Church of England
What happened at the July General Synod in terms of decisions on Living in Love and Faith?
What is “The Alliance” and what does its warning of establishing a “de-facto parallel province” mean?
Why have the CEEC commissioned ‘overseers’ and what will ‘alternative spiritual oversight’ look like for clergy and congregations who cannot accept the decisions of Synod?
Read this comprehensive briefing from CEEC (Church of England Evangelical Council) to answer these questions and more.
Episcopal Jenga: How to push a church to the brink of collapse Andrew Goddard writing in Psephizo sets out in detail how, through their own actions and in engagement with General Synod over the past 18 months, the bishops have sought to remove key building blocks of the Church of England such as common understandings of the authority of Scripture, church doctrine, liturgy and ordination.
A response on Anglican Futures concludes the only answer is to abandon the previous edifice to its spiritual collapse, but wobbly and largely pointless survival. That is to say, to turn all attention and efforts to a tower that is built on the sure foundation and loves being so.
Other voices see hope in the formation of The Alliance and advocate faithful Anglicans remaining in the Church of England. For example:
Why stay (at least for now)? A commitment to persevere in adversity until ‘pushed out’. 
The CofE hasn’t changed its doctrine on marriage. It’s still one man and one woman. “…keep fighting for church doctrine to remain faithful to Jesus’ teaching… I support the Alliance plans for a parallel province. We need to remain, and remain faithful, continuing to make disciples as Jesus called us to.”
Support for The Alliance and its stand for orthodoxy from global bodies:
Gafcon stands with the Alliance – Statement on the Gafcon website:
“…While we have already made provision for the Anglican Network in Europe…Gafcon supports all faithful Anglicans, whether they choose to stay and provide a witness to the truth in their home church, or whether they wish to leave for the sake of conscience. Wherever faithful Anglicans find themselves, Gafcon is ready to support, encourage and defend them—they are not alone.”
GSFA Pastoral Letter
“…We request all the faithful in the GSFA to uphold our faithful brothers and sisters in the Church of England, bishops, clergy and laity, who have come together as ‘The Alliance’. We stand with them in the struggle that lies ahead as they seek to establish a new Province of the Church of England that will enable them to continue their witness to Jesus with integrity and freedom.”
A Third Province? Martin Davie asks: What is the ecclesiological problem with a Third Province?
“…If differences in theology and practice are thus judged to be theologically acceptable at the parochial level, then there can be no coherent objection to them also existing at the diocesan and provincial level given that diocese and provinces are ultimately just collections of parishes. To put it simply, if a parish can differ from other parishes in its theology and practice and still be part of the Church of England, why cannot a group of parishes (organised as a diocese or a province) do the same?”
Julian Mann (Christian Today) asks: What happens to church property if evangelical congregations leave the Church of England?
How should faithful Anglicans make a decision about the future? What options are available?
- Remain in the C of E, supported by informal fellowships and oversight, with the hope of robust, differentiated pastoral provision or even a third province?
- Leave the C of E, for another Anglican jurisdiction, or another denomination?
See the options explained, in this article Thinking about your Anglican future? including a handy table and diagrams, provided by Anglican Futures
Anglican Network in Europe
New Diocese confirms election of first bishop
The Anglican Missionary Congregations (AMC) has elected Ven Dr Gideon Chukwudalu Ilechukwu to serve as their first Diocesan bishop, after it was agreed in May that AMC should become the third Diocese of the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE).
Gideon Ilechukwu and his wife Chioma
The growth of ANiE and the inclusion of AMC made up predominantly of Nigerian diaspora congregations marks a significant moment in mission partnership, reflection a new global reality, and amazing biblical vision being made visible, and a practical expression of God's gospel plan. Read this article on the ANiE website.
Anglican Church in North America
The Most Rev. Stephen D. Wood was elected as the third Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in North America on June 22, 2024. More information about him here.
Report on the ACNA assembly at which the election took place, attended by Bishop Andy Lines of ANiE and Rev Vaughan Roberts from St Ebbe’s Oxford.
Gospel and culture
‘Conversion therapy’ ban
How banning ‘conversion therapy’ threatens our freedoms, by Jacob Williams, spiked:
“…The campaign to ban conversion therapy in the UK is not about protecting LGBT people from psychological abuse or torture. After all, abusive and violent treatments are already illegal….Instead, the idea behind this campaign is that the government should criminalise ‘any intervention’ with the ‘predetermined purpose’ of changing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Proponents are very candid about what this will include. The official Ban Conversion Therapy (BCT) coalition even wants to criminalise ‘casual conversations’ and ‘private prayer’.”
From Coalition for Marriage:
“…a group of church leaders representing more than 1,300 churches has written to the Prime Minister warning that Labour’s proposed conversion therapy laws could criminalise them as they put into practice their teaching on marriage.
Transgender in schools
Church of England set to issue advice telling teachers to challenge ‘outdated terms’ around biological sex, by Sanchez Manning, Daily Mail:
Church of England advice for teachers has been criticised for pushing the ‘gender ideology’ that a person’s sex is ‘assigned’ at birth rather than a biological fact.
The statements are in the document Flourishing For All, which is backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. About a million children attend 4,630 Anglican schools.
Read also: New CofE guidance still in thrall to trans ideology by Steve Beegoo, Christian Concern
Where do these ideas come from?
Critical Theory: War of the Worldviews, from The Christian Institute:
“We are living through a clash of worldviews between God’s eternal truth and the dangerous ideology that underpins woke activism and cancel culture. Ciarán Kelly and Dr Sharon James examine the roots of Critical Theory, its impact on society and the Church, and how Christians should respond.”
EU economic deal pushes ‘secularistic ideologies’ on Africa, Nigerian Catholic bishops warn, from Catholic Herald:“…Describing themselves as “watchmen and guides, deeply committed to the sound moral, religious, and cultural growth of our dear country”, the bishops said Nigeria’s civil authorities might not be fully aware of the implications … the agreement “gives international law status to sexual orientation and gender identity, comprehensive sexuality education, and abortion through its prolific reference to gender approaches and the phrase ‘sexual and reproductive health and rights’.”
See also: Is LGBT ideology a new kind of colonialism? By Heather Tomlinson, Premier Christianity
Kenya: Church leaders broker peaceful way forward after protests against unfair taxes and corruption lead to fatalities:
'Stop The Protests, Give Ruto Time,' Archbishop Ole Sapit Tells Kenyan Youth, from Citizen Digital from Citizen Digital
Kenyans without hope more likely to revolt, warn religious leaders. By Rebecca Paveley, Church Times.
The gospel at the Olympics in Paris
The French Bible Society has created a special edition of the New Testament to be distributed during the upcoming Olympics, reports Christian Today.
Inspiring the nations through ‘Games Talk’, a media outreach in Paris, from Evangelical Focus. TWR (Trans World Radio) is partnering with French media association PHARE FM to take advantage of an unprecedented opportunity for evangelism.
Summary for prayer:
- Pray for the leaders of The Alliance, standing for biblical orthodoxy within the Church of England, that they would make wise decisions based on faith and realism.
- Give thanks for steady growth of Anglican Network in Europe and Free Church of England.
- Pray for Archbishop-elect of ACNA Steve Wood and his family, for Paul Donison Secretary General of Gafcon, and for Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda, Chairman of Gafcon Primates Council.
- Pray for continued cooperation and shared vision between Gafcon and GSFA, for the sake of the gospel.
- Pray for the new government of the UK, for wise and just decisions, promoting justice but not restricting the ministry of the gospel.
- Pray for Kenya, giving thanks for the sacrificial leadership of the churches in holding government to account and promoting peace.
- Pray for the Paris Olympics, where the gathering of hundreds of thousands of people provides opportunity for evangelism.
- Pray for the French church, and also for protection against any who would cause harm.
The delegates present in Kigali pledged to give over $750,000 to become foundation members of the Gafcon Endowment Fund, by pledging to give $10,000 over the next 3 years. Might you or other faithful Anglicans that you know become founder members also? More information will soon be found on our website.