Anglican Mainstream

By David Virtue, VOL

The installation is over. He is the new king of the Anglican castle. His agony has only just begun.

Rowan Williams left before his time because of irreconcilable differences in the Anglican Communion that he could not resolve. A decade of bitter infighting between orthodox Global South archbishops and pro-gay Western pan Anglican archbishops did him in.

Now we have an evangelical on the throne of Canterbury and at the helm of 77 million Anglicans. But it will not be an easy ride; in fact it could turn out to be the worst ride of his life despite saying all the right things, appointing a Director of Reconciliation, and hoping, presumably against hope, that he can make it all work.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, said Shakespeare.

Almost immediately following his consecration, Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council wrote a compassionate but hard hitting column asking Welby 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 the enthronement – but not the Archbishop of the ACNA (Robert Duncan)? 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?

Making it very clear that he was imputing the best of motives, Ashey honed in by asking, "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?"

Ashey concluded by saying that 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).

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From Anglican Ink – A letter from Dr Mouneer Anis, The Presiding Bishop in Jerusalem and the Middle East

Millions of people in the Anglican Communion are focusing at this time on the Enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. For us, Canterbury is of great historical significance because it was the starting point of Anglicanism.

I am among many who appreciated the contribution of Archbishop Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, during the last ten years. I am also sure that he will continue to contribute through his new post as a Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

It is our duty now to pray for Archbishop Justin as he is about to carry a heavy responsibility for the years to come and without God’s strength and grace it will be difficult, and even impossible, to cope with all of these responsibilities.

One of his responsibilities is towards the Anglican Communion which is currently suffering from impaired and broken relationships. Archbishop Justin will definitely need to accurately diagnose the reasons for these divisions in order to come up with the correct treatment. Oneof the first challenges he will face is to understand how the nature of the Anglican Communion has changed in the last decades. Statistics show that there are now more Anglicans in the “South” than in the “North.” There are also big theological gaps between the “South” and the “North.” The understanding of this new nature should help the new Archbishop to use a more collegial and participatory approach, rather than a central approach,when dealing with matters of the Communion.

In regard to the theological gap, it is indeed important that the church learn how to be relevant to the modern society where we live, but without adopting the values of the society that clearly contradict Scripture, our tradition and reason. Part of our DNA as Anglicans is a desire for unity and ecumenism. For this reason, we should not act in a way that widens the gap between us and our ecumenical partners.

With ever-increasing pressure from the society, the church needs not to be politically correct at the expense of the truth. The church resisted this from the early centuries and preferred to be faithful to the Gospel, even if this led to persecution and martyrdom. We are called to be “salt” and “light.” In other words, we are called to be distinctive. The modern societies of the “West” or “North” are pushing many issues, including same-sex marriages and civil partnerships. Should the church yield to the pressure of these societies and compromise the truth? I personally think that these issues are superficial symptoms of a much deeper illness which attempts to shake the foundation of our faith. This illness puts into question the essentials of faith like the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the doctrine of salvation. It ignores the primacy of Scripture and 2,000 years of church tradition. It is a spirit of individualism and cultural pride that ignores the fact that the whole truth is revealed to the whole church.

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Left to right:  Stanley Ntagali (Uganda), Nicholas Okoh (Nigeria), Eliud Wabukala (Kenya), Daniel Deng Bul (Sudan), Onesphore Rwaje (Rwanda) Tito Xavala (Southern Cone)

Thursday 21^st March 2013

Archbishop Justin Welby

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and The Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

We do look forward to a future opportunity to meet and discuss how we can work together.

To Him be all the glory.

The Most Revd Dr. Eliud Wabukala Anglican Church of Kenya

The Most Revd Nicholas Okoh Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

The Most Revd Stanley Ntagali Church of the Province of Uganda

The Most Revd Onesphore Rwaje Province de l’Eglise Anglicane au Rwanda

The Most Revd Daniel Deng Bul The Episcopal Church of the Sudan

The Most Revd Hector Zavala Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America

From AAC

As we prepare for the second Sunday in Lent, I am reminded of the disarray of the world in the secular realm and within the major churches, and that our hope finally isn't with human leadership no matter how godly they may seem. It is with the Lord Jesus Christ who is both all-knowing and completely trustworthy.

As the world waits for the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals to meet and choose the next pope, articles are beginning to appear speculating about why Pope Benedict decided to step down. Some of them point to deep divisions and tension in the Vatican between factions in the Curia. Others suggest it is the Curia in tension with other parts of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. The Curia is best defined by Vatican documents: "In exercising supreme, full, and immediate power in the universal Church, the Roman pontiff makes use of the departments of the Roman Curia which, therefore, perform their duties in his name and with his authority for the good of the churches and in the service of the sacred pastors" (Decree concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church, Christus Dominus.) Unless someone on the inside decides to write a tell-all book in the future, we may well never know all of the ins and outs of this decision, but then there are enough ins and outs in the Anglican world to keep us busy in our own yard. Nevertheless, many Anglicans felt that Pope Benedict was supportive of our orthodox realignment and we can only hope that the next Pope is similarly inclined. 

It is being suggested that the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will try to deal with the deep divisions in Anglicanism at his upcoming Enthronement. The previous Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, used a Hegelian approach, putting thesis against the anti-thesis, and letting the two come to resolution through pushing and pulling. This would suppose that both the thesis and the anti-thesis are acceptable and that essentially some middle point would be acceptable as well. Sometimes this could work. In other cases this doesn't work, such as when precious faith and belief are on one side and renunciation of historic faith is on the other. In that case, a midpoint is still unacceptable, yet that was the only trick that Dr. Williams seemed to know. If all you have is a hammer, then I guess everything looks like a nail. In the case of Dr. Williams, that meant more and more Indaba and less ability to find a middle ground that anyone was willing to buy into. Unfortunately, when Dr. Williams left he didn't take Indaba with him.

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by David Virtue, VOL

Global South Primates will not yield on fundamental theological principles

The Most Rev. Justin Welby, leader of 77 million Anglicans, will face the first test of his leadership following his enthronement next month in Canterbury, England. Global South Primates comprising more than 80% of the Anglican Communion's constituent members will tell the new Archbishop of Canterbury that he will be held accountable for how he deals with theologically renegade bishops like Episcopal Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and Canadian Anglican Archbishop Fred Hiltz.

Sources in Africa tell VOL that archbishops from provinces like Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya say that they will continue their policy of not appearing at future primatial meetings if Jefferts Schori is invited and that the Communion will devolve into two distinct Anglican bodies with leaders from the Global South drawing together orthodox Anglicans from across the globe.

Welby is trying hard to get all the Primates in the same room while they are in Canterbury to try and take advantage of their natural desire not to offend a new ABC, the source told VOL. "If he succeeds we can expect the liberally positioned Anglican Communion Office to spin it as the dawn of a new age of Indaba."

To stave off the possibility of open dissension Welby, in one of his first official acts as the new ABC, has appointed Canon David Porter who is said to be widely experienced in peace building, group facilitation, and training, to a newly created position as "Director of Reconciliation" to "enable the Church to make a powerful contribution to transforming the often violent conflicts which overshadow the lives of so many people in the world."

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Anglican Mainstream Press Release

In Sheffield, South Yorkshire, statistics show that only 3% of the population regularly attend church. Back in 2002 the leadership team at Christ Church Fulwood were invited by senior diocesan staff to investigate the possibility of church planting, with the aim of sharing the Gospel with people who had moved into the new residential developments in the city centre. Despite extensive discussions, diocesan support for this initiative was withdrawn, but with mission our priority Christ Church Central was “born” in October 2003 as “a church for people who don’t go to church” outside the formal structures of the Church of England.

Nearly 10 years later both parent and daughter churches have continued to grow numerically and partnered one another in mission to the city. An expression of this partnership was the planting of Christ Church Walkley last year, with the initial members drawn from both congregations living in the area. Pete Jackson, who has been one of the associate ministers at Christ Church Central, is the founding minister.

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By Edward Malnick, Telegraph

The new Archbishop of Canterbury is facing a showdown with senior church leaders over the Church of England’s decision to allow the appointment of gay bishops.

In the first major test of his leadership of the worldwide Anglican Communion the Most Rev Justin Welby will be warned that the Church’s move risks alienating millions of traditionalist Anglicans in Africa and Asia.

Leaders of churches around the world are flying to Britain for Archbishop Welby’s formal installation at Canterbury cathedral next month, when some of them will meet the Archbishop for the first time.

Many want the new spiritual head of the 80-million strong Communion to call for an end to “divisive” moves away from traditional church teaching on sexuality, such as the ordination of gay clergy as bishops.

Nine of the Communion’s 38 most senior leaders, or primates, have said bishops in the Church of England were “wrong” to approve new rules allowing gay men to become bishops at a time when the Anglican Church faces “major challenges of disunity”.

Leaders of the Global South – a grouping of the Anglican churches in Africa, Asia and South America – have also condemned “revisionist” moves by the Episcopal Church in the US, which has ordained openly gay bishops and blesses same-sex relationships.

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From AAC

[...]  Today I want to look briefly at the issue of the ordination of women to Holy Orders, and I hope to do so fairly enough that you can't tell where my own inclination is.

One group addressing this issue might assume that the orders of Deacon, Priest (Presbyter) and Bishop are all very similar, and an argument that applies to one would logically extend to all three. Others might argue that each of the three orders is unique. Although they are additive, one might begin as a deacon, later become a priest, and possibly later a bishop, and the progression is in this order and not the reverse. There is such a difference in the authority and responsibility of each office that there may be very different requirements for each office, for example being a very good deacon or priest doesn't always mean that you are really an undiscovered bishop just waiting for proper recognition, though every priest and bishop does begin as a deacon. In the issue of women's ordination, some will assume that one argument, for or against will apply to all three orders, and some will believe that an argument might apply to one order or another but not all three.

Anglicans might have any of four points of view that bear on the discussion and argumentation over women's ordination. All four can look to some portion of Holy Scripture to find a basis. One view is that a priest and bishop should physically represent Jesus Christ at the altar, and therefore should be physically the same, i.e., a man. A second view is that the Biblical principle of masculine headship requires the one exercising authority to be a male. The third view is that the passages from Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17-18 which speak of God in the latter days being an "equal opportunity employer," if you will, applies to the opening of Holy Orders at all levels to women. The fourth view is based on modern concepts of justice, fairness and equality, but would look to Scripture to validate their position.

The first two points of view would generally not ordain women, or would only allow women deacons, whereas the latter two would generally ordain women to all three orders. Although I have greatly simplified the points of view to the point of doing damage to them, if I have damaged them I hope I have done so equally.

The outcome you arrive at on women's ordination may well be predetermined by where you start and what you value the most, with Biblical citations, Biblical tradition, Biblical prophecy, and Biblical concepts of equality and fairness all as starting points. In conversations, it is equally as important to listen and ask questions as to inform others of your beliefs and reasoning. Even if no change of mind occurs, a better way forward is at least within grasp. In this I hope I have been fair to all. Now to the point.

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A STATEMENT BY ARCHBISHOP ELIUD WABUKALA

As we enter the season of Epiphany we rejoice in the splendour of the light that has dawned upon us in the appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yet it is a great sadness that before the New Year has hardly begun, the life of the Anglican Communion has yet again been clouded by compromise with the secular preoccupations of the West.

The decision by the Church of England’s House of Bishops, just announced, that clergy in Civil Partnerships can be eligible to serve as bishops will create further confusion about Anglican moral teaching and make restoring unity to the Communion an even greater challenge.

The provisions of the UK’s Civil Partnership legislation mimic marriage for same sex couples and are clearly designed on the assumption that such couples are sexually active. While it is true that the House of Bishops require bishops with Civil Partners to be celibate, this proviso is clearly unworkable. It is common knowledge that active homosexuality on the part of Church of England clergy is invariably overlooked and in such circumstances it is very difficult to imagine anyone being brought to book.

However, the heart of the matter is not enforceability, but that bishops have a particular responsibility to be examples of godly living. It cannot be right that they are able to enter into legally recognised relationships which institutionalise and condone behaviour that is completely contrary to the clear and historic teaching of Scripture, as reaffirmed for Anglicans by the 1998 Lambeth Conference in its Resolution 1.10.

The weight of this moral teaching cannot be supported by a flimsy proviso. In his teaching about marriage, Jesus reaffirms that marriage is the coming together of a man and a woman in accordance with the pattern of creation itself when he says ‘from the beginning of creation God made them male and female’ (Mark 10:6). For the health and well being of both church and society we must promote this great God given gift of marriage without compromise and ambiguity.

The Most Rev’d Dr Eliud Wabukala

Archbishop, Anglican Church of Kenya and Chairman, GAFCON Primates Council.

Epiphany Sunday 2013

From AAC

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, has once again publicly announced that a bishop has renounced his ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church (TEC). The problem is that Bishop Mark Lawrence of South Carolina didn't renounce his ordained orders in TEC – he was shoved out by Jefferts Schori and her gang. At the time charges were brought against him, he was still committed to meeting with her again in New York along with the bishop of Upper South Carolina, as part of a reconciliation effort. Without cancelling the New York City appointment or waiting for the meeting to take place, her office announced his suspension and the placing of charges against him. This triggered pre-existing legislation in the Diocese of South Carolina that took the Diocese and Bishop Lawrence out of TEC.

Jefferts Schori's announcement on December 5 occurred only a few days before Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, when we remember the sneak attack by the Imperial Navy of Japan on the United States' naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jefferts Schori's claim to have accepted Bishop Lawrence's "renunciation" shows that, in an ecclesiastical way, even the church – or at least the Episcopal Church – is capable of sneak attacks designed to put someone underwater before they know the blow is coming. 

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This first week of Advent George and Kevin discuss the latest news from the Diocese of South Carolina and the unlawful actions of the Presiding Bishop. Your two favorite commentators also tackle the final Advent letter from Archbishop Rowan Williams and they share some sage advice for Bishop Justin Welby. Sadly, our third story was removed during editing in reaction to the tradgety today in London with the suicide of the Kate Middleton's Nurse.

By George Conger, Anglican Ink

The Archbishop of Canterbury has conceded defeat in the battle over the Anglican Covenant. In a 2 Dec 2012 Advent letter to the primates, Dr. Rowan Williams said the Anglican Communion had become “corrupted” and could no longer be considered a communion of churches but a “community of communities.”

Dr. Williams’ somber appreciation of the state of the communion today, contrasts with his past letters to the leaders of the Communions 38 provinces. Nothing now bound the church together apart from good will.

In 2009 Dr. Williams rejected calls from the Episcopal Church to reorder the Anglican Communion as a federation of churches. “As Anglicans, our membership of the communion is an important part of our identity. However, some see this as best expressed in a more federalist and pluralist way. They would see this as the only appropriate language for a modern or indeed postmodern global fellowship of believers in which levels of diversity are bound to be high and the risks of centralisation and authoritarianism are the most worrying.”

“There is nothing foolish or incoherent about this approach,” Dr. Williams wrote in a letter published on 27 July 2009, “but it is not the approach that has generally shaped the self-understanding of our communion.”

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By Andrew Lilico (in conjunction with The Revd Peter Ould), Conservative Home

From Osun Defender

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) demanded a change in the age-long tradition that allows the British government to appoint the Archbishop of Canterbury, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The Primate of the Church, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, on Wednesday in Abuja made the call at a media briefing to herald the 2012 Divine Commonwealth Conference scheduled to begin in the city next week.

NAN reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, is due to retire by the end of the year and according to the the tradition, the British Prime Minister is expected to name his successor.

The appointment of the new Church leader is based on the recommendations of the UK-based Crown Nominations Commission, a 16-member body made up of bishops, priests and laity.

Okoh, who a fierce critic of the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, described the selection process for the new church leader as “politicised”.

The cleric said, “The Prime minister of Britain will have to appoint (the Archbishop of Canterbury), whether he is a member of the Church or not.

“When you consider the political involvement, you can see the point we are trying to make.

“In other words, we are trying to say the Anglican Communion should be separated from the politics of Great Britain.’’

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A compilation    By David W. Virtue in Auckland
www.virtueonline.org       October 31, 2012 (local time)

* Anglicans worldwide have voted unanimously to call on their churches to adopt and implement a charter protecting vulnerable people. More than 80 members of the Anglican Consultative Council have committed themselves to promoting the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults, within their national and regional churches.

* It's time to move on violence, say ACC-15 delegates. Anglicans who are struggling at the front line in the battle to turn back gender-based and family violence can take comfort. As of now they know they have absolute, unequivocal support from their leaders in the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury has long spoken against this abuse. So, too, have the Primates – who sent a letter to the churches following their meeting in Ireland last year. The Anglican Consultative Council threw its weight behind the cause, too – signaling that the time for words is over and that action is needed at all levels. The archbishop said that the church also must be committed "to helping people not cope with or get over abuse but, simply live through it faithfully."

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Kevin and George weigh in on the difficulty of picking the next Archbishop of Canterbury and they also discuss the Anglican church closings around the world and the reason behind it. And Allan Haley and Kevin catch up on four weeks of legal news.

Kevin and George cover a breadth of topics this week: The crisis in the middle east, Jesus' wife and what was her name, and some very important domestic conversations.

Kevin and George are back from new blackout break with Anglican News from around the globe. They discuss Rowan's exit interview, South Carolina, Archbishop Duncan's interview and Much, Much More.

Chris Sugden   Evangelicals Now September 2012

The last 12 months has seen a significant development in the Anglican Communion.  National Anglican Churches (Provinces is the technical term) have begun to hold significant large gatherings of all Anglicans in their area along with international guests from other parts of the Communion.

This is part of the “celebration” level of church gatherings which can be classed as “cell” – or home groups,  “congregation” – what most of us experience on Sundays and “celebration” – everyone getting together in an area or region. Churches in Oxford have done this for the last seven years with “Love Oxford” when many churches shut their doors on one Sunday and all meet together in a central outdoor location.  English dioceses have occasionally done this by taking over a football stadium.  Gatherings such as Word Alive, Bible by the Beach, Spring Harvest, New Wine and Keswick are also such celebrations.

The Church of Nigeria under its new Archbishop Nicholas Okoh led the way in November 2011 with a celebration in the National Christian Centre, a national cathedral in Nigeria’s capital Abuja for all Christian denominations built on the other side of an inner ring road from the national Mosque.  The “cathedral” holds 5000 people and was filled for a week in November 2011 for the Divine Commonwealth Conference (DIVCCON) of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican). Morning plenary addresses were followed by seminars and workshops in all parts of the building and an evening celebration.  The conference issued a communiqué which among other matters took the British Prime Minister to task for tying western aid to the imposition of western ideas on human rights and sexuality.

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By David W Virtue, VOL

The Rev. Aloni Wandeeka is from Uganda, East Africa. He heads a mission called Source of Light which produces and distributes free Bible lessons in many languages all over the globe. His ministry has been directly involved in the conversion of many Muslims in East Africa. When he was recently in the US, Wandeeka agreed to some questions from VIRTUEONLINE about his famous brother-in-law, the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu. The archbishop might well become the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

VOL: If Archbishop Sentamu becomes the next Archbishop of Canterbury, do you think he will be his own man or will he live in the shadow of Dr. Rowan Williams?

Wandeeka: I believe he will be his own man – he has his own standing on doctrinal matters and Dr. Williams had his own theological and cultural stand and they are different. Dr. Sentamu has worked carefully to maintain their fellowship because Dr. Williams is his senior, his boss – but on doctrinal, matters their approach and beliefs are different.

VOL. Will Dr. Sentamu be prepared to go against or buck the English establishment if the integrity of the Gospel is at stake?
Wandeeka: Dr. Sentamu's background is strong, his theology is strong and he is very focused. I don't believe that he would allow himself to be compromised by the Establishment – I think he would stand down rather than take the position if he felt he had to compromise his faith or the Gospel.

VOL: Will we see a more Global South friendly leader in Dr. Sentamu if he becomes the next ABC?

Wandeeka: I believe he would like to draw the Global South back into the fellowship – but it will be very difficult at this point. Many in leadership positions feel we in Africa and Asia are backward in how we look at things – so a great feeling of distrust has been built over the last number of years. They feel we are not civilized yet or fully learned and perhaps we will come around to their views once we are educated. Scripture and God's Word does not change. We stand by the full authority of Scripture.

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