Video reflection from Rob Munro, Bishop of Ebbsfleet. The rebuke from the world’s Anglicans about departures from biblical faith “is hard to bear as a bishop of the Church of England”, but being part of a gathering focussing on repentance and mission was a great encouragement.
‘Gafcon gleanings’ - Reflections on the week in Kigali, from Anglican Network in Europe delegates:
“I was delighted to be reminded each day that our first priority is to go to Jesus as he has the words of eternal life. But then with Jesus we go to all the world and share the unchanging message of the gospel.”
Also: reflections from some ANiE bishops on YouTube video
Podcast from Church Society: Lee Gatiss says that while the Church of England has chosen to subvert and replace” true Christianity with “something more amenable to modern culture”, the Gafcon leaders and the Kigali Commitment set out faithful Anglicanism “with compassion and clarity”.
Calvin Robinson (delegate from Free Church of England, and advocate for Gafcon on GB News) summarises and comments on the Kigali Commitment.
Church of England Evangelical Council statement: “The sense of grief, dismay and betrayal expressed by delegates from all around the Communion towards the English bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury, was both palpable and profound.”
Round table discussion: Global Anglicanism, Gafcon and the Church of England : Christian Concern’s Tim Dieppe and Andrea Williams with Gafcon IV delegate Andrew Symes.
Indigenizing global Anglicanism: The next step in re-setting the Anglican Commitment. Reflection from Stephen Noll (who presented an outline of the history of Gafcon at the Conference)
A historic moment for the Anglican Communion: Key takeaways from the Kigali Commitment, by Phil Ashey, American Anglican Council. The important points from the Commitment, explained in eight points.
Meanwhile, the Church of England presses on with their liberalising programme regardless, as shown in this recent report Update from the Living in Love and Faith implementation working groups
and also in a report on ‘Families and Households’ commissioned by the C of E.
“We should acknowledge that the way families structure their lives is equally valid and equally good”, say the report’s authors, who claim that an emphasis on monogamous heterosexual marriage is “Victorian”. But “This is just wrong”, says researcher Harry Benson of the Marriage Foundation, in his response .‘The church has surrendered on marriage’.
What can we do?
We need to pray for the upholding of biblical faith in our region, and for the re-set of the Anglican Communion. Can you join a Gafcon GBE prayer meeting? – see details below. If these times don’t suit you, why not contact us to suggest another time. Can you offer to lead?
Can you play a part in resourcing Gafcon for the huge task ahead? Donate to Gafcon Global here. Meanwhile the local branch operates on a very small budget, but there are costs. Can you help? Donate to Gafcon GBE here .
Juliane Uchoa and Jonny Lockwood of the Gafcon Prayer Network
Tell others about Gafcon. Many faithful Anglicans are still unaware of how Gafcon can provide inspiration and vision for all Anglicans. This is not about niche church politics, but global bible based mission and discipleship. Let us know if you would like someone from the Gafcon Council of Reference, or a Kigali delegate to visit your church.
Other news
The impact of AI on Christian ministry. If preaching and bible study is just about summarising and passing on information, then could preparing and preaching sermons be replaced by Chat GPT? But the Christian faith is not just about receiving information. An article in Christian Today reflects further…
Church of England churches have seen a decline in attendance overall of more than 20% since before the pandemic. The report on the Diocese of Oxford website mentions the importance of innovative mission methods to try to increase numbers, but there is no mention of an obvious cause in the decline: failure of many churches to preach the gospel clearly and urgently. Listen: Podcast discussion on Premier here
The anthropological challenge Christians face. A report on a lecture given by Carl Trueman, in which he explains contemporary secular thinking as fulfilling the predictions of C.S Lewis in The Abolition of Man: new philosophies and technologies tempting us to think we are like gods. How should the church respond?
The Coronation
A chance to look again at the liturgy for the unique service at Westminster Abbey, with commentary.
Reflection on the service and the Coronation Day itself, from a Christian perspective: Defending faith: king, country and freedom of religion, from the Lindisfarne Centre for the study of Christian persecution.
And a view from Canada: The Coronation of King Charles III confronted us with our Christian heritage , by Jonathan van Maren, The Bridgehead
Ascension Day: May 18th. Some Scriptures and prayers:
Exalted to the right hand of God, he [Jesus] has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."
Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’
Acts 2:33-36
After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 1:3
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 1:11
O God, the King of glory, You lifted up Your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph from this world into Your kingdom in heaven. We ask You not to leave us comfortless, but to send us Your Holy Spirit to comfort us, and lift us up to the same place where our Saviour Christ has gone before, for He now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen.
Collect for the Sunday after Ascension Day, from BCP 2020