_________________________
A Message from
Bishop David Anderson
Brothers and Sisters in
Christ,
While thinking about the
state of the Anglican Communion, I have been looking out of my
window, watching crowds of people walk by the hotel where I am
staying. If you watch one person, you see an individual story, as it
were: someone on their way somewhere. If you gaze at the crowd,
however, you begin to see a flow of individuals moving in somewhat
the same direction on one part of the sidewalk, and others going
counter-flow on another part of the sidewalk.
The Anglican stories below,
those in the previous weeks, and the stories in the weeks ahead can
be seen as individual vignettes - but they can also be seen as part
of a larger flow of events moving in defined directions, sometimes
in very different directions. So the question, "Where is Anglicanism
going?" is a question that has more than one answer. Part of the
Anglicanism of today is going one direction, part is going a
different direction, and the distance between the two is increasing
day by day. Liberal/Revisionist Anglicanism is flowing with the
issues, advocating secular views on religion and sexuality, with
altered views on the authority of Holy Scripture, who Jesus is, and
what he did or didn't do for us and the world. This part of
Anglicanism is welcoming of cultural and polytheistic inclusion such
that modern Anglicanism can be the home for authentic spiritual
pantheism. Not everyone in that flow is in the same place, but the
flow is moving in that direction.
The other flow is in the
opposite direction, not absolutely unified, but generally embracing
a higher view of Holy Scripture's authority and authenticity, a
historic and Biblical view of who Jesus is, what he has done and is
doing for us and the world. More traditional views on Trinitarian
theology, sexuality, and moral and ethical discipline would
accompany this flow.
With the increasingly
worrisome behavior of the Archbishop of Canterbury, a question is
now being heard among the orthodox Anglicans: "What would a
post-Canterbury/Lambeth Anglicanism look like?" Embodied in this
question is "What would hold us together, what or who would center
us, globally, in an organizational and incarnational manner?" It is
understood that the spiritual center is Jesus Christ, of course. But
where would we look for an orthodox and vital 'first among equals?'
I don't have the answer, lest you thought I was setting you up for
one scheme or another, but the question needs to be asked now,
pondered and prayed through, because unless there is a miraculous
change in Lambeth Palace's leadership, the question will grow more
relevant week by week.
News from around the world
the fact that former TEC bishop Bill Cox, now enrolled in the
Province of the Southern Cone, has been served notice of TEC
deposition proceedings. Why does TEC waste their time and paper
deposing those who have left and gone to other Provinces? The
meanness and vindictiveness of the American Episcopal Church
continues to show itself week by week.
In following up on news from
last week, we note that the CofE priest/wiccan witch who was outed
in the press has at his bishop's insistence resigned as an Anglican
cleric. He will presumably take his black kettle and book of spells
and incantations with him when he leaves the vicarage. One is
tempted to see this just as a theatre of the absurd, but if you have
eyes to see and ears to hear, you can look through the mist and see
that we are actually engaged in spiritual warfare, a head-on
collision of two kingdoms. We should not flee, but as Christ's
soldiers run to the sound of the battle, girded with the full armor
of God.
Those who are following the
news about the planned GAFCON gathering will have read the "leaked"
minutes of the confidential meetings which were held to discuss the
event. Closer inspection reveals that the purported text "leaked"
was not an agreed-upon set of minutes at all, and was not in fact
leaked, but planted. Apparently, upon examination of the text in
circulation, the words are those of a Janina Zang, a Missionary of
USPG (General Secretary is Bishop Michael Doe), who is on assignment
as Personal Assistant to Bishop Suheil Dawani. Her text seems
written to achieve a particular aim, and the fact that the misnamed
"minutes" were then suddenly in the hands of a number of hostile
organizations, and given as well to a number of London journalists
(as reported by Ruth Gledhill, London Times) seems well planned, and
hardly a leak. It is finally, a non-event.
I began by saying that I was
looking out of the window of a hotel, and it is in Dallas, Texas,
where the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) is having their Winter
Conference. AMiA, a mission of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, uses
their Winter Conference each year to provide corporate worship,
teaching, vision and encouragement to their laity and clergy. Over
the last few years others of us who are not a part of AMiA, but very
much a part of the orthodox Anglican realignment with them, attend
as well. Many of us are a part of the Common Cause Federation with
AMiA, and we are welcomed warmly. This event, like other Common
Cause Partners' Councils and Conventions, is a time of Christian
refreshment, so different from the acrimony and divisiveness that
were common in official gatherings of the Episcopal Church's General
Conventions. The final day of the Winter Conference will see three
new bishops consecrated for the Anglican Mission in America. Bishops
based in Rwanda and their Primate Emmanuel Kolini, AMiA Bishops
based in the USA, and Common Cause Bishops will all lay hands upon
them. The AAC welcomes the addition of faithful orthodox American
bishops to strengthen the work of proclaiming the Gospel, and to see
the Good News of Jesus Christ bring men and women to salvation and a
transformation of their life.
Blessings and peace in
Christ Jesus,
The Rt. Rev. David C.
Anderson, Sr.
President & CEO, American Anglican Council
_________________________
Archbishop Outlines
Lambeth Goals
Source:
The Living Church
Date: January 23, 2008
Joined by 30 bishops from 17
provinces, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams announced the
official program for the 2008 Lambeth Conference on Jan. 21.
In his opening remarks, Archbishop Williams pointed out that the
first Lambeth Conference in 1867 was called in part in response to
"a crisis about the limits of diversity allowed in the Anglican
churches around the world; so there's nothing so very new about a
Lambeth Conference meeting in a climate of some controversy."
The archbishop noted that the conference "has never been a lawmaking
body in the strict sense and it wasn't designed to be one: every
local Anglican province around the world has its own independent
system of church law and there is no supreme court. But the very
fact of the conference shows that we have always been willing to
look for ways of setting our common life on a firm basis so that we
can act and serve more effectively in our world." He said this
year's gathering will focus on strengthening the sense of a shared
Anglican identity among the bishops, and helping to equip bishops
for mission...
Asked how the conference
would address the issue of homosexuality, Archbishop Williams said
one day on the schedule was reserved to consider "sexuality
questions as they affect the ministry of bishops," including a
report on the listening process from the Rev. Canon Phil Groves of
the Anglican Communion Office. "It [also] is inevitably going to be
part of the conversations informally, day by day as people will
bring to the conference what their anxieties are and what their
hopes are. There will not be a resolution on this subject."
Archbishop Williams reiterated that Bishop Gene Robinson of New
Hampshire has not been invited "and it's proving extremely difficult
to see under what heading he might be invited to be around." Asked
whether he had considered inviting all bishops, including CANA
bishops and Bishop Robinson, Archbishop Williams said he had, but "I
thought it best to stick fairly closely with what the Windsor Report
recommends, that we should see this as an event for those who have
accepted the general direction of the Windsor Report and haven't
flown in the face of its recommendations."
Regarding the attendance of San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield,
inhibited by the Presiding Bishop earlier this month, the archbishop
said he is "waiting on what comes out of the American House of
Bishops' discussion of that. It's not something I've got a position
on yet. At the moment he still has an invitation."
_________________________
Diocese of North
Carolina calls for public liturgies blessing same-sex unions
Source:
Episcopal
Diocese of North Carolina website
Date: January 19, 2008
The following resolution was
approved at North Carolina's diocesan convention, which took place
on January 18-19, 2008:
Resolved by the 192nd Annual
Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, that the
Diocese continue to demonstrate its commitment to radical
hospitality and, that in accordance with the House of Bishops'
Statement, Fall 2007, we "proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all
God's children, including gay and lesbian persons, are full and
equal participants in the life of Christ's Church" by:
1) Urging the Archbishop of
Canterbury to extend to the duly elected and consecrated Bishop of
New Hampshire an invitation to full participation in the Lambeth
Conference of 2008;
2) Encouraging our Deputies
to the 2009 General Convention to ensure compliance with Title III.
Canon I. Section 2, which supports the full and equal participation
of all persons regardless of sexual orientation in all aspects of
the Church's ministries, lay and ordained;
3) Encouraging the General
Convention to call for the development of public liturgies for the
blessing of same sex unions.
_________________________
Bishop Bill Atwood:
Pray for Peace in Kenya
Source:
StandFirm blog
Date: January 18, 2008
Dear Brothers and Sisters in
Christ,
Greetings in the wonderful
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure by now you have heard about
the terrible violence and upheaval following the recent, very
closely contested election in Kenya. Bishop Bill Murdoch and I are
writing to ask for your help.
Today as this is written,
there have been no organized demonstrations, but the situation is
still very tense and very difficult. Tragically, some have enflamed
the situation with longstanding tribal tensions. The ACK bishops and
other leaders have rightly denounced tribe-on-tribe violence, but
anxiety has remained extremely high. A violent gang called Mungiki
has taken advantage of the polarization and is attacking people from
another tribe. The Mungiki has been outlawed since 2002, but the
group still has many areas of stronghold. The bishops and other
leaders have called for peace and have welcomed help from the
President of Ghana and from Kofi Annan. By an overwhelming majority,
the Kenyan people want peace. Peace is not only good for Kenya, it
is essential for African stability. Virtually one hundred percent of
the petrol supply for Uganda passes from the Kenyan port city of
Mombassa. With a disruption of that line of supply, Transportation
in Uganda and Burundi has all but come to a halt. Other nations like
Sudan and Tanzania are impacted as well.
With 200,000 homeless and
many businesses looted and burned, there is no telling how long it
will take Kenya to recover its former relatively prosperous economy.
It is critically important
to remember, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places."(Eph 6:12) The only way to make a difference in a spiritual
conflict is through intercession, prayer, and fasting. Please use
the attached information to help guide your prayers. Please also
consider this urgent request from Bishop Bill Murdoch and me to not
only all churches linked with the Anglican Church of Kenya, but also
all Common Cause Partner churches to get involved. The Archbishop
and other leaders of the ACK have been absolutely heroic in reaching
out to orthodox believers in the West. It is our fraternal
responsibility to respond. The impact of our prayers will be
multiplied when we pray together. Would you be willing to join in a
special emphasis for fasting and prayer on Wednesdays until the
crisis ends?
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Bill Atwood
__________________________
Global Anglican
Future Conference - Travel Plans
Source:
GAFCON website
Date: January 25, 2008
The following communication has been released on behalf of the
leadership team of Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON):
"We have heard that GAFCON has aroused considerable interest and
enthusiasm. We would encourage those who are planning visits to the
Holy Land to coincide with GAFCON to await the announcement of the
venue and the exact start and finish dates before making final
plans."
The GAFCON Leadership Team.
