"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 8:16 KJV
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When the Muslim Ottoman Turks were pounding at the gates of Vienna in 1529 and again in 1683, Christianity and Euro-Western civilization hung in the balance. Beginning with the first attacks in 1529, there were almost one hundred and fifty years of repeated assaults by the Turks. Those who practice an orthodox and biblically-based Christianity today must feel something like those in Vienna, with the enemy constantly hammering at them. Western culture today seems to be running headlong in the direction of
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Franz Geffels: The relief of Vienna 1683
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either polytheism or materialism, eager to throw overboard everything that has held the culture together for a thousand years. Those who are orthodox in their faith seemingly have to fight against government hostility to religion, inroads by Islam, polytheists who are often within their own church, and those who would impose "fairness and justice" in all things sexual (read homosexual marriage) and shut down and punish any who disagree. The assault of Islam today, no longer brought by Ottoman armies, is in the guise of trying to out-birth, repopulate and reshape Europe into a familiar home resembling the Middle East, where Christians and Jews are second class citizens, churches are suppressed, justice only comes to the Muslim, and women are chattel. One is tempted to think that if Europe and the West see this coming and don't stop it, they deserve the servitude that Islam will bring; but in fact there is a shortage of leaders with vision and personal force and character to actually fight back. It is ironic that the progressives and liberals who are eager to embrace the novelty of Islam might well be the first victims of it, were it to succeed, and I pray that it doesn't.
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The assault of the gay and lesbian proponents, who are miniscule in actual number, but vigorously supported by the media, well organized, and shrill and vocal about how they will punish corporations and sponsors who stand in their way, has already "convinced" even many conservative organizations that sexual morality doesn't matter, as long as nothing is withheld from the homosexual justice agenda. It is with great sadness that I received word that President Obama has come out finally in favor of homosexual marriage. Based on his uber liberalism, I knew he had to hold this position, but thought that practical politics might hold him back from announcing it openly.
With a little help from his Vice President, Obama made a coldly calculated assessment and decided now was the time to turn the lights on. He must believe that, while he will offend many of the African American Baptist and independent churches, he will still hold onto their votes due to race. He has already offended many Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants over his attacks on religion and faith, especially with the recent rules which force church organizations to provide contraceptives as part of the employer insurance package in violation of their beliefs, even when no-contraception is a long-held and deeply embedded tenet. His reasoning may be that it is imperative that he keep people's minds off of the economy, and if stirring the gay-marriage pot does that for him, so much the better.
The group that coalesced to produce the Manhattan Declaration (and yes, I was at their launch in Manhattan and immediately signed it) has released information that is useful in the argument for traditional one-man-one-woman marriage. It is also important to note that North Carolina just embedded in their state constitution a definition of marriage as one-man-one-woman, even though it was already spelled out in state law. They wanted to make it hard for some activist judge to overturn it. Naturally, the TEC bishops of the three North Carolina Episcopal dioceses came out against the amendment, since the entire top leadership of TEC amounts to a lobby group for gay and lesbian causes. North Carolinians seemed more ready to listen to 93-yr-old Billy Graham, as they voted decisively in favor of the amendment.
On the international Anglican scene, there is more bad news from England. The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for nominating the next Archbishop of Canterbury will have Archbishop Barry Morgan of Wales as one of its members. The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon, also will sit on the CNC ex officio. There has been talk of the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu and Bishop Richard Chartres of London being considered for the Archbishop of Canterbury spot. Both are considered orthodox, but with Sentamu's outspoken opposition to the proposed government endorsement of homosexual accommodation, some liberals style themselves "ABY", that is, anybody but York. With this latest addition to the committee, there is a certain unease that the wrong people will be making the decision about the final nomination for Canterbury.
Why is it that a global communion, most of which has no connection to the former British Empire, or even to the Commonwealth, has to sit by while an "in" group in the UK nominates the next head of the entire Anglican Communion? It may well be that the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) and those allied to the 2008 GAFCON Jerusalem Declaration will have to continue organizing as a body within the Anglican Communion, and create their own organizations and bodies which they may rely on for leadership and direction without being bogged down by the games that the Church of England still likes to play.
Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson
President & CEO, American Anglican Council
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The Chaplain's Corner
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Canon Ashey
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Canon Ashey is traveling today and will not write an article.
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North Carolina marriage amendment passes
| Source: OneNewsNow
May 9, 2012
By Charlie Butts
Traditional, biblical marriage is now constitutionally protected in North Carolina - and President Barack Obama says he is "disappointed" about that.
On Tuesday, 61 percent of voters approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman, making North Carolina the 31st state to protect traditional marriage. Thirty-nine percent voted against the amendment. (Details from Associated Press)
Dr. Mark Creech of the Christian Action League of North Carolina tells OneNewsNow it was a more than eight-year struggle to convince the legislature to put it on the ballot - and even then, he says, it was an uphill battle....
Opposition to the amendment was formidable. Proponents of homosexual "marriage" outspent amendment supporters 2-1, the NAACP as well as some religious leaders opposed it, and pro-marriage signs and marquees were vandalized. [Editor's note: the three TEC bishops in North Carolina opposed the amendment: Bishop Michael B. Curry of the Diocese of North Carolina; Clifton Daniel of the Diocese of East Carolina and G. Porter Taylor of the Diocese of Western North Carolina]
In addition, Creech says media reporting "was anything but fair," giving free press and support to defeat the amendment. But in the end, the vote was overwhelming in favor of amending the constitution of The Tar Heel State....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Obama endorses gay 'marriage': says support based on Jesus, Golden Rule
| Source: LifeSiteNews
May 09, 2012
by Ben Johnson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Barack Obama has flip-flopped on gay "marriage" for the second time, endorsing same-sex marriage in an interview today, in which he said his decision was motivated in part by his Christian faith and his belief in the Golden Rule.
"I've just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama told ABC News reporter Robin Roberts in an interview to air this evening.
He added that his wife, Michelle, agreed with him. "We've talked about it over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way," he said.
"We are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others," Obama stated, "but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing Himself on our behalf, but it's also the Golden Rule."
He explained his foot-dragging reticence to support full same-sex "marriage" by saying he "was sensitive to the fact that, for a lot of people, the word marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions - religious beliefs and so forth."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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AMiA Bishop Todd Hunter joins ACNA
| Source: Anglican Ink
May 8, 2012
By George Conger
Bishop Todd Hunter of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) has been received by the Anglican Church in North America and will serve as an assistant bishop in the office of the primate, the Most Rev. Robert Duncan.
On 4 May 2012 the California-based bishop held a conference call with Archbishop Duncan, Bishop Chuck Murphy of the AMiA, and Bishop Terrell Glenn of PEAR-USA/ACNA to discuss his future plans.
Bishop Hunter stated that he had a "warm and collegial conversations" with the three bishops and "articulated for each of them my vision of C4SO becoming a servant to all the various Anglican entities within North America. C4SO will happily plant churches in partnership with PEARUSA, TheAm and the ACNA."
C4SO - Churches for the Sake of Others - is a church planting initiative run by Bishop Hunter that will now move under the ecclesial oversight of the ACNA....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Virginia: The Falls Church congregation departs historic property
| Source: The Falls Church Anglican
Contact: Megan Franko (703) 859-5054
May 10, 2012
The Falls Church Anglican Continues Ministries and Missions despite Leaving Long-Time Home
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - As the result of recent court action, The Falls Church Anglican, a congregation of 4,000 worshippers in Falls Church, Va., will soon move out of its historic home as it continues its ministry. Some in the congregation have worshipped on the church campus for more than 60 years, with the original property dating back almost 300 years. While the cost of leaving the property is great, members of The Falls Church Anglican are celebrating as they stand on their orthodox faith and continue to spread the transforming love of Jesus Christ beyond the church walls.
The Falls Church Anglican is being forced to leave its long-time home on May 15 as the result of a judicial ruling rejecting its request for a suspension (authorization to remain on its property during an appeal) of the January 2012 decision and March 2012 Final
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Historic Falls Church building
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Order.
"While we are saddened by leaving this Christ-centered place of worship, we rejoice at the outpouring of encouragement and offers of assistance, including furnishings and building space from Presbyterians, Baptists, Catholics and other friends. Through these many blessings, we are equipped with the knowledge that God has great plans in store for our congregation. Ultimately, our passion for spreading the Gospel and reaching the lost will not wane," said The Rev. Dr. John Yates, rector of The Falls Church Anglican.
According to Rev. Yates, the challenge has not hindered the congregation in its ministries and missions. "In spite of the litigation since 2006, we have established thriving, independent 'daughter' churches in Alexandria, Arlington, Vienna and beyond. We hope to plant our seventh daughter church this year in the District of Colombia. Meanwhile, we have more than 2,000 people in worship and fellowship each Sunday. Also, more than 450 teenagers participate in one of the largest youth programs on the East Coast."
Junior Warden Carol Jackson added, "For several years we have been experiencing the
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Falls Church modern sanctuary
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power of healing prayer in our own congregation and recently began a partnership to extend that ministry in the Baileys Crossroads area, with Columbia Baptist Church and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Together, we minister to the poor and the immigrants among us in the Culmore Clinic. People from all walks of life, all faiths, and all economic situations, now have a safe place to ask for and receive prayer and excellent medical treatment."
Between 2005 and 2007, The Falls Church Anglican and 14 sister Virginia congregations voted by overwhelming majorities to separate from The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. The move was taken because the congregations determined that The Episcopal Church had drifted so far from orthodox Christianity that they could not in good conscience remain under its spiritual authority.
"The cost to the congregation has been and will be huge. Locating available worship space for a church of our size and office space for over 100 staff and volunteer ministry leaders remains extremely challenging. In spite of this adversity, we remain steadfast in our decision to take a bold stand for the authority of Scripture," said Senior Warden Sam Thomsen.
The Falls Church Anglican has remained at the forefront in the formation of orthodox Anglican institutions in North America. Members of the parish have been leaders in the creation of the Anglican Church in North America, the fast growing (nearly 1,000 congregations and 100,000 worshippers) national organization, and the Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic (38 congregations and nearly 6,000 worshippers each Sunday), in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.
"We leave without resentment or acrimony; we pray only the best for those who will follow us in our historic church, that the transforming Good News of Christ will always be proclaimed in this place," Rev. Yates concluded.
On Sunday, May 13, The Falls Church Anglican will hold services at its current location, 115 E. Fairfax Street in Falls Church, Va. Services of praise and thanksgiving will also be held later that evening. All are welcome to attend and are invited to future worship services as well. Please check the church website (www.TFCAnglican.org) for service times and locations.
The Falls Church Anglican is a member congregation of the newly established Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, a regional and growing diocese of the Anglican Church in North America dedicated to reaching North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ. The Diocese consists of 38 member congregations.
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Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan elected to the Crown Nominations Commission
| Source: Anglican Communion News Service
May 9, 2012
The Most Revd Dr Barry Morgan, Primate of The Church in Wales, has been elected to
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Archbishop Morgan
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serve on the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, the body that will nominate the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
Archbishop Morgan was elected by members of the Standing Committee. They had been asked to nominate one Primate to represent the Anglican Communion on the Commission and their chosen Primates were grouped according to the five regions of the Communion. The Standing Committee then voted by single transferable vote - the method agreed by the Anglican Consultative Council for all its elections - and the name of Abp Morgan emerged....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Anglican Church of Kenya congratulates Primate on his marriage
| Source: Anglican Communion News Service
May 5, 2012
The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) wishes to announce the marriage between The Most Rev. Dr. Eliud Wabukala and Rev. Rhoda Luvuno.
The ceremony was held today, 5th May 2012, at ACK St. Peter's Nyali, in Mombasa. It was presided over by the retired Bishop of Nakuru, Stephen Njihia and Bishop Julius Kalu of Mombasa Diocese.
A homecoming luncheon will be held at Archbishop's residence in Nairobi on 17th May 2012, 2.00pm.
Archbishop Wabukala has been widowed since the demise of his wife Mama Caren Wabukala.
We congratulate the couple and wish them God's blessings in their new life together.
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Jesus, Lord of His Church and of the Church's Mission: Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali's address to the FCA Conference
| Source: GAFCON/FCA
April 25, 2012
We have been so ably led these two mornings on the Letter to the Colossians, but I want to put before you in what I have to say three very short passages from the Letter to the Ephesians, which is of course a companion letter to Colossians. There are many similarities in thought and in context and in even the people to whom these letters are addressed.
The first passage is from Ephesians 2[:19-21], which speaks of the Church as 'the
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Bishop Nazir-Ali
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household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the key cornerstone (or perhaps it could be capstone), in whom the full structure (perhaps it could be every building) is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord'.
So the Church is built on the foundation, the apostolic testimony. You may think, some people may think, that this contradicts what the Apostle had said in 1 Corinthians 3[:11] that it was Jesus Christ who is the foundation, but actually there is no contradiction because the apostolic testimony itself is about Jesus, the apostolic testimony by the work of the Spirit points always to Jesus, reminds the Church of Jesus, glorifies Jesus, brings to our mind all that Jesus has done and said and is. 'The foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone...' Now the cornerstone is what aligns the whole wall, as it were each brick to another. And there's a cornerstone, if you like, it says "1873" over there, that is one understanding of the word that is used here - a very rare word by the way - or it may be capstone, the capstone of the pillars, that's the other sense in which the Greek translator of the Older Testament, the Septuagint, uses the word, something that caps what has already been put together. So Jesus Christ, I think we can say fairly, is both foundation and capstone: the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone of the Church.
The second passage that I had in mind is actually from Ephesians 1[:23], if you would not mind going back to this. It is quite an amazing statement about the Church, and it says about Jesus that 'God has put all things under his feet and has made him the Head over all things for the Church, which is his Body, the fullness of him who fills all in all'.
So Jesus Christ is the head of the church in all things, not just in spiritual matters, not just in matters of doctrine or worship, but in everything he is the Head of the Church. There is 'no vacancy', as Mike [Ovey] was saying, for such a Head - that is always, eternally filled - because Jesus is the head of the church, and we cannot therefore look to human authority, to human rulers, as claiming any part of that Headship. I think it is very important for Anglicans at last to understand this, and it may be that I, as someone who has been a bishop in the Church of England, say it.
The third passage that I had in mind about the Church in this wonderful Letter is from Ephesians, chapter 3[:11], where the Apostle says that it is 'through the Church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the principalities and the powers...'. Through the Church God's wisdom is made known to the 'principalities and powers', and what are they? They are the assumptions and the prejudices and the principles by which human institutions and indeed the supernatural world are ordered and governed, or perhaps we can say disordered as well. 'Through the Church God's wisdom is made known...' This is a statement, if you like, in the highest sense, of the Church's mission: to make known God's message, to speak truth to power, as Andrea Williams might say.
Now when we read these exalted statements about the Church, naturally we ask: to what or to whom does this apply?...
The rest of the address may be found here.
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