Further excerpts from Meeting of the CON Standing Committee: PRIMATE’S OPENING REMARKS:
The Anglican Communion
Early last month at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates of the Anglican Communion had their meeting in an atmosphere of ‘peace and mutual respect’ for five days in Alexandria, Egypt. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the meeting was that the ‘status quo ante’ was maintained. That is to say that we remain as we have been since 2003 when the unilateral revisionist actions of TEC and Canada tore the fabric of our common life, in a state of impaired or broken sacramental communion. We have not been able to deal with the fundamental problems of our brokenness nor see through decisions taken at previous meetings of the Primates.
It seems to me the Communion is playing a game of ‘just keep talking’ until perhaps someone will blink or become weary and give up the struggle. Confident that we are on the LORD’s side contending for the faith once delivered to the saints, we can rest assured that: “those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” On this vexatious issue, the Church of Nigeria will neither blink nor be weary.
On my return from Egypt, I issued a letter to the faithful titled ‘a wake up call’. I also sent an open letter to our chairman, Dr Rowan. In both, I made it clear that America is not thinking of backing off from its new religion. And the rest of us desiring to keep the unity and structures of the Communion by all means including losing our faith and churches risk the danger of becoming a church that has the appearance of being alive but in reality are no more than what Prof John Mbiti once described as the ‘living-dead.’
The Global South
The Primates and leadership of the Global South also met and decided to call the ‘fourth trumpet’ in the first quarter of 2010, perhaps in the UK. The last one was held in Ein Sukhnan, near the red sea, Egypt. Each of our Provinces will be represented by the Primate, a bishop, a senior priest, lay leaders comprising of a man, a woman and a youth.
GAFCON
GAFCON continues to wax stronger. Membership of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is growing in many parts of the world beyond our own imagination. Here at home, some of our senior lay leaders (Fellowship of Christian Patriots, FCP) organised a two-day celebration of the ideals of GAFCON with special lectures and service of praise and thanksgiving to God. We are deeply grateful to the Christian Patriots. I urge all our members to obtain copies of the lecture. The GAFCON Primate’s Council will meet in the UK after Easter. I ask for your prayers.
In short: All is well ;=)
{Yawn}
…but of course, queer lil’ me in the USA—in relative safety—can remain merely bored w/ Akinola’s latest “emissions”. LGBTs in Nigeria can only WISH for such boredom…
Lord have mercy!
“A few months ago, my immediate support staff and I attended early morning Communion service. It was in a magnificent Cathedral sitting on a hilltop and overlooking much of the city below. In all there were only about thirty people at the service. – Archbishop Peter Akinola – CON Report So. We get the true picture of the state of Christian discipleship in the Church of Nigeria. Here is the Archbishop, together with his clergy at an early morning Eucharist – with only 30 people present. How can this be? When we are assured in every other proclamation that comes… Read more »
Perhaps they might go somewhere else than the UK for blowing their fourth trumpet.
“On my return from Egypt, I issued a letter to the faithful titled ‘a wake up call’. I also sent an open letter to our chairman, Dr Rowan. In both, I made it clear that America is not thinking of backing off from its new religion. And the rest of us desiring to keep the unity and structures of the Communion by all means including losing our faith and churches risk the danger of becoming a church that has the appearance of being alive but in reality are no more than what Prof John Mbiti once described as the ‘living-dead.’”… Read more »
The Cathedral in Abuja does not overlook the city so this was not the one he referred to. Also, early morning communion is not as popular in many Nigerian churches as many people say they prefer the longer matins where there is ample time for thanksgivings in songs and dance.
The focus we got from the Archbishop’s speech was that much work needs to be done to get more youths into the church. We noticed a problem and we are not ready to fold our hands and just keep talking.
“The Cathedral in Abuja does not overlook the city so this was not the one he referred to. Also, early morning communion is not as popular in many Nigerian churches as many people say they prefer the longer matins where there is ample time for thanksgivings in songs and dance.” – Tunde on Friday – How interesting to hear that ‘many people’ in the Nigerian Church ‘prefer the longer Matins’ – as opposed to the gift of Himself that Jesus Christ left to the Church as our primary remembrance of his passion, death, resurrection and ascension! Maybe this departure from… Read more »