Updated again Tuesday evening
This communiqué from the GAFCON primates, meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, has been issued. Here’s an extract:
A Missionary Bishop
During our meeting, we considered how best to respond to the voice of faithful Anglicans in some parts of the Global North who are in need of biblically faithful episcopal leadership. Of immediate concern is the reality that on 8th June 2017 the Scottish Episcopal Church is likely to formalize their rejection of Jesus’ teaching on marriage. If this were to happen, faithful Anglicans in Scotland will need appropriate pastoral care. In addition, within England there are churches that have, for reasons of conscience, been planted outside of the Church of England by the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE). These churches are growing, and are in need of episcopal leadership. Therefore, we have decided to consecrate a missionary bishop who will be tasked with providing episcopal leadership for those who are outside the structures of any Anglican province, especially in Europe.A Word of Encouragement to Faithful Anglicans within European Provinces
We wish to reassure all faithful Anglicans in European provinces that they also have our prayers and our support. We are aware that some Christians within these provinces who are contending for the faith may at first perceive the news of a missionary bishop as a threat to their hopes for reform from within.We believe that the complexity of the current situation in Europe does not admit of a single solution. Faithful Christians may be called to different courses of action. We bless those whose context and conscience have led them to remain and contend for the faith within the current structures. If you are successful, you will not need a missionary bishop; if you are not successful, an alternative is at hand. The only true failure would be to waste time through inaction.
We also pray for those who are not yet clear about what faithfulness requires. May God give you the wisdom and courage of the Reformers to stand firm wherever the Lord calls you to stand…
GAFCON UK has issued this statement in response to the [GAFCON] Primates’ Communique. Again, here’s an extract:
… The Primates go on to talk about the challenges in the Global North, “the increasing influence of materialism, secularism, and the loss of moral foundations” which are “spiritually dangerous”. We recognize the need to repent of our participation in a weak version of the Christian faith which has too often failed to point out these dangers or even made accommodation with them.
This accommodation and ‘cultural captivity’ is seen in the failure by many Anglican leaders in the UK to hold to the key principles of Holy Scripture as speaking clearly to God’s will for human flourishing, and of requiring unequivocal obedience whatever the cost. It is shown, for example, in unwillingness to be clear about the uniqueness of Jesus and the authority of the Bible, and rejection of clear biblical teaching God’s gift of sex and marriage, and of celibate singleness.
This has contributed to the increasing concern that many faithful clergy and lay people in the Church of England, the Episcopal Church of Scotland and the Church in Wales feel about the revisionist trajectory of these churches. As the Communique points out clearly, some Anglicans are already outside of these structures and need Episcopal oversight; others may do so soon.
So we warmly welcome the decision of the Primates to consecrate a missionary Bishop who will fulfil this function. We appreciate the way GAFCON has recognized that this intervention is giving global support to one of a number of initiatives being taken by biblically orthodox Anglicans in Britain; others include the work being done to strengthen the Free Church of England. Meanwhile the Primates have generously expressed respect for and continued warm fellowship with those who for the moment are choosing to remain within the official structures and contend for orthodox biblical faith there, while warning that inaction in the face of revisionist pressure is not a faithful option.
We understand that more will be revealed about the plans for the consecration in due course. We commit ourselves to prayer about this and invite all who hold to the historic and trustworthy teaching of our faith to join us.
The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, David Chillingworth has responded, as follows:
“In June, the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church will reach the final stage of consideration of changes which would make possible same-sex marriage in our churches. The news that GAFCON intends to send a missionary bishop to Britain is regrettable. The Anglican Communion functions as a global communion on the basis of respect for the territorial integrity of each province. This move is a breach of that understanding.
“The outcome of the synodical process which will take place in June is not a foregone conclusion. The voices of clergy and lay people from across Scotland will be heard both in debate and in the voting process. The Scottish Episcopal Church is working closely with those who find this proposal difficult to accept. Whatever the outcome may be, it is our intention to be and to remain a church which honours diversity.”
The former archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, has been interviewed by Premier Radio. Read about the interview and listen to it in full here: ‘This isn’t an attempt to storm Lambeth Palace’: GAFCON not looking for split in Church.
Now is the Time for the Provincial Archbishops of the Church of England to admit that their tolerance of the GAFCON Rebels have overstepped the mark. This GAFFE hopes to CON the C. of E. into thinking they really do need an overseas piratical bishop to look after their people who are unhappy with the outreach of the Christian Gospel to LGBT people. TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada have already suffered schismatic breakaway from their national Churches – as a direct result of intervention by the Primates of the Gafcon – despite Lambeth’s disaffection for such acts of… Read more »
To be clear, the Anglican Communion is not a Church. It is a loose alliance of Churches, mostly operating within national boundaries, who share some common heritage and traditions. The Church of England is the established Church here in England. Gafcon can set up a separate Church in England whenever it wants (so could Ted Haggard or Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow). But to be clear, it will not be the Church of England. In such an eventuality, individual church communities are of course free to leave the Church of England (and its property) and join the nascent Church and its… Read more »
I agree with Susannah that the Anglican Communion is a family of independent churches. The result is that there is nothing, other than courtesy, to prevent one Communion church from sending a missionary bishop to another province. If GAFCON is planting churches designed to discriminate against LGBT people, then it will simply be up to the Church of England to set forth its more tolerant approach–one that includes and affirms all people as loved and created by God. Perhaps now the CofE will finally find the courage of its convictions? And will leave discriminating against LGBT people to the GAFCON… Read more »
The Anglican Communion may be a loose amalgamation of national churches, but it is also much more than that: it is a communion, a single body that, regardless of its differences, acknowledges the same priesthood, the same ecclesial structure, and common sacraments. Its unity may be imperfect, but those of us who believe that Anglicanism is more than just an accident of history also think that the unity of our shared Communion foreshadows proleptically the much-desired unity of all Christ’s church. This is why I regret Anglicans – most commonly, it seems, in England – who are dismissive of Anglicanism… Read more »
At last! The threats to split were their power. Once the split happens, they are on their own.
And if the ABC goes along with them and accepts them as a legitimate part of the Anglican Communion, there’s nothing to stop the rest of us inviting the Americans in.
What a mess. I can’t even muster a good bout of Schadenfreude over it. It’s simply sad that GAFCON thinks it is “Biblically pure” when they are indulging in the sin of homophobia. And it’s awful that they intend to promulgate their hateful rhetoric and hurt vulnerable people, especially LGBTQI teens. Is CoE going to defend its children?
But I thought that AMiE already has Bishop John Ellison, who is resident in the Diocese of Winchester – he is still listed on the AMiE website. Has his 2015 CDM dispute with +Sarum over “border crossing” been resolved yet?
To the best of my understanding, a number of these “Anglicans” who aren’t officially Church of England, are supported by mission partners from Crosslinks. Yet as I understand it, as a so-far officially recognised Anglican Mission Agency, Crosslinks Mission Partners receive a pension guarantee via Vote 4 of General Synod’s budget. This means that (if my understanding is correct) effectively a) the Church of England is currently offering to pay the pensions of people actively working to subvert the Church of England, and b) those who believe the Church of England is a hopelessly compromised body are happy to rely… Read more »
It seems obvious that it is the SEC, with its sizable conservative bloc, that is the locus of their attention.
“The schismatic chickens are now coming home to roost.”
Right on, Father Ron! Well said.
Kurt Hill
Brooklyn, NY
Are the AMiE churches in England and Scotland growing? Even if they doubled and doubled again in size they would scarcely equal one standard C of E congregation.
Whilst being utterly dismissive of GAFCON as a schism inducing and homophobic crusading organisation, accountable only to itself (not being a charity), Doug Chaplin is right. It has deep links and tentacles into the heart of the Church of England. Its UK Task Force contains a current member of the Archbishops’ Council (Lorna Ashworth) and the spouse (I assume) of the Director of Reform and GS member, Susie Leafe. Its UK Advisory Panel of Reference contains the retired Bishop of Rochester, Dr Andrew Atherstone, member of GS and Wycliffe Hall theological educator, Prudence Daley, member of GS, Clare Hendry, former… Read more »
Nicholas Henderson Are you asking or do you know? And what size is a ‘standard CofE congregation precisely? Go to the AMiE website. I would love a ‘standard of CofE congregation’ to have anything like that sort of resource, confidence and motivation. I do not agree at all with their approach to the CofE on concerns we share – but, grudgingly, there is much to admire.
Do you smell Sydney…I do?
A number of my friends among English clergy have refused to understand the frustrations that dealing with the ACNA folks and the AMiA have posed for the Episcopal Church.
The response has always been, “If you only handled these issues the way we do, everything would be fine.”
So, now, the GAFCON camel has wiggled its way inside the Church of England tent. Let the fun begin.
Such arrogance and hubris. Sheffield. Llandaff. Battles in the Vatican. Individuals thinking that each alone knows the mind of God. Quite what it all has to do with local concerns such as child prostitution, drug wars, parishioners with schizophrenia, those of us overwhelmed with grief (my son died recently), and those of us who will minister at the funeral of the young lady murdered in Jerusalem on Good Friday, is utterly beyond me. Quite what it has to do with life abundant that the Master came to bring is utterly beyond me. GAFCON and the like are diabolical, splintering. They… Read more »
Fr William, Thank you for putting all this in relationship to the ongoing work of the parish priest, who like other folk endures personal grief, anxiety and sadness. Gafcon, and all who try to order the mind of Christ, and His Father to their own wishes and demands are clearly apposed to the Risen Lord who came and called us to serve and love each other. Respect for the authority of each individual Province of the Anglican Communion is at the heart of the well being of our Christian family. This must be maintained for the good order of our… Read more »
Of course, none of this is helped by the decision by Welby & Sentamu to recognise the orders of the ACNA clergy. Chickens coming home to roost and all that. I agree with Jonathan Clatworthy, if the C of E House of Bishops is instructed by the Chair (as I guess this is how it works these days?) to tacitly accept this development, the impact will be far-reaching for the C of E as the National Church. Having said that, I am beginning to wonder if this is what Welby, in particular, wants: a smaller, self-financing rump of the doctrinally… Read more »
Border crossing is wrong, and there’s going to be a real mess for ++Justin to sort out somehow – he’s going to need to respond to this. But I can see some why GAFCON doesn’t trust British provinces, when David Chillingworth can say: “The outcome of the synodical process … is not a foregone conclusion.” (i.e. we, SEC, don’t yet have an agreed position on this), and also “The Scottish Episcopal Church is working closely with those who find this proposal difficult to accept,” (which looks very much like “SEC has made up it’s mind and is trying to persuade… Read more »
Thank you John Emlyn. Fortunately ABC and ABY have no jurisdiction in this realm of Lichfield, and I am more than happy with those who do. So day to day ABC and ABY are irrelevant – except insofar as their pronouncements and actions sap the spirit. Fr William, aka (William) Stanley Monkhouse
‘Cultural captivity’ is a strange and patronizing turn of phrase. Many of those who have argued over a long period of time for justice and equal rites for the LGBTI community have spoken out against the dominant culture. And, in what way are GAFCON leaders counter cultural. It’s a cheap sound bite based on poor analysis which should be rejected at every turn.
I am very sorry to read that Fr. William’s son has died.
A terrible blow
“Do you smell Sydney…I do?”–robert ian williams
Well, Robert, something certainly smells bad about this initiative…Could be the Calvinist/Puritan urge toward promoting “flogging parsons” and other reactionary theological impulses…
Kurt Hill
Brooklyn, NY
“Go to the AMiE website. .. there is much to admire.”
@David Runcorn
All I can see is a bog standard commercial-style web site and a lot of groundless assertion.
“The Scottish Episcopal Church is working closely with those who find this proposal difficult to accept. Whatever the outcome may be, it is our intention to be and to remain a church which honours diversity.”
Chillingworth’s comment is telling. The conservative bloc in the SEC is sizable. Interesting to see what is on offer.
I am so sorry about your son, Father William. And I admire your ministry to the real lives of real people. I’ll remember to hold you in my prayers.
Re: GAFCON
“Why can’t we all just get along?” (Rodney King, after sustaining a terrible beating from the LA police).
I think with the proposal of GAFCON to Consecrate a Bishop to Minister in the UK, one thing needs to be taken into consideration, that it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that some Evangelical Churches within the C of E though may be tempted to invite such a Bishop into their Parishes, within certain Dioceses, and if a Gafcon Bishop started exercising on invitation Episcopal ministry in church of England Parishes, without reference to the authority of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York or any Diocesan Bishop, or without any legal Canonical Instrument, it could face a legal… Read more »
What a vivid denial!
“This isn’t an attempt to storm Lambeth Palace.”
Guilty conscience?
But I can see some why GAFCON doesn’t trust British provinces, when David Chillingworth can say: “The outcome of the synodical process … is not a foregone conclusion.” (i.e. we, SEC, don’t yet have an agreed position on this), and also “The Scottish Episcopal Church is working closely with those who find this proposal difficult to accept,” (which looks very much like “SEC has made up it’s mind and is trying to persuade waverers”). They can’t very well both be true. I think +David is saying there is a synodical process (involving 2/3rds majorities) which is not yet complete and… Read more »
Bernard Randall and Michael Mulhern have it nicely sized up. A house divided against itself and all that (Mark 3.20). That’s probably another of those bits of scripture GAFCON cannot see because its perspective is so eclipsed by things Jesus never commented on, according to the Gospels. Meanwhile our Most Reverend Fathers in God are keeping shtum in case it has an impact on the bottom line (the financial one, I mean).
Peter Jensen, once again tries to make his mark as the voice of the ‘Global South’ in Anglicanism. This former archbishop of Sydney was possibly the first Western Prelate to incite this internecine strife amongst world-wide Anglicans – on the solitary issue of homosexuality which, despite arguments to the contrary, is at the root of this widening gap between Western and African understandings of human sexuality. Despite Jensen’s claim that the GAFCON’s provision of a bishop for their piratical offshoot AMiE (already operating as a rival to the Church of England) is not meant to drive a wedge between its… Read more »
Fr Andrew. ‘Groundless’? I can only suggest that you fortify yourself with a large sherry and go and visit one of the churches listed there.
The archbishops are most oncerned with growing young people in churches
How very biblical! See Philippians 1:15-18.