"But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:14-15 NKJV
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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, I wish to touch on a few items of note that are occurring within the American Episcopal Church, also known as TEC, and then one item from the UK. Some of our readers and AAC supporters are within TEC parishes and dioceses, and these items should be of concern to them. For the rest who are outside of TEC, either in the larger Anglican world or simply interested bystanders, it is still important to keep tabs on what TEC is up to, since they export their doctrine and practice everywhere that their money can buy. TEC's Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) commissioned a report from the research department of the Church Pension Group with regard to a revision of TEC's last hymnal, the 1982 version. They found some surprising results in regard to the attitude of different age groups. The most resistant group to revising the current hymnal are those under 29 years of age, and this by a significant margin. The SCLM report noted on page 57 that, "Respondents in their twenties and younger are statistically different than the rest of the respondents, reporting the least interest in desiring worship music to reflect their personal musical tastes." They further note, "This proves counter (emphasis mine) to the "common knowledge" theory that younger congregants are looking for a more modern or popular-music experience at church." A related finding was that those "whose age is significantly above or below 50 are less likely to support revision [of the hymnal]. Middle-aged Episcopalians are more supportive of revision than younger and older Episcopalians." If the younger age group has such an appreciation for more traditional church music, then perhaps they might be interested in more traditional church moral theology. With all of the revisionist theology and Biblical misinterpretation rampant, the road to Hell is already crowded - perhaps a road less traveled might be more appealing to them. The full text of the study can be found here.
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For several years the American Anglican Council has been warning that the homosexual agenda is simply part of an "anything goes" mentality which twists Scripture, reinterprets history and tries to make sexual preference into a justice issue, which it generally is not. The following is an example of how, even within TEC where the tent keeps getting larger and larger (even as the tent has fewer and fewer people in it), the slippery slope of expanding "sexual understanding" means that one thing inevitably leads to another.
An Episcopal priest recently wrote on an internet sharing site about how the sexual revolution is impacting his local parish: "Given our wider church's pronouncement on the subject [homosexual blessings and marriage] and the fact that my church begins with an A in the phonebook, I tend to receive a remarkably high (to me, anyway) request for blessings, particularly given that my stance on this is fairly well known in the community in which I serve. One of the side effects of this very public discourse over the last several years, however, has been that we as a church has [sic] become the church that blesses all sexual behavior in the minds of those outside our church. In the past couple years, I have been asked by polygamists and polyamorists to bless their relationships (I really did not know there was much of a distinction until I spent time in conversation with them - and one was for more than 4) and by two couples seeking to have their incestuous relationship blessed by our church. From my perspective, their arguments are identical to a number of positions put for [sic] by those who claim that the church ought to be blessing GLBT relationships, with the exception that the polygamists pointed out that several prominent figures in the Bible were, themselves, polygamists. I am interested in how they [church leaders] propose we are to respond. Do they propose that we bless those relationships on the grounds that to do otherwise is to reject them as human beings, created in the image and love of God? Or does the church draw some sort of line in the sand and say, "We can go no farther than this?" If the latter, how does the church do so in a way that does not seem capricious, mean-spirited, bigoted polyphonies, incest-haters or whatever other labels will be given to us at that time? I hope that you continue to prod and push, gently of course, because these are not questions on the distant horizon. They are in our midst now."
I recall that when the Rev. Gene Robinson's election as a bishop was confirmed by the 2003 General Convention in Minneapolis, the AAC protested on site and warned that this was the Titanic hitting the iceberg, and that things wouldn't stop there. We looked at a website associated with Gene Robinson and its links to other sites. We clicked on some of them, and within three clicks we found ourselves in places no moral Christian would want to visit. It seemed that the website's "ministry" to young people had several levels of meaning. We presented the evidence to David Booth Beers to give to the Presiding Bishop, Frank Griswold -- and it was never seen again. Naturally we did keep a copy of it, though very quickly after our exposure of it, the site was taken down and cleansed for public relations purposes. Now, however, the supporters of gay issues have to stop and reflect on whether they want to be in spiritually intimate fellowship with those who advocate and practice incest and polyeverything as recounted by this TEC priest. We shall wait and see how far and how quickly they continue their slide. Proverbs 22:28 comes to mind: "Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set."
There are some things that upset the TEC clergy and lay revisionists, and one of them might be power grabs being made by the national office staff bishop, Stacey Sauls. Apparently in Bishop Sauls' mind, the TEC General Convention and its deputies, as well as the TEC Executive Council, work for the staff of the national Episcopal office at 815 2nd Avenue, New York, and not the other way around. Word has circulated for some time of strained relations between the President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson, and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, but this tension now takes on a new twist with Bishop Sauls' letter to the staff at the Church Center in New York: "For the truth is that we as the DFMS staff (Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, the formal name for TEC) will either shape the future or have it shaped for us. And if it is shaped for us, it will then be imposed on us. We have before us the opportunity to shape our own future or stand passively by and let others do that for us. I just don't think passivity is a very healthy spiritual position to be in. And, as you have heard me say, working for the Church ought not be a spiritually damaging experience. Whether it is or not is largely up to us." So in Bishop Sauls' mind the future of TEC is to be charted by staff workers in New York City, and not the General Convention! Wow! This will be interesting to watch as TEC heads into this summer's General Convention. As far as working for the Church (TEC) being a spiritually damaging experience, many of us who have left TEC on moral and spiritual grounds have indeed experienced TEC as a place of spiritual damage. Making a clean break has allowed us to recover, be blessed and strengthened, and to move forward in mission.
Finally, with regard to the larger Anglican Communion, we see the revisionist elite in the Church of England and the current politicians in Parliament working together to produce a desired outcome in the selection of the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The fact that the Archbishop and Primate of Wales, Barry Morgan, will sit on the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) is absurd. Wales is a miniscule church, with fewer and fewer people attending church practically every week. Archbishop Rowan Williams was the previous Primate of Wales, and he did such a good job of shrinking the Welch Church that they made him Archbishop of Canterbury. Now Rowan's successor Barry Morgan, who has continued Dr. Williams' work of shrinking the church, is to sit on the commission that will nominate the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Another person who has been chosen to sit on the CNC is the Rev. Kenneth Kearon, who as the head of the Anglican Communion Office helps to foist the revisionist agenda of the Anglican elite onto the rest of the Communion. What does Kearon bring to the Commission if not the desires of the liberal elite of the Church of England and the revisionist West?
The work of orthodox Anglicanism has significantly gone global, and preparations are coming together for a GAFCON II next year, with all of the orthodox Anglican bishops, laity and clergy representatives gathered together. Considering the rapid decline of the revisionists in number and the shrinking of their national church populations, the best Anglican strategy for renewal of the Communion is to grow the millions of orthodox believers into such a large body that it becomes the Anglican Communion de facto, if not de jure.
Until next week, share your joy in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and your hope of his return in triumph with as many people as the Holy Spirit puts before you.
Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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The Chaplain's Corner
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Canon Ashey
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Anglican Perspective by Canon Phil Ashey
How do you evaluate the "structures" that are in your life? How about those that are in your church? Are they serving God's mission for you or the church? This week Canon Ashey talks about the structures in our lives and church and how we should view them. View this week's Anglican Perspective video here.
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TEC to consider coalition's anti-Covenant resolution
| Source: Anglican Journal
May 16, 2012
By Leigh Anne Williams
An international coalition of Anglicans hopes a model resolution to reject the Anglican Communion Covenant will be accepted by The U.S. Episcopal Church at its General Convention in Indianapolis in July.
The covenant was intended to be an agreement to bind the global Anglican Communion together despite differences about the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of bishops in same-sex relationships.
The coalition's resolution declines to approve the covenant and claims there are better ways to unify the Anglican Communion. It calls on the church to "at every level to seek opportunities to reach out to strengthen and restore relationships between this church and sister churches of the Communion."
The Rev. Malcolm French, the coalition's new Canadian moderator, told the Anglican Journal that 13 volunteers from the House of Deputies [clergy and laity] of the U.S. Episcopal Church now have submitted a resolution based on the coalition's text. The coalition will also provide information about its views to delegates during the convention.
In March, the coalition applauded the defeat of the covenant in England when a majority of dioceses voted against adopting it....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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England: Crown Nominations Commission appointments completed
| Source: Church of England
May 18, 2012
The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Revd Michael Perham, and the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd James Newcome, have been voted onto the Crown Nominations Commission, CNC, the body that will nominate the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
This result of the vote by the House of Bishops completes the make-up of the 16 member voting body of the CNC which will meet for the first time later this month.
The Most Reverend and Rt Hon Rowan Williams. Dr Williams announced in March that he will stand down on 31 December 2012. He will take up the position of Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.
CNC membership:
Chair - the Rt Hon the Lord Luce KG, GCVO
The Reverend Canon Clare Edwards, elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
Mr Aiden Hargreaves-Smith - Diocese of London - elected by General Synod to serve as member of the Commission for a five year period
Mr Raymond Harris, elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
Professor Glynn Harrison - Diocese of Bristol - elected by General Synod to serve as member of the Commission for a five year period
Mrs Mary Johnston - Diocese of London - elected by General Synod to serve as member of the Commission for a five year period
Mr David Kemp, elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
The Most Revd Dr Barry Morgan, Primate of The Church in Wales, elected by the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion
The Rt Revd James Newcome, the Bishop of Carlisle - elected by House of Bishops
The Very Revd Andrew Nunn - Diocese of Southwark - elected by General Synod to serve as member of the Commission for a five year period
The Rt Revd Michael Perham, the Bishop of Gloucester - elected by House of Bishops
The Reverend Canon Mark Roberts, elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
Mrs Caroline Spencer, elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
The Revd Canon Peter Spiers - Diocese of Liverpool - elected by General Synod to serve as member of the Commission for a five year period
The Revd Canon Glyn Webster - Diocese of York - elected by General Synod to serve as members of the Commission for a five year period
The Right Reverend Trevor Willmott, elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
In addition, the Archbishops' Secretary for Appointments( Ms Caroline Boddington), ), the Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary (Sir Paul Britton) and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion (Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon) are non-voting members of the Commission.
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Canada: Rev. Barclay Mayo transfers to ANiC
| Source: Anglican Essentials
May 14, 2012
I am pleased today to announce the transfer of the Reverend Barclay Mayo and his "Pastor to the Street" mission in Squamish, BC into our Diocese of the Anglican Network in Canada.
Barclay and his wife Mary are well known to many of us in ANiC; he was an observer at
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Reverend Mayo
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our Synod in Victoria last fall. Barclay has been a Priest in Good Standing in what is now known as the Anglican Mission in the Americas, Canada since its inception in January 2004; from 2007 until 2009, he served as leader of the Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC) Network (as it was then known). He brings a wealth of experience in pastoral ministry and church planting.
The Right Reverend Silas Ng, his former Bishop, has provided the necessary documentation and very graciously has commended Barclay and his ministry to our oversight.
His transfer will become official on Thursday, May 17, 2012, the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven. Please pray for him, Mary, and the Mountain Valley Mission as they join us in ministry and become part of our Diocesan family.
The Right Reverend Donald Harvey
The Anglican Network in Canada
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Rennis Ponniah Appointed 9th Anglican Bishop of Singapore
| Source: Christian Post
May 12, 2012
By Edmond Chua
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Bishop-Designate Ponniah
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The Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Church in Singapore, the Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah has been appointed the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Singapore, the Archbishop of South East Asia, the Most Revd. Bolly Lapok announced today. A Special Synod had met March this year to nominate candidates. The final selection was made by the House of Bishops at the Provincial level. The installation service will take place sometime in October this year.
Bishop-Designate Ponniah, 56, will succeed the incumbent, the Rt. Revd. Dr. John Chew, who will be retiring October this year when he turns 65 in accordance with a constitutional constitutional age limit on holders of the office of the Bishop of Singapore. Bishop Dr. Chew will remain in office until October 4, 2012.
The outgoing Bishop has held the office for twelve years since his consecration and enthronement in April 25, 2000. The Rt. Revd. Ponniah will become the fourth Asian holder of the office.
As incoming Bishop, Ponniah is set to become the head of the 30,000-strong, influential mainline denomination.
On his election, the Bishop-Designate said: "With faith in God, I receive this immense responsibility. I am humbled by the trust invested in me by the clergy, the laity and the provincial bishops.
"I intend to build on the good work of Bishop John Chew and his predecessors, while seeking fresh ways to bring the love and hope of the 'good news' of our faith to a multi-religious and constantly-changing society in a responsible and winsome way."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Iran: Nadarkhani thanks supporters in open letter
| Source: Christian Today
May 14, 2012
by Katherine Weber
Iranian Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who has become the face of religious
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Pastor Nadarkhani
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persecution throughout the world after being arrested for his beliefs in Oct. 2009, has issued a letter to persecution aid group Present Truth Ministries (PTM).
In the letter, Nadarkhani speaks of his current condition, his dedication and sincerity to God, his thoughts about his persecution, and shares his reaction to Florida Pastor Terry Jones's burning of Korans in protest of his imprisonment.
Nadarkhani, 34, was arrested in October 2009 for protesting the mandatory teaching of Islam at his children's schools. His charges were later changed to apostasy and attempting to evangelise Muslims....
Read Pastor Nadarkhani's letter here.
The rest of the article may be found here.
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