News & Commentary

Weekly Message from Bishop Anderson

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:21:21 -0400

The following letter first appeared in the May 17, 2013 edition of the AAC's Weekly Update. Sign up for this free email here.

Dear Christian Friends,

It has now been a few weeks since Judge Dunning in Orange County, California issued a ruling in the case of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles against my former parish, St. James Church, Newport Beach. The ruling, in my estimation, completely miscarries justice to the extreme, but then I have a vested interest in the case since the former bishop, Frederick Borsch, gave me and the parish the disputed letter which waived all claims on the property on 32nd Street. Relying on that, we raised large amounts of money and built beautiful buildings to the glory of God for the people to worship in and be sent forth for ministry.

Alan Haley has a helpful analysis of the state of affairs after the ruling and the problems for everyone that the ruling raises. I would love for you to read Alan's article, although his writings do suppose a certain level of familiarity with legal principles. I would like to quote a short portion of his recent post on the subject:

So according to Judge Dunning's May 1 ruling, the trust imposed on all Episcopal parishes in California may only be dissolved in the manner by which it was imposed in the first place - by a canon duly enacted by General Convention. Do you understand now the huge impact this ruling could have if it is affirmed on appeal?

According to it, since no sale of any California property owned by an Episcopal parish ever received any release of the Dennis Canon by General Convention, then all of those properties that have been marketed and sold since 1980 - parking lots, rectors' residences, and auxiliary properties, to say nothing of church buildings themselves - are still subject to the Dennis Canon trust, no matter what any diocesan bishop or standing committee purported to allow. They were not the General Convention.

To reach her... conclusion, therefore, that no one diocesan or standing committee may waive or release the Dennis Canon on behalf of any Diocese, or on behalf of the national Church, Judge Dunning has managed at one stroke to cloud the titles of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pieces of property sold and conveyed by Episcopal parishes in California since 1980.

And that is just one problem with her seriously flawed decision, which relies upon circular reasoning and deliberate misreadings of parish governing documents, as well. The decision is not only a travesty of justice, but as I say, it should make title companies all across California fear for all of the various policies they have issued to buyers of church property since 1980.

In Haley's analysis, if the Dennis Canon can only be lifted or modified by action of the General Convention, then all Episcopal property sales, transfers, etc. since the date of the Dennis Canon have a defective title in California. No Standing Committee, Bishop or other agency other than the full General Convention of the Episcopal Church could grant permission for the claim on real property to be extinguished. He goes on to say,

"The impact of this ruling on the Diocese of Los Angeles itself has probably not yet dawned upon Bishop Bruno and his allies. It means that the Diocese will not be able to offer free and clear marketable title to any of the properties it has confiscated over the years from so many of its former parishioners: St. Luke’s in the Mountains, St. David’s, All Saints ... and now St. James. Unless and until the Diocese can obtain an amendment to the Dennis Canon from General Convention, the Court’s ruling means that all those properties remain impressed with a trust in favor of ECUSA, which cannot be modified, altered, waived or released in any way. Moreover, lenders will now not loan against ECUSA parish properties for purchase or construction unless General Convention agrees to subordinate its Dennis Canon to the loan in every case."

The judge's ruling actually puts in question the clear title for the sale of the old diocesan office center to a real estate consortium which occurred prior to the election of Bishop Borsch in 1988, which raised part of the money for the new Diocesan Center at Echo Park.

The judge's ruling cries out for an Appeal on several levels and is finally a decision that no one can really live with. St. James has had to go to the Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court twice already, and now perhaps a third time, and they still haven't been granted their day in open court. If you think that this judgment is a travesty that needs setting right, send St. James a few dollars, or a lot for that matter, because I think they need to stay in court not just for their sake, but for the sake of justice itself. St. James needs your encouragement in this!

Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,

The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.

President and CEO, American Anglican Council

Dallas Willard: Anglican Perspective

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:21:26 -0400

May 16, 2013

In this week's Anglican Perspective, Canon Ashey reflects on the life and teaching of Dallas Willard. You can read more on Dalls Willard and his life in a heartfelt article by Josh Ortberg in Christianity Today.

Anglican Perspective is a weekly 2-minute teaching video produced by the American Anglican Council. Each week, the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey, AAC Chief Operating Officer, looks at current events from an orthodox, biblical Anglican perspective.

Dallas Willard: Keeping eternity always before us

Dear friends in Christ,

Dallas Willard went on to glory last week, May 8, at age 77 after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. For those of you who may not know him, Dr. Dallas Willard is an American philosopher, a certified authority on the works of philosopher Edward Husserl, former chair of the department of Philosophy at the University of Southern California and the author of many books on both philosophy and Christian Spiritual formation.

But if you asked him how he would describe himself, he would no doubt say "I am a child of God, seeking to live my life as Jesus would if he were in my shoes." I know he would say that because that is what he told all of us who sat at his feet for two weeks in his course on "Spirituality and Ministry" in the Fuller Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry program.

The Church in North America has lost a pioneer in the renewal of discipleship, and especially the renewal of disciplines and "habits of the heart" that are central to "the great tradition (catholic)" of Christian spiritual formation. Although he was not an Anglican he was warm and encouraging to our movement, sharing with Richard Foster many resources from Renovare ministries for the renewal of Spiritual Formation-what we call "discipleship"-in many of our Anglican congregations.

Personally, I have been shaped in my thinking by the crystal clear and intensely dense definitions he gave us that can and should shape the way we think about following Jesus:

What is a disciple? "A disciple is someone who lives their life as Jesus would if he were in their shoes."

How simple, elegant, rich and visionary!

What is the Kingdom of God? "The Kingdom of God is the range of God's effective will-where what God wants done is done."

Not a country; not an institution; not something we will only experience in heaven-but rather that dimension of the "with God" life that followers of Jesus Christ from every one of our three Anglican streams (catholic, evangelical and charismatic) can embrace now!

What is the soul? "The soul is the hidden or 'spiritual' side of the person. [The soul] includes an individual's thoughts and feelings, along with heart or will, with its intents and choices. It also includes an individual's bodily life and social relations."

Therefore pastoral ministry, aka "the cure of souls," is a whole ministry that extends from the inner life outward to every aspect of a person's life-body, thought life, choices-- including every relationship.

What is worship? "Worship is the single most powerful force in completing and sustaining restoration of our whole beings to God. Nothing can inform, guide, and sustain pervasive and radiant goodness in a person other than the true vision of God and the worship that spontaneously arises from it. Then the power of the indwelling Christ flows from us to others."

Dallas Willard wrote in The Renovation of the Heart that the same model for change that we find in any program for human transformation-from AA to Weight Watchers to Rosetta Stone-involves three essential elements: (1) A Vision for what life can and will be like if we achieve this transformation; (2) the Intention or will to pursue it and (3) the Means (in Christian Spiritual Formation/discipleship we describe them as "means of grace," habits of the heart or "spiritual disciplines") that we cultivate to achieve that vision.

Vision, intention and means are the same three elements that shape any program of discipleship we can and ought to have to help make fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ-Christians who have a vision ever before them of what it would mean for them, and for the church, to live their lives as Jesus would. What would it be like to live that "with God" life in Christ and under his kingdom where "what God wants done IS done?" Discipleship requires Christians who intentionally will such a life. This has huge implications for any program of discipleship for those damaged and broken by abuse, heartbreak, and addictions. Discipleship requires Christians have practical instruction and experience in those spiritual disciplines or means that are at the heart of our catholic and Anglican tradition of spiritual formation-things like solitude, silence, study, fasting, prayer and confession.

In his splendid tribute to Dallas Willard, Pastor and author John Ortberg recalls that when Willard's mother died (he was only two years old) her last words to her husband were "keep eternity before the children." Dallas Willard took that lesson to heart. He kept heaven before himself and us in ways that were far different from the stereotypes we have been accustomed to hear. As John Ortberg recalls:

"Our destiny," [Dallas] used to say, "is to be part of a tremendously creative team effort, under unimaginably splendid leadership, on an inconceivably vast plane of activity, with ever more comprehensive cycles of productivity and enjoyment. This is what 'eye hath not see, nor ear hath heard'"

The vision of heaven shapes the way we live our lives in Christ right now. It must, or else we will have no joy. One day in class, Dallas read us the account of a little Brahmin girl hopelessly ill and on the edge of death in Amy Carmichael's missionary memoirs, Tender Mercies. He read to us how Amy Carmichael watched this little girl die, a follower of Jesus Christ, who at the moment of her death sat up with radiant face and hands clasped seeing someone whom Amy could not see. And then he paused and said through tears-this incredibly brilliant man-"And what must the fountain be like if the spray from the edge of the pool is like that?"

"People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own...Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 10:14-16)

May we too always keep eternity and that heavenly city before us, and each other, in everything we do. Surely we will find Dallas Willard there to welcome us when we enter that time zone.

With love in Christ,

Phil+

Recommended Reading from Dallas Willard: The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (San Francisco: Harper, 1988); The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (San Francisco: Harper, 1998); The Renovation of the Heart: Putting on The Character of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2002)

What is God Blessing?

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:11:09 -0400

The following article by Bishop Bill Atwood first appeared in the May 14, 2013 edition of the International Update. Sign up for this email here.

GlobalView

There is a community pool in the neighborhood where we live. Besides a rectangular lap pool, there is also a free-form one that has a long narrow channel where the water is pumped to provide a current to carry people around in a big loop that is called a "lazy river." While it is still too cool for non-Canadians to swim in the morning, the ducks don't know that. This morning, three brightly colored mallards were racing around the not-so-lazy river. Swept along by the current, the ducks were able to move two or three times faster than they could go on their own. One would pull ahead and uproariously quack his superior standing only to be passed by one of the others. Then that one would quack derisively at the other two until one of them would pass. At the point where the lazy river spills back into the main pool, they followed the eddies of the current and wound up circling around each other, flapping, and quacking in water fowl cacophony in what I'm pretty sure is the equivalent of chest-bumping among footballers.

It is amazing that with their little tiny green heads, holding little tiny duck brains, they were able to suss out the movement of the current of water and cooperate with what the current was doing and use it for recreational enhancement. Like Solomon says in Proverbs 6, consider the bird and the ant and learn from them.

A great deal of energy is invested within church asking God to bless our plans. While that is not a terrible thing to do, it is not the best thing to do. Instead of asking Him to bless our plans, just as the ducks used the current, we should ask to join in with what He is blessing and cooperate with the way He is moving. At its heart, the distinction between what we want and what God wants harks back to the Garden of Eden and the decision to decide for ourselves rather than to obey. It is so deeply ingrained that we often don't even realize that we are doing it.

In the Anglican Communion, at the heart of the devastating conflicts is the demand by activists that their agenda be blessed by the institution. The core of the agenda is about the right to declare what is good and what is holy. Sadly, that prerogative rests with God alone. Anyone can claim it, but it does not make it so.

The basic rebellion of self-determination is writ large in many of the pursuits of revisionism: departures from the revealed nature of Christ, eschewing the path of redemption, and refusing the authority of Scripture. Not only are we asked to endorse changes to the faith, they demand that we bless that which God seeks to redeem and cannot be blessed. While it is true that everyone should be treated with kindness, the understanding of what is kindness actually is at question. It is not kindness to let people perish.

Christ's law of love is violated when we encourage behavior that shortens lives or leads them away from Christ. Thoughtlessly endorsing behaviors which are proscribed by Scripture is just another face of the same rebellion of doing what we want to do and asking (or in many cases demanding) that God bless it.

What God is clearly blessing in the Anglican Communion is Biblical fidelity, Gospel mission, and Kingdom transformation. The Provinces that are pursuing those priorities are growing, even in the midst of what are sometimes extremely challenging circumstances. The Provinces that are pursuing their own agenda and asking/expecting/demanding that God bless it are dying. They are not just stagnant, they are shriveling and dying. Even worse than that, they are plummeting headlong away from Christ and into Hell with their foot firmly on the accelerator.

While that is grievous and extremely unsettling, there is good news. The good news is that the Good News is still being proclaimed––most notably in the GAFCON/FCA Provinces. The decision to have a GAFCON-2 meeting in Nairobi is a huge encouragement. It is a demonstration that the center of gravity for the communion has moved from the North to Africa. As the Jerusalem Declaration makes clear, there is still great appreciation and affection for the Gospel coming to Africa from the North. There is appreciation of the historic contributions that have been made by Canterbury. The highest allegiance, however, is to the Lord of the Church and to His Word. That will be celebrated in Nairobi at All Saints Cathedral in October of this year as GAFCON-2 meets. The gathering will include Bishops, clergy, and laity, and will model and proclaim Biblical faith in a way in which the institutional structures of the Anglican Communion are unable and/or unwilling to do with the same clarity.

He that hath an ear, let him learn from the ducks.

Urgent Disaster Relief: Devastating Flooding in Southwestern Uganda

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:19:20 -0400

May 8, 2013

Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) is accepting donations on behalf of the Anglican Diocese of South Rwenzori, Uganda to aid in relief efforts following devastating flooding that began on May 1st.

We urge you to support this much needed disaster relief work: Click here to donate online.

Checks may be sent to the ARDF lockbox: ARDF, PO Box 3830, Pittsburgh, PA 15230-3830 with a note in the memo line of the check "Rwenzori Uganda Flood."

All gifts are used as designated. However, in the unlikely event that a relief effort becomes over-funded, your gift will be applied to another disaster need as they arise. 85% of funds donated will be used for the relief and recovery in the affected areas with 15% used for administrative costs including credit card fees.

Below you will find more information about this urgent situation including a press released from the Diocese of South Rwenzori and videos from local Ugandan TV stations:

Press release: Bishop of South Rwenzori Diocese Appeals for Support after Devastating Floods

The Diocese of South Rwenzori was ravaged by flooding on 1st May 2013 after a long, heavy downpour of rain. Every river in the Diocese burst its banks and wrought destruction on roads, gardens, and homes.

Five people have been confirmed dead and 3,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

The hardest hit areas were Kilembe, Kasese Municipality, Maliba, Kyarumba, and Kisinga. Fifty buildings in Kilembe Valley and twenty buildings in Nyamwamba Zone of Kasese Town have been destroyed; five bridges in the Diocese have been washed away.

Bishop Jackson Nzerebende, Bishop of the Diocese of South Rwenzori, is appealing for support. "There is an immediate need for food, tents, bedding, household items, water tanks, drugs, and three standby ambulances," he said.

Bishop Nzerebende further emphasized their long-term needs in three areas: (1) rebuilding infrastructure, (2) rebuilding homes, and (3) intensive rehabilitation of those affected by the floods. "Our long-term needs," he said, "are building materials, road construction materials, electrical poles and wires, rebuilding of five bridges, counselors, prayer, and an intensive rehabilitation programme."

Power glorious beyond ourselves

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:46:24 -0400

- By the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know. . . his incomparably great power. . . which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Ephesians 1:18-20 NIV

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of my favorite prayers is the one on Good Friday which begins "O God of unchangeable power and eternal light; look favorably upon your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery. . ."

Well, truth be told, there are many times when I find "the Church" neither wonderful nor sacred. Some days, the best I can say is that it is a mystery. Why do church leaders at every level get sidetracked by personal agendas that are more self-serving than Kingdom serving? Why do we (including myself as I hold up the mirror) get sidelined by fears, anxieties, and relational conflicts within the church? Why do we seem to have so much structure, so many "meetings" and so little mission and outreach? Why do we seem to have so little grief for people who are perishing for lack of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, so little risk-taking in striking up conversations with strangers that might just lead to eternal turning points?

Although I see less of this among Anglicans in the Global South, it's still there. I rediscovered New Testament Christianity and the Acts of the Apostles literally jumping off the pages of the Bible on short term mission trips in Uganda and Kenya. I am inspired by the life, witness and sacrifice of leaders and followers throughout the Anglican churches in the Global South! But everywhere I go, from North America to the UK to Africa, I see some church leaders living and leading at a level that is less than what Christ and the Bible offer us. It breaks my heart. I'm guessing that's why I feel so deeply about what the AAC is doing in clergy leadership development.

It's very easy to see what's wrong and to become weary in well-doing. But what can we do to overcome that weariness so that we "faint not"? (Galatians 6:9)

Maybe we have started with a diagnosis of the human dilemma that just doesn't do justice to the depth of the problems within all of us. And on the other hand, perhaps we are minimizing the power of God that is available to us through Jesus Christ. This is exactly what John Stott says in his Easter devotion on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, "The Symbol of Power," in Through the Bible through the Year:

"We are always in danger of trivializing the gospel, of minimizing what God is able to do for us and in us. We speak of becoming a Christian as if it were no more than turning over a new leaf and making a few superficial adjustments to an otherwise secular life. But no, becoming and being a Christian, according to the New Testament, is an event so radical that no language can do it justice except death and resurrection - death to the old life of self-centeredness and resurrection to a new life of love."(1)

I'm sorry, but I just don't have it in me even on the best days to overcome self-centeredness and to be sacrificially loving in every way to everyone I encounter. It's just not in my "nature" to be so. I suspect the same is true for you as well! Is there any power beyond ourselves glorious and graceful enough to enable us - to enable everyone - to overcome self-centeredness and love others as Jesus does?

YES! There is such a power, as Stott goes on to observe:

"The resurrection of Jesus Christ also assures us of God's power. For we need God's power in the present as well as his forgiveness of the past. Is God really able to change human nature, to make cruel people kind and sour people sweet? Is he able to take people who are dead to spiritual reality and make them alive in Christ? Yes, he really is! He is able to give life to the spiritually dead and transform us into the likeness of Christ."(2)

HE IS ABLE - through the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Thank God for his incomparably great power! (Eph. 1:19) Thank God we have a power beyond ourselves to lead, to witness, to love others, and to heal and change from the inside out.

Pentecost is coming on Sunday, May 19, and with it the promise of the Holy Spirit - the continuation of that same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. If there is anything Christian leaders and followers need today it is power, spiritual power, to change the world. We need a fresh outpouring of God's Holy Spirit to enable us to reach the least and the lost with the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

I want to know that resurrection power of Jesus Christ, even if it means sharing in the fellowship of his sufferings (Phil. 3:10). I need the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. I rejoice that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is available for his bride, the Church. I aim to call on that power in every way I can.

How about you?

Yours in Christ,
Phil+

The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
Chief Operating and Development Officer, American Anglican Council

----------

(1) Stott, John R.W., Through the Bible, Through the Year, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006), p. 282
(2) Ibid.

American Anglican Council

GAFCON 2013 Official Announcement

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:44:31 -0400

The Second Global Anglican Future Conference will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, 21st-26th October 2013. The focus will be on our shared Anglican future, as we engage with the missionary theme, ‘Making Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.'

The first conference, GAFCON 2008, was held in Jerusalem. GAFCON gave birth to a movement, the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. The aims of the GFCA are to proclaim and defend the apostolic gospel within and beyond the Anglican Communion and to recognise and share fellowship with orthodox Anglicans globally, especially those who have been disaffiliated by false teaching and behaviour.

We continue to face the triple challenge of sceptical secularism, militant religion and compromised Christianity. GAFCON 2013 has been summoned so that GFCA can help both plan for and experience the future of the Communion of which we, with many others, are part.

The invited delegates, laity, clergy and bishops, are united by their commitment to the Jerusalem Declaration and Statement as well as the aims of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. They will assemble to listen to God, to pray, to deliberate, and to plan about the Anglican future, seeing it as a great spiritual and missionary fellowship, energised by the defence and proclamation of the gospel.

The General Secretary of the GFCA, Archbishop Peter Jensen said, ‘God is establishing new churches creating new believers and transforming lives. Our hope for the future is in him. Our aim is to move forward confidently, to plan and experience in fellowship a future for Anglicans in which his Word is honoured and our witness is clear. We are looking forward with great expectation to seeing God at work as we meet in Nairobi.'

Why GAFCON II?

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:23:07 -0400

The following letter by the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey first appeared in the May 1, 2013 edition of the AAC's International Update. Sign up for this free email here.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Last week I had the honor to address the leaders of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GFCA) at their meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. These leaders have discerned that the time was right for a second Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday, October 21-Saturday, October 26, at All Saints Cathedral. Why? While the Conference details including the schedule and objectives are not yet public, and while I DO NOT speak on behalf of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, it seems to me that there are some obvious reasons why there ought to be a second GAFCON and that it be held in Nairobi.

For over a decade, the Anglican Communion has existed in a state of dysfunction. Despite countless efforts to address unbiblical teaching, no meaningful actions have been taken to restore faith and order in the Communion. In fact, the very structures of the Communion have lost the credibility and moral high ground it takes to address these issues. The paralysis of the official governing structures of the Anglican Communion in the face of false teaching is so deep and systemic that even a skilled and godly Archbishop of Canterbury may well be unable to repair the damage. Even the former Archbishop of Canterbury, ++Rowan Williams, on whose watch so much damage has been done, conceded the limitations of his office near the end of his tenure.

It seems to me that the leaders of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans are done with the endless conversations and indaba groups. They know what they believe and have chosen who they will serve. These leaders from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Congo, Sudan, The Southern Cone, Sydney and North America, and the Anglicans they serve, are in fact the majority of the world's Anglicans. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord of all. They believe the authority of Scriptures over every area of our lives. They believe that the number one priority for Anglicans in the world today is the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20, to make disciples of Jesus Christ of all nations. That is why they gathered in Jerusalem in 2008 for the first Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and produced the Jerusalem Declaration . In that Jerusalem Declaration--over and against a determined, vocal minority of leaders in North America and elsewhere in the “Global North,”-- the leaders of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans reaffirmed their commitment to the faith once delivered to the Apostles, the creeds and councils of the Church catholic, and the 39 Articles. And since then, new provinces have joined with them.

All Saint's Cathedral, Nairobi, Kenya

Why then should there be a second GAFCON? There are at least three compelling reasons:

1. It is time for Anglicans to “get on” with passionately pursuing Christ’s Great Commission. GAFCON II will be a missions conference. Worship and Bible study will be highlights of the conference. Global networking among orthodox believers from many nations could shape Anglican partnerships and international mission for decades to come.

2. It is time for Anglicans to come together to support each other in the face of false gospels and persecution. As Dr. Ashley Null observed at the April, 2012 gathering of GFCA leaders in London: “Since the church as a human institution can err, adapting the proclamation of the gospel to a specific culture can all too often lead to the culture adapting and changing the gospel to its own human idolatries. Therefore, a global fellowship is necessary to help individual national churches to discern whether a specific gospel proclamation is adapting to the culture or capitulating to it.” GAFCON II has the potential to provide apologetic resources that address the church’s capitulation to human idolatries. Through the activation of global networks it could provide fellowship and support for Anglicans who are facing false gospels—even from within the Anglican Communion itself—and more especially to provide real support for persecuted Anglicans in places like Nigeria and the Sudan.

Canon Ashey with Archbishop Wabukala of the Anglican Church of
Kenya, chairmen of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans'
Primate's Council.

3. It is time for Anglicans to come together and model a biblical way for the churches of the Anglican Communion to gather and relate to each other. The official structures of the Anglican Communion, “The Instruments of Unity,” have failed dramatically, in my opinion. They are utterly paralyzed in the face of false gospels. Now is the time for a Global Fellowship of Anglicans to come together and model a biblical way for Anglicans to be the church and to carry out Christ’s Great Commission together. GAFCON II can provide opportunities for church leaders to meet together to address different forms of missional leadership, to affirm Anglicans everywhere who affirm the Jerusalem Declaration and to affirm the missionary efforts of evangelism and church planting that are the logical consequence of such affirmation.

To those who would ask "Why hold GAFCON II in Nairobi, Kenya?,” the reality is that most of the world's Anglicans live in Africa. The fastest growing provinces are in Africa. If it weren't for the evangelistic zeal of our brothers and sisters in Africa, the third largest branch of Christianity would be a denomination in precipitous decline and danger of irrelevancy.

So please join me in praying for all those who will be planning, funding, pulling together all the loose ends and serving at GAFCON II. The American Anglican Council will be there to help in any way we can. God willing, this gathering will be another great moment that will keep this global Anglican movement in step with the Holy Spirit!

Yours in Christ,

Phil+

Anglican Perspective: Why GAFCON II?

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:33:23 -0400

May 1, 2013

The leaders of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans recently announced the dates for the second Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). In this week's Anglican Perspective Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council talks about why this conference is necessary and what its purpose will be. Also see Canon Ashey's article on GAFCON II from this week's International Update.

GAFCON II: Anglican Perspective

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:32:37 -0400

April 25, 2013

All Saint's Cathedral in Nairobi, Kenya will host the second Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) October 21-26, 2013. Canon Phil Ashey is in Nairobi where the leaders of GAFCON recently held a planning meeting and finalized plans for the upcoming event. The first GAFCON, held in Jerusalem in 2008, was a major step in an organized, global effort to refocus the Anglican Communion around a common confession including Jesus Christ as Lord, the Bible as the Word of God and other central beliefs. (See the Jerusalem Declaration)

American Anglican Council

Men and Women in Marriage: Anglican Perspective

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:50:13 -0400

April 24, 2013

Recently, a committee of the Church of England released a study document on the topic of marriage. Titled "men and women in marriage," the document appears to offer a robust defense and reasoning behind traditional, biblical marriage. In this week's Anglican Perspective, Canon Ashey looks at the good as well as the questionable parts of this important paper.

The Falls Church statement on VA Supreme Court decision

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:40:40 -0400

April 16, 2013

From the Rev. John Yates

Dear Friends,

We have received word from the Virginia Supreme Court that it has ruled in our appeal. The Court's decision reverses the trial court's ruling as to a part of our church's funds, and sends the case back to the trial court for further proceedings regarding that point. But the Court has affirmed the trial court's decision as to our church's real property and much of the personal property, meaning that our lands, building, and much of our money have not been returned to us. The Court's decision is now posted on its web site at http://www.courts.state.va.us/opinions/opnscvwp/1120919.pdf

Please join me in praising and thanking God for his faithfulness to us despite this result. Although this is not the outcome we had hoped for, our faith and our future do not depend on court decisions. The Lord works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), and we had purposed to praise Him regardless of the outcome. It is difficult to face the prospect of losing things that are precious to us, but ultimately we do not place our hope in land, buildings, or money. We have followed the course that we prayerfully believed was right. We have consistently sought to resolve this dispute outside the courts. We are grateful that we live in a country in which recourse to the courts was open to us. And it is a privilege to count this cost to be obedient to Christ.

There is no doubt in my mind that we as a church are much stronger as a result of the trials that we have undergone. Our witness remains strong. God has enabled us to continue to plant new churches and establish new ministries. And we have been blessed by the friendship, support, and assistance that so many other churches continue to provide to us. It is the body of Christ in action. And together we are determined to move forward in faith, to continue to provide a beacon of Christ's love to Northern Virginia, and to serve our brothers and sisters in our community and beyond.

We will be in touch after we have had a chance to review the Court's written opinion more carefully, and our vestry plans to meet tomorrow to prayerfully consider our next steps. We will keep you informed of further developments.

In the meantime, let's continue to pray boldly that God would expand our vision and do beyond all that we can ask or imagine in our life as a church. Nothing is impossible with Him. To Him alone be all the honor, praise, and glory.

In the family,

John Yates

Anglican head holds talks on gay marriage with activist

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:10:53 -0400

April 18, 2013

The new spiritual leader of the world's Anglicans held private talks on Thursday on same-sex marriage with a prominent gay rights campaigner who had called him homophobic for opposing it.

Less than a month after taking over for Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby agreed to meet Peter Tatchell after the activist publicly criticized him.

Britain's lawmakers voted heavily in favor of legalizing same-sex unions in February, but there are several more parliamentary hurdles to pass before it becomes law.

Prime Minister David Cameron has championed the legislation, which the Anglican and Catholic churches oppose along with many in his Conservative Party.

The invitation to Lambeth Palace, the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, came after Tatchell wrote an open letter condemning the new head of the 80 million-strong church over his stance on the issue.

"You claim that you are not homophobic but a person who opposes legal equality for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people) is homophobic," Tatchell wrote.

Speaking at a makeshift news conference in the rain across the road from Lambeth Palace's imposing red brick gatehouse with its big oak doors, Tatchell said their meeting was a breakthrough. . .

Read the entire article.

VA Supreme Court hands down split decision in Falls Church case

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:12:06 -0400

April 18, 2013

By George Conger

From the court's website:

120919 The Falls Church v. Protestant Episcopal Church 04/18/2013 In a protracted and complex dispute between the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Virginia and the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (together, the plaintiffs) and seven local congregations which disaffiliated from the plaintiffs, raising issues about whether the trial court properly applied neutral principles of law in deciding the ownership of church property, whether that application was constitutional, and whether the trial court granted the proper relief, the plaintiffs have shown that they have a proprietary interest in the property at issue, and that the fiduciary relationship required to impose a constructive trust exists under the facts presented. Thus, equity dictates that a constructive denominational trust be imposed on such property for the benefit of the plaintiffs. The judgment of the trial court with regard to the disposition of personal property acquired by the congregations after the vote to disaffiliate is reversed and that matter is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. The judgment of the trial court regarding Code § 57-7.1 is reversed. The remainder of the trial court's judgment is affirmed.

Prayer for the Korean Peninsula

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:09:58 -0400

The following first appeared in the April 16, 2013 edition of the AAC's International Update email. Sign up for this free email here.

By the Rt. Rev. Bill Atwood

There is a large church in Seoul, South Korea. OK, it's gargantuan. It's huge. It is basically a small country. It is the Yoido Island Full Gospel Church. The Pastor there is called Cho Yonggi, sometimes David. It is a remarkable church on many fronts. First of all it is remarkable for its size. Currently, it has about 1,000,000 members. Pastor Cho had intended to limit the church size to 800,000 because he said that's all he could pastor. More remarkably, every one of the members are part of a small "cell" group. Some years ago I was with Pastor Cho when a visitor was challenging him about the church size. The pretentious visitor said, "You claim 623,000 members. That's ridiculous. Couldn't it be 622,000? Couldn't it be 624,000? Why on earth would you say '623,000?'"

Pastor Cho looked puzzled and answered, "We only count the ones that are in cell groups-and tithe. Would you like their names?"

Even more remarkably, there is a tremendous structure for oversight, leadership, and pastoral care. Each cell group has an identified leader and an identified apprentice who is "learning the ropes." Besides Bible study and prayer, the group has the solemn task of praying for, loving, and winning to Christ two people each year. While it does not sound overwhelming for ten people to love two more into the Kingdom and a relationship with Christ, when you think about it, ten people growing to twelve is a 20 % growth rate. How would you like that with your retirement savings account!?! Remember, that 20% is also annually compounded in the church! That is why it is so huge.

Now they send out about 80,000 missionaries (or more) each year. They have a commitment eventually to send a million missionaries to Japan. When you know the painful history between the Koreans and the Japanese, deploying missionaries to Japan is a wonderful thing.

"The Church" building is not remarkable if you are used to typical sports arenas. It has sloped ramps to give access to different levels. Inside the main auditorium there are about 30,000 seats. Tucked under the ramps are eleven additional auditoriums that seat 800 to 1,100 people each. Then there are also remote hookups to ten or more remote locations off site where there is a video feed.

Ushers, service people, and workers make up an army and they gracefully help people navigate through the facilities. Most newcomers, however, are Christian visitors from other lands, or if they are local, have probably been brought by the small group, so they are already assimilated into the church before they attend their first service there.

Unlike many Western churches where Christianity is defined by Sunday worship, gathering for worship is one of the activities for sure, but the expectation of the life of a Christian disciple includes a lot more than just Sunday attendance. They also lead people into changed lives, encounters with the power of the Holy Spirit, membership in a cell group, and all manner of discipleship topics. There are over forty areas that they include in their discipleship model.

Even more remarkable than the size, the facilities, and the mission are two other factors. First is prayer. When I first went to Yoido Island, I had heard about Pastor Cho praying for hours a day. I wondered how it could be possible for someone to pray for three hours a day. I came back doing it. After being with him and listening to the teaching, I visited Prayer Mountain. It is complete with a life size copy of Noah's Ark as a worship center and 365 prayer grottos carved into the mountainside. Each grotto has a doorway. You can tell if a grotto is occupied because the person's shoes are left outside. One waits (sometimes for hours) for a grotto to become available. Inside, people pray. They pray in many ways and for many hours, often along the pattern Cho has taught around the Lord's Prayer.

Also breathtaking is the leadership structure. Each cell group has two leaders. For every 1,000 members (100 cell groups) there is a full time pastor on staff. The staff pastors visit the cell groups. When they visit, they ask the people what is going on. When they get the topic that is most urgent in the lives of the people, the staff pastor delivers a teaching (from memory!) about the topic. While it seems like only forty topics may be too few, if you take a moment and actually try to write down a list of topics you will find that ten or twelve are easy to identify. Twenty or twenty-five are possible, but most people draw a real blank after that. Having staff pastors who can teach on forty topics at the drop of a hat may sound like superficial discipleship, but experience demonstrates otherwise. I have yet to meet anyone who was able to make a list of forty topics on their own. How does this compare with traditional seminary preparation for ministry? It is certainly more practical. In many ways it is much more effective.

One day while I was sitting in Pastor Cho's relatively small office, one of the administrators came in and said, "Pastor Cho, we have a problem!" They were very deferential and were using English for my behalf. "We are set to have a cell group leaders training session tomorrow at 2:00 pm at the Olympic Stadium. The government has just called and said that they need the highway that leads to the Stadium for a parade practice beginning at 1:00 pm. What should we do?"

Pastor Cho closed his eyes for a moment-I assume he was praying-and he said, "Tell the leaders to come at 10:00 am instead of 2:00 pm."

I was stunned. He had just told his staff to move a meeting with all 119,000 cell group leaders and pastoral staff! He told them to have everyone come FOUR HOURS EARLY! In my experience, we can't get people to re-set their clocks for Daylight Savings time even with months of notice! He was moving a meeting of 119,000 people on 24 hours notice!

The next morning at 10:00 am I was invited on to the floor of the Stadium. I looked around and saw every seat filled. In twenty four-hours, they had gotten in touch with all those leaders and had them all arrive four hours early. I was astounded.

When it came time to pray, a leader cried out from the podium, "Cheeo, Cheeo, Cheeo!" Immediately, everyone in the stadium stood to their feet and all began to pray out loud. The effect was astounding. I had just come from Niagra Falls a few weeks before this trip to Korea. The sound of more than 100,000 people praying at the top of their lungs sounded remarkably like what the Bible calls, "the sound of many waters." It sounded just like Niagra!

In the course of the meeting, one of the main topics of the leaders' gathering was prayer for union with North Korea. While that may sound strange, most Koreans have family members stranded in the North. The Korean Peninsula has a demilitarized zone (DMZ) that stretches across it only 20 miles north of Seoul.

The North is cold and bleak. This photo of the Korean Peninsula shows how stark North Korea is. Notice that all over China, Japan, and South Korea there are tens of thousands of lights-millions. North Korea is almost entirely dark. That is an amazingly apt statement of not only the development of their electrical grid, but also of their spiritual state.

Along the DMZ, North Korea has place a huge number of S-23 180 mm artillery pieces. These giant guns fire a shell that is over 7" in diameter. The range is 49,000 yards, which means that they could easily fire right into Seoul. The effect of that shell is like hurling a locomotive through the air. When it hits, great damage is done.

Now, this week, with saber rattling from the North about firing nuclear missiles, many Westerners are not concerned that they would either actually fire them, or that they have the capability to do so. It is very foolish to think that a 28 year old dictator who has gone far out onto a limb would do nothing foolish. If they do not actually have the capacity to fire a missile with a nuclear warhead, they could easily cause a huge problem. North Korea has more than a million armed service members under arms. They have pressed another 8 million into reserve status. More than 25 % of the GDP of North Korea is invested in the military. It would be exceedingly naïve to dismiss the possibility of a significant military action. Also concerning is the fact that there is a huge Special Operations force. While I do not think they are pound-for-pound the military equivalent of Western forces or those of South Korea, they are still a huge force and could do incalculable damage, especially if they strike civilian population centers like Seoul.

While Satan was defeated on the Cross of Christ, he still roams about "seeking whom he may devour." The same could be said for the forces north of the DMZ. Forces that will not ultimately win can still do terrible damage.

What is most important at this juncture is to remember that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood." Even though there are people involved, there are forces of evil trying to egg them on. The most effective thing that we can do to directly impact the situation is to pray. Pray for a defusing of the situation. Pray for the repentance of leaders who do not know right from wrong. Pray for the removal of the unrepentant. Pray for the peaceful unification of Korea. When we pray together, our prayers are multiplied. You can be sure that the people at Yoido Island Full Gospel Church are praying around the clock right now. It would be a good time to join in with them!

Boston Bombing: Anglican Perspective

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:10:18 -0400

April 16, 2013

After the terrible bombing of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, Canon Ashey asks "what can we as Christians do and how can we see Jesus in this?"

Tunneling Through

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:22:37 -0400

Bishop Atwood

This article by the Rt. Rev. Bill Atwood first appeared in the April 9, 2013 edition of the AAC's International Update. Sign up for this free email here.

Ulrich Simon was a German Jew who fled Germany in 1933 to England. There he met Christ, studied theology at King's College in London and became a priest in 1938. After two short stints in parish ministry, he returned to King’s as a professor in 1945. While he was in England, things had progressed much more viciously on the continent. In German concentration camps and the Stalin purges of Jews in Russia, he lost many of his family members. Two of his best known books are A Theology of Auschwitz (1967) and his autobiography, Sitting in Judgement (1978).

He was too Biblically orthodox to be made head of the Old Testament Department. The pains of the World War II years, perhaps also colored by his disappointments with not being made the head of the OT department, took their toll. Despite his wonderful optimism about many things, occasionally he would droop into pessimism about "sick humanity."

Without any question, he was my favorite when I was at King’s. I came to King’s in 1974, only 9 days out of the combat skies of Viet Nam. War, like his experiences three decades before mine, led us into a wonderful friendship. At lunch time, we used to walk across the Strand to the Old Bailey where the Law courts met. We would sit in the gallery munching on bread and cheese from a bag between us. He loved to watch things unfolding, but always had the same observation. Still with a deep German accent, he would say, "Zis is amazing. A liar accused of a crime has a witness take the stand after swearing to tell the truth. He is examined by a liar in a proceeding presided over by a liar, judged by a jury of twelve liars, and out of zis, we have the best possible chance to find ze truth."

He was an amazing gift to me while I battled with liberal professors. Some were orthodox, but I also had to do battle with those who didn't believe in the resurrection or even in God at all. It was very strange to me for priests in collars and academic gowns to lecture in class about how suffering disproved the existence of God and logic dismissed the resurrection.

From Ulrich (Herr Doktor Professor) I learned to "tunnel through." He forbade me from going to lectures with some of the professors, saying, "Zay are polluting your soul." But I still had to do all the reading and write endless essays that were critiqued both by professors, but then again by him. He said, "You are strange for a warrior. You are a tender soul--but you like cameras. Cameras are stupid. They hardly capture anything. Remember your memories. That will serve you better than photographs which deceive you into thinking that you remember." Eventually, I was able to handle more and more of the disagreements. One of the things that helped me do that was the way that Herr Doktor Professor Ulrich showed me to extend an argument out to its natural conclusion. He also told me I was a terrible Hebrew student and that if I studied it for three more years I would not be able to translate as well as the RSV text of the Bible, and "the RSV," he said, "is nothing special. Greek is better suited to a pilot."

After I left King’s he became the Dean. King’s then moved into much more strength in orthodoxy. I suspect though, that it was very difficult for him. He did not like administration at all. Because things were difficult, however, he did not refuse them, choosing instead to "tunnel through." Sadly, he died in 1997.

I thought of Ulrich in a friendship I developed with an Orthodox Rabbi. They actually had a number of similarities, though my Rabbi friend never came to believe in Jesus as Messiah--at least not yet. The Rabbi did, however, share with me many of the great insights that he had. My favorite one was about the Hebrew word hesed. Hesed is the word usually translated as lovingkindness. It has its roots in engineering. It has to do with the channeling between two bodies of water that are unequal. If one pond, for example, has a great deal of water and the other has little, a channel dug between the two equalizes them. By "tunneling through," the bounty of one is shared with the other. The one with paucity contributes nothing but to be the receiver. That is very much like us with God. Through His hesed for us, he "tunnels through" through the life and death of Jesus so that we can receive from His abundance.

True lovingkindness requires "tunneling." It is costly to love in a way that actually allows grace to flow to another person. Recently, the Rev. Robert Heaney, an Irish priest who is moving to Virginia Theological Seminary to lead the Center for Anglican Communion Studies, wrote, "“Beyond all the controversies, we have not tended to friendship in the way that we should have,” Heaney said in an email interview with TLC. “We have institutionalized our walking together and our walking apart, [yet] we are brothers and sisters. We are friends. It is fellowship and it should be acts of fellowship which bring us together in Christ.”

While that is at one level true, at the core of the problems in the Anglican Communion at this point is a mis-diagnosis of the problem. If it is just about friendship and walking together or walking apart, we have missed the truth. Truth is very challenging. In postmodernism truth has been replaced with relativism, feeling, and intention. Something that was true yesterday for the postmodern person might not be true today. What is important to them is what someone's intentions are and how circumstances "make" people feel. If the trajectory of a series of decisions is leading people away from Christ, it is not loving to affirm them in their desires to pursue that direction no matter how passionately they want to do that. Instead, we are called to "tunnel through." The chief tool of that tunneling is truth spoken in love. Not many of us master that. Far too few attempt it.

The ongoing "Indaba" project tries to get people to humanize those with whom they disagree. We are asked to endorse behaviors and beliefs that others feel are right. Gentleness is not ignoble, but loving people means that eventually the light will have to shine on things which cause them to diverge from the redeeming love of Christ. In order to bear Kingdom fruit, deliberations in the Anglican Communion are going to have to embrace truth and consequences as well as feelings. There are certainly ways in which we are enriched by feelings, but we should not be defined by them. We were created for a higher purpose. As Christ has "tunneled through" for us, we are sent with the same commissioning: to help others meet the Christ who has "tunneled through for them," and help them to be transformed by His love.

From The Independent. 16 August 1997: Ulrich Ernst Simon, theologian: born Berlin 21 September 1913; ordained deacon 1938, priest 1939; University Lecturer, King's College London 1945- 60, Reader in Theology 1960-72, Professor of Christian Literature 1972- 80, Dean 1978-80; married 1949 Joan Westlake (two sons, one daughter); died London 31 July 1997.

From the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion—More of the same

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:15:33 -0400

This article by the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey first appeared in the April 9, 2013 edition of the AAC's International Update. Sign up for this free email here.

Canon Ashey

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion (SCAC) met following the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, ++Justin Welby, March 23-26. This “committee” evolved under the former Archbishop, ++Rowan Williams, as a leadership body within the Anglican Communion. It is dominated by those unwilling to take any action against The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada’s (ACoC) unilateral repudiation of Anglican Communion teaching on marriage, sexuality and holy orders (Lambeth Resolution 1.10, 1998).

As a result of the SCAC’s unwillingness to uphold biblically-based Communion teaching, many committee members who did respect such teaching resigned from the SCAC. The widely publicized resignations of Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda, Presiding Bishop Mouneer Anis of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and Bishop Azad Marshall of Iran gave testimony to their frustration with SCAC’s passive complicity with The Episcopal Church and Canada’s ACoC.

It is too early to tell whether Archbishop Justin Welby’s leadership will make a difference to the SCAC, but the preliminary reports from the Anglican Communion News service on the recent meeting of the SCAC are not hopeful:

1. “Indaba” paralyzing the Instruments of Communion

The Anglican Communion News service reported:

During the discussion about the handling of resolutions, both Bishop David Chillingworth and Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak raised questions about the role and functions of the Instruments of Communion. It is these Instruments of Communion (The Primates’ Meeting, Lambeth Conference of Bishops, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Archbishop of Canterbury himself) which are responsible for maintaining the faith, order and unity of the Anglican Communion. Archbishop Deng Bul Yak of the Sudan said he hoped the Anglican Consultative Council could be more of a forum where issues impacting the global Anglican family could be discussed. Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of TEC recommended more space at the beginning of meetings to “listen deeply to one another and figure out what it is we need to indaba about”.

Guess which view will prevail—especially given the large funding to the Anglican Communion by TEC?

2. “Continuing Indaba” growing deeper and wider in the Anglican Communion

As we have reported elsewhere, Indaba is a process within a specific cultural context in Africa where leaders of a village, sharing a common and agreed-upon world view and moral framework, discuss controversial issues and disputes until a resolution can be achieved. Unfortunately, this has been transformed by the staff of the Anglican Communion Office (driven by funding from American Episcopalians), into a process of endless dialogue without any shared Biblical or theological context within which the current crisis regarding Gospel truth may be “resolved.” In fact, Indaba seems to be vehicle for legitimizing any behavior despite the plain reading of the Bible. As the Anglican Communion News service reported:

…the Revd Dr Phil Groves (Indaba Coordinator) said Indaba had been birthed out of disputes, but had now moved on to where people were genuinely considering “the different cultures and different understanding of the scriptures that emerged.” Dr. Groves stressed that the Indaba model can and should “benefit” all levels of church life and structures—citing as an example a diocese in Southern Africa, where Indaba is gradually becoming integral to the life of the diocese there, with “all voices having an equal say”.

3. Bible in the Life of the Church project—exalting context over the content of the Bible—to be “deeply embedded in the life of the Anglican Communion”:

Although the Bible in the Life of the Church (BILC) project contains many good resources for promoting Bible reading and study, it contains a fatal flaw. This flaw was exposed by the delegates of Nigeria and Kenya to ACC-15 in their letter, “What really happened at ACC-15”. As they reported, one of the key findings of the BILC project is that the “Context” of the person reading or studying the Bible is as important as the content of the Bible. What this means in practice is that the cultural values of people reading the Bible cannot be challenged—even when their reading of the Bible through their own “cultural matrix” results in an interpretation of the Bible that is contrary to its plain meaning. Quoting The Right Rev. Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali on the limits of “inculturation,” the Nigerian and Kenyan delegates to ACC-15 rightly observed “We cannot, because of a process of inculturation, produce forms of the Christian faith that are entirely opaque to Christians elsewhere.” Despite this fatal flaw, the coordinator of the BILC project reported that the project must not be left on the shelf to gather dust, but rather “to really make an impact it needed to be deeply embedded in the life of the Communion.”

One application discussed at ACC-15 was the inclusion of the BILC resources in theological education throughout the Anglican Communion. This would also go hand in hand with the expansion of “Continuing Indaba” at every level of Communion life. Currently, resources for making that happen are scarce. As Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Kenneth Kearon highlighted in his address, the major challenge facing the Anglican Communion Office is a lack of funding. Let us pray that resources for those Communion networks and programs that promote a false-gospel remain scarce and that godly men and women will point the Communion’s bureaucracy back to Christ.

4. The goals the Anglican Communion’s Communications department

The report on the Committee’s second day began as follows:

…Director for Communications Jan Butter said the biggest challenges for the Communion included communicating all the good ministry and mission work of churches above the noise of controversial issues, plus enabling Communion members to connect and talk with one another…

Let me say this. I love good news. I love to read and hear of the wonderful ministry that goes on throughout the Anglican Communion. I know that the Body of Christ is at work and want others to know that as well. That being said, to think that the biggest challenges for the Communion include the “noise” of controversial issues is ignorance at best. What the Communion’s Director of Communications calls “noise” is the sound of the Bible being trampled underfoot by culture and secular post-modern agendas. It’s the sound of the fabric of our beloved Communion being torn to shreds. It’s the sound of the vast majority of Anglicans grieving that what our Lord and Savior teaches and commands is being deliberately ignored and undermined by the Church itself.

As with so many other initiatives born from the Anglican Communion Office in London and the SCAC, the goal is to ignore the crisis of Gospel truth in our Communion precipitated by the peddling of false gospels, muffle the “noise” of bible-believing Anglicans and wear them down until they have no will to resist the agenda.

Your Brother in Christ,

Phil+

Navigation

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:41:00 -0400

By Bishop Bill Atwood

For centuries (especially before GPS), mariners have used a simple system of harbor lights to navigate the channel of safe passage into port. When the vessel is properly lined up in the channel, the pilot looks to land and sees three lights at different heights that look like this:

If the ship is off course to the left, the lights look like this:

Conversely, if the ship is off course to the right, the lights look like this:

The lights are on dry land and don't move. The ship maneuvers to find the safe passage through water that is deep enough and doesn't have hazardous rocks. If the line-up of the lights does not appear vertical, the ship is maneuvered until they are lined up properly. That tells the pilot where the ship will wind up. In this case, it will be safely in port.

The principle works in many other areas of life as well. If some things are known, they can be projected to determine where things are going to wind up. This is not a guess. It is not speculation. It is geometry.

While people rarely think with this kind of insight, it is possible to do so.

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has been hearing arguments about cases that involve same-sex marriage over the last week. Those who are opposing a California proposition that defined marriage as between one man and one woman are arguing that the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution makes the "Proposition 8" unconstitutional. They argue that the Fourteenth Amendment insures "equal protection under the law," therefor same-sex couples must be allowed to marry, just as men and women are. In another case, President Obama is urging the Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage act. Because he does not like the law, the President has directed the Justice department not to enforce it. (I'm actually stunned that a sitting President would instruct the Justice Department to ignore the law just because he doesn't like it. Working to change a law is moral. Ignoring a law one doesn't like is out of order. Hopefully, the President will not also develop a dislike for the law of gravity.)

At stake in the Supreme Court cases is not just a decision that impacts things now, it is one that has far reaching implications. Like with the harbor lights, it is possible to see where things are headed.

Of course, it is a decision whether or not to re-define marriage. The definition of marriage has sweeping implications for the culture. Marriage has been the building block of stable civilization for seven thousand years. Such a dramatic shift of longstanding understanding is not a small thing. How ever well intentioned, a superficial decision about this could be disastrous. The arrogance of modern liberals to assume that they are competent to re-shape society is quite remarkable.

Also at stake is the standard by which things are judged and decisions made. A third issue is the whole area of consequences that rise from changing societal foundations.

This is not the first time that radical re-direction has been considered by SCOTUS. Twice before, Supreme Court Decisions have set dramatic new directions that departed from generations of legal precedent. In 1963, the Supreme Court issued a completely novel decision to disallow Bible reading and prayer in schools. They departed from almost two hundred years of practice, innovating on what the founders clearly had intended. For generations, the understanding was that no religion would be "established" as part of the government as it is in England. Because language evolves and changes, to understand what the founders intended it would be better to say that they directed that no denomination would be established. That, however, had never meant that the Church or Christians had to be silent in public discourse or even in government deliberations. Not only are countless Scriptures etched into government buildings in Washington DC and throughout the States, Christian prayer was always a normal part of public life. The United States Congress was even the publisher of the first edition of the Bible printed in North America.

I wrote about this in one of my books, Wild Vine~Fruitful Vine.(1) Woven into many of the original documents of the United States was the understanding that the responsibility of leaders was to discern God's will rather than just impose their own thinking. In the state constitution of Vermont in 1786, elected officials had to make the following assertion:

     You do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the Universe, the rewarder of the good, and punisher of the wicked. And you do acknowledge the scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration; and own and profess the Protestant religion.(2)

Not only are such assertions no longer made by government officials, (I'm sure to the satisfaction of Roman Catholics!) one would not have to look too far to find bishops and clergy today who could not affirm the Scriptures in their plain sense meaning.

Contrary to the assumptions of many twenty-first century people, most of the founders of the nation were not Deists or unbelievers. Even in states that are often presumed to be liberal, Christian roots were undeniable in the State Constitution. Witness the oath required before one could be seated in public office in Delaware.

     "I, A B. do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration."(3)

In addition, there was originally an assumption that the purpose of decision making was to find and obey God's will. This was true not only among legislatures but also assumed among the population in general.

     ...ought to observe the Sabbath, or the Lord's day, and keep up, and support, some sort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable to the revealed will of GOD.(4)

The pattern of democratic decision-making seems to have worked reasonably well when the surrounding culture was overwhelmingly Christian, but there is a fundamental flaw. The fidelity of the decisions was based not on qualities inherent to the process; rather they were dependent on the character and the worldview that the participants brought to the process. Slowly, as succeeding iterations of documents were produced there was less and less specific Christian focus. Eventually, Christian values were assumed rather than expressed. Today, they have been forgotten.

Now we face the possibility that the Supreme Court will set aside the definition of marriage that has been used for millennia. The argument seems to be that everyone is afforded equal protection under the law. While it is true that we have equal protection, it does not follow that all behaviors should be equally welcome. They are certainly not all equally productive.

Should the Supreme Court ruling force approval of same-sex marriage, they will be opening the door to an increased measure of chaos in the society. If they apply the fourteenth amendment to insist that that society does not have the right to order itself around certain positive behaviors while limiting other behaviors that are unhelpful, then "the walls come tumbling down." The logical implications are staggering.

Logically, if equal protection means that same-sex persons have a right to marry, then how will other groups logically be denied the benefits of marriage in the society? How will any behaviors that are destructive be limited?

Modern liberals think that they can depart from the dusty foundations of Christian thought and apply new standards without suffering any negative repurcussions. Judeo-Christian standards are not only those that are used to define marriage, they are the standards by which other social norms are established. Liberals forget that the revealed truth of Scripture offers stability that liberalism has utterly failed to replicate. They also overlook inconvenient facts when they are devastating to their argument, simply because they do not fit what they want. While it is popular to say that Christians have introduced judgment, pain, and hatred into society, in fact, it is Christian values that produced initiatives of social justice, healthcare, and education.

Here are just two (of many) problem areas that are overlooked in dealing with same-sex relations. First, while it is theoretically possible that there could be a stable same-sex relationship, only the tiniest percentage of same-sex relationships, actually are stable. In The Social Organization of Sexuality, 216; McWhirter and Mattison, it was reported that while 85% of married women, and 77% of men report being faithful sexually, only 4.5 % of those in "committed same-sex relations" report being monogamous. Perhaps the numbers would go up somewhat if "committed relationships" are actually called "marriages," but there appears to be a vastly different expectation in the homosexual community about what fidelity is.

The second area that is overlooked is the implication to health. William Satinover reports in Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth that the average American male involved in same-sex relations lives twenty-seven years shorter lifespan than the general population. A study in metropolitan Canada cites shorter lifespans of 8 to 20 years for those active in homosexual behavior. How can the church ignore such devastating implications in the lives of people who are precious to God and ought to be precious to us? If we love people well, we won't encourage them to end their lives early with behavior that causes death.

The negative health impact is sweeping. Those active in same-sex intimacy account for something like 2% of the population, but one study showed that they had 54% of the HIV/AIDS infections. The incidence of infection is astronomically higher. In addition, the rate of infection for some types of cancer is 4000 percent higher in those active in same sex behavior!

There are also levels of depression that are much higher in those who act on same-sex attraction than the general population. Activists that promote same-sex relations blame judgment from the Church as the reason for higher levels of depression in those with same-sex attractions. In fact, studies in the Netherlands where same-sex relations are viewed with virtually complete acceptance show similar incidents of depression among those who pursue same-sex intimacy as are found in North America.

The Church should not be (and is not) against people finding fulfillment. The problem is that there is a mountain of evidence that same sex relationships result in harm, not fulfillment. Notwithstanding anecdotal evidence of some charming same-sex couples who seem to be stable over the long term, the fact is that such relationships are rare. What is more common are same-sex relationships that are not stable or monogamous.

The fantasy that same-sex couples' relationships are substantively identical to those in heterosexual marriage overlooks both health and stability. Those who advocate for same-sex marriage and relationships claim to be the loving ones. They accuse those who disagree of being hateful. Instead of affirming people in behavior that is proving to be destructive, those of us who truly love others should be willing to love them enough to speak the truth that we don't want them to die.

Advocates for same-sex marriage have studiously and intentionally emphasized the non-sexual parts of the relationship, focusing instead on other areas like the love that people have for each other, the need for inheritance, companionship, and legal partnerships. All those things are available through civil law. What is not available is legal affirmation for same-sex sexual contact. The roots of that stem from the Biblical truth that same-sex physical intimacy has health risks. Society that is rightly based on Biblical truth orders common life in ways that are loving.

If the Supreme Court Justices decide to change the definition of marriage, they will be doing a great disservice, even to those they seek to promote. Beyond the issue at hand, there will no longer be logical reasons to limit other behavior. If the Fourteenth Amendment is used as the justification for same-sex marriage, by what legal logic could marriage among a group be proscribed? How will arguments to set any other limits based on behavior logically hold up?

Is there a First or Fourteenth amendment right to ride a motorcycle without a helmet? If so, who pays the bill for the increased head injuries? When the resources of a "helmet freedom crusader" run out after an injury, it is society that picks up the tab for care. Don't the people who will pay for that care have a right to say, "Use a helmet"? A culture where "everyone does what is right in his own eyes" may sound inviting, but it's trajectory is very problematic.

This is not only an issue for the United States. Liberal Church and government officials are working hard to export the same-sex agenda and abortion. Contrary to US law, government officials openly campaigned in Kenya for a change in the Kenyan Constitution to include abortion. They even sought to leverage US aid money to get abortion included in the new Kenyan Constitution (much to the dislike of most Kenyans). Same-sex relations are getting a similar boost, also leveraged with millions of aid dollars.

The role of the church is not to govern society, but it is to illuminate society with God's revelation. That revelation has been established in Scripture. Neither is our role to judge, but it is not judgment to share which path leads to blessing and which leads away from it. It may seem to be futile to stand up against the same-sex lobby and the media machine that serves it, but it is important to do so. It may also seem foolish to challenge a government with its vast resources when we have such limited finances and worldly muscle, but we are called to speak the truth in love and show that abundance comes from following God's plans and purposes.

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(1) Wild Vine~Fruitful Vine, Ekklesia Publications 2003, available through Amazon.com
(2) The Constitution of the State of Vermont, Article III, 1786.
(3) The Constitution of the State of Delaware, Article 22, 1776.
(4) The Constitution of the State of Vermont, Article III, 1776.

Imputing the best motives

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:38:52 -0400

By Canon Phil Ashey

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV

Jesus said "The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 NIV

"...But in humility consider others better than yourselves." Phil. 2:3 NIV

Dear brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What is in the heart of ++Justin Welby, the new Archbishop of Canterbury? How can you and I know that we can trust his leadership of the Anglican Communion?

I have just listened to an outstanding sermon from the Rt. Rev. Steven Breedlove, PEARUSA, who spoke yesterday at our Renewal of Ordination Vows for the Anglican Diocese of the South. +Steve pointed out that our Epistle for the day, Philippians 2:5-11 (Christ’s supreme example of humility), is at the nexus between a plea for the unity of the church (Phil. 2:1-4) and the mission of the church (Phil 2:12-17). He cited J. Lesslie Newbigin’s 'The Gospel in a Pluralist Society' in saying that Paul points to the self-emptying humiliation of Jesus Christ as the key to holding Christian unity and Christian mission together. Only Jesus Christ who "considered not equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself," taking upon himself the lowliness of our human nature and becoming obedient unto death for our sakes, can at once unite us and send us out on mission. In fact, in our pluralist Western societies we will allow God's kingdom, the range of his effective will, to break in precisely when we follow Christ's example of service-- when we serve the least, the last and the lost on our knees with towel and basin.

For that reason I am encouraged by the sermon ++Justin Welby preached at his enthronement. As Canon Chris Sugden writes in today’s letter from the UK,

"In his sermon, Archbishop Welby used the word risk three times, the word courage eight times, and Jesus or Christ twenty four times. His text was "Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid" from Jesus’ call to Peter to walk on water. Immediately he said "Uniquely in all of human history, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the one who as living love liberates holy courage"... He was clear and confident about the contribution of the Christian faith to public life in Britain. "For more than a thousand years this country has to one degree or another sought to recognise that Jesus is the Son of God; by the ordering of its society, by its laws, by its sense of community... Slaves were freed, Factory Acts passed, and the NHS and social care established through Christ-liberated courage...."

Bravo! The Anglican Communion needs a strong voice and a strong leader to turn us back to Jesus Christ and the faith once delivered to the saints. It is precisely this faith that has been undermined and challenged by the unilateral actions of North American leaders from The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) by, among other things, consecrating actively practicing homosexual and lesbian bishops and authorizing same-sex blessings - contrary to the Bible, apostolic and catholic teaching, and the teaching of the Anglican Communion on human sexuality, marriage and holy orders (Lambeth Resolution 1.10 1998).

Please, and for the thousandth time, this is not about homophobia in the church. It is about how a fatal compromise coming from an unbiblical view of human nature contaminates and ultimately destroys faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of all and in the faith once delivered to the saints. That fatal compromise by the leadership of TEC and the ACoC, and their embrace of rank heresy - denying Jesus as the only way to the Father, denying the divinity and uniqueness of Jesus Christ, denying the Resurrection, denying heaven and hell, denying the authority of Holy Scripture, and denying Biblical standards for human sexuality - has been meticulously documented in our Report to the Primates of the Anglican Communion. This report also includes the heresies of the current Presiding Bishop, in her own words-- an analysis that demonstrates her affirmation of the classic heresies of Pelagianism, Marcionism, Pluralism, Universalism and Gnosticism.

I hope Archbishop Welby will look into this evidence and see that it is not random and isolated, but pervasive in the leadership of TEC and the ACoC. As others have noted, the great doctrines of our faith are not hermetically sealed from each other. An unbiblical doctrine of human nature and sexuality will ultimately lead to an unbiblical view of who Jesus Christ really is. One compromise on the authority of the Bible over all of our life leads to another, and another, and another-- until Biblical faith is completely eviscerated.

But in the spirit of Jesus Christ, in the spirit of Philippians 2:3 which invites us to impute the best possible motives to others, let us impute the best possible motives to Archbishop Welby. Let us assume that he wants to return the Anglican Communion to the centrality of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of all. Let us assume he wants to find ways to "detoxify" the conflicts in the Communion over doctrinal issues without compromising the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible over every area of our life, as well as the historic Creeds and the Councils of the Church. Let us assume he is in full agreement with the Jerusalem Declaration. Let us assume that he will continue to defend traditional marriage. Let us assume that he will try to restore faith and order to the Anglican Communion by applying some form of discipline (unlike his predecessor) to errant and heretical leaders.

Still, there are several things which cause concern. And let me say that it is very easy to misread, misunderstand, and impute the worst possible motives from our communications with others in the church. It happens at every level of church life! I am indebted to +John Guernsey who taught me to take a step back and ask a question which can help us stay in the spirit of Phil. 2:3, and not impute the worst motives in error. The question is this:

"Help me understand WHY you said or did______."

So if I could ask Archbishop Welby that question in the spirit of Phil. 2:3, here are the questions I would ask:

Help me understand why other North Americans, including the Presiding Bishop of TEC and the Primate of the ACoC, the Rector of Truro, and others were invited to your enthronement - but not the Archbishop of the ACNA? What signal does that send to the members of the ACNA and to the leadership of the GAFCON Anglican Churches, who represent a majority of Anglicans in the worldwide Communion, and who recognize the ACNA?

Help me understand why there has been, apparently, no meaningful engagement with the leadership of the ACNA, given that they are one of the parties to the "Anglican wars?" Clearly you are engaging publicly with the leaders of TEC and ACoC. How does the lack of engagement with the leadership of ACNA square with the processes of "reconciliation-as-detoxification?"

I believe those questions can be asked with sincerity, and in the spirit of Philippians 2:3. Until they are answered, in the words of Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney, "We will test him, as we do everyone in that position, in accordance with what we understand the Bible teaches."

When Archbishop Welby recalled the nation in his sermon to the role the Church played in freeing slaves, he was also recalling the example of that great Anglican William Wilberforce. William Wilberforce began his crusade against slavery in the face of almost impossible opposition. He faced political powers and structures utterly compromised by the profits from the slave trade. He faced personal attacks and ridicule for years. But his leadership never waivered in the face of those attacks. He persevered with grace and determination-- courage empowered by faith in Jesus Christ-- through vote after vote until Parliament voted to abolish the slave trade.

That is exactly the courage empowered by faith in Jesus Christ that Archbishop Welby called the nation, the Church of England, and indeed the Anglican Communion to embrace in the days ahead. In the spirit of Philippians 2:3, it must be the faith-empowered courage he is calling himself to embrace, like Wilberforce, in the face of almost impossible challenges to hold the Anglican Communion together without compromising Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of all. Such courage needs company. One place he can surely find such company is in the counsel of the GAFCON Primates, who wrote to him before they departed:

"We greet you on this day of celebration and assure you and your family of our prayers for your future ministry.

We are grateful for this opportunity to worship in Canterbury Cathedral and be reminded of our historic faith that is grounded in the revealed Word of God.

We encourage you to stay true to the 'faith once delivered to the saints' and as you do we will stand with you for the sake of Christ."

May we continue to pray for Archbishop Welby and his family, for courage empowered by faith in Christ Jesus, and for good and godly counselors to stand with him in that courage all along the way.

Holy Courage Needs Company

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:15:07 -0400

By Dr Chris Sugden

I left the installation service for Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury feeling the same as after the Royal Wedding or the Diamond Jubilee or the Olympics. Archbishop Robert Runcie said that some events inspired energy and other events drained energy. He would have been greatly energized by yesterday's installation.

Archbishop Justin Welby began the service with a new and fresh piece of liturgy written by himself. Following the traditional three knocks, the great west doors of the cathedral opened to frame Justin standing in silence, his hands in front of him grasping his bishop's staff. Standing in front of him was the slim figure of a dark haired girl in a green sari. She asked him: "Who are you and why do you request entry?"

"I am Justin, A servant of Jesus Christ, and I come seeking the grace of God, to travel with you in his service together."

Evangeline Kanagasooriam, standing less than forty feet from the font where she had been baptised 17 years ago, continued: "How do you come among us and with what confidence?"

Archbishop Welby: "I come knowing nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified, and in weakness and fear and in much trembling."

One suspects that this liturgy will find its way into future entrances of other bishops into their cathedrals, not inappropriate for the day that the church remembered Thomas Cranmer, the father of the English Prayer Book.

As the Archbishop's procession made its way into the Cathedral, he stopped particularly to greet Evangeline, an academic and music scholar at the King's School, who was sitting with her mother, a long standing member of the Cathedral congregation at the very west end of the nave. Behind them sat the press corps, who flocked around them both at the end of the service, not least to express appreciation for Mrs Kanagasooriam's wonderful singing during the hymns. Unsurprisingly, she is a trained singer.

And the hymns were worth singing with all our heart. "When I survey the wondrous cross", "The Church's one foundation", "In Christ alone my hope is found", Wesley's "And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood", "Great is thy faithfulness" – these are the great hymns of the church, chosen by Archbishop Welby, that speak of the centrality of Jesus as Lord and his death for sin.

The service designedly had elements from around the Anglican Communion. A lovely hymn by the Sri Lankan writer D.T.Niles, 'Saranam, Saranam, Saranam", the signature hymn of the Churches of the Indian Sub-Continent; a prayer in French from the Primate of Burundi, and those Ghanaian drums. African drums in worship are a signature of the Archbishop of York, who may have given advice, but close neighbours of Justin Welby in Liverpool were also the (now retired) Archbishop of Ghana and Mrs (Dr) Akrofi.

In his sermon, Archbishop Welby used the word risk three times, the word courage eight times, and Jesus or Christ twenty four times. His text was "Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid" from Jesus' call to Peter to walk on water. Immediately he said "Uniquely in all of human history, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the one who as living love liberates holy courage". Then "the utterly absurd is completely reasonable when Jesus is the one who is calling."

He was clear and confident about the contribution of the Christian faith to public life in Britain: "For more than a thousand years this country has to one degree or another sought to recognise that Jesus is the Son of God; by the ordering of its society, by its laws, by its sense of community... Slaves were freed, Factory Acts passed, and the NHS and social care established through Christ-liberated courage."

On Tuesday morning in preparation for the enthronement, John Humphreys chaired a broadcast debate on BBC Radio 4 on whether Christianity was at a crisis or crossroads. It culminated in a discussion of whether God was needed to have morality. Archbishop Justin gave his own answer in his sermon - you need Jesus Christ for the courage to practice it, both personally and nationally and for the forgiveness when you fail: "Courage is released in a society that is under the authority of God." He immediately tackled issues of immigration through the Biblical story of Ruth - "a Moabite refugee - utterly stigmatised, inescapably despised - taking the huge risk of choosing a God she does not know in a place she has not been, and finding security when she does so. The society Ruth went to was healthy because it was based on obedience to God, both in public care and private love...There can be no final justice, or security, or love, or hope in society if it is not finally based on rootedness in Christ."

After the service I happened across Ed Milliband, about to leave the precincts. "It's a great appointment," he said. Hopefully Archbishop Welby will have time and opportunity to share with him more about a society needing to be under the authority of God.

Later in the evening Archbishop Welby met other primates over dinner in Rutherford College at the University of Kent, seated by a window that frames the floodlit Canterbury Cathedral. The Primate of Kenya gave him a letter, later released like other letters the Archbishop has recently received. It emphasises that he and others from Africa and Latin America came to take part in the ceremony and the celebration and worship. Discussion of issues facing the communion would be for another time and place. Read the letter here.

Following the service I asked an African Primate for his assessment. "Courage needs company," he said.