"When I said, 'My foot slippeth,' Thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:18-19 KJ21
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Dear Friends in Christ, As Christians, we are living in tumultuous times: old things, some of which were good, are passing away, and new things, some of which are frightening, are coming upon us. Many of us are asking what this means, and how we should live in the midst of this turmoil. What should we accept, what should we fight, and if the latter, how militantly should we conduct the fight? The changes fall into two broad categories - spiritual/religious and secular/civil, so most people are feeling the stress of change from two directions at once. In the spiritual realm, we are seeing old churches fall into apostasy, marching straight to the gates of Hell in full formal attire. Things that were taught us from the church's nursery through confirmation and ordination are now discarded by some church leaders. Is Jesus the Christ the only begotten Son of God, the Way, the Truth and the Life, or is he just one of several valid ways to find the "god presence?" I stand by what I was taught, by what I have lived in this teaching of Christ, and the truth that has flowed from it, and I will not budge. Did Jesus die on the cross in my place? Did he give his life for me and you and the person down the street that I don't like too much, so that the penalty for our sins will not have a death claim on our eternal souls? I do believe this, and it has changed how I treat other people, especially those I don't like. To love Jesus, to follow Jesus, means that one's character, one's actions, one's passions are reshaped and molded invisibly, perhaps supernaturally, but discernibly nevertheless.
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Other aspects of spiritual change have been the importation into the church of sexual standards and behavior not in agreement with the Word of God. The list is long enough - Christian church leaders with multiple divorces, remarriages and infidelities; the increasing acceptance of homosexuality and related same-sex unions and marriage; and the increasing disintegration of heterosexual marriage and couples living together without marriage. Added to that are the instances where women wish to have children although there is no husband, so they use various means to begin their pregnancy, and raise their child as a single parent.Many circumstances, often heart-breaking, can cause a parent of either gender to be the sole provider and nurturer in child raising, and it is clear how hard this is, and how much they need a helping hand rather than extra criticism. Still, it is God's best plan that children be raised in a stable, loving, two-parent home where the child learns directly from spiritually and emotionally healthy parents what it means to be a man or a woman. If you have such a family, and you know of a child in a single parent family, why not include the parent and child in some of your family outings or celebrations? Children need good models, especially in this changing and uncertain world.
In reality, I think the sexual issues taken by themselves are tertiary, and the uniqueness of Christ and the authority of Holy Scripture are primary issues, but somehow all these issues seem to be inextricably linked together. The changes in sexual standards mean that Holy Matrimony is under assault both in and out of the church.
In the secular/civil arena, legislation being offered by CONSERVATIVE party leaders in the UK would FORCE all clergy in England to officiate at gay and lesbian civil unions in their churches or be severely punished. Unless we fight vigorously, this will come to North America as well, perhaps in Canada first. Be aware of where your candidates for governmental office stand, and hold them accountable for what they do after they are elected.
Many of our members in the church, perhaps nearly all of us, are in some way suffering from the bursting of the Western economic bubble, with many unemployed or under-employed, many who have lost their homes to foreclosure and many who have seen the value of their homes steeply decline. The Book of Proverbs is full of financial admonitions that we have forgotten to our great cost.
But in the midst of the civil and religious chaos of this world, there are some things I am sure of: I am clear about God and what He is up to, and I want to be a vital part of what God is doing, even in the face of adversity from a world gone crazy. I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to shape culture and society, not the other way around, and we must keep working on that. Whether we finish this earthly life wealthy or financially impoverished, let us stay the Gospel course to the end, participating with Jesus Christ in His and our Heavenly Father's business of grace, forgiveness and restoration.
May God bless you in all your steps that keep pace with Him,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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Chaplain's Corner
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By The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey, J.D. Chief Operating and Development Officer, American Anglican Council  | |
Canon Ashey
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Dear Friends in Christ, I have been working this week from London in meetings of the global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), which has just opened an office here under the able leadership of Bishop Martyn Minns. Next year, there will be a conference of about 200 leaders from the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans held in London in the spring. The theme of the gathering will be "Jesus Christ: Unique and Supreme," based on Colossians 1:15-20 -- "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation...And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." Colossians 1:15, 18 The structures of the Anglican Communion have continued to deteriorate since the 2008 Lambeth Conference. That same year, the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) took place in Jerusalem, which gave birth to the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a global movement committed to the renewal and reformation of the Anglican Communion around a common confession (The Jerusalem Declaration). GAFCON was not just a moment; it is a movement. The purpose of the 2012 leadership conference will be to gather existing and emerging FCA leaders - laity, clergy, theologians, youth, bishops, women and men - to promote the ongoing renewal and reformation of the Anglican Communion. These leaders will truly represent this global movement of Anglicans all over the world. We hope and pray this will set the stage for a larger "GAFCON II" meeting to be held in 2013. The American Anglican Council will be helping the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans  develop this conference. We are committed to supporting this global movement of biblical Anglicans and to the renewal and reformation of the Anglican Communion around a common confession. Be sure to monitor our website and emails for more news on these exciting events. Last night, there was a reception for supporters and those interested in the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya and Chairmen of the FCA, Eliud Wabukala, was present, along with the Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, Peter Jensen, the retired Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, as well as the former Bishop of Rochester, England, Michael Nazir-Ali. Each of these men are exceptional Christian leaders who truly seek God's will for the Anglican Communion. While at the reception, two comments in particular stood out to me. The first was from Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, who described an article that a London newspaper published. It pointedly told the bishop three things: (1) Do not tell us what to do or not do in our bedrooms; (2) do not say that Jesus is unique for everyone as that offends people of other faiths; and (3) do not say that the Christian faith has anything to do with public policy. This article illustrates the kind of hostility and discrimination that Christians are facing in the UK. It also heralds the same kind of hostility and discrimination many of us are beginning to face in North America. Even though the newspaper printed a letter from an Anglican priest the next day which stated that those three things are exactly what we expect of faithful bishops like Michael Nazir-Ali, the structures and leadership of the Church of England did very little at all to stand up against such hostility and discrimination. This is one reason why the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans exists- to provide mutual support, encouragement and structures that enable Anglicans to be faithful to Jesus Christ and to "Go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:16-20). The second comment came from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala. In response to the question, "Is it worth continuing the battle within the present structures of the Church of England and the Anglican communion?," Archbishop Wabukala reminded us of the East-African revival. Like GAFCON and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, it, too, was a movement and not just a moment. The East African Revival was a Holy Spirit-directed movement that cut across tribes and races from Rwanda to Tanzania. It was a revival within the Anglican church where the people involved in it spoke out against sin in the church, stood up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and influenced each other. The East-African revival gave birth to a new generation of leaders who ultimately renewed those Anglican Churches so that millions of people could come to faith in Jesus Christ. This is another reason why the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans exists - to faithfully point out sin in the Church, stand firm for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and renew the Anglican Communion. Like that great revival, we are part of a Holy Spirit movement, empowering existing and emerging Anglican leaders who will renew and reform the Anglican Communion. Please pray for the leadership of FCA and for Bishop Minns and his family as they take up their new assignment in London. Please pray for the 2012 conference and that it will fulfill everything God is calling it to do. And please pray for the American Anglican Council as we support this vital work throughout the world! Yours in Christ,
Phil+
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AAC Hosts Successful Webinar on Clergy & Their Taxes
|  Participants in the American Anglican Council's "Clergy & Their Taxes" webinar gained invaluable information at a great value - FREE.
44 people, mostly priests, attended the one hour free webinar hosted by the AAC and Capin Crouse LLP on Wednesday. In a feedback survey, 90% said the online training met or exceeded their expectations. Describing the event, participants had comments like, "It was thorough, accurate, clear and concise. Comprehensive. Great intro for newbies, and also reinforcing for (the) experienced."
Another priest said "I like the fact that it was kept simple and split into three sessions, making the content easier to learn and more timely to actually doing taxes when w-2s come out and when taxes are due."
The next two sessions will be on recent changes to the tax laws (January 12) and how to prepare your personal return (February 2). You can find out more information at AmericanAnglican.org/Taxes. Enrollment for these classes is not yet open. Sign up for our webinar emails and we'll let you know when enrollment begins.
You can download slides of Wednesday's session here. We hope to have a video recording posted soon as well. Find out more about our AAC Webinars at AmericanAnglican.org/Webinar
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| TEC drops below two million members | Source: Christian Newswire
October 25, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Once a flagship denomination of American mainline Protestantism, the U.S.-based Episcopal Church has for the first time in decades reported membership below two million.
Self-reported statistics provided by the denomination this month show that the church has dropped from 2,006,343 members in 2009 to 1,951,907 in 2010, the most recent reporting year. The loss of 54,436 members increases the annual rate of decline from 2 percent to 3 percent, outpacing the most recently reported declines in most other mainline churches. The church's 10-year change in active members has dropped 16 percent.
A branch of the otherwise fast-growing 80 million member worldwide Anglican Communion, the third largest family of Christian churches globally, the Episcopal Church had also seen a steady decrease in the number of parishes, losing or closing over 100 in 2010, as well as a drop in attendance from 682,963 in 2009 to 657,831 in 2010, a 4 percent drop. Fifty-four percent of all U.S. Episcopal Churches suffered attendance loss over the prior year. Over the last decade, attendance was down 23 percent.
The denomination, which once claimed over 3.5 million members as recently as the mid-1960s, has lost over 40 percent of membership even while the U.S. population grew by over 50 percent.
A statistical summary provided by the Episcopal Church can be viewed here....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Gavin Dunbar on the Mark Lawrence Investigation
| Source: TitusOneNine
October 27, 2011
By Gavin Dunbar
In an ecclesiastical outlook that has recently offered little comfort, the very serious charge of abandonment made against Bishop Mark Lawrence of South Carolina is chilling indeed. The charge is striking, because under his leadership the Diocese of South Carolina has not 'abandoned' the Episcopal Church (as did the dioceses of Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, San Joaquin, and Quincy). What it has done, openly and publicly, is to insulate itself as much as possible from what Lawrence has called the "false gospel" of "indiscriminate inclusivity" advocated by the national church, through a reform of its diocesan laws and constitution. It is precisely this achievement - to remain within the Episcopal Church but not of the Episcopal Church - that has enraged its enemies and spurred these charges.
It is no secret that the national church has been looking for grounds for a legal challenge against South Carolina; yet, we are assured, the information presented against Bishop Lawrence came not from the Presiding Bishop's office, but from communicants within the diocese - disaffected progressives presumably, following the familiar progressive strategy of using bureaucratic process to advance agendas which otherwise fail to gain support. The Presiding Bishop, however, is not off the hook. One must ask whether her aggressive policy of litigation to quell opposition to her theological agenda has not created the climate and established the precedent for a resort to litigation by other militant progressives. Whether or not they are acting formally in concert, the effect is the same....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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| ACNA Represented at Sudan Mission Partners Meeting in Cairo | Source: ACNA
October 27, 2011
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(From left to right) Canon Jack Lumanog, Bishop Samaan Farjalla Mahdi, Bishop Ezekiel Kondo, Bishop Ismail Gebriel Abu Digin, and Canon Nancy Norton, outside All Saints Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt. Photo courtesy ACNA.
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On October 5-6 in Cairo, Egypt, bishops from the Diocese of Egypt and dioceses in the north of Sudan held a meeting of reflection and planning with several mission partners, including the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Relief and Development Fund. This important meeting was held for the benefit of discussing the challenges and needs facing the suffering northern dioceses of the Province of the Episcopal (Anglican) Church of Sudan. Upon completion of this meeting, the partners in mission with Sudan released an official communique stating the challenges facing this region, their specific needs, and the top priorities of the partners in mission in order to implement lasting peace in the Sudan.
To read the communique, click here....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Two Communions?
| Source: Anglican Mainstream
October 26, 2011
By Chris Sugden
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Canon Dr Sugden
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Are we currently seeing at least two Anglican Communions emerge, one led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the other headed by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church based on a different conception of Christian faith?
Members of The Episcopal Church (TEC) made a presentation at the International Anglican Liturgical Conference at Canterbury in August where they role-played what a blessing of a same-sex union in church would look like.
TEC is courting the Anglican Church in Southern Africa.
The Presiding Bishop of TEC, Katharine Jefferts Schori addressed the Synod of Bishops of ACSA in Johannesburg on 26 and 27 September. She spoke of the experience of colonialism and the colonial church in North America. She was asked by the Bishop of Pretoria about consecrating actively gay bishops. She said it was the in conformity with TEC canons and she was very sorry. She then left for the airport.
Speaking about the colonial history of ECUSA indicates the importance of resisting colonialism. The Theological Education in the Anglican Communion programme run from the Anglican Consultative Council presents orthodox Anglican theology in Africa as the legacy of colonial theological imposition designed to pacify the natives. Is the implication that TEC is the vanguard of theological independence and liberty now as it was in 1776?...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Communications director seeks to connect Anglicans everywhere
| Source: Anglican Journal (Canada)
October 26, 2011
By Marites N. Sison
The new-ish director of communications for the Anglican Communion Office is working diligently to share the good news.
Part of this involves helping Anglicans and Episcopalians realize that they need to learn to tell their own stories better.
Importantly, says Jan Butter, who was appointed in March 2010, they need to stop
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Jan Butter (right) with Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion
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letting others, namely secular journalists, tell their stories. Stories of transformation don't make headlines, he points out.
"The role of the journalist is to sell newspapers, to sell advertising and you do that by picking the most scandalous and controversial headline," Butter told the Anglican Journal in a recent interview.
By allowing others to tell the stories, "I think the reputation of the church, the reputation of the Gospel, to a certain extent, has been tarnished," says Butter. "I genuinely believe it's down to us, not just communication professionals, but as Anglicans and Episcopalians, to tell our own story and to tell it better."
The really good news? "There are exciting, dynamic, hopeful stories out there that are going on at parish, diocesan and provincial level," says Butter.
Prior to his appointment in the Anglican Communion Office, Butter was in charge of global advocacy communications for the international office of World Vision. He has also served in the organization's United Nations liaison office in New York, as well as at its offices in Sri Lanka and the U.K. In addition, he has worked as a journal in secular media, including the Western Mail in Cardiff, Wales. Butter is also a director of the World Association for Christian Communication.
One of the first items on the communications agenda was securing funding for a three-year pilot project to hire a communications officer "from Africa, for Africa," says Butter. "The idea is to support those provinces that currently have weak communications capacity."
Initially, the communications officer will work with provinces in eastern Africa helping people to write and share their own stories. Effective communications is about having a person in place who is "dedicated to sharing the story of a particular church or a diocese," he says. "We're really hoping that the provinces in Africa will want to chip in and maintain that role."
In his travels across the Communion, Butter is hearing that people want to tell their story, want to share the exciting things that are happening at all levels of church life. "That really encourages me," he says.
Butter plans to strengthen the Anglican Communion News Service so that it can become the central hub for news about Anglicans worldwide. "Part of the strategy is to create a website that will become a central place for the news service, almost like the BBC site...To do that we need a set of correspondents around the world," he says....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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