"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 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 Jesus, I have spent the last several days, from Sunday afternoon through today [Thursday], at the Anglican Church in North America's (ACNA) Provincial Assembly at Ridgecrest, North Carolina, and can attest that the ACNA is healthy, growing, and exciting. On Monday, the combined Executive Council and Archbishop's Cabinet, of which I am a member, met and covered a great deal of business, much of which would be further dealt with by the ACNA College of Bishops on Tuesday and the Provincial Council on Wednesday. Several layers of agreement were necessary on some issues, and although at times there was a bit of tedium, since I sat through discussion of some issues three days in a row, the process assured that multiple layers of the provincial leadership had a time to discuss, question and vote on things, and arrive at phenomenal consensus. New dioceses were moved forward from their previous "diocese in formation" stage, other new groups were moved into the "diocese in formation" stage, and the election of a new bishop was approved by the College of Bishops. Detailed reporting is available from the ACNA website, but the overall impression is of an Anglican Province going into high gear. Primates visiting from several other Anglican Provinces were seated in the College and given voice and vote, and their wisdom as representing more elder Anglican Provinces was welcomed. It would appear that the Anglican Mission Pauley's Island Chairman Bishop Chuck Murphy's desired structure for the Mission - to be an organization perhaps like the Jesuits, but internally structured like a diocese - may have some difficulties. First, no mission organization that we are aware of has been or is structured as Bishop Murphy would now organize the Mission, so how will the outside Anglican world view such a mixture? Second, without an Anglican Province providing the Pauley's Island Anglican Communion connectivity, how would they be any different from other "continuing" churches calling themselves Anglican? The final test of being Anglican is more than using the name in the title; it is being in a relationship with a recognized Anglican Province in a way that provides for Godly oversight and accountability.
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For the ACNA that is provided by participation in the GAFCON/FCA Primates' Council, and indeed the chairman of that Council, Archbishop/Primate Eliud Wabukala of Kenya was present and participating in the ACNA meetings and worship this week. After cutting their ties with Rwanda, and having only a brief temporary coverage with the Congo, what will be the Pauley's Island connectivity to a functioning Anglican province in the future? This is at the moment unclear, but tremendously important if the Mission is to stay Anglican.
On Thursday afternoon at the ACNA Provincial Assembly there was a moving and powerful Eucharist, with Archbishop and Primate Robert Duncan both celebrating and  preaching. Behind him stood an entire row of Primates and representatives from Global South Provinces, showing the increased support and respect that the ACNA has achieved. At the conclusion of the service, before the Primatial Blessing, Archbishop and Primate of Rwanda Rwaje asked all of the PEAR Anglican Mission bishops, priests and deacons to stand, and he read the Canon Law of Rwanda on transferring ecclesiastical membership, and said that it had been satisfied, and that he was transferring these clergy from one room of the (Anglican) house to the next room, and with that gave their primatial superintendency over to Archbishop Robert Duncan. The entire congregation erupted into applause and praise to the Lord. The PEAR bishops, priests and deacons who requested to be transferred are now canonically under the care of His Grace Robert Duncan, in a transfer that was Godly, Apostolic and Catholic.
Now to cover a few other events around the world. David Goodhew from Cranmer Hall, Durham, reports at this link that the Anglican Church is actually growing, despite what the media are reporting. He says, "Sit down, breathe deeply - I have some shocking news to give you. The church in Britain is growing. Yes, I know this sounds mad. The TV and the newspapers routinely depict churches as half-empty and populated by geriatrics. Not a few church leaders and congregation members walk around like Fraser from Dad's Army, declaring 'You're all doomed!!' But there is something else going on.
An international team of leading researchers, based at Cranmer Hall, Durham, have just published a study entitled "Church Growth in Britain from 1980 to the Present." Here are just a few of the extraordinary statistics that have been unearthed:
* There are 500,000 Christians in black majority churches in Britain. Sixty years ago there were hardly any
* At least 5,000 new churches have been started in Britain since 1980 - and this is an undercount. The true figure is probably higher
* There are one million Christians in Britain from black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities
* The adult membership of the Anglican Diocese of London has risen by over 70 per cent since 1990."
You can read more at his website, but the report is a positive note of encouragement. Building on this good news is a report from the Middle East titled "At the Crossroads."
The writer reports on Muslims that have quietly turned to Jesus Christ as the Savior and become Christians, yet continue to function below the radar in the middle of their Muslim families and communities, bringing more people to Christ, yet every moment in danger for their life. You may not have known this was going on: Christ is appearing in dreams to Muslims, and telling them to come to him, and they are obeying and doing so. Jews are coming to Christ as well, and just reading this makes my heart beat faster. These Jewish followers of Christ and these Muslim followers of Christ are meeting and finding fellowship in their common Lord and Savior. Brothers and Sisters, this is the deep end of the pool; something mighty of God is going on here. Read on....
"In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria ... Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance." (Isaiah 19:23-25)
Muslim background followers of Jesus from various Middle Eastern countries met with their Messianic Jewish and Christian counterparts May 7 - 12 in the Old City of Jerusalem at Christ Church, the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East. Although similar conferences have been held over the years in the Middle East, this is the first time such a gathering has been held in Israel.
At the Crossroads convened in the context of Isaiah's vision of a highway that will run from Egypt and Israel to Assyria - a model of worship and partnership for Christians across the region that will lead to the Middle East becoming a "blessing on the earth."
More than seventy delegates came from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Palestinian Authority, Cyprus, Armenia, Turkey, Europe and North America. Worshiping and praying together in Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Hebrew, and hearing testimonies about the blessings and challenges of following Jesus in our region were among the highlights of the conference.
Due to security concerns the conference was a closed, invitation only gathering. However, two sessions were open to local guests featuring speakers Rev. Andrew White, the "Vicar of Baghdad", and Pastor Ali Pektash, a Muslim who came to faith in Jesus through a dream while on hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Messianic Jewish and Palestinian leaders, including Taysir Abu Saada, author of Once an Arafat Man, also addressed the delegates, testifying to God's power not only to reconcile enemies but to enable them to take risks by crossing ethnic, political and religious divides to work together to expand God's kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in this troubled and unstable region.
In the words of one of the organizers, "It is all too easy for Christians in the Middle East to become ghettoized due to their minority status and the many ethnic and political divisions. Consequently we often fail to see how God is working in our midst. Our focus must extend beyond these conflicts and only the survival of existing Christian communities. Without ignoring the suffering and injustice in so many parts of our region, we should focus on the call of Jesus to expand God's sovereignty by making disciples, recognizing the crucial role Jewish believers in Israel have in the Great Commission to bless their neighbors with the Good News. And equally so, the followers of Jesus in the surrounding nations have a unique role in helping Israel become part of the blessing that God intends for this region."
The delegates resolved:
1. to rise above ethnic, political, and theological differences in the Body of Messiah, and to work together in expanding the Kingdom of God in our region.
2. to proclaim that "Egypt my people, Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance" will indeed become a blessing in the midst of the earth
3. to commit to work and pray for the blessing and salvation of all the peoples of the Middle East.
4. to mobilize people to go and make disciples as a practical expression of the Kingdom of God, recognizing that we now have a window of opportunity that may not remain open in the future.
5. to advocate and allocate resources for justice, helping the poor and mitigating persecution of Christians.
6. to establish a network of communication and intercession throughout the region and to meet together on a regular basis as a means of expressing the "one new man." (Eph.2:15)
Some weeks the news isn't so good, but this week God was very gracious to give us great encouragement, so as you read this, please pray for those involved in the good news, that God would seal the good news and prosper it further, blessing and multiplying the faith of those who are responding to God's prior action.
Blessings and Peace in 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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Canon Ashey comments on location at the ACNA's Provincial Council:
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ACNA Provincial Assembly: State of the Church Address
| Source: ACNA
June 6, 2012
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Archbishop Duncan
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The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, delivered his state of the church address to members of Provincial Council today in Ridgecrest, N.C. Archbishop Duncan reported on "remarkable developments" and cited Psalm 115:1, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name be the Glory..."
In speaking of Anglican 1000 and church planting as the "central work" of the Province,
Archbishop Duncan noted, "We have long ago stopped talking about where we came from and long since focused on what God has called us to do. If we are to reach America, we must plant churches."
The Archbishop also described the Anglican Relief and Development Fund as our Church's "global signature," stating: "We have committed ourselves as a Province to life-change for the poorest and most underserved people of the earth, many of whom are members of the very Provinces that intervened to rescue us."
"The only way to explain what has happened is to speak of God's hand and God's favor," said Archbishop Duncan. "We have cooperated. We have been willing servants. But to God be the Glory."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Gay Jennings announces candidacy for [TEC] House of Deputies president
| Source:Episcopal News Service
June 5, 2012
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, who just completed a six-year term on the Episcopal
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Rev. Jennings
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Church's Executive Council, announced June 5 that she will stand for election as president of the House of Deputies....
Jennings, 61, lives in Sagamore Hills, Ohio, and has been the associate director of CREDO Institute Inc. for the past nine years. CREDO provides an array of conferences and post-conference resources that help eligible Church Pension Fund participants examine, evaluate, and re-energize their health and wellness.
"I am working to ensure that I will have all of the time necessary to devote to the position of president of the House of Deputies," Jennings told Episcopal News Service shortly after she announced her intention to stand for election.
Prior to joining CREDO, Jennings served as canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Ohio for 17 years. She was ordained deacon in 1978 and priest in 1979, and served parishes in Virginia and Ohio early in her ministry. Jennings stood for election as bishop of the Diocese of Virginia in early 2007 when current Bishop Shannon Johnston was chosen.
She is married to the Rev. Albert Jennings, rector of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Macedonia, Ohio, and dean of the diocese's Summit Mission Area.
Jennings chaired Executive Council's Governance and Administration for Mission committee during the final three years of her term on council. As part of its work, the committee took the lead in revising the council's bylaws and the personnel policy handbook for employees of the DFMS.
She is also the clergy member of the Episcopal Church's delegation to the Anglican Consultative Council, which next meets this fall in Auckland, New Zealand.
The entire article may be found here.
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The Falls Church Anglican Files Appeal with Virginia Supreme Court
| Source: The Falls Church Anglican
June 1, 2012
Contact: Megan Franko
FALLS CHURCH, VA (Friday, June 1, 2012) - Today, The Falls Church Anglican filed a Petition for Appeal with the Virginia Supreme Court, asking that Court to review and overturn the decision of Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy I. Bellows in the lawsuits filed by The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. Judge Bellows ordered The Falls Church Anglican to transfer to the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia all of the church's real property, approximately $2,800,000 in funds contributed by its members prior to 2007, and most of its personal property (bibles, hymnals, furniture, etc.). The Attorney General of Virginia today filed a brief in support of the church's request for review of the trial court's treatment of funds contributed by donors.
The church's Petition requests review on a number of legal and constitutional grounds. At the broadest level, the Petition shows that the trial judge failed to follow the Virginia Supreme Court's 2010 directive to resolve this church property dispute by "application of neutral principles of law"- principles "developed for use in all property disputes" - and instead justified transferring the church's property based primarily on the denomination's internal canons. The trial court's ruling thus violates the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions by giving a denomination unilateral powers to override civil laws, powers not granted to any other entity, whether religious or secular, in Virginia....
The Falls Church Anglican leadership's efforts to negotiate a fair and equitable settlement with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia had been unsuccessful. The Diocese had made it clear that they would agree to allow the congregation to retain only a few hundred thousand dollars while the Diocese would take more than $2,400,000 of the funds in question and all of the real property, in exchange for the congregation surrendering all rights to appeal. However, the filing of the Petition for Appeal does not necessarily bring the possibility of a negotiated settlement to an end. It is possible that, while the church continues its effort to pursue a just decision, the Diocese could become willing to return to discussions about an equitable out-of-court resolution....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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AMiA adopts provisional Constitution
| Source: AMiA
June 4, 2012
The Anglican Mission Society for Mission and Apostolic Works Commits to a Vision for the Future
The Anglican Mission passed a milestone today and is now only one step away from finalizing the Society for Mission and Apostolic Works. Clergy and lay leaders gathered for a Convocation held in Chicago and committed to four "Rs" designed to expand mission and ministry in North America. The group embraced a modified purpose statement geared toward recognizing, recruiting, resourcing, and releasing leaders for planting and serving churches in the Anglican tradition for the next generation of Kingdom leadership in the Americas. The day was marked by a strong sense of vision designed to reach, ever more effectively, those outside the faith in an often hostile, post-Christian culture....
Adoption of a provisional Constitution today allows for the Anglican Mission to operate until leaders meet for an Inaugural Assembly in Atlanta later this summer. The Assembly will begin with opening worship on the evening of July 31 and continue the next day with its business. At this time, we will formally adopt the Constitution and Statutes for the Anglican Mission as a Society of Mission and Apostolic Works. This will complete a long process that began in May 2011 and included a eight collaborative and evaluative meetings of leaders to discuss, assess and plan specifics of the Mission Society, with an end result that reflects the best thinking of our lay and ordained members.
The entire article may be found here.
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Archbishop Okoh urges Nigerians to keep the faith in the face of terror
| Source: Anglican Ink
June 4, 2012
By George Conger
A lone suicide bomber killed at least 15 people last Sunday in a terrorist attack on a church in Nigeria's Bauchi state. On 3 June 2012 a terrorist drove into the compound of the Harvest Field of Christ Church, Yelwa, Bauchi State, detonating a car bomb as worshippers began leaving the morning service.
While no group has so far taken responsibility for the attack, police believe the attack was the work of Boko Haram, the radical Islamist sect whose name in Hausa means "Western education is sacrilege." At least 500 people have been killed in mass terror attacks in Northern Nigeria so far this year - church leaders in Nigeria report the death toll is much higher as sectarian murders in the countryside are seldom reported in the media....
Church of Nigeria leaders have pressed President Jonathan to crack down on Boko Haram. In a speech last week former Archbishop Peter Akinola urged the government not to negotiate with terrorists but treat them as criminals.
In his presidential address to the Diocese of Abuja synod last month, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh urged Nigerians not to lose heart over the jihad waged by Boko Haram....
The entire article may be found here.
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England: Top Anglican bishop condemns abortion, promiscuity, divorce in reflection on Queen's Jubilee
| Source: LifeSiteNews
June 5, 2012
by Katie Craine
LONDON, UK - The Right Reverend Richard Chartres, bishop of London, condemns abortion, divorce, and promiscuity in a new pamphlet that reflects on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, which was celebrated in the past week.
Chartres raises concerns about the state of the family and its children in England,
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Bishop Chartres
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including the unborn, and says "the 2012 Jubilee offers us an opportunity to pause and reflect not only on an extraordinary reign but also on what the Jubilee could mean to us as a nation."
The pamphlet, published by the Bible Society, is entitled Jubilee then and now: A big idea for the 21st century. In it Chartres reflects on the biblical meaning of jubilee, the history of the jubilee in England, and the present jubilee, before reflecting on the current social situation in England.
"Literally millions of children grow up without knowing a stable, loving, secure family life - and that is not to count the hundreds of thousands more who don't even make it out of the womb each year," he writes.
In 2010, 189,574 unborn children were aborted in England, according to British statistics, and 3.8 million children are caught up in the family justice system each year, with the number of single-parent families growing.
"Promiscuity, separation and divorce have reached epidemic proportions in our society," writes Chartres. "Perhaps, then, we shouldn't be surprised that depression and the prescription of anti-depressants has reached a similarly epidemic level."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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