"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." Psalm 145:18 KJ21
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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,
This week my comments will be somewhat brief because I am typing with two broken fingers, one on each hand, the result of a garage door accident at home. I need to begin by thanking the many prayer intercessors and readers who have prayed for my recovery from scheduled surgery last week followed by the misfortune with the garage door. The prayers are helping and I can see the progress day to day.
The Anglican Consultative Council meeting dubbed ACC-15 continues in Auckland, New Zealand, and Canon Ashey and David Virtue both report on events and their meaning.
Back in London, there is apparently still no word on the choice for a new Archbishop of Canterbury, and to me this says that something is going seriously wrong behind the curtain. The Crown Nominations Commission, composed of sixteen members and sworn to secrecy, has been unable to come to a decision on the slate. Rumors have it that the first choice agreed to by a majority of the orthodox and liberals is a moderately conservative bishop, and that the difficulty is with the second choice. Now if the first choice is the one that Her Majesty the Queen, Defender of the Faith and Head of the Church, is supposed to choose, and the second is a backup in case some terrible unforeseen scandal surfaces, or the first choice has an untimely demise, then why would the hang up be over the second choice? Rumors are that Archbishop Sentamu of York is one of the second choices, and a liberal is the other second choice. Still, with thorough research and vetting of the first choice, and with modern medicine available in the case of illness, if agreement can be reached on the first choice, why the difficulty on number two - unless there is mischief afoot.
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What if the orthodox folks were lulled into thinking that the agreed-upon first choice was a done deal, but in the back room the first choice was bypassed at the urging of Prime Minister David Cameron, and the Queen ended up choosing the number two man? What if the fight is over number two because the scheme is to bypass the first name and go with number two for Archbishop of Canterbury? If the orthodox got wind of this thinking they would naturally not want to put a "progressive" in the number two slot, and so the process would come to a halt.
Having seen how the Church of England has dealt with the issue of women bishops, and how the battle has been fought out with very civil words but incredible force maneuvered from just out of sight, I think it quite possible that a major issue has locked up the Commission. From my perspective, one of the problems with the current process is that if this person is to be primus inter pares for all of the Primates of the Anglican Communion, shouldn't the Primates have a say in his choice?
Meanwhile, some good news out of Virginia: a panel of three Virginia Justices of the state Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Petition for Appeal filed by The Falls Church Anglican after they received an adverse ruling from Judge Bellows in the lower court. The panel granted review by the full Virginia Supreme Court over six points of error raised by the Falls Church Anglican's attorneys. It is worth your while to read the article and note carefully the six points. Oh Lord, may the fraud and deceit of this age be turned aside and the property of your saints restored to their use and ministry.
Faithfully in Christ,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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Message from Canon Ashey
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Canon Ashey
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A Report from ACC15 in New Zealand
Friday, November 2, 2012
Dear friends,
I am in Auckland, NZ, at the 15th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC15). The agenda moved into high gear today with presentations on "The Bible in the Life of the Church" (BILC), the Network for Interfaith Concerns (NIFCON) Report "Promised Land?", an Anglican Communion resource for addressing Israeli-Palestinian relations, and the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) report on The Instruments of Unity.
I believe that the discussion on BILC revealed an important major conclusion that tips the hand of the ACC's leadership: that the process of how Anglicans interpret scripture is as important as the substance of scripture. Two conclusions will follow from this premise: (1) Context reigns supreme in how people interpret, and in the diversity of interpretations that flow from diversity of contexts NO interpretation is better than another (a point made by the preselected TEC leader of one of the small groups), and (2) There are no "limits" on faithful interpretation (point made by the preselected Church of England rep from another reflection group).
In this discussion, initial enthusiasm for the affirmation of Bible study gave way to sharp differences over the language in the proposed resolution, and then to frustration that there was not enough time to consider the resolution. Finally, the resolution commending BILC for study and use in all Anglican seminaries, parishes and dioceses was sent back to the resolutions committee. I expect they will return to it tomorrow or Monday.
The NIFCON Report on Israeli-Palestinian relations may have brought the revisionist leadership to the brink of futility. Some revisionists felt the language of the report in each of the three sections stating "What all Anglicans can and should believe about XXX" was too magisterial and simply unanglican. Other revisionists felt the report was too pro-Israel. Others felt we had to do something and not wait another three years. Archbishop Williams intervened and confused everybody. Finally, under intensive questioning, Anglican Communion Office (ACO) staff revealed that the report had already been publicly released yesterday in Ireland - so, in effect, the whole conversation was a waste of time.
The process of AAC15 is being intensively stage managed and choreographed by ACO staff. There have been few opportunities for delegates to actually address the body. Plenary sessions moved immediately into regional or reflection groups. In the reflection groups, each group responded to a different question that was designed by the ACC leadership for them to answer. During the Bible in the Life of the Church report-back from reflection groups, an ACO staff member carefully called upon what appeared to be preselected delegates from mostly Global North provinces. Resolutions were presented by PowerPoint on a screen for a vote, and not distributed in advance. There is simmering frustration among many deputies at the near Orwellian manner in which Kenneth Kearon and the ACO seem to be managing this meeting. The bottom line is that the real issues of the Anglican Communion are being completely dodged, especially the failure of the Instruments of Communion to address violations by The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada.
And so the report on the Instruments of Communion was similar - a 10 minute plenary of nothing more than historical background and explanation of the group's work, moving immediately into reflection groups and evening prayer.
In terms of what schemes seem to be emerging, I would respectfully suggest the following as a "pincer" movement that ACC/ACO is going to place upon confessing Anglicans:
1. Through Continuing Indaba dialogue and stories, bolstered by the work of the BILC resources, Biblical interpretation of human sexuality and its limits will be rendered value-neutral with no limits on Biblical interpretation within the Communion. Lambeth 1.10 will be declared in effect non-binding;
2. Then, through the new Code of Conduct and the Safe Church resolution, any objection to sexual expressions that are not Biblical will be deemed "harassment," chilling any speech and bringing consequences to those who, in Anglican communion meetings, dare to raise the subject.
I pray I am mistaken, but that is my best look into the future.
Yours in Christ,
Phil+
The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
Chief Operating and Development Officer, American Anglican Council
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Virginia Supreme Court Allows Appeal in Falls Church Case
| Source: StandFirm
October 29, 2012
By A.S. Haley
A writ panel of three Justices of the Virginia Supreme Court, who heard oral arguments on October 16 in favor of the Petition for Appeal filed by The Falls Church Anglican following the adverse judgment by the Fairfax County Circuit Court has issued an order granting review of the case.
The Court's order grants review of the following six points of error raised by The Falls Church:
1. The trial court erred in enforcing canon law, rather than "principles of real property and contract law" used in all cases ... to award plaintiffs a proprietary interest in TFC's property and to extinguish TFC's interest in such property, even though TFC's own trustees held title and TFC paid for, improved, and maintained the property.
2. The trial court's award of TFC's property to plaintiffs violates the Religion Clauses of the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions by enabling denominations to secure others' property by means available to no other Virginia entity.
3. The trial court erred in finding that plaintiffs had proprietary interests in TFC's real property acquired before 1904, when the legislature first referenced denominational approval of church property transfers. [Note: in the body of the Petition, this claim of error is restated in this way: "The trial court divested TFC of property by retroactively applying canons and statutes passed after the conveyances at issue, contrary to state law and the Contracts Clause."]
4. The trial court erred in awarding plaintiffs TFC's unconsecrated real property, which is exempt from plaintiffs' canons.
5. The trial court erred in awarding TFC's personal property to plaintiffs-even though plaintiffs never had any control over TFC's funds or their use, and TFC's donors, for religious reasons, gave on the express condition that their gifts not be forwarded to plaintiffs-in violation of Va. Code §57-1 and the Religion Clauses of the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions.
6. The trial court erred in awarding plaintiffs more relief than sought, including funds given after TFC disaffiliated and funds spent on maintenance, which plaintiffs stipulated TFC should keep....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Catholic company wins injunction against HHS birth control mandate
| Source: LifeSiteNews
November 1, 2012
by John Jalsevac
ANN ARBOR, MI - A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction stopping the enforcement of the Obama administration's HHS birth control mandate against a Michigan business and its Catholic owner.
Judge Robert H. Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan issued the opinion on behalf
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Dan Weingartz
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of Weingartz Supply Company and owner Daniel Weingartz, who had complained that the requirement that they offer birth control, abortifacient drugs, and sterilizations free-of-charge to their employees violated religious freedoms.
Judge Cleland emphasized that "[t]he loss of First Amendment freedoms, for even minimal periods of time, unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury."
He concluded, "The harm in delaying the implementation of a statute that may later be deemed constitutional must yield to the risk presented here of substantially infringing the sincere exercise of religious beliefs. The balance of harms tips strongly in Plaintiffs' favor. A preliminary injunction is warranted."
Cleland is the second judge to come down against the HHS mandate. In July, U.S. District Judge John Kane ruled in favor of Hercules Industries Inc, temporarily blocking the government from enforcing the mandate....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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England: Church 'losing trust' over 'cloak and dagger' Archbishop of Canterbury selection
| Source: Telegraph
October 31, 2012
By John Bingham
The committee choosing the next leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans is facing growing discontent from within the Church amid clams that the long-running process has become a "cloak and dagger" procedure.
Calls are mounting for an overhaul of the system and even growing support for future Archbishops in the Church of England to be elected.
It came as even the ancient Coptic Orthodox Church, based in Egypt- which chooses its spiritual leader in a ceremony involving a blindfolded child - announced not only the date for the selection of its new Pope but even the shortlist.
The church, which traces its origins to the 1st Century AD, posted details of the process which will take place next week, on the internet.
By contrast, the Crown Nominations Commission, the 16-member body selecting a successor to Dr Rowan Williams, initiated an effective news blackout last month refusing to say when and if it is meeting or even whether it has made a decision....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Auckland, NZ: Nigerian Archbishops Refuse Holy Communion at Opening ACC-15 Eucharist
| Source: VirtueOnline
October 27, 2012
By David Virtue
Two Nigerian archbishops and a US bishop affiliated with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) - a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria in the United States - refused Sunday to take Holy Communion at the opening Eucharist of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-15) meeting at a packed Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell, Auckland, citing irreconcilable theological differences between the orthodox African Anglican province and the liberal progressivist views of the Fourth Instrument of Unity.
The Most Rev. Ikechi Nwosu, Archbishop of Aba in the Church of Nigeria, the largest
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Archbishop Nwosu
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Province in the Anglican Communion, the Ven. Dr. Abraham Okorie, Diocese of Nsukka and US-based CANA Bishop Julian Dobbs said they could not take communion because relationships are fractured over serious Gospel issues such as: the uniqueness and Lordship of Jesus Christ, the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman, and the historic understanding that the Bible contains all things necessary for salvation....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Global Anglican body urges members to adopt safe church charter
| Source: Anglican Communion News Service
October 30, 2012
A meeting of Anglicans from around the world unanimously voted to call on their Churches to adopt and implement a charter protecting vulnerable people.
More than 80 members of the Anglican Communion gathered in Auckland's Holy Trinity Cathedral for the 15th Anglican Consultative Council committed themselves to promoting the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults, within their national and regional churches.
They voted to pass a resolution that called on their Churches "to adopt and implement the following Charter for the Safety of People within the Churches of the Anglican Communion, and report to the next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council as to steps taken to adopt and implement the Charter."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
Editor's Note: the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) recommends Ministry Safe for churches needing a resource for preventing child sexual abuse.
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Pastoral Letter from GAFCON/FCA Primates' Council
| Source: GAFCON
October 29, 2012
The day we give special thanks for James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885
My dear people of God:
Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Primates' Council has just concluded its October 2012 meeting in Dar es Salaam where we witnessed the blessing of God in a number of key areas:
- In the increase of our numbers
- Through the achievements of our April meeting
- By the testimonies of those who are joining with us
- In the new funding provided for our communication efforts
- Through our decision to meet again in a Global assembly
- By the recognition that we are not alone in this spiritual battle
We gathered in this historic city grateful for the faithful witness of the Anglican Church of Tanzania during these challenging times. The Most Reverend Valentine Mokiwa, Bishop of the Diocese of Dar es Salaam and Primate of Tanzania, welcomed us. We were made aware of some of the current difficulties facing Tanzania and committed ourselves to prayer for protection for the Church and peace and prosperity for all of this nation's citizens.
During our meeting we were vividly reminded of the costly struggles of so many of our fellow Christians, whether facing violent persecution, natural disaster or spiritual conflict with competing ideologies. Such struggles have shaped our intention to use the next Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON2), now to be anticipated in October 2013 (rather than May as previously indicated) to stand in solidarity with all of our oppressed sisters and brothers and to study the theme of declaring the gospel of God 'in the midst of much conflict' (1Thessalonians 2:2).
We were pleased to welcome the Most Reverend Henri Isingoma, Primate of the Anglican Church of the Congo as member of the Primates' Council. We are thankful for his faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his embrace of the tenets of the Jerusalem Declaration and his enthusiastic support for the work of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.
We reflected on our meeting in London this past April when we gathered 200 leaders from 31 countries and enjoyed outstanding fellowship. We received excellent theological and biblical material that is now published on the GAFCON website. We also heard remarkable testimonies of leadership under pressure from around the Communion. But perhaps the most telling quote was from a Nigerian bishop who said, 'Now we know we are not alone.' That is at the heart of our calling as the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans - to provide an authentic Anglican community for those who have been alienated for whatever reason.
As a result of the increased aggressiveness of the revisionists there are now those in every province and beyond who wish to stand with us and who need our help to stand for Christ: in Recife (Brazil), in South Carolina, in the Church of Scotland, in Ireland, in England, in Australia and many more. We received reports from various FCA affiliates and rejoice in their faithful witness in the face of tremendous pressure and were delighted to receive an application for the establishment of an FCA affiliate in Australia....
Read the rest of the pastoral letter here.
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Vatican open to a Lutheran Ordinariate
| Source: Anglican Ink
October 30, 2012
By George Conger
The Vatican is open to creating an ecclesial jurisdiction for Lutherans who wish to join the Roman Catholic Church but preserve aspects of their liturgical and ecclesial patrimony, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has said. In an interview with Zenit published on 24 Oct 2012, Cardinal Kurt Koch said the Vatican would entertain creating a structure similar to the Anglican Ordinariate for Lutherans.
Such a structure was possible due to a convergence of beliefs on certain doctrinal issues, Cardinal Koch said, as progress had been made in the ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans in Germany....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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