more fundamental covenant between God and individuals, said the Most Revd. Emmanuel Musaba Kolini of Rwanda.
Many archbishops see no hope of reconciliation.
Global South archbishops have tried for eight years to talk sense into their Western counterparts. They did this only to be unceremoniously rebuffed when one Church only recently elected a partnered lesbian as bishop.
While the Covenant is not likely to solve the current crisis, archbishops see its ‘futuristic’ value. But they feel that the document in its present form is not yet ideal for the Anglican Communion.
Archbishops are seeking to make the human sexuality clause part of the Anglican Covenant. They are also trying to make the Covenant a binding document. Their hope is that discipline would be vested in a council of bishops.
If this is achieved, the Anglican Communion would be able to prevent repeat occurrences of the tragedy it is facing, Akinola believes.
The Covenant has already been sent to Anglican Churches around the world for consideration and is awaiting adoption.
In the meantime, the Anglican Global South has opened a ‘decade of mission and networking’. Anglicans also plan to reform existing ecclesiastical structures to better reflect its global face.
They plan to achieve financial independence. This will reduce the possibility of other Churches influencing their theological convictions, noted Nigerian Archbishop Nicholas D Okoh.
Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2010 Posted: 5:57:54PM HKT
As a watching world wonders if Anglicanism is falling apart, major players in the Anglican Communion are assured of unity. But it is an assurance that is mingled with a deep sorrow.
These were recurrent themes in conversations The Christian Post had with most of the Global South archbishops and representatives. This paper had met them at a significant summit held last week at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
For the Global South archbishops, there is no question about whether there will be a split in the largest Protestant communion.
“There is really only one Anglican Communion,” said the Most Revd. Henri Kahwa Isingoma of Congo. “It is the North American Churches that have gone far from the roots of our common faith.”
Isingoma went on to explain that the Global South is a ‘resistance’ movement to stem the tide of theological liberalism. For him and other archbishops at the meeting, the Anglican Communion is defined not by self-styling but by biblical orthodoxy.
The worldwide communion was thrown into chaos when two North American Churches started blessing same-sex unions and ordaining homosexuals as bishops eight years back.
Homosexuality is a sin in the official view of the Anglican Communion. While the Bible teaches that Christians should treat homosexuals with compassion, they are not to promote homosexuality.
“These things are there,” said the Rt. Revd. Peter Jasper Akinola. “But you don’t have to praise them, you don’t celebrate them, you don’t rejoice in them.”
Western Churches have abdicated their responsibility, said the immediate past head of the Global South. Akinola was also head of the 20 million-strong Anglican Church in Nigeria.
“They are not allowing the Church and the Christian ethics to influence their society and their culture,” said the Most Revd. Mouneer Hanna Anis. “They are allowing the culture and the context and the mores of society to come in and penetrate the Church.” Anis’ jurisdiction covers parts of Africa and the Middle East.
On one level, the problem appears to be the lack of a clear and universal articulation of the Anglican faith. Closely related to this is the lack of Communion-wide structures of real authority. The Anglican head, the Archbishop of Canterbury, exerts moral rather than functional authority.
The Anglican Communion has itself perceived this ‘ecclesial deficit’ and has proposed the adoption of an Anglican Communion Covenant.
But many archbishops to whom this paper spoke were convinced that the crisis is centred on the question of whether the Bible can be trusted.
Thinking themselves ‘enlightened’, Westerners since the 19th century sought to find another way of reading the Bible according to the Most Revd. Gregory James Venables of Latin America’s Southern Cone.
“Whatever they think is right in terms of modern cultural trappings will be made to supersede Scriptures,” said Bishop Akinola.
Global South leaders felt that the issue cannot be solved simply by setting up ecclesiastical structures.
“If we cannot wipe out sin in our hearts, no one, nothing, including the Covenant, can help us,” said the Most Revd. Stephen Thanh Myint Oo of Myanmar.
The Covenant can only be a ‘guideline’. It cannot replace the more fundamental covenant between God and individuals, said the Most Revd. Emmanuel Musaba Kolini of Rwanda.
Many archbishops see no hope of reconciliation.
Global South archbishops have tried for eight years to talk sense into their Western counterparts. They did this only to be unceremoniously rebuffed when one Church only recently elected a partnered lesbian as bishop.
While the Covenant is not likely to solve the current crisis, archbishops see its ‘futuristic’ value. But they feel that the document in its present form is not yet ideal for the Anglican Communion.
Archbishops are seeking to make the human sexuality clause part of the Anglican Covenant. They are also trying to make the Covenant a binding document. Their hope is that discipline would be vested in a council of bishops.
If this is achieved, the Anglican Communion would be able to prevent repeat occurrences of the tragedy it is facing, Akinola believes.
The Covenant has already been sent to Anglican Churches around the world for consideration and is awaiting adoption.
In the meantime, the Anglican Global South has opened a ‘decade of mission and networking’. Anglicans also plan to reform existing ecclesiastical structures to better reflect its global face.
They plan to achieve financial independence. This will reduce the possibility of other Churches influencing their theological convictions, noted Nigerian Archbishop Nicholas D Okoh.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Bishop of Durham to leave diocese
Via Thinking Anglicans:
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
from the Diocese of Durham website
BISHOP OF DURHAM TO LEAVE DIOCESE
The Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright, has announced that he will be retiring from the See of Durham on August 31.
Dr Wright, who will be 62 this autumn, is returning to the academic world, in which he spent the first twenty years of his career, and will take up a new appointment as Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Announcing his move, Bishop Tom said, ‘This has been the hardest decision of my life. It has been an indescribable privilege to be Bishop of the ancient Diocese of Durham, to work with a superb team of colleagues, to take part in the work of God’s kingdom here in the north-east, and to represent the region and its churches in the House of Lords and in General Synod. I have loved the people, the place, the heritage and the work. But my continuing vocation to be a writer, teacher and broadcaster, for the benefit (I hope) of the wider world and church, has been increasingly difficult to combine with the complex demands and duties of a diocesan bishop. I am very sad about this, but the choice has become increasingly clear.’
Among the initiatives Bishop Tom has pioneered has been the ‘Big Read’ programme, which has got people across the North-East, and across all Christian churches, reading the Bible together in Lent. This programme will expand to a national level next year, with Bishop Tom’s forthcoming ‘Lent for Everyone – Matthew’ being the basic text.
As Bishop of Durham, Dr Wright has spoken in the House of Lords on numerous occasions and issues. Most recently he has championed the cause of new underground technology for the clean use of coal from the region’s still massive coalfields. He has also taken a lead in debating issues surrounding constitutional reform. Within the wider Anglican world he was a member of the Commission that produced the Windsor Report (2004) on the future of the Anglican Communion, and was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special representative at the Roman Catholic Synod of Bishops in 2008. Together with Maggie, his wife, he has developed a close relationship with HMS Bulwark, which is twinned with County Durham, culminating in a seminar on board which brought together leading theologians and military personnel to discuss issues of war, peace and faith. He has worked hard to develop friendships and partnerships with Christians of all denominations. He has spoken frequently on radio and TV, including writing and presenting a series of radio meditations and music and television programmes on the resurrection and on the problem of evil.
As a writer, Bishop Tom has been working on three series of books – Christian Origins and the Question of God (at a scholarly level), The New Testament for Everyone (at a popular level) and a sequence of studies to introduce the Christian faith, Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope and most recently Virtue Reborn (US Title After You Believe). He hopes now to be able to complete these collections, and other ongoing research, while teaching (particularly graduate students) in the Faculty of Divinity at St Andrews. He has also been approached to head up various broadcasting projects to bring the results of good biblical scholarship to a wider audience.
Bishop Tom and Maggie have four adult children and three grandchildren.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
from the Diocese of Durham website
BISHOP OF DURHAM TO LEAVE DIOCESE
The Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright, has announced that he will be retiring from the See of Durham on August 31.
Dr Wright, who will be 62 this autumn, is returning to the academic world, in which he spent the first twenty years of his career, and will take up a new appointment as Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Announcing his move, Bishop Tom said, ‘This has been the hardest decision of my life. It has been an indescribable privilege to be Bishop of the ancient Diocese of Durham, to work with a superb team of colleagues, to take part in the work of God’s kingdom here in the north-east, and to represent the region and its churches in the House of Lords and in General Synod. I have loved the people, the place, the heritage and the work. But my continuing vocation to be a writer, teacher and broadcaster, for the benefit (I hope) of the wider world and church, has been increasingly difficult to combine with the complex demands and duties of a diocesan bishop. I am very sad about this, but the choice has become increasingly clear.’
Among the initiatives Bishop Tom has pioneered has been the ‘Big Read’ programme, which has got people across the North-East, and across all Christian churches, reading the Bible together in Lent. This programme will expand to a national level next year, with Bishop Tom’s forthcoming ‘Lent for Everyone – Matthew’ being the basic text.
As Bishop of Durham, Dr Wright has spoken in the House of Lords on numerous occasions and issues. Most recently he has championed the cause of new underground technology for the clean use of coal from the region’s still massive coalfields. He has also taken a lead in debating issues surrounding constitutional reform. Within the wider Anglican world he was a member of the Commission that produced the Windsor Report (2004) on the future of the Anglican Communion, and was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special representative at the Roman Catholic Synod of Bishops in 2008. Together with Maggie, his wife, he has developed a close relationship with HMS Bulwark, which is twinned with County Durham, culminating in a seminar on board which brought together leading theologians and military personnel to discuss issues of war, peace and faith. He has worked hard to develop friendships and partnerships with Christians of all denominations. He has spoken frequently on radio and TV, including writing and presenting a series of radio meditations and music and television programmes on the resurrection and on the problem of evil.
As a writer, Bishop Tom has been working on three series of books – Christian Origins and the Question of God (at a scholarly level), The New Testament for Everyone (at a popular level) and a sequence of studies to introduce the Christian faith, Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope and most recently Virtue Reborn (US Title After You Believe). He hopes now to be able to complete these collections, and other ongoing research, while teaching (particularly graduate students) in the Faculty of Divinity at St Andrews. He has also been approached to head up various broadcasting projects to bring the results of good biblical scholarship to a wider audience.
Bishop Tom and Maggie have four adult children and three grandchildren.
SINGAPORE: Global South Anglicans vow to act against US Church's pro-gay shift
Via VirtueOnline:
by Jenna Lyle
http://www.christiantoday.com/
April 23, 2010
Some 130 Anglican leaders from the Global South have condemned The Episcopal Church in the US (TEC) over its plans to consecrate a second openly gay bishop despite huge opposition from within the Anglican Communion.
Canon Mary D Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, will be consecrated as a bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles in a ceremony next month.
Anglican leaders from 20 Global South provinces concluded a meeting in Singapore today with a statement declaring their intention to continue speaking out against TEC, the Anglican Church of Canada and "all those churches that have rejected the way of the Lord as expressed in Holy Scripture".
The leaders said TEC's intended consecration of Glasspool demonstrated "a total disregard for the mind of the Communion".
"These churches continue in their defiance as they set themselves on a course that contradicts the plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures on matters so fundamental that they affect the very salvation of those involved," they said.
"Such actions violate the integrity of the Gospel, the Communion and our Christian witness to the rest of the world. In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action."
The statement praised the "courageous" actions of Global South primates who refuse to participate in meetings where representatives of TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada are present. They include the Archbishops Mouneer Anis, of Jerusalem and the Middle East, Henry Orombi, of Uganda, and Ian Ernest, of the Indian Ocean.
The leaders went on to say that the refusal of TEC to honour the recommendations of the Windsor Report, which included a moratorium on the consecration of clergy in same sex unions, had "brought discredit to our witness".
The Global South leaders called for a review of structures within the Anglican Communion and encouraged other provinces to reconsider their communion relationships with TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada "until it becomes clear that there is genuine".
In a video greeting to the Global South to South Encounter at the start of the week, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams told the leaders that the recent actions of TEC had made the "confusion, brokenness and tension" in the worldwide Anglican family "still more acute". He added that there would be "no quick solutions" to the divisions and that only the Holy Spirit could heal the body of Christ
END
by Jenna Lyle
http://www.christiantoday.com/
April 23, 2010
Some 130 Anglican leaders from the Global South have condemned The Episcopal Church in the US (TEC) over its plans to consecrate a second openly gay bishop despite huge opposition from within the Anglican Communion.
Canon Mary D Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, will be consecrated as a bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles in a ceremony next month.
Anglican leaders from 20 Global South provinces concluded a meeting in Singapore today with a statement declaring their intention to continue speaking out against TEC, the Anglican Church of Canada and "all those churches that have rejected the way of the Lord as expressed in Holy Scripture".
The leaders said TEC's intended consecration of Glasspool demonstrated "a total disregard for the mind of the Communion".
"These churches continue in their defiance as they set themselves on a course that contradicts the plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures on matters so fundamental that they affect the very salvation of those involved," they said.
"Such actions violate the integrity of the Gospel, the Communion and our Christian witness to the rest of the world. In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action."
The statement praised the "courageous" actions of Global South primates who refuse to participate in meetings where representatives of TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada are present. They include the Archbishops Mouneer Anis, of Jerusalem and the Middle East, Henry Orombi, of Uganda, and Ian Ernest, of the Indian Ocean.
The leaders went on to say that the refusal of TEC to honour the recommendations of the Windsor Report, which included a moratorium on the consecration of clergy in same sex unions, had "brought discredit to our witness".
The Global South leaders called for a review of structures within the Anglican Communion and encouraged other provinces to reconsider their communion relationships with TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada "until it becomes clear that there is genuine".
In a video greeting to the Global South to South Encounter at the start of the week, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams told the leaders that the recent actions of TEC had made the "confusion, brokenness and tension" in the worldwide Anglican family "still more acute". He added that there would be "no quick solutions" to the divisions and that only the Holy Spirit could heal the body of Christ
END
LONDON: Orthodox Anglicans Uphold Communique from Global South Encounter in Singapore
Via VirtueOnline:
April 26, 2010
We are encouraged by and welcome the Communique from the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, with its positive emphasis on mission. We particularly endorse:
1. Their positive response to the call to declare the next ten years a Decade of Mission and Networking, to expand mission sending capacity to enhance networking among Global South Provinces, together with the need to pay greater attention to the role of Christian professionals in the mission, ministry and witness of the Christian community. and the pastoral needs of the laity, especially women and young [10]
2. their agreement that the future of the Communion lies in winning the next generation for Christ and therefore their call to each region to adopt initiatives to better understand the needs and characteristics of this new generation so that we might better communicate the Gospel and Christian values to them. [12]
3. their statement of 'the absolute necessity and priority for the Church to disciple her members under the authority of the inspired Scriptures so that they may transform their societies and reach the nations with the Gospel'. [13]
4. their recognition that TEC and ACC's 'continued refusal to honor the many requests made of them by the various meetings of the Primates throughout the Windsor Process have brought discredit to our witness'; the urging of the Archbishop of Canterbury to implement the recommended actions'; and their encouragement to Provinces 'to reconsider their communion relationships with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada until it becomes clear that there is genuine repentance'. [18 and 19]
5. their acknowledgement that there are many within TEC who do not accept their church's innovations, to whom we should offer loving and prayerful support. [19]
6. their recognition that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism'; their welcome to ACNA churches as partners in the Gospel; and their hope that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners. [19]
7. their view that 'there is a need to review the entire Anglican Communion structure; especially the Instruments of Communion and the Anglican Communion office; in order to achieve an authentic expression of the current reality of our Anglican Communion'. [22]
Dr. Philip Giddings (Convenor Anglican Mainstream)
Rev. Paul Perkin (Chairman, Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (UK and Ireland))
Canon Dr. Chris Sugden (Executive Secretary, Anglican Mainstream)
April 26, 2010
We are encouraged by and welcome the Communique from the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, with its positive emphasis on mission. We particularly endorse:
1. Their positive response to the call to declare the next ten years a Decade of Mission and Networking, to expand mission sending capacity to enhance networking among Global South Provinces, together with the need to pay greater attention to the role of Christian professionals in the mission, ministry and witness of the Christian community. and the pastoral needs of the laity, especially women and young [10]
2. their agreement that the future of the Communion lies in winning the next generation for Christ and therefore their call to each region to adopt initiatives to better understand the needs and characteristics of this new generation so that we might better communicate the Gospel and Christian values to them. [12]
3. their statement of 'the absolute necessity and priority for the Church to disciple her members under the authority of the inspired Scriptures so that they may transform their societies and reach the nations with the Gospel'. [13]
4. their recognition that TEC and ACC's 'continued refusal to honor the many requests made of them by the various meetings of the Primates throughout the Windsor Process have brought discredit to our witness'; the urging of the Archbishop of Canterbury to implement the recommended actions'; and their encouragement to Provinces 'to reconsider their communion relationships with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada until it becomes clear that there is genuine repentance'. [18 and 19]
5. their acknowledgement that there are many within TEC who do not accept their church's innovations, to whom we should offer loving and prayerful support. [19]
6. their recognition that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism'; their welcome to ACNA churches as partners in the Gospel; and their hope that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners. [19]
7. their view that 'there is a need to review the entire Anglican Communion structure; especially the Instruments of Communion and the Anglican Communion office; in order to achieve an authentic expression of the current reality of our Anglican Communion'. [22]
Dr. Philip Giddings (Convenor Anglican Mainstream)
Rev. Paul Perkin (Chairman, Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (UK and Ireland))
Canon Dr. Chris Sugden (Executive Secretary, Anglican Mainstream)
SINGAPORE: Coptic Bishop Blasts Episcopal Church at Global South Encounter Homosexuality is an abomination. Purify the sanctuary of the Lord, says mo
By David W. Virtue in Singapore
www.virtueonline.org
April 25, 2010
A Coptic Orthodox Church observer to the Fourth Global South to South Encounter ripped into the Episcopal Church, stunning some 130 archbishops, bishops, clergy and laity, urging them to say "no to ordination of homosexuals, no to gay marriage, no to such immorality, and that it is time to purify the sanctuary of the Lord from this abomination that causes our God to suffer, bleed and be crucified again everyday."
"You are martyrs without the shedding of blood because you are upholding the teaching of the Gospel handed down once and for all to the apostles," Bishop Anba Suriel told the stunned delegates.
"An army of sheep led by a lion is more powerful than an army of lions led by a sheep. I really pray that you lions here, the primates of each of the provinces of the Global South will stand united with one accord against the heresies of The Episcopal Church.
"I want to share with you a saying of Saint Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism. This great Egyptian saint said, "There will come a day when the mad people will look at the normal people and say, 'Look at these mad people because they are not like us.'" I think this prophecy has been fulfilled in our day and age. Abnormality has become the new normality. Certain factions of the Christian Church are becoming desensitized to the truth of the Gospel. I call it the frog in the kettle syndrome.
"If you place a frog in a kettle at room temperature the frog will be comfortable, if you raise the temperature slightly, the frog will quickly adapt. If you continue to raise the temperature very gradually the frog will continue to adapt to its new environment until finally the water is boiling and the frog is fried inside the kettle and loses its life. This is what today's Post Modern society is doing; it is pushing the limit of immorality further and further till it tries to make some lose their spiritual life and die."
The bishop blasted New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson. "He was a married man and had two daughters. He divorced his wife and left his daughters to live this unthinkable life of abomination. Is this the holiness and perfection and the image and likeness of God? How then can such a person be ordained to the highest level of authority in a Church, the episcopate? What example does he give to young people, what long term effects will such a decision by The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) have on the North American Episcopalians in generations to come?"
The bishop said homosexual radical activists are overrunning schools in America with their agenda.
"While homosexual activity is strong in Hollywood, the education system is being overrun by radical homosexual activists who want to begin indoctrination in the elementary school system, middle schools and high schools. In Massachusetts, where a Court recently found that the homosexuals have a constitutional right to get married, teachers and counselors receive special state-funded training for dealing with gay and lesbian students, and libraries are stocked with book and films on homosexual issues.
"In Framingham, Massachusetts, students were forced to answer a questionnaire that openly challenged the validity of their heterosexuality. Here are some questions:
1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
2. When did you first decide you were heterosexual?
3. Is it possible heterosexuality is a phase you will grow out of? [Of course, the flip-side of the question is not asked: Is it possible that homosexuality is phase you will grow out of.]
4. Is it possible you are heterosexual because you fear the same sex?
5. If you have never slept with anyone of the same sex, how do you know you wouldn't prefer it?
6. To whom have you disclosed your heterosexuality? How did they react?
7. Why are heterosexuals so blatant, always making a spectacle of their heterosexuality? Why can't they just be who they are, not flaunt their sexuality by kissing in public, wearing wedding rings, etc?
"Notice how heterosexuality is portrayed as the abnormal behavior? If you substituted the words 'homosexuality' and 'opposite sex' into many of the questions, there would be a howl of protests from radical homosexual activists and their allies.
"Today's heresy often becomes tomorrow's orthodoxy. Well, let me say the orthodoxy of God will never allow for these heresies.
"That is why TEC allows a heretic like Bishop Spong to promulgate his poison all over the world and publish books advocating a cocktail of heresies ranging from denying the divinity of Christ to a complete and shocking attack on the inspired Word of God. And yet at the same time they depose an orthodox Episcopal bishop for upholding the true faith of the Scriptures that marriage is between one man and one woman... I cannot even begin to get comprehend that."
The bishop said he was personally vilified, hissed and booed when he attended the Anglican Synod of Australia in 2001 and spoke up about homosexual activity.
"I was not politically correct, and I will continue not to be politically correct till my last breath defending this Gospel of the Good News that our Lord was crucified for to bring us salvation. My brethren, I believe it is time for the Anglican Global South to make a strong stand; there is no room here for political correctness and niceties. Your young people and indeed many ecumenical partners are watching closely the outcome of this Encounter. Will a strong message go out to the rest of the Anglican Communion to repent and return to God and to return to His Holy commandments to be holy and perfect? How can anyone live a holy and perfect life whilst living an abominable lifestyle such as homosexuality and be ordained to serve God?"
TEC keeps spouting these evil doctrines because they want to corrupt the world, he stated.
The bishop urged the Encounter bishops to study not only covenant issues but conciliar issues as well.
"Perhaps if some studies can be made, historical studies on the conciliar nature of the church and to see it from the Orthodox perspective may be helpful to you in setting up a viable structure for the Anglican Global South. "
The bishop urged greater engagement with media to get the word out. "I would like to suggest that multimedia and television/satellite channels should play an important role for the Anglican Global South. In the Coptic Orthodox Church we have found that our worldwide satellite TV channels have had a great impact on promulgating Orthodox Christian teachings. Through such channels you can teach the upcoming generations of children and youth about the proper understanding on marriage according to Biblical teachings.
"I pray that the Anglican Global South will continue to uphold this holiness of the Church. Please do not lose hope, be strong and be united together through prayer and faith. Let no one shake you or rattle you and know that your brothers and sisters in the Coptic Orthodox Church are praying for you and your provinces and we stand firmly beside you in this upward battle that you are fighting. Darkness cannot overcome the light of the Gospel, be of good cheer the Lord tells us because in the world we will find tribulation. He has overcome the world."
END
www.virtueonline.org
April 25, 2010
A Coptic Orthodox Church observer to the Fourth Global South to South Encounter ripped into the Episcopal Church, stunning some 130 archbishops, bishops, clergy and laity, urging them to say "no to ordination of homosexuals, no to gay marriage, no to such immorality, and that it is time to purify the sanctuary of the Lord from this abomination that causes our God to suffer, bleed and be crucified again everyday."
"You are martyrs without the shedding of blood because you are upholding the teaching of the Gospel handed down once and for all to the apostles," Bishop Anba Suriel told the stunned delegates.
"An army of sheep led by a lion is more powerful than an army of lions led by a sheep. I really pray that you lions here, the primates of each of the provinces of the Global South will stand united with one accord against the heresies of The Episcopal Church.
"I want to share with you a saying of Saint Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism. This great Egyptian saint said, "There will come a day when the mad people will look at the normal people and say, 'Look at these mad people because they are not like us.'" I think this prophecy has been fulfilled in our day and age. Abnormality has become the new normality. Certain factions of the Christian Church are becoming desensitized to the truth of the Gospel. I call it the frog in the kettle syndrome.
"If you place a frog in a kettle at room temperature the frog will be comfortable, if you raise the temperature slightly, the frog will quickly adapt. If you continue to raise the temperature very gradually the frog will continue to adapt to its new environment until finally the water is boiling and the frog is fried inside the kettle and loses its life. This is what today's Post Modern society is doing; it is pushing the limit of immorality further and further till it tries to make some lose their spiritual life and die."
The bishop blasted New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson. "He was a married man and had two daughters. He divorced his wife and left his daughters to live this unthinkable life of abomination. Is this the holiness and perfection and the image and likeness of God? How then can such a person be ordained to the highest level of authority in a Church, the episcopate? What example does he give to young people, what long term effects will such a decision by The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) have on the North American Episcopalians in generations to come?"
The bishop said homosexual radical activists are overrunning schools in America with their agenda.
"While homosexual activity is strong in Hollywood, the education system is being overrun by radical homosexual activists who want to begin indoctrination in the elementary school system, middle schools and high schools. In Massachusetts, where a Court recently found that the homosexuals have a constitutional right to get married, teachers and counselors receive special state-funded training for dealing with gay and lesbian students, and libraries are stocked with book and films on homosexual issues.
"In Framingham, Massachusetts, students were forced to answer a questionnaire that openly challenged the validity of their heterosexuality. Here are some questions:
1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
2. When did you first decide you were heterosexual?
3. Is it possible heterosexuality is a phase you will grow out of? [Of course, the flip-side of the question is not asked: Is it possible that homosexuality is phase you will grow out of.]
4. Is it possible you are heterosexual because you fear the same sex?
5. If you have never slept with anyone of the same sex, how do you know you wouldn't prefer it?
6. To whom have you disclosed your heterosexuality? How did they react?
7. Why are heterosexuals so blatant, always making a spectacle of their heterosexuality? Why can't they just be who they are, not flaunt their sexuality by kissing in public, wearing wedding rings, etc?
"Notice how heterosexuality is portrayed as the abnormal behavior? If you substituted the words 'homosexuality' and 'opposite sex' into many of the questions, there would be a howl of protests from radical homosexual activists and their allies.
"Today's heresy often becomes tomorrow's orthodoxy. Well, let me say the orthodoxy of God will never allow for these heresies.
"That is why TEC allows a heretic like Bishop Spong to promulgate his poison all over the world and publish books advocating a cocktail of heresies ranging from denying the divinity of Christ to a complete and shocking attack on the inspired Word of God. And yet at the same time they depose an orthodox Episcopal bishop for upholding the true faith of the Scriptures that marriage is between one man and one woman... I cannot even begin to get comprehend that."
The bishop said he was personally vilified, hissed and booed when he attended the Anglican Synod of Australia in 2001 and spoke up about homosexual activity.
"I was not politically correct, and I will continue not to be politically correct till my last breath defending this Gospel of the Good News that our Lord was crucified for to bring us salvation. My brethren, I believe it is time for the Anglican Global South to make a strong stand; there is no room here for political correctness and niceties. Your young people and indeed many ecumenical partners are watching closely the outcome of this Encounter. Will a strong message go out to the rest of the Anglican Communion to repent and return to God and to return to His Holy commandments to be holy and perfect? How can anyone live a holy and perfect life whilst living an abominable lifestyle such as homosexuality and be ordained to serve God?"
TEC keeps spouting these evil doctrines because they want to corrupt the world, he stated.
The bishop urged the Encounter bishops to study not only covenant issues but conciliar issues as well.
"Perhaps if some studies can be made, historical studies on the conciliar nature of the church and to see it from the Orthodox perspective may be helpful to you in setting up a viable structure for the Anglican Global South. "
The bishop urged greater engagement with media to get the word out. "I would like to suggest that multimedia and television/satellite channels should play an important role for the Anglican Global South. In the Coptic Orthodox Church we have found that our worldwide satellite TV channels have had a great impact on promulgating Orthodox Christian teachings. Through such channels you can teach the upcoming generations of children and youth about the proper understanding on marriage according to Biblical teachings.
"I pray that the Anglican Global South will continue to uphold this holiness of the Church. Please do not lose hope, be strong and be united together through prayer and faith. Let no one shake you or rattle you and know that your brothers and sisters in the Coptic Orthodox Church are praying for you and your provinces and we stand firmly beside you in this upward battle that you are fighting. Darkness cannot overcome the light of the Gospel, be of good cheer the Lord tells us because in the world we will find tribulation. He has overcome the world."
END
Majority Anglican Bloc Unites Against Western 'Innovations'
From Christian Post via TitusOneNine:
Monday, Apr. 26, 2010 Posted: 8:26:15AM HKT
Archbishops representing three-quarters of the Anglican world are rallying for firm action against two Western Churches for ‘celebrating’ homosexuality.
The decision by the top leadership of the Global South of the Anglican Communion was prompted by the recent election by The Episcopal Church (U.S.) of a partnered lesbian as a bishop.
Heads of Churches in the Anglican Global South will be persuading their representative assemblies to reconsider communion with the North American Churches. This is “until it becomes clear there is genuine repentance,” in the words of a communiqué. The ‘Fourth Trumpet’ was released Friday after an Anglican Global South summit held throughout the week at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
To prevent repeat occurrences, the archbishops are also seeking to articulate the Anglican faith and vest the council of worldwide Church heads with disciplinary powers. They will do this by proposing amendments to a proposed Anglican Communion Covenant.
Global South archbishops have also called on the Anglican head Rowan Williams to disinvite the two Churches to the decennial Lambeth Conference. The Lambeth Conference, which gathers Anglican archbishops and bishops worldwide, is an important part of Anglican identity.
Furthermore the archbishops are calling for a review of the present Anglican Communion structure. This is attempt “to achieve an authentic expression of the current reality of our Anglican Communion.”
They singled out the ‘Instruments of Communion’ and the Anglican Communion office.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the symbolic head of Anglicanism, is the focal point of the other three ‘Instruments’. And yet the office-holders, traditionally Church of England bishops, are least representative of the Anglican world.
Anglicanism is two-thirds African, with four African Churches gathering at least five million Christians each. Leading them is the Church of Nigeria, also the largest Anglican Church, with 20 million members. The Church of the Province of Uganda has ten million members.
These African Churches show no signs of slowing. The five million-member Anglican Church of Southern Africa, for instance, has added one diocese each year.
Churches in other parts of the world like Nepal, Myanmar and North America have also recorded phenomenal growth.
This is at the same time that the Church of England has declined in weekly attendance to less than one million people, most of them older people.
The Christian Post understands that another ‘Instrument’, the Anglican Consultative Council, is Western-dominated. This is also the case with the Anglican Communion office.
For the Anglican Global South, the TEC decision demonstrates ‘total disregard’ for the worldwide Church. The Anglican Communion regards any sexual union outside the context of a lifelong heterosexual monogamous marriage as sinful. This view is derived from a traditional interpretation of Scripture.
The call for action comes in the light of eight years of frustrated attempts to get the Western Churches to repent. Then the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) started blessing same-sex unions. A year later, TEC ordained an unrepentant homosexual person as a bishop.
“In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action,” read the communiqué.
Three Anglican Churches have already taken a drastic step of cutting off all Communion-level fellowship with TEC and ACoC. Some others including the Church of the Province of South East Asia have cut formal ties with the two Churches.
At the same time, Anglican Global South archbishops are rallying for full communion with TEC-breakaway group Anglican Church in North America and two dissenting TEC bishops.
In the latest statement, the majority Anglican bloc marked a clean break from a past of ineffective meetings and resolutions.
The Anglican Global South declared the start of a ‘Decade of Mission and Networking’.
Uganda Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi had a paper presented at the summit in which he called on Anglican Churches worldwide to double their membership.
The Anglican Global South comprises 20 Churches or provinces across the southern hemisphere including Asia. Each province is led by an archbishop known as a primate, the majority of which attended the Singapore summit. Singapore Anglican bishop John Chew was elected Wednesday the head of the grouping.
At 75 million members gathered in 38 Churches, the Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion in the world. In first place is the Roman Catholic Church with 1.2 billion members. The Eastern Orthodox Communion is second at 210 million members.
The Anglican Communion is the largest Protestant communion in the world.
Monday, Apr. 26, 2010 Posted: 8:26:15AM HKT
Archbishops representing three-quarters of the Anglican world are rallying for firm action against two Western Churches for ‘celebrating’ homosexuality.
The decision by the top leadership of the Global South of the Anglican Communion was prompted by the recent election by The Episcopal Church (U.S.) of a partnered lesbian as a bishop.
Heads of Churches in the Anglican Global South will be persuading their representative assemblies to reconsider communion with the North American Churches. This is “until it becomes clear there is genuine repentance,” in the words of a communiqué. The ‘Fourth Trumpet’ was released Friday after an Anglican Global South summit held throughout the week at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
To prevent repeat occurrences, the archbishops are also seeking to articulate the Anglican faith and vest the council of worldwide Church heads with disciplinary powers. They will do this by proposing amendments to a proposed Anglican Communion Covenant.
Global South archbishops have also called on the Anglican head Rowan Williams to disinvite the two Churches to the decennial Lambeth Conference. The Lambeth Conference, which gathers Anglican archbishops and bishops worldwide, is an important part of Anglican identity.
Furthermore the archbishops are calling for a review of the present Anglican Communion structure. This is attempt “to achieve an authentic expression of the current reality of our Anglican Communion.”
They singled out the ‘Instruments of Communion’ and the Anglican Communion office.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the symbolic head of Anglicanism, is the focal point of the other three ‘Instruments’. And yet the office-holders, traditionally Church of England bishops, are least representative of the Anglican world.
Anglicanism is two-thirds African, with four African Churches gathering at least five million Christians each. Leading them is the Church of Nigeria, also the largest Anglican Church, with 20 million members. The Church of the Province of Uganda has ten million members.
These African Churches show no signs of slowing. The five million-member Anglican Church of Southern Africa, for instance, has added one diocese each year.
Churches in other parts of the world like Nepal, Myanmar and North America have also recorded phenomenal growth.
This is at the same time that the Church of England has declined in weekly attendance to less than one million people, most of them older people.
The Christian Post understands that another ‘Instrument’, the Anglican Consultative Council, is Western-dominated. This is also the case with the Anglican Communion office.
For the Anglican Global South, the TEC decision demonstrates ‘total disregard’ for the worldwide Church. The Anglican Communion regards any sexual union outside the context of a lifelong heterosexual monogamous marriage as sinful. This view is derived from a traditional interpretation of Scripture.
The call for action comes in the light of eight years of frustrated attempts to get the Western Churches to repent. Then the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) started blessing same-sex unions. A year later, TEC ordained an unrepentant homosexual person as a bishop.
“In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action,” read the communiqué.
Three Anglican Churches have already taken a drastic step of cutting off all Communion-level fellowship with TEC and ACoC. Some others including the Church of the Province of South East Asia have cut formal ties with the two Churches.
At the same time, Anglican Global South archbishops are rallying for full communion with TEC-breakaway group Anglican Church in North America and two dissenting TEC bishops.
In the latest statement, the majority Anglican bloc marked a clean break from a past of ineffective meetings and resolutions.
The Anglican Global South declared the start of a ‘Decade of Mission and Networking’.
Uganda Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi had a paper presented at the summit in which he called on Anglican Churches worldwide to double their membership.
The Anglican Global South comprises 20 Churches or provinces across the southern hemisphere including Asia. Each province is led by an archbishop known as a primate, the majority of which attended the Singapore summit. Singapore Anglican bishop John Chew was elected Wednesday the head of the grouping.
At 75 million members gathered in 38 Churches, the Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion in the world. In first place is the Roman Catholic Church with 1.2 billion members. The Eastern Orthodox Communion is second at 210 million members.
The Anglican Communion is the largest Protestant communion in the world.
Watertown (CT) chapel's sale forces removal of burial urns
Via TitusOneNine:
BY SAM COOPER | REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
A bench is all that marks the memorial garden at Christ Church on the Green in Watertown. With the church up for sale, Episcopal leaders are removing the ashes of former members buried in the garden.
WATERTOWN — Death is eternal, but burial is not.
That is what relatives of 46 former worshippers of Christ Church on the Green are learning after a decision by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut to remove cremated remains from a memorial garden on the church grounds. The historic chapel was put up for sale last year after half its membership broke away in late 2007 over the national church's stance on homosexuality and other issues.
"You have a situation here, where, by virtue of a sale, the diocese will no longer be responsible for the land, its use, or any care of anything in it," said the Rev. Stanley Kemmerer, priest-in-charge. "It's really an effort to be pastoral."
With a sale to Taft School in the works, he said, the church is contacting surviving relatives to claim the remains. Once the effort is exhausted, he said, remains will be removed and re-interred elsewhere in consecrated soil and the church grounds will be deconsecrated. Taft officials have said they will allow the church to hold services in the building.
But simply disturbing the remains raises the ire of some with loved ones buried in the gardens.
Carol Herman, of Torrington, said her daughter Kristina and mother-in-law, Madeliene Herman, are both buried in the garden.
"What upsets us is they have to move. It's a memorial garden; it's just ashes. Why can't they just leave it there?" she said.
She said the family is planning on taking the remains elsewhere. "I don't want them moved to another Episcopal church," she said. "We'll find our own place for them."
Kemmerer said those with loved ones buried in the garden can contact him about claiming remains at (860) 371-7372.
BY SAM COOPER | REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
A bench is all that marks the memorial garden at Christ Church on the Green in Watertown. With the church up for sale, Episcopal leaders are removing the ashes of former members buried in the garden.
WATERTOWN — Death is eternal, but burial is not.
That is what relatives of 46 former worshippers of Christ Church on the Green are learning after a decision by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut to remove cremated remains from a memorial garden on the church grounds. The historic chapel was put up for sale last year after half its membership broke away in late 2007 over the national church's stance on homosexuality and other issues.
"You have a situation here, where, by virtue of a sale, the diocese will no longer be responsible for the land, its use, or any care of anything in it," said the Rev. Stanley Kemmerer, priest-in-charge. "It's really an effort to be pastoral."
With a sale to Taft School in the works, he said, the church is contacting surviving relatives to claim the remains. Once the effort is exhausted, he said, remains will be removed and re-interred elsewhere in consecrated soil and the church grounds will be deconsecrated. Taft officials have said they will allow the church to hold services in the building.
But simply disturbing the remains raises the ire of some with loved ones buried in the gardens.
Carol Herman, of Torrington, said her daughter Kristina and mother-in-law, Madeliene Herman, are both buried in the garden.
"What upsets us is they have to move. It's a memorial garden; it's just ashes. Why can't they just leave it there?" she said.
She said the family is planning on taking the remains elsewhere. "I don't want them moved to another Episcopal church," she said. "We'll find our own place for them."
Kemmerer said those with loved ones buried in the garden can contact him about claiming remains at (860) 371-7372.
SINGAPORE: Archbishop John Chew: An Anglican Leader For A Time Such As This
By David W. Virtue in Singapore
www.virtueonline.org
April 24, 2010
Malcolm Muggeridge, the 20th Century's doyen of British journalism, once told me that England chooses its leaders based on what the nation is going through at any particular historical moment. During wartime, it chooses bulldog types (Winston Churchill); during peacetime they pick a clergy type (Anthony Eden).
Something like this might be said of Archbishop John Chew, the Anglican Primate of South East Asia. Dr. Chew is a deeply rooted Anglican. He studied for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol. For his Old Testament Ph.D., he attended the University of Sheffield. He is considered a bridge-builder between Evangelical and ecumenical movements, and an interpreter of the Evangelical movement within Anglicanism.
A first reading of this man could be misleading; that is to say, he looks, because of his genial and gentle style and smile like Archbishop Rowan Williams the putative head of the Anglican Communion might easily manipulate him.
Such a reading would be misplaced.
When I met him briefly on my first Sunday morning following an English-speaking church service in the cathedral, he was effusive, warm and wanted to make it very clear to me that we all have to work together and not allow a liberal or revisionist wedge find its way into the Global South Anglican bishops and other leaders. (There were, in fact, several liberal bishops here at the Fourth Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, but they were silent, outnumbered and outflanked. They did not dare raise their heads above the ramparts with cries of inclusivity or diversity, the much bally-hoed nomenclature of TEC liberals.)
Chew is a tall, lean man, over six feet. His full name is John Chew Hiang Chea. To his friends, he is known simply as Archbishop John. He was at one time a national basketball champion, which comes as no surprise to this writer. He seems to have a permanent smile on his face and a warm word for everyone he meets. This should not fool anyone.
He is a man solidly grounded in the Word of God. This, in part, comes from his long association with British Anglican teacher/preacher John Stott. He is a theologically solid Evangelical. Because of his gentle personality, he is conflict averse, preferring to get along as best as possible in awkward situations.
His rise to the church's top was not meteoric. He came by it, steadily earning it. He was the former Dean and Principal of Singapore's Trinity Theological College before being elevated to the church's top position.
He is different in style and personality from his predecessor, The Most Rev. Moses Tay (more of a Churchill type). Chew is closer in personality type with Tay's successor Archbishop Yong Ping Chung who was the chaplain to this Encounter.
Chew is a pastor and a theologian. He may not be deemed as brilliant as Dr. Rowan Williams (who is), but Chew's theology is outspokenly evangelical in faith and morals. He has more in common with theologian Jane Williams (Rowan's wife) than with Rowan.
There is not the careful nuancing of words and language that Williams so brilliantly parades leaving people to scratch their heads wondering what the blazes he just said. Williams' video speech to this assembled gather of 130 Global South leaders left Canon Gary L'Hommedieu opining, "As always, we will be wondering what Dr. Williams said for days, if not for the rest of our natural lives. His erudition translates directly to obscurantism, and one suspects that he is hiding his 'real' intentions and commitments. In spite of his remarkable intelligence, he may really have nothing to say. There may be no reality upon which to fix his eloquence." You can read L'Hommedieu's brilliant analysis here: http://tinyurl.com/249ctnh
No such obscurantism can be found in Archbishop Chew's public or private statements. He made that abundantly clear on more than one occasion when he was in the pulpit. Chew is steeped in Holy Scripture and will not depart or deviate from it, whether he is talking about salvation or sodomy. He is a man of The Word and the Word made flesh.
Some Westerners mistakenly see him as a man too close to Archbishop Rowan Williams and therefore open to manipulation by Williams. This would be to misread the queue cards. The Archbishop of Canterbury is looking for any (liberal) wedge or weak links into the Global South that he, Williams and the Anglican Consultative Council can exploit in order to keep TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada at the table. The ABC is looking for the next generation of young African bishops whom he hopes he can schmooze with his power and the authority of his office, and who are just not smart enough or know what he is up to, to oppose him. Williams has the gravitas of his office to manipulate and persuade even if he doesn't have the evangelical theology to which the vast majority of Global South Anglicans subscribe. .
One has to understand that there is a deep visceral and historical association with Canterbury that gives Anglicanism its identity, even in a postcolonial world. Global South Anglicans do not want to lose that. They may entertain doubts about the theology of Rowan Williams, but (like Catholics who see Rome as their center) Anglicans believe they must have a See or spiritual center they can call their own, even if they profoundly disagree with the theology of the current holder of the Lambeth keys. (Does everyone agree with the Pope?)
If there is any lingering suspicion that Chew is Rowan's man, let me disabuse you of that. His irenic nature and obvious humility should not be construed as acquiescence to the liberalism of Williams, especially on such salvation-denying issues as homosexual behavior. The Diocese of Singapore and the three other dioceses that make up the Province of South East Asia will not even allow a divorced and/or remarried person to be a priest. They most certainly do not ordain women except to the Diaconate. Homosexuality is not even on their radar screen. The standards here are high and they won't compromise them for any archbishop, even if he sits on the throne of Canterbury or in a high rise in New York City.
One of his closest friends told VOL that John Chew is the man for "our times". He is articulate, brilliant, and theologically orthodox in faith and morals and will not deviate one iota. Williams and Kenneth Kearon (Anglican Consultative Council) will have to look elsewhere for a weak link in the Global South armor if they want to penetrate this orthodox gathering. It is not surprising that Chew was elected the new Chairman of the Global South Primates Steering Committee this week.
Furthermore, these Anglican leaders will not be bought by TEC money. Some African bishops take TEC's money to feed their people and that is understandable, but if push comes to shove, they won't cave in on salvation issues, not for a single American dollar.
A leader from Polynesia told this gathering that TEC's influence in his far-flung corner of the world almost succeeded in the election of a bishop sympathetic to them, but it failed and they now have an orthodox Archbishop in place. Ditto for Myanmar. TEC tried to get the one weak link bishop elected as the new archbishop of Burma, but that, too, failed. Today they have Archbishop Stephen Than Myint Oo, a solidly orthodox man who spoke here and at the New Wineskins conference recently in North Carolina. Would a man who spent two years in jail for his faith cave into Mrs. Jefferts Schori's brand of religion? Not a chance.
A week with these global Anglican leaders has convinced me that they are solidly united under the authority of Holy Scripture, the apostolic preaching of the gospel and nothing, but nothing will shake them. Theological heavyweights like Peter Jensen of Sydney and Michael Poon of Singapore, as well as archbishops like Robert Duncan of ACNA, a man who has undergone his own baptism of fire, will never again consider anything TEC says or does. They are done with her. All these orthodox provinces and dioceses are in impaired or broken communion with TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada. The final draft of the communiqué calls for more archbishops and bishops to come out and declare themselves against TEC. One hopes they do.
I have learned never to underestimate TEC's use of money and proffered educational opportunities in the US to get the people they want in place to undermine them. The occasional African bishop that surfaces in a liberal American diocese gives truth to that. Liberal TEC bishops look for legitimacy by flaunting an African bishop in their diocese from time to time. That will not continue indefinitely. As the Global South galvanizes and discipline sets in place (as called for by the Anglican Covenant), that too will change.
You will never see Archbishop John Chew in an American TEC pulpit. He has cast his lot with the Global South. If and when an Ecumenical Council is called to declare what it is Anglicans believe, you can rest assured that Archbishop John Chew will be right there.
As Anglican writer Charles Raven http://tinyurl.com/2cvp6tn put it so succinctly about this Global South Encounter and the certain trumpet that sounded forth, is that what we are seeing is the emergence of a global Anglicanism of substance, displacing the shadow Anglicanism of institutional pragmatism. He is right. Archbishop John Chew can take a lot of the credit for that.
END
www.virtueonline.org
April 24, 2010
Malcolm Muggeridge, the 20th Century's doyen of British journalism, once told me that England chooses its leaders based on what the nation is going through at any particular historical moment. During wartime, it chooses bulldog types (Winston Churchill); during peacetime they pick a clergy type (Anthony Eden).
Something like this might be said of Archbishop John Chew, the Anglican Primate of South East Asia. Dr. Chew is a deeply rooted Anglican. He studied for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol. For his Old Testament Ph.D., he attended the University of Sheffield. He is considered a bridge-builder between Evangelical and ecumenical movements, and an interpreter of the Evangelical movement within Anglicanism.
A first reading of this man could be misleading; that is to say, he looks, because of his genial and gentle style and smile like Archbishop Rowan Williams the putative head of the Anglican Communion might easily manipulate him.
Such a reading would be misplaced.
When I met him briefly on my first Sunday morning following an English-speaking church service in the cathedral, he was effusive, warm and wanted to make it very clear to me that we all have to work together and not allow a liberal or revisionist wedge find its way into the Global South Anglican bishops and other leaders. (There were, in fact, several liberal bishops here at the Fourth Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, but they were silent, outnumbered and outflanked. They did not dare raise their heads above the ramparts with cries of inclusivity or diversity, the much bally-hoed nomenclature of TEC liberals.)
Chew is a tall, lean man, over six feet. His full name is John Chew Hiang Chea. To his friends, he is known simply as Archbishop John. He was at one time a national basketball champion, which comes as no surprise to this writer. He seems to have a permanent smile on his face and a warm word for everyone he meets. This should not fool anyone.
He is a man solidly grounded in the Word of God. This, in part, comes from his long association with British Anglican teacher/preacher John Stott. He is a theologically solid Evangelical. Because of his gentle personality, he is conflict averse, preferring to get along as best as possible in awkward situations.
His rise to the church's top was not meteoric. He came by it, steadily earning it. He was the former Dean and Principal of Singapore's Trinity Theological College before being elevated to the church's top position.
He is different in style and personality from his predecessor, The Most Rev. Moses Tay (more of a Churchill type). Chew is closer in personality type with Tay's successor Archbishop Yong Ping Chung who was the chaplain to this Encounter.
Chew is a pastor and a theologian. He may not be deemed as brilliant as Dr. Rowan Williams (who is), but Chew's theology is outspokenly evangelical in faith and morals. He has more in common with theologian Jane Williams (Rowan's wife) than with Rowan.
There is not the careful nuancing of words and language that Williams so brilliantly parades leaving people to scratch their heads wondering what the blazes he just said. Williams' video speech to this assembled gather of 130 Global South leaders left Canon Gary L'Hommedieu opining, "As always, we will be wondering what Dr. Williams said for days, if not for the rest of our natural lives. His erudition translates directly to obscurantism, and one suspects that he is hiding his 'real' intentions and commitments. In spite of his remarkable intelligence, he may really have nothing to say. There may be no reality upon which to fix his eloquence." You can read L'Hommedieu's brilliant analysis here: http://tinyurl.com/249ctnh
No such obscurantism can be found in Archbishop Chew's public or private statements. He made that abundantly clear on more than one occasion when he was in the pulpit. Chew is steeped in Holy Scripture and will not depart or deviate from it, whether he is talking about salvation or sodomy. He is a man of The Word and the Word made flesh.
Some Westerners mistakenly see him as a man too close to Archbishop Rowan Williams and therefore open to manipulation by Williams. This would be to misread the queue cards. The Archbishop of Canterbury is looking for any (liberal) wedge or weak links into the Global South that he, Williams and the Anglican Consultative Council can exploit in order to keep TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada at the table. The ABC is looking for the next generation of young African bishops whom he hopes he can schmooze with his power and the authority of his office, and who are just not smart enough or know what he is up to, to oppose him. Williams has the gravitas of his office to manipulate and persuade even if he doesn't have the evangelical theology to which the vast majority of Global South Anglicans subscribe. .
One has to understand that there is a deep visceral and historical association with Canterbury that gives Anglicanism its identity, even in a postcolonial world. Global South Anglicans do not want to lose that. They may entertain doubts about the theology of Rowan Williams, but (like Catholics who see Rome as their center) Anglicans believe they must have a See or spiritual center they can call their own, even if they profoundly disagree with the theology of the current holder of the Lambeth keys. (Does everyone agree with the Pope?)
If there is any lingering suspicion that Chew is Rowan's man, let me disabuse you of that. His irenic nature and obvious humility should not be construed as acquiescence to the liberalism of Williams, especially on such salvation-denying issues as homosexual behavior. The Diocese of Singapore and the three other dioceses that make up the Province of South East Asia will not even allow a divorced and/or remarried person to be a priest. They most certainly do not ordain women except to the Diaconate. Homosexuality is not even on their radar screen. The standards here are high and they won't compromise them for any archbishop, even if he sits on the throne of Canterbury or in a high rise in New York City.
One of his closest friends told VOL that John Chew is the man for "our times". He is articulate, brilliant, and theologically orthodox in faith and morals and will not deviate one iota. Williams and Kenneth Kearon (Anglican Consultative Council) will have to look elsewhere for a weak link in the Global South armor if they want to penetrate this orthodox gathering. It is not surprising that Chew was elected the new Chairman of the Global South Primates Steering Committee this week.
Furthermore, these Anglican leaders will not be bought by TEC money. Some African bishops take TEC's money to feed their people and that is understandable, but if push comes to shove, they won't cave in on salvation issues, not for a single American dollar.
A leader from Polynesia told this gathering that TEC's influence in his far-flung corner of the world almost succeeded in the election of a bishop sympathetic to them, but it failed and they now have an orthodox Archbishop in place. Ditto for Myanmar. TEC tried to get the one weak link bishop elected as the new archbishop of Burma, but that, too, failed. Today they have Archbishop Stephen Than Myint Oo, a solidly orthodox man who spoke here and at the New Wineskins conference recently in North Carolina. Would a man who spent two years in jail for his faith cave into Mrs. Jefferts Schori's brand of religion? Not a chance.
A week with these global Anglican leaders has convinced me that they are solidly united under the authority of Holy Scripture, the apostolic preaching of the gospel and nothing, but nothing will shake them. Theological heavyweights like Peter Jensen of Sydney and Michael Poon of Singapore, as well as archbishops like Robert Duncan of ACNA, a man who has undergone his own baptism of fire, will never again consider anything TEC says or does. They are done with her. All these orthodox provinces and dioceses are in impaired or broken communion with TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada. The final draft of the communiqué calls for more archbishops and bishops to come out and declare themselves against TEC. One hopes they do.
I have learned never to underestimate TEC's use of money and proffered educational opportunities in the US to get the people they want in place to undermine them. The occasional African bishop that surfaces in a liberal American diocese gives truth to that. Liberal TEC bishops look for legitimacy by flaunting an African bishop in their diocese from time to time. That will not continue indefinitely. As the Global South galvanizes and discipline sets in place (as called for by the Anglican Covenant), that too will change.
You will never see Archbishop John Chew in an American TEC pulpit. He has cast his lot with the Global South. If and when an Ecumenical Council is called to declare what it is Anglicans believe, you can rest assured that Archbishop John Chew will be right there.
As Anglican writer Charles Raven http://tinyurl.com/2cvp6tn put it so succinctly about this Global South Encounter and the certain trumpet that sounded forth, is that what we are seeing is the emergence of a global Anglicanism of substance, displacing the shadow Anglicanism of institutional pragmatism. He is right. Archbishop John Chew can take a lot of the credit for that.
END
Friday, April 23, 2010
Muted response to Archbishop’s call for caution
Via the AAC Weekly Update:
April 22nd, 2010
By George Conger, Church of England Newspaper
The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged patience and forbearance upon Church leaders attending the Fourth Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, asking them not to take any hasty decisions over the future of the Anglican Communion.
However, the reception accorded to Dr Rowan Williams’ pleas for restraint from the leaders of the evangelical wing of the Communion was muted, with no applause or outward show of appreciation from the delegates at the close of his address. For most of those present, his words were too little, too late.
Delegates tell The Church of England Newspaper that Dr Williams has exhausted his political and personal capital with the overseas Church in the wake of successive disappointments in his leadership over the past few years. While the Global South continues to honour the office, Dr Williams’ stock has reached a nadir with many of those present.
In a video address broadcast on April 20 at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore to the 150 archbishops, bishops, clergy and lay leaders gathered from 20 provinces of the Communion, Dr Williams conceded that the American and Canadian Churches were a source of turmoil within the Communion.
There was “tension within our Anglican family – a brokenness and a tension that has been made still more acute by recent decisions in some of our Provinces,” he said, adding that the “election and consecration of Mary Glasspool in Los Angeles” was of concern.
“All of us share the concern that in this decision and action the Episcopal Church has deepened the divide between itself and the rest of the Anglican family,” he said. There would be action, he said, stating “and as I speak to you now, I am in discussion with a number of people around the world about what consequences might follow from that decision, and how we express the sense that most Anglicans will want to express, that this decision cannot speak for our common mind.”
However, he urged the Global South leader to stay on-side and proceed with caution. “But I hope also in your thinking about this and in your reacting to it, you’ll bear in mind that there are no quick solutions for the wounds of the Body of Christ,” he said.
“It is the work of the Spirit that heals the Body of Christ, not the plans or the statements of any group, or any person, or any instrument of communion.”
“Naturally we seek to minimize the damage, to heal the hurts, to strengthen our mission, to make sure that it goes forward with integrity and conviction. Naturally, there are decisions that have to be taken,” he said, adding that “we must all share in a sense of repentance and willingness to be renewed by the Spirit”.
Dr Williams urged those present to endorse and participate in the Anglican Covenant process, arguing that it was the best way forward under the current circumstances.
Supporters of the Archbishop’s approach in Singapore understood him to say that patience was not an absence of a response. Time would allow the American Church to come to its own decision that it did not want to be part of the Anglican Communion, one bishop explained in an email to The Church of England Newspaper.
However, other leaders, including former Archbishop of Nigeria Peter Akinola, told the conference that the time for talk was done, and action was needed now to ensure the Communion’s survival.
A participant in the Third South to South Conference in Egypt in 2005, Dr Williams had been expected to attend the Singapore meeting. However, last month his office informed the planning committee that he would not be attending the meeting do to calendar conflicts. Were he free to attend, however, Dr Williams would have missed the first three days of the five-day gathering due the fallout from the Iceland volcano.
Uganda’s Archbishop Henry Orombi, one of the key speakers and organisers of the meeting, is not present at the meeting as he was in London when the volcano’s ash closed British airspace.
April 22nd, 2010
By George Conger, Church of England Newspaper
The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged patience and forbearance upon Church leaders attending the Fourth Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, asking them not to take any hasty decisions over the future of the Anglican Communion.
However, the reception accorded to Dr Rowan Williams’ pleas for restraint from the leaders of the evangelical wing of the Communion was muted, with no applause or outward show of appreciation from the delegates at the close of his address. For most of those present, his words were too little, too late.
Delegates tell The Church of England Newspaper that Dr Williams has exhausted his political and personal capital with the overseas Church in the wake of successive disappointments in his leadership over the past few years. While the Global South continues to honour the office, Dr Williams’ stock has reached a nadir with many of those present.
In a video address broadcast on April 20 at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore to the 150 archbishops, bishops, clergy and lay leaders gathered from 20 provinces of the Communion, Dr Williams conceded that the American and Canadian Churches were a source of turmoil within the Communion.
There was “tension within our Anglican family – a brokenness and a tension that has been made still more acute by recent decisions in some of our Provinces,” he said, adding that the “election and consecration of Mary Glasspool in Los Angeles” was of concern.
“All of us share the concern that in this decision and action the Episcopal Church has deepened the divide between itself and the rest of the Anglican family,” he said. There would be action, he said, stating “and as I speak to you now, I am in discussion with a number of people around the world about what consequences might follow from that decision, and how we express the sense that most Anglicans will want to express, that this decision cannot speak for our common mind.”
However, he urged the Global South leader to stay on-side and proceed with caution. “But I hope also in your thinking about this and in your reacting to it, you’ll bear in mind that there are no quick solutions for the wounds of the Body of Christ,” he said.
“It is the work of the Spirit that heals the Body of Christ, not the plans or the statements of any group, or any person, or any instrument of communion.”
“Naturally we seek to minimize the damage, to heal the hurts, to strengthen our mission, to make sure that it goes forward with integrity and conviction. Naturally, there are decisions that have to be taken,” he said, adding that “we must all share in a sense of repentance and willingness to be renewed by the Spirit”.
Dr Williams urged those present to endorse and participate in the Anglican Covenant process, arguing that it was the best way forward under the current circumstances.
Supporters of the Archbishop’s approach in Singapore understood him to say that patience was not an absence of a response. Time would allow the American Church to come to its own decision that it did not want to be part of the Anglican Communion, one bishop explained in an email to The Church of England Newspaper.
However, other leaders, including former Archbishop of Nigeria Peter Akinola, told the conference that the time for talk was done, and action was needed now to ensure the Communion’s survival.
A participant in the Third South to South Conference in Egypt in 2005, Dr Williams had been expected to attend the Singapore meeting. However, last month his office informed the planning committee that he would not be attending the meeting do to calendar conflicts. Were he free to attend, however, Dr Williams would have missed the first three days of the five-day gathering due the fallout from the Iceland volcano.
Uganda’s Archbishop Henry Orombi, one of the key speakers and organisers of the meeting, is not present at the meeting as he was in London when the volcano’s ash closed British airspace.
AC-NA Comments on Fourth Trumpet Communique
Source: Anglican Church in North America
April 23, 2010
The leaders of eighty percent of the World's Anglicans from 20 Anglican provinces have supported a call to make the next decade a "Decade of Mission" and have welcomed the Anglican Church in North America as "partners in the Gospel" during the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter held at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore, April 19-23.
Archbishop Robert Duncan, who attended the meeting on behalf of the Anglican Church in North America, was grateful for the result and commended the communique to the people of the Anglican Church in North America. "We are moving forward in mission and relationship with Anglicans all over the world. Our unity and shared commitment to the work of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is a reason for great joy," said Archbishop Duncan.
Speaking directly of the Anglican Church in North America, the gathered archbishops and representatives said, "We are grateful that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism. We welcomed them as partners in the Gospel and our hope is that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners."
_________
April 23, 2010
The leaders of eighty percent of the World's Anglicans from 20 Anglican provinces have supported a call to make the next decade a "Decade of Mission" and have welcomed the Anglican Church in North America as "partners in the Gospel" during the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter held at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore, April 19-23.
Archbishop Robert Duncan, who attended the meeting on behalf of the Anglican Church in North America, was grateful for the result and commended the communique to the people of the Anglican Church in North America. "We are moving forward in mission and relationship with Anglicans all over the world. Our unity and shared commitment to the work of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is a reason for great joy," said Archbishop Duncan.
Speaking directly of the Anglican Church in North America, the gathered archbishops and representatives said, "We are grateful that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism. We welcomed them as partners in the Gospel and our hope is that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners."
_________
A Message from Bishop David Anderson
Dearly beloved in Christ,
Some of you may be aware that in addition to being the President and CEO of the American Anglican Council, I am also a CANA bishop, serving churches in several states. Recently, I visited the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where The Episcopal Church (TEC) has been closing mission chapels to save money. The people served by the chapels can often trace their spiritual ancestry back to The Episcopal Church's arrival in South Dakota in the 1860's, when the Santee Sioux were forcibly relocated from Minnesota. These parishioners have been loyal to TEC, though often questioning some of the new theological innovations.
Since TEC Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori has been running short of money (due in part to her incessant lawsuits against Anglicans who left TEC), funding that formerly was available to support mission work in the Dakotas has now been diverted to support lawsuits and other higher priorities. With many mission chapels in South Dakota now closed, questions are being raised by some tribal groups about what has happened to the land that the tribe gave to the chapels to support the work at each. Hundreds of acres at each chapel, and thousands of acres in total need to be examined to see if TEC improperly sold off chapel land to raise money. At a recent Black Hills Treaty Council meeting, there was a call for TEC to account for the land and where the money went, since there is some suspicion that it was funneled into non-reservation Diocesan use.
Meanwhile, many of the chapels remain padlocked while the Tribal Government is trying to reclaim land that is now no longer being used for the intended purpose. It is reminiscent of the disappointing history of the government's taking and misusing Indian land. There is, however, a small silver lining to this story. An Anglican priest who is an enrolled member of the Reservation has been gathering together some of the local people and conducting worship at one of the chapels that he was able to reopen. I was privileged to visit him and offer encouragement to him and to his growing flock, although in fact they were an encouragement to me. In spite of having almost no altar hangings or proper vestments, and using a building whose future is uncertain, they are keeping alive Anglican Christianity and community where TEC has abandoned the buildings and the people. Anyone who would like to help with this particular mission project can contact me at the AAC office.
It would seem that The Episcopal Church USA, which many of us were literally born into, and thought we knew, has become unwavering in its pursuit of a new deviant gospel, embracing the cutting edge of cultural change, becoming inclusive of many possibilities of saviors, revising Holy Scripture as needed, and following a concept of sexuality that has no real limits, just a mandate for total acceptance. Although the American deep South has often been called "the Bible Belt," and Georgia "the buckle on the belt," TEC's deep South is rapidly becoming as "progressive" as any other area of TEC. The Diocese of Georgia (which has been suing the mother church of all Georgia, Christ Church Savannah, for electing to depart from TEC several years ago) has recently elected a bishop who is an advocate for some of the most revisionist of views. The new bishop, Scott Benhase, is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage within the church, and a supporter of the bishop-elect in Los Angeles, Mary Glasspool, who is a partnered lesbian. He has just written the people of his diocese to explain why he voted for her to be made a bishop and why he thinks this is just fine. Since he thought he needed to write a letter to the diocese, he must have received some criticism. For those orthodox clergy and congregations in the diocese of Georgia and under his pastoral authority, you may wish to quietly reevaluate your options and the impact being under his spiritual authority will have on your eternal soul. Consider also that if the diocese receives a portion of your financial contributions each Sunday, the money goes in part to help sue fellow Anglicans in Savannah, whose church predates both The Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Georgia, and even the United States.
Up in Canada, things aren't much better. The Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) is so broke that they can't afford to have their next annual convention without trying some novel and questionable new ways to pay for it. They are looking for corporate sponsors to buy advertising and space for brand logos on delegate documents, and special private lunches with the church's senior leadership. Now I ask, why in the world would anyone in their right mind pay money to sit down and eat lunch with the misguided bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada? Don't people usually pay money to eat lunch with folks who are a success, and hope that some nugget of wisdom might fall from the table and be taken home? Don't people pay money to be seen in the presence of highly regarded and successful people so that there is some sort of spill-over of the aura of success? But why would anyone pay to eat lunch with leaders of a rapidly collapsing church that has all the marks of failure?
And how about putting signs up on purchased space at their convention? I recognize that buying a spot on a NASCAR favorite car could get you noticed, and hopefully put you in the company of a winner, but where would the ACoC sell advert space? On the front and back of chasubles, on the altar frontals, or perhaps on the front of the bishop's mitre? I would love to see one of my old favorites, STP oil additive, on the front of Archbishop Hiltz's mitre. It wouldn't be very Christian, but I think they have bypassed that concern some time ago. Perhaps you can think of a corporate logo you'd like to see on an ACoC bishop. Send in some suggestions and we might pass them along. If you think about this, you could have some fun with it.
Internationally, on a more serious note, Primate Ian Ernest has added his letter to that of Primate Mouneer Anis and Primate Henry Orombi; there are now three Primates who have written very clear and blunt letters to Archbishop Rowan Williams about the state of the Communion, and the Fourth Trumpet Communique has also taken due note of the problems. The question is, when will anyone in authority DO something that makes a difference... and the likelihood is - not soon.
Meanwhile, the Church of England still officially says it has 26 million members, with only 2.6 million who can be found. Some Anglican official sources announce that the Communion has 80 million members, but the truth is far from that, and the majority is in the orthodox provinces of the Global South. Take a look at the numbers and you will agree that there are actually more like 60 million. The Global South makes up 50 million of them, and of that 50 million, at least 45 million are standing firm in their faith and holding off Western revisionism. So the numbers are essentially 45+ million vs. 13+ million, with some too close to call. It's time for the orthodox Anglicans to recover their Communion.
Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
Some of you may be aware that in addition to being the President and CEO of the American Anglican Council, I am also a CANA bishop, serving churches in several states. Recently, I visited the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where The Episcopal Church (TEC) has been closing mission chapels to save money. The people served by the chapels can often trace their spiritual ancestry back to The Episcopal Church's arrival in South Dakota in the 1860's, when the Santee Sioux were forcibly relocated from Minnesota. These parishioners have been loyal to TEC, though often questioning some of the new theological innovations.
Since TEC Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori has been running short of money (due in part to her incessant lawsuits against Anglicans who left TEC), funding that formerly was available to support mission work in the Dakotas has now been diverted to support lawsuits and other higher priorities. With many mission chapels in South Dakota now closed, questions are being raised by some tribal groups about what has happened to the land that the tribe gave to the chapels to support the work at each. Hundreds of acres at each chapel, and thousands of acres in total need to be examined to see if TEC improperly sold off chapel land to raise money. At a recent Black Hills Treaty Council meeting, there was a call for TEC to account for the land and where the money went, since there is some suspicion that it was funneled into non-reservation Diocesan use.
Meanwhile, many of the chapels remain padlocked while the Tribal Government is trying to reclaim land that is now no longer being used for the intended purpose. It is reminiscent of the disappointing history of the government's taking and misusing Indian land. There is, however, a small silver lining to this story. An Anglican priest who is an enrolled member of the Reservation has been gathering together some of the local people and conducting worship at one of the chapels that he was able to reopen. I was privileged to visit him and offer encouragement to him and to his growing flock, although in fact they were an encouragement to me. In spite of having almost no altar hangings or proper vestments, and using a building whose future is uncertain, they are keeping alive Anglican Christianity and community where TEC has abandoned the buildings and the people. Anyone who would like to help with this particular mission project can contact me at the AAC office.
It would seem that The Episcopal Church USA, which many of us were literally born into, and thought we knew, has become unwavering in its pursuit of a new deviant gospel, embracing the cutting edge of cultural change, becoming inclusive of many possibilities of saviors, revising Holy Scripture as needed, and following a concept of sexuality that has no real limits, just a mandate for total acceptance. Although the American deep South has often been called "the Bible Belt," and Georgia "the buckle on the belt," TEC's deep South is rapidly becoming as "progressive" as any other area of TEC. The Diocese of Georgia (which has been suing the mother church of all Georgia, Christ Church Savannah, for electing to depart from TEC several years ago) has recently elected a bishop who is an advocate for some of the most revisionist of views. The new bishop, Scott Benhase, is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage within the church, and a supporter of the bishop-elect in Los Angeles, Mary Glasspool, who is a partnered lesbian. He has just written the people of his diocese to explain why he voted for her to be made a bishop and why he thinks this is just fine. Since he thought he needed to write a letter to the diocese, he must have received some criticism. For those orthodox clergy and congregations in the diocese of Georgia and under his pastoral authority, you may wish to quietly reevaluate your options and the impact being under his spiritual authority will have on your eternal soul. Consider also that if the diocese receives a portion of your financial contributions each Sunday, the money goes in part to help sue fellow Anglicans in Savannah, whose church predates both The Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Georgia, and even the United States.
Up in Canada, things aren't much better. The Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) is so broke that they can't afford to have their next annual convention without trying some novel and questionable new ways to pay for it. They are looking for corporate sponsors to buy advertising and space for brand logos on delegate documents, and special private lunches with the church's senior leadership. Now I ask, why in the world would anyone in their right mind pay money to sit down and eat lunch with the misguided bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada? Don't people usually pay money to eat lunch with folks who are a success, and hope that some nugget of wisdom might fall from the table and be taken home? Don't people pay money to be seen in the presence of highly regarded and successful people so that there is some sort of spill-over of the aura of success? But why would anyone pay to eat lunch with leaders of a rapidly collapsing church that has all the marks of failure?
And how about putting signs up on purchased space at their convention? I recognize that buying a spot on a NASCAR favorite car could get you noticed, and hopefully put you in the company of a winner, but where would the ACoC sell advert space? On the front and back of chasubles, on the altar frontals, or perhaps on the front of the bishop's mitre? I would love to see one of my old favorites, STP oil additive, on the front of Archbishop Hiltz's mitre. It wouldn't be very Christian, but I think they have bypassed that concern some time ago. Perhaps you can think of a corporate logo you'd like to see on an ACoC bishop. Send in some suggestions and we might pass them along. If you think about this, you could have some fun with it.
Internationally, on a more serious note, Primate Ian Ernest has added his letter to that of Primate Mouneer Anis and Primate Henry Orombi; there are now three Primates who have written very clear and blunt letters to Archbishop Rowan Williams about the state of the Communion, and the Fourth Trumpet Communique has also taken due note of the problems. The question is, when will anyone in authority DO something that makes a difference... and the likelihood is - not soon.
Meanwhile, the Church of England still officially says it has 26 million members, with only 2.6 million who can be found. Some Anglican official sources announce that the Communion has 80 million members, but the truth is far from that, and the majority is in the orthodox provinces of the Global South. Take a look at the numbers and you will agree that there are actually more like 60 million. The Global South makes up 50 million of them, and of that 50 million, at least 45 million are standing firm in their faith and holding off Western revisionism. So the numbers are essentially 45+ million vs. 13+ million, with some too close to call. It's time for the orthodox Anglicans to recover their Communion.
Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
BREAKING: Global South Singapore Communiqué
Via Stand Firm:
Friday, April 23, 2010 • 1:33 am
Fourth Trumpet from the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter
St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore, 19th – 23rd April 2010
1. The Fourth Anglican South to South Encounter took place in Singapore from April 19th through April 23rd, 2010. The theme for this encounter was: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Covenant for the People; Light for the Nations.” We marveled at the power of this Gospel as we met together from all corners of the globe united in our commitment to Jesus the Christ and the proclamation of His message of eternal assurance and transformation open to all people. We were renewed in our determination to assist each other in fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and to do all that Christ has commanded.
2. Grateful for the gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit a total of 130 delegates from 20 provinces in the Global South (Comprising Africa, West Indies, Asia and South America) gathered together. We represented the vast majority of the active membership of the Anglican Communion. We were also joined by a number of our partners in the Gospel from Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. The entire delegation from the Province of West Africa and invited participants from the UK and Ireland were unable to be present because of travel difficulties.
3. We were immensely grateful for the wonderful hospitality provided for us by Archbishop John Chew and the people of the Diocese of Singapore and, in fact, the entire Province of South East Asia. The ministry among us by the former Primate of South East Asia, the Most Rev’d Datuk Yong Ping Chung as Encounter Chaplain was also a source of great blessing. The warmth of their welcome and hospitality provided a context in which we were able to pray, study, worship and take counsel together so that we might more clearly discover a united and prophetic voice about matters that affect our beloved Anglican Communion and our world.
4. We gave thanks to God for the visionary leadership of the Most Rev’d Peter J. Akinola, recently retired Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) as Chair of the Global South Primates Steering Committee for the past ten years. We welcomed the election of the Most Rev’d John Chew as the new Chairman, the Most Rev’d Henry Orombi as Vice-Chairman, The Most Rev’d Mouneer Anis as Secretary, the Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh as Treasurer, and The Right Rev’d Albert Chama and the Most Rev’d Stephen Than as members.
5. We were encouraged by the warm welcome given to the Primates at the Istana (Presidential Palace), by the President of the Republic of Singapore, His Excellency Mr. S.R. Nathan. Singapore is a rich multi-cultural tapestry that provided great encouragement for us to have eyes to see clearly the various people groups in our own nation’s context of ministry.
6. We were appreciative of the greeting given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, by means of a brief video that was shared at the beginning of our time together. We rejoiced in the welcome given to us by Elder Fu Xianwei, Chairman of the National Committee of the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) of the China Christian Church and the presence and warm greeting offered by His Grace Bishop Suriel representing His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
7. We met under the shadow of a serious global ecological crisis as a volcanic ash plume from Iceland resulted in a massive disruption of international air travel. We were reminded yet again of the fragility of our earthly existence and our utter dependence upon the grace of God for life itself.
8. We were mindful of the many difficulties confronted by the nations that we represent. These include natural disasters that have led to enormous devastation, deprivation and the loss of life, political instability that has too often resulted in corruption and violence and the ever-present challenge of living in a world of multiple religions and competing truth claims. We are grateful for those many places where it is possible to live out and promote our Christian convictions without threat but we know that this is not the experience of all our members and we honor those whose Christian faith has led to their marginalization, persecution and sometimes their violent deaths. We uphold all of them in our prayers.
9. We received presentations on the Gospel of Christ, mission and ministry from the Nigerian, West Malaysian and Ugandan settings. Huge political, social and economic changes are taking place as we begin the 21st Century. The global shift in Christian demography brings with it new opportunities for evangelistic outreach. However, we also need to understand afresh the challenges that are confronting the Church and the wider society. We encourage Provinces to develop intentional plans and structures for Church growth in the post-Christendom context of today’s world. Above all, we call for a new quest for personal and corporate holiness in the Communion.
10. We responded positively to the call to declare the next ten years a Decade of Mission and Networking and urge our respective Provinces to take up the matter, especially in expanding mission sending capacity to enhance networking among Global South Provinces. We call upon our Churches to pay greater attention to the role of Christian professionals in the mission, ministry and witness of the Christian community. We also need to pay particular attention to the pastoral needs of the laity, especially women and young people, who are witnessing to their faith at the cutting edges of mission.
11. We rejoiced to receive the report from the Global South Anglican Economic Empowerment Track that was established in the Third Encounter. We affirm the actions already taken in the past four years that focus on:
* Developing in each Province an Economic Empowerment Fund;
* Developing sustainable Empowerment strategy;
* Promoting biblically-based teaching on stewardship;
* Promoting regional partnerships;
* Networking and increasing active engagement of both public and private sectors in improving the economic livelihood of local communities.
12. The youth leaders from the Provinces of Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Southeast Asia met together to celebrate their Anglican heritage. We agreed that the future of the Communion lies in winning the next generation for Christ. We urge each region to adopt initiatives to better understand the needs and characteristics of this new generation so that we might better communicate the Gospel and Christian values to them. It is essential that the ethos and traditions of the Church be imparted to the youth in creative and dynamic ways so that they will be equipped to live for Christ for their generation and beyond.
13. During our plenary sessions, bible studies and small group discussions we were called back to a fresh vision of God, of the Church and of Christian leadership. We saw God in His stunning holiness and absolute sovereignty through Isaiah’s vision (Is 6: 1-13), and correspondingly saw our own ingrained sinfulness and utter foolishness in trusting man rather than God alone. We caught a “ big” vision of the Church from her role as ‘servant of the Lord’ (Is 42: 1-9) to bring God’s justice or ‘right order of living’ to the nations of the world. This established the absolute necessity and priority for the Church to disciple her members under the authority of the inspired Scriptures so that they may transform their societies and reach the nations with the Gospel. The fresh call upon the Church’s leadership, from the Servant of the Lord’s costly obedience (Is 50: 4-9), is to be courageous and fully confident of the Lord’s sustaining grace and final vindication.
14. Upon this biblical foundation, we looked afresh at the theological underpinnings of the Encounter’s theme, found renewed strength to pursue its practical outworking and renewed our commitment to network with one another for mission, prayer and economic empowerment strategies so that we might enlarge the capacity of our provinces and dioceses to fulfill the Great Commission.
15. As a sign of our fellowship and an encouragement to our purpose, at the beginning of our assembly God sent into our midst two Nepalese Anglicans, members of the new Anglican Church in this principally Hindu and Buddhist nation. They shared with us about new Anglican initiatives that are bringing the gospel to their people and the way in which the Word of God has brought life and hope and peace, along with suffering. We rejoice with them in their newfound faith and their determination to be obedient to the Word of God in a setting where such obedience is very costly.
16. In contrast, we continue to grieve over the life of The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada and all those churches that have rejected the Way of the Lord as expressed in Holy Scripture. The recent action of TEC in the election and intended consecration of Mary Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, as a bishop in Los Angeles, has demonstrated, yet again, a total disregard for the mind of the Communion. These churches continue in their defiance as they set themselves on a course that contradicts the plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures on matters so fundamental that they affect the very salvation of those involved. Such actions violate the integrity of the Gospel, the Communion and our Christian witness to the rest of the world. In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action.
17. We uphold the courageous actions taken by Archbishops Mouneer Anis (Jerusalem and the Middle East), Henry Orombi (Uganda) and Ian Ernest (Indian Ocean) and are encouraged by their decision not to participate in meetings of the various Instruments of Communion at which representatives of The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada are present. We understand their actions to be in protest of the failure to correct the ongoing crisis situation.
18. Some of our Provinces are already in a state of broken and impaired Communion with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. Their continued refusal to honor the many requests [1] made of them by the various meetings of the Primates throughout the Windsor Process have brought discredit to our witness and we urge the Archbishop of Canterbury to implement the recommended actions. In light of the above, this Fourth South-to-South Encounter encourages our various Provinces to reconsider their communion relationships with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada until it becomes clear that there is genuine repentance.
19. We were pleased to welcome two Communion Partner bishops from The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and acknowledge that with them there are many within TEC who do not accept their church’s innovations. We assure them of our loving and prayerful support. We are grateful that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism. We welcomed them as partners in the Gospel and our hope is that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners.
20. For many generations Anglicans have lived together with a shared understanding of our common faith; indeed among our great gifts has been the Book of Common Prayer that has provided a foundation for our common life. In recent years the peace of our Communion has been deeply wounded by those who continue to claim the name Anglican but who pursue an agenda of their own desire in opposition to historic norms of faith, teaching and practice. This has led to a number of developments including the GAFCON meeting that took place in Jerusalem in June 2008. [2]
21. Global South leaders have been in the forefront of the development of the ‘Anglican Covenant’ that seeks to articulate the essential elements of our faith together with means by which we might exercise meaningful and loving discipline for those who depart from the ‘faith once for all delivered to the saints.’ We are currently reviewing the proposed Covenant to find ways to strengthen it in order for it to fulfill its purpose. For example, we believe that all those who adopt the Covenant must be in compliance with Lambeth 1.10. Meanwhile we recognize that the Primates Meeting, being responsible for Faith and Order, should be the body to oversee the Covenant in its implementation, not the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion.
22. Over the last 20 years we have been distracted by conflicts and controversies that have kept us from effectively fulfilling the Great Commission. While we have been so distracted, Christian heritage, identity and influence has continued to decline in the West. We believe that there is a need to review the entire Anglican Communion structure; especially the Instruments of Communion and the Anglican Communion office; in order to achieve an authentic expression of the current reality of our Anglican Communion.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1,2)
------------------
Notes
1. Specific recommendations are listed in the Windsor Report 2004, Primates’ Meeting Communiqué at Dromantine 2005, Primates Meeting Communiqué at Dar es Salaam 2007
2. “We, together with many other faithful Anglicans throughout the world, believe the doctrinal foundation of Anglicanism, which defines our core identity as Anglicans is expressed in these words: The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. We intend to remain faithful to this standard, and we call on others in the Communion to reaffirm and return to it.” Jerusalem Declaration, June 2008
Friday, April 23, 2010 • 1:33 am
Fourth Trumpet from the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter
St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore, 19th – 23rd April 2010
1. The Fourth Anglican South to South Encounter took place in Singapore from April 19th through April 23rd, 2010. The theme for this encounter was: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Covenant for the People; Light for the Nations.” We marveled at the power of this Gospel as we met together from all corners of the globe united in our commitment to Jesus the Christ and the proclamation of His message of eternal assurance and transformation open to all people. We were renewed in our determination to assist each other in fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and to do all that Christ has commanded.
2. Grateful for the gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit a total of 130 delegates from 20 provinces in the Global South (Comprising Africa, West Indies, Asia and South America) gathered together. We represented the vast majority of the active membership of the Anglican Communion. We were also joined by a number of our partners in the Gospel from Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. The entire delegation from the Province of West Africa and invited participants from the UK and Ireland were unable to be present because of travel difficulties.
3. We were immensely grateful for the wonderful hospitality provided for us by Archbishop John Chew and the people of the Diocese of Singapore and, in fact, the entire Province of South East Asia. The ministry among us by the former Primate of South East Asia, the Most Rev’d Datuk Yong Ping Chung as Encounter Chaplain was also a source of great blessing. The warmth of their welcome and hospitality provided a context in which we were able to pray, study, worship and take counsel together so that we might more clearly discover a united and prophetic voice about matters that affect our beloved Anglican Communion and our world.
4. We gave thanks to God for the visionary leadership of the Most Rev’d Peter J. Akinola, recently retired Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) as Chair of the Global South Primates Steering Committee for the past ten years. We welcomed the election of the Most Rev’d John Chew as the new Chairman, the Most Rev’d Henry Orombi as Vice-Chairman, The Most Rev’d Mouneer Anis as Secretary, the Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh as Treasurer, and The Right Rev’d Albert Chama and the Most Rev’d Stephen Than as members.
5. We were encouraged by the warm welcome given to the Primates at the Istana (Presidential Palace), by the President of the Republic of Singapore, His Excellency Mr. S.R. Nathan. Singapore is a rich multi-cultural tapestry that provided great encouragement for us to have eyes to see clearly the various people groups in our own nation’s context of ministry.
6. We were appreciative of the greeting given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, by means of a brief video that was shared at the beginning of our time together. We rejoiced in the welcome given to us by Elder Fu Xianwei, Chairman of the National Committee of the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) of the China Christian Church and the presence and warm greeting offered by His Grace Bishop Suriel representing His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
7. We met under the shadow of a serious global ecological crisis as a volcanic ash plume from Iceland resulted in a massive disruption of international air travel. We were reminded yet again of the fragility of our earthly existence and our utter dependence upon the grace of God for life itself.
8. We were mindful of the many difficulties confronted by the nations that we represent. These include natural disasters that have led to enormous devastation, deprivation and the loss of life, political instability that has too often resulted in corruption and violence and the ever-present challenge of living in a world of multiple religions and competing truth claims. We are grateful for those many places where it is possible to live out and promote our Christian convictions without threat but we know that this is not the experience of all our members and we honor those whose Christian faith has led to their marginalization, persecution and sometimes their violent deaths. We uphold all of them in our prayers.
9. We received presentations on the Gospel of Christ, mission and ministry from the Nigerian, West Malaysian and Ugandan settings. Huge political, social and economic changes are taking place as we begin the 21st Century. The global shift in Christian demography brings with it new opportunities for evangelistic outreach. However, we also need to understand afresh the challenges that are confronting the Church and the wider society. We encourage Provinces to develop intentional plans and structures for Church growth in the post-Christendom context of today’s world. Above all, we call for a new quest for personal and corporate holiness in the Communion.
10. We responded positively to the call to declare the next ten years a Decade of Mission and Networking and urge our respective Provinces to take up the matter, especially in expanding mission sending capacity to enhance networking among Global South Provinces. We call upon our Churches to pay greater attention to the role of Christian professionals in the mission, ministry and witness of the Christian community. We also need to pay particular attention to the pastoral needs of the laity, especially women and young people, who are witnessing to their faith at the cutting edges of mission.
11. We rejoiced to receive the report from the Global South Anglican Economic Empowerment Track that was established in the Third Encounter. We affirm the actions already taken in the past four years that focus on:
* Developing in each Province an Economic Empowerment Fund;
* Developing sustainable Empowerment strategy;
* Promoting biblically-based teaching on stewardship;
* Promoting regional partnerships;
* Networking and increasing active engagement of both public and private sectors in improving the economic livelihood of local communities.
12. The youth leaders from the Provinces of Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Southeast Asia met together to celebrate their Anglican heritage. We agreed that the future of the Communion lies in winning the next generation for Christ. We urge each region to adopt initiatives to better understand the needs and characteristics of this new generation so that we might better communicate the Gospel and Christian values to them. It is essential that the ethos and traditions of the Church be imparted to the youth in creative and dynamic ways so that they will be equipped to live for Christ for their generation and beyond.
13. During our plenary sessions, bible studies and small group discussions we were called back to a fresh vision of God, of the Church and of Christian leadership. We saw God in His stunning holiness and absolute sovereignty through Isaiah’s vision (Is 6: 1-13), and correspondingly saw our own ingrained sinfulness and utter foolishness in trusting man rather than God alone. We caught a “ big” vision of the Church from her role as ‘servant of the Lord’ (Is 42: 1-9) to bring God’s justice or ‘right order of living’ to the nations of the world. This established the absolute necessity and priority for the Church to disciple her members under the authority of the inspired Scriptures so that they may transform their societies and reach the nations with the Gospel. The fresh call upon the Church’s leadership, from the Servant of the Lord’s costly obedience (Is 50: 4-9), is to be courageous and fully confident of the Lord’s sustaining grace and final vindication.
14. Upon this biblical foundation, we looked afresh at the theological underpinnings of the Encounter’s theme, found renewed strength to pursue its practical outworking and renewed our commitment to network with one another for mission, prayer and economic empowerment strategies so that we might enlarge the capacity of our provinces and dioceses to fulfill the Great Commission.
15. As a sign of our fellowship and an encouragement to our purpose, at the beginning of our assembly God sent into our midst two Nepalese Anglicans, members of the new Anglican Church in this principally Hindu and Buddhist nation. They shared with us about new Anglican initiatives that are bringing the gospel to their people and the way in which the Word of God has brought life and hope and peace, along with suffering. We rejoice with them in their newfound faith and their determination to be obedient to the Word of God in a setting where such obedience is very costly.
16. In contrast, we continue to grieve over the life of The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada and all those churches that have rejected the Way of the Lord as expressed in Holy Scripture. The recent action of TEC in the election and intended consecration of Mary Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, as a bishop in Los Angeles, has demonstrated, yet again, a total disregard for the mind of the Communion. These churches continue in their defiance as they set themselves on a course that contradicts the plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures on matters so fundamental that they affect the very salvation of those involved. Such actions violate the integrity of the Gospel, the Communion and our Christian witness to the rest of the world. In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action.
17. We uphold the courageous actions taken by Archbishops Mouneer Anis (Jerusalem and the Middle East), Henry Orombi (Uganda) and Ian Ernest (Indian Ocean) and are encouraged by their decision not to participate in meetings of the various Instruments of Communion at which representatives of The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada are present. We understand their actions to be in protest of the failure to correct the ongoing crisis situation.
18. Some of our Provinces are already in a state of broken and impaired Communion with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. Their continued refusal to honor the many requests [1] made of them by the various meetings of the Primates throughout the Windsor Process have brought discredit to our witness and we urge the Archbishop of Canterbury to implement the recommended actions. In light of the above, this Fourth South-to-South Encounter encourages our various Provinces to reconsider their communion relationships with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada until it becomes clear that there is genuine repentance.
19. We were pleased to welcome two Communion Partner bishops from The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and acknowledge that with them there are many within TEC who do not accept their church’s innovations. We assure them of our loving and prayerful support. We are grateful that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism. We welcomed them as partners in the Gospel and our hope is that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners.
20. For many generations Anglicans have lived together with a shared understanding of our common faith; indeed among our great gifts has been the Book of Common Prayer that has provided a foundation for our common life. In recent years the peace of our Communion has been deeply wounded by those who continue to claim the name Anglican but who pursue an agenda of their own desire in opposition to historic norms of faith, teaching and practice. This has led to a number of developments including the GAFCON meeting that took place in Jerusalem in June 2008. [2]
21. Global South leaders have been in the forefront of the development of the ‘Anglican Covenant’ that seeks to articulate the essential elements of our faith together with means by which we might exercise meaningful and loving discipline for those who depart from the ‘faith once for all delivered to the saints.’ We are currently reviewing the proposed Covenant to find ways to strengthen it in order for it to fulfill its purpose. For example, we believe that all those who adopt the Covenant must be in compliance with Lambeth 1.10. Meanwhile we recognize that the Primates Meeting, being responsible for Faith and Order, should be the body to oversee the Covenant in its implementation, not the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion.
22. Over the last 20 years we have been distracted by conflicts and controversies that have kept us from effectively fulfilling the Great Commission. While we have been so distracted, Christian heritage, identity and influence has continued to decline in the West. We believe that there is a need to review the entire Anglican Communion structure; especially the Instruments of Communion and the Anglican Communion office; in order to achieve an authentic expression of the current reality of our Anglican Communion.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1,2)
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Notes
1. Specific recommendations are listed in the Windsor Report 2004, Primates’ Meeting Communiqué at Dromantine 2005, Primates Meeting Communiqué at Dar es Salaam 2007
2. “We, together with many other faithful Anglicans throughout the world, believe the doctrinal foundation of Anglicanism, which defines our core identity as Anglicans is expressed in these words: The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. We intend to remain faithful to this standard, and we call on others in the Communion to reaffirm and return to it.” Jerusalem Declaration, June 2008
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