Anglican Mainstream

Interview with Martin Beckford – Daily Telegraph Saturday January 28

Q: The recent Good Childhood Report that you launched stated that relationships were the most important. Do you think that the Church should reach out to people from different types of family?

The study was based over a period of 7 years and it was a subjective study of their happiness. All wanted to live in a home with a stable loving relationships. My view, as a Parish Priest, was not to stigmatise single parents, my job was to support them in looking after their children. We had an extended family relationship with them.

My view, as a Parish Priest, was not to look at cohabiting parents and say your relationship is a second-class sort of marriage. My job was to support them as they raised their children. My view, as a Parish Priest, was that for couples in same-sex relationships, I should support them and their children.  “Sentamu, don’t diminish their relationships, support them.”

And in my village in Uganda, when I was growing up, there were two men living together in a house a few doors away from us.  Everyone said they were in “a same-sex relationship”.  My father was clear that we should treat them with the same respect as others and, as a Reader in the Church, he always encouraged them to come to church and to all church functions.

I believe that marriage is the bedrock of society. It is a gift from God in Creation. It has a public element, a public commitment made to one another and to the community. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.  Already in marriage, there are the ingredients of stability that children are looking for.

What we shouldn't do is begin to create comparisons of the different family structures because I think that's a dead end conversation. Marriage is in creation, whether you're Christian or not, there isn't such a thing as “a Christian marriage” – marriage is marriage is marriage. The faith of course can help support it, but we've got to honour the institution of marriage – the Holy Estate. Read the rest of this entry »

From The Christian Institute

The leaders of Holyrood’s opposition parties have committed themselves to “campaign” for the redefinition of marriage, despite widespread opposition to any change.

The leaders of the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green parties signed a pledge calling for the change at an event at Holyrood yesterday.

But John Deighan, of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, said: “It is disappointing that party leaders have been so cavalier in joining the bandwagon for redefining marriage.

“We deserve a more reflective approach from those in a position of political leadership.

“Marriage is essentially linked with recognising and supporting the roles of mother and father.”

Read here

From News Letter

A LEADING gay rights campaigner who attended a controversial Christian conference on homosexuality in Belfast at the weekend says there was a significant difference between how the event was initially perceived compared to the actual reality of its content.

The title of the conference, “The Lepers Among Us: Homosexuality and the Life of the Church”, caused heated debate last week across the Province, with some gay rights activists saying they found it hugely offensive.

However, chairman of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, PA MagLochlainn, attended the conference to find out first hand what it was about.

The event was organised by Northern Ireland group, Core Issues, and took place at Orangefield Presbyterian Church.

Mr MagLochlainn said there was a huge difference between “the perception and reality” of the conference message. Its title came from a book by the keynote speaker, the Rev Jim Reynolds, a pastor and lawyer from Texas.

Mr MagLochlainn said: “Rev Reynolds was arguing that churches must offer a much more welcoming approach to gay people. The conference had a panel on Friday with a representative of the gay perspective sitting on it, which was most welcome to see.”

Referring to Rev Reynolds, Mr MagLochlainn said: “I really liked the guy.

Read here

By Martin Beckford, Telegraph

The dispute in the Church of England over welfare reform intensified last night as the former Archbishop of Canterbury was dismissed as a “Thatcherite yesterday’s man” by a prominent cleric.

Dr Giles Fraser, who resigned from St Paul’s Cathedral after its governing body tried to evict the Occupy protesters camped on its steps, said Lord Carey is now a “one-man band” who should “take up golf” rather than intervening in important debates, as he did last week.

He added that the former Archbishop was only ever appointed because Margaret Thatcher disliked the “Marxist propaganda” put out by much of the Church in the 1980s.

His comments came after five bishops who sit in the House of Lords led a defeat of the Government’s plans to cap benefits at £26,000 a year, by insisting that Child Benefit be excluded from calculations in order to protect children from poverty.

After last Monday’s vote, Lord Carey said that the prelates could not claim the “moral high ground” as the current welfare system rewarded “fecklessness and irresponsibility”.

In response, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, Convenor of the Lords Spiritual, said he was “disappointed” that the former Archbishop had made his comments in a newspaper article rather than attending the Parliamentary debate.

The Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, formerly the Bishop for Urban Life, wrote on Twitter that he was “ashamed” of Lord Carey for having “disgracefully bought Tory dogma about undeserving unemployed poor”.

Now, in an article for the New Statesman, Dr Fraser has continued the assault on the man who was the most senior cleric in the Church between 1991 and 2002.

Read here

From NOM

Just months after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, there is a full-on battle for marriage raging within our nation’s armed forces.

Urge your congressman to co-sponsor the Military Religious Freedom Protection Act today!

Last April, the Navy issued new “sensitivity training” guidelines that required Navy chaplains to perform same-sex marriages. Thanks to leadership from Congressmen Tim Huelskamp and Todd Akin, the Navy backed down and rescinded the guidelines.

In September, the Department of Defense issued two more memos, requiring all military facilities to be available for same-sex weddings and allowing chaplains to participate in same-sex ceremonies.

Recognizing this growing threat to the religious liberty of our armed forces, Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas introduced the Military Religious Freedom Protection Act (H.R. 3828) to protect chaplains from being forced to participate in same-sex marriages and any servicemen or women from being discriminated against because of their views on marriage.

Please use the form below to send a message to your congressman, urging him or her to support HR 3828 today!

Read here

Jody Brown, Charlie Butts, and Bob Kellogg – OneNewsNow

The Sixth Circuit has ruled in favor of Christian graduate student Julea Ward, who almost three years ago was expelled from a university counseling program for her religious beliefs.

In a strongly worded opinion earlier today, the Sixth U.S. Circuit of Appeals reversed a district court decision in favor of Eastern Michigan University, sending it back for trial along with this message: "A reasonable jury could conclude that Ward's professors ejected her from the counseling program because of hostility toward her speech and faith …."

As part of her counseling practicum course in early 2009, Ward had been assigned a potential client who was homosexual and was seeking affirmation of that sexual orientation. Because she was unwilling to violate her own religious beliefs in the context of the counseling relationship, Ward was permitted to refer the client to another counselor — but was told to remain in the counseling program she would have to undergo a "remediation" program that would help her "see the error of her ways."

When Ward refused, a faculty committee dismissed her from the program. In her subsequent lawsuit, a district federal court ruled in favor of EMU — a ruling that has now been reversed.

Read here

Barnabas Fund last week launched a petition as part of our 2012 Proclaim Freedom campaign, which seeks to put pressure on governments to take resolute action on behalf of persecuted Christians around the world.

Christians are one of the largest and most persecuted groups in the world, yet they are often neglected in Western governments’ foreign policy.

The Proclaim Freedom petition, which was launched at the Christian Resources Exhibition in Exeter, England, last Wednesday (25 January), calls on governments to pursue decisive policies aimed at putting pressure on states that persecute or condone the persecution of Christians, and assist other countries to improve conditions for all minority groups – especially Christians – within their borders.

Today, we are launching the online version. It can be signed online or downloaded and printed. Please promote this petition within your church and community.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Frances Hardy, Mailonline

• Doctor was victimised on internet after criticising standpoint championed by Richard Branson this week
• He was dismissed from Government advisory role before one meeting

Dr Hans-Christian Raabe is a man of gentle demeanour and firm principle who cares deeply about his patients in the deprived area of Manchester where he works as a GP. Indeed, he chose to serve a community where unemployment is high, drug problems endemic and gang warfare rife because he wanted to make a difference.

‘I wanted to care for people in areas of most need, so I opted to work in a disadvantaged community with a high prevalence of social problems,’ he says. ‘And at the root of many of these problems are drugs.’

‘Every day I see the devastation substance abuse causes to individuals, families and communities. I see huge numbers of patients whose lives — whether directly or indirectly — have been ruined by the misuse of drugs.’

As a result of this first-hand experience — and because he felt a public-spirited compulsion to help tackle a national crisis — Dr Raabe volunteered for an unpaid post on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

However, he had barely taken up the three-year voluntary position as a Government adviser when a witch hunt against him began. 
 
Read here

Julian Mann

Church of England Newspaper 27 January

The agreed biblical agenda in the diocese of Jos, Nigeria, was the most inspiring and humbling feature for a visiting English Anglican.That is not to say that Jos Diocese does not face internal problems in addition to the constant threat to its churches from Islamist terrorism. During my visit to the diocese over the New Year, I would suggest that clergy overwork is an issue.

The ‘wholistic’ approach to mission – evangelism and church growth combined with development and community projects – is necessary but it would seem that the clergy are having to do it all.  The task of developing and employing godly and effective administrators is a significant challenge for the diocese.

But, despite this particular problem, I would contend that the agreed orthodox Anglican agenda for biblical evangelism, particularly amongst young people, is under God an essential engine of growth across the diocese.

On the final day on my visit, I asked the Bishop of Jos, Dr Ben Kwashi, also Archbishop of Jos Province, about the opportunities and challenges the diocese faces. ‘The opportunities far outweigh our capacity to cope,’ he said. ‘More and more young people are looking for answers to make life meaningful. The opportunities for community service are excellent and even more than that the opportunities for development. Politicians don't have the capacity for development. They never have – they develop themselves. But a sincere God-fearing heart will seek to develop other people.” Read the rest of this entry »

By John-Henry Westen, LifeSite News

Yesterday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a non-binding resolution stating: “Euthanasia, in the sense of the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit, must always be prohibited.”

The purpose of the resolution, entitled “Protecting human rights and dignity by taking into account previously expressed wishes of patients”, defines the principles that should govern the practice of “living wills” or “advance directives” in the 47 States of the Council of Europe.

The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) welcomed the adoption of the PACE resolution. “This Resolution is a major victory for the protection of life and dignity,” said ECLJ Director Grégor Puppinck.

Puppinck noted that because “living wills” or “advance directives” are open to abuses, and are a “backdoor” for introducing euthanasia or assisted suicide into legislation, PACE’s resolution was necessary.

Read here

Not sure how to translate English to American? Kevin and George offer their years of experience in interpreting MISC 1011. They also take a gander at the news of AMiA, PEAR, and Moving Forward. And then there is that HIstory thing.

From BBC News

The government is set to come up against strong opposition in the House of Lords over its plans to cap benefits payments to £26,000 per household per year in England, Scotland and Wales.

Church of England General Synod Report Encourages “Open-Ended Engagement”

The General Synod, the national assembly of the Church of England, released a report this week providing further clarity on its working relationship with the Anglican Church in North America, and encouraged an “open-ended engagement with ACNA on the part of the Church of England and the (Anglican) Communion.”

“We are encouraged by the desire of the Church of England to continue to embrace the Anglican Church in North America and remain in solidarity with us as we proclaim the Gospel message and truth as revealed in Scripture in the way it has always been understood in Anglican formularies,” said Archbishop Duncan.

The Church of England General Synod report can be viewed here.

“As we have demonstrated successfully to the GAFCON primates, the Anglican Church in North America remains committed to our growing relationships with Anglican provinces outside of North America. Our biblical orthodoxy and ministries are strengthening our bond to our Anglican brothers and sisters around the globe. We are gratified that we are already in a relationship of full communion with many Anglican Provinces and look forward to expanding that circle.”

“In that regard, we appreciate the work of the Faith and Order Commission of the Church of England, whose report and recommendations to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York form the basis of the document now released for General Synod, and whose content substantially advances the same ends with the Church of England,” concluded Archbishop Duncan.

In July 2009, a resolution was brought forth to the Church of England’s General Synod to recognize its common faith and fellowship with the growing Anglican Church in North America. The following February, 2010, representatives and ecumenical friends of the Anglican Church in North America shared directly with the General Synod the vision of the church for reaching North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ.  At the 2010 meeting, the General Synod first affirmed the Anglican Church in North America’s desire “to remain within the Anglican family.”

Read here

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

Dear Friends in Christ,

I wish to make a view brief observations about the Report of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England General Synod which was released today and which we have published in this Update.  As you will recall, this Report was requested by the CofE General Synod's response to a Private Member's Motion seeking recognition of the ACNA.  The American Anglican Council was there at the Synod on behalf of the ACNA, both before and during the debate, to counter misinformation by TEC about the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), and to provide updates on litigation, canonical abuses and the realignment of Anglicanism in North America.  Our brief, "TEC: Unjust Episcopal Acts," clearly helped shape the debate.

The Report of the Archbishops is short, and with less clarity than you or I might have desired.  But it reflects a particular culture that abhors a "winner-takes-all" outcome, having fought civil and religious wars where such an outcome was only narrowly averted, and with much bloodshed.  In that light, here are some important observations about the Archbishops' report that are, on balance, positive for ACNA: Read the rest of this entry »

By David Pickup

Authentic Reparative Therapy really works. It works to help men change their sexual orientation, naturally dissipate their homoerotic feelings, and maximize their heterosexual potential.

However, there is evidence from the Exodus ministry that could be signaling an unawareness of this important message. Exodus has indicated a significant change in their views and policies as evidenced by the remarks of Exodus President Alan Chambers at the Gay Christian Network Conference last week. The official commentary on the peter-ould.net website has brought this to our attention. I believe their interpretation of Alan Chambers' remarks is correct.

Chambers' remarks essentially indicate that:

1. Exodus will no longer indicate or specifically claim that change from Gay to 100% straight is possible for anyone except for a few rare cases.

2. Exodus has apologized and will continue to do so for making these unrealistic claims, which they now believe have contributed toward misinformation, hurtfulness and homophobia.

3. Exodus will work to achieve a deeper understanding of the truth of homosexuality, which will allow them to minister more effectively and compassionately to those dealing with homosexuality.

In my opinion, as a Reparative Therapist, all of the above indications are laudable, and I thank Alan Chambers for his efforts to move toward truth and compassion. What is gravely absent, however, is the very essence of point #3. In my experience, Exodus has, quite unintentionally for the last 20 years, failed to understand and effectively deal with the actual root causes of homosexuality and what leads to authentic change. I laud their willingness to admit their naiveté’, but I do not see anything so far that indicates they now truly understand the psychological, developmentally-based causes of homosexuality or what produces real change.

Read the rest of this entry »

by Thomas Loarie, Catholic Business Journal