Church of England Affirms What The Episcopal Church Will Not

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
2/13/2009

This week at the Church of England General Synod, delegates overwhelmingly passed a motion on the "Uniqueness of Christ".

That it was needed to affirm at all should raise some eyebrows, and might indicate just how bad things in the C of E had reached that the motion was needed on the table at all. But the motion did find its way (finally) onto the Synod agenda.

Two amendments designed to weaken the motion lost and another added one was passed.

According to eyewitnesses, there was a good debate with several speakers giving their own testimony and speaking of the impact on others upon hearing the gospel of Christ. The final motion passed with 283 votes in favor and 8 against. It reads as follows: "That this Synod warmly welcome Dr Martin Davies background paper 'The witness of Scripture, the Fathers and the historic formularies to the uniqueness of Christ' and request the House of Bishops to report to the Synod on their understanding of the uniqueness of Christ in Britain's multi-faith society, and offer examples and commendations of good practice in sharing the gospel of salvation through Christ alone with people of other faiths and of none."

Bishop David James of Bradford introduced "Presence and Engagement" on ministry in multi-faith areas. He reminded Synod members of the overwhelming need to share the gospel of salvation through faith in Christ alone with all. He then challenged Synod members whether God might be calling them to do this by moving, living, and working in areas where there are those of many different faiths. Christians are called to relate to those of other faiths, to show love rather than hate, to make peace, to witness to Christ and to engage lovingly. The Bishop stated that we should build bridges of friendship, but bridges over which Christ can walk.

The debate that followed highlighted differing views about the nature of engagement. Several speakers also spoke about the problems faced by converts from other faiths and the apparent discrimination against Christians in modern day Britain. After debate, the motion to take note of the report was passed unanimously.

By its affirmation of the personhood and salvific work of Jesus, the Church of England affirmed the singular view that Jesus uniquely alone saves. While interfaith dialogue will continue, it cannot be pre-empted by a firm statement of the need of the gospel of Jesus Christ for all people.

These statements stand in stark contrast to statements made by Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori who says that Jesus is a "vehicle to the divine" - hardly the same thing.

She has publicly said she would never try to convert a Muslim or a Jew from their religions. To make the claim that Jesus is uniquely and the only way to the Father is, to her mind, religious arrogance and intolerant and must be repudiated. The views of John Shelby Spong undoubtedly greased the way for her thinking.

But she is not alone. Consider Resolution B001 submitted by Quincy Bishop Keith Ackerman at the 2003 General Convention where he asked the HOB to Endorse Certain Historic Anglican Doctrines and Policies of the faith. They wouldn't do it. The resolution was defeated. Exit "sound doctrine". Enter Gene Robinson.

Bishop Ackerman asked the HOB to affirm their continued belief in two things. The first was the statement found in the Articles of Religion, the church's constitution, and in the Ordination Services that we believe "The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to contain all things necessary for Salvation." The resolution was voted down. Stunned, Bishop Ackerman asked for a roll call vote. One by one the Bishops rose and were counted. Eighty-four of them refused to affirm that scripture contains what is needed for salvation. Eighty-four of them refused to affirm the Chicago Lambeth Quadrilateral. Only sixty-six voted for these core truths. The failure to pass what Scripture and the Prayer Book affirm spoke volumes more than the issue of sexuality; it touched the very core of Anglican faith and practice.

In many ways, its defeat signaled the theological end of The Episcopal Church as a Christian denomination.

Since then, the Episcopal Church's primary function has been litigating to keep empty parish buildings in their grip, deposing bishops and priests for not keeping their brand of the Christian Faith and making life a living hell for orthodox priests and remnant bishops by pushing House of Deputies leader Bonnie Anderson and Jefferts Schori on them at every available opportunity to sell their version of the new gospel.

The question is: how did the Church of England manage to get a motion (resolution) on the floor of the Synod and get it passed?

A source deep inside the Church of England told VOL that the trend of the last 15 years in which more and more clergy have come from Evangelical colleges is beginning to make itself felt in the House of Clergy of General Synod; and with that growth among Evangelical clergy has come a greater confidence on the part of Evangelical laity, to play a fuller part in the Synod. It was a transformed Synod which debated Paul Eddy's motion on the Uniqueness of Christ and Mission in England on Wednesday, and the speeches were for the most part robustly conservative. Some of the liberals sitting there were clearly shocked by what they were hearing."

What is needed is conservative Anglican clergy from around the world to come to England and take up appointments there. "If we can hold the fort here, it will be a strong signal to the rest of the Communion that the tide of liberalism can go out as well as in," said the source. Sadly for the Episcopal Church, that is not going to happen. The Episcopal Church has lost four whole dioceses, some 700 parishes and more than 100,000 people, with between 750 and 1000 leaving weekly. A new orthodox Anglican province is now in play.

The Episcopal Church's pansexual agenda is slowly killing it. Its principal torchbearer, V. Gene Robinson is watching as his own diocese sinks, a litmus test that sodomy, far from liberating people, is a sexual prison slowly strangling them and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which they have repudiated.

END