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"Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us..." Hebrews 12:1 KJ21
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A Message from Bishop Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Dear Friends of the Anglican Alignment,
In the history of the realignment, which began in some respects decades ago but certainly picked up speed in the 1990's, one man has been consistent and clear in his opinion and yet temperate and attentive in his demeanor. Bishop John-David Schofield, retired bishop of both the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin and the Anglican Diocese of the same, passed to the larger life this week. I am sure he is already bringing refreshment to the saints assembled beyond the pearly gates.
In many ways he was a unique man - a celibate Anglo-Catholic priest and bishop who nevertheless tried to work with those in his diocese who wanted a woman priest. Although he was clear about his own point of view, he made provision for another bishop to provide episcopal oversight for this type of situation. Although unmarried, he was also clear about the necessity of marriage being between a man and a woman, of the couple being faithful to each other, and of no sexual permissiveness outside of the bounds of marriage. He talked the talk and he walked the walk, but he did so with grace, humor, a jolly smile and eyes that danced and laughed with you. When dressed up in cope and mitre at Christmas, he could easily be mistaken for jolly old St. Nicholas, and yet when he needed to be serious, he was, but with grace. When he had to, he paid the price for his religious convictions, but it never made him bitter. Like so many others, I both liked and loved the man, and the fact that he passed away sitting in his favorite green chair seems right. I don't really feel as if we have lost him - we have just been separated for a time and season until we can enjoy him again. Many have said, and I agree, he was most likely greeted as he came through the mist with a large voice saying, "Servant, well done!" His funeral and celebration of life will be in his old diocese this coming week.
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Now to things that are still unfolding and will need our Anglican attention in the future.
Both GAFCON 1 of 2008 and GAFCON 2 of last week are now history, and those attending GAFCON 2 have returned home from Nairobi filled with joy and new enthusiasm for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With powerful and moving worship, teachings that struck deep into the hearts of the attendees, and the witness of many whose lives and property back in their home country are continually at risk, the Spirit of the Lord moved to refresh and renew both the historic faith and the desire for mission in those gathered.
One interesting added dimension to the overall event, which included the meeting of the GAFCON Primates Council as well as the more public time of teaching and worship, was the brief attendance of His Grace Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. Although the Anglican Communion News Service has officially styled it "not a meeting," there was in fact an informal lunch meeting, after which Archbishop Welby spoke to the Primates. Granted, the Archbishop didn't have much to say, but by then perhaps he was beginning to see what the future might look like.
Several questions do come to mind. When I ask them, understand that they are rhetorical questions, not requiring anyone to write me a multi-page answer. First, a few observations: my experience is that the British church leaders don't do anything accidentally or impulsively; there is a plan, even if we North and South Americans or Africans don't understand it. The trip to Nairobi had a purpose, even if it seems it was supposedly so rushed that there wasn't time to stay and see more of the GAFCON gathering. My first question is, "What was the reason for his visit?"
I can think of a range of reasons that may have motivated the very quick dash in and out of Nairobi. One reason could have been a desire to recognize the GAFCON movement as an authentic part of the vitality of global Anglicanism. I think this is less likely, since Archbishop Welby didn't bother to stay even overnight, and his activities immediately before and after were less impressive/significant. And there would still have been ample time to be in England for the baptism of a future king.
He could have come to Nairobi to remind everyone that they were still part of the Anglican Communion and the arch-episcopal see belongs to him. He could have come to size up the group of Primates and show the flag of ecclesiastical empire, perhaps an empire past, but still in many hearts as part of the larger Communion. He could have come to try and dampen the occasion by reminding the primates, as he did in his brief and almost awkward comments, that their real business was bringing people to Christ, and, though it was unspoken, not in meetings dealing with other issues.
One of the interesting things about this less than a one night stand is that on October 17th he had time to meet with Bishop Gene Robinson. The "American Gay Bishop," as Robinson likes to call himself, tweeted about his time having breakfast in Lambeth Palace with Welby and after that Morning Prayer with him in the 13th century chapel.
Then on Sunday, October 20th, Archbishop Welby arrived in Nairobi in the early morning hours (somewhere around 1:00 am) and was scheduled to leave in the evening of the same day. He preached at the 9 am and 11 am services in All Saints' Cathedral, Nairobi, and after the services he attended a lunch meeting hosted by the Primate of Kenya. Present at the luncheon were the primates in attendance at GAFCON 2, including GAFCON primates Bob Duncan, Nicholas Okoh, Tito Xavala, Henri Isingoma, and Eliud Wabukala.
Seated at that luncheon were African Primates who oversee perhaps 2/3 of the entire Sunday attendance of the Anglican Communion - but His Grace had to hurry because the next day, October 21, he had to attend the Porvoo Primates Meeting in Iceland, hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland. He was scheduled to preach at the opening service. His sermon is here. Pictures are here I note that the Lutheran Church of Denmark does same-sex blessings, and the Lutheran Church of Sweden's head bishop, Eva Brunne, is an active lesbian in a registered partner relationship.
I don't think Archbishop Welby came to Nairobi to damage outright the GAFCON Conference - he could have made that attempt from London. But he came for some reason, and he certainly let the Porvoo folks trump his own constituency. Perhaps only Archbishop Welby and a few Lambeth Palace and Anglican Communion Office staffers know why he came, and yet it was made such an awkward in and out visit, and someone felt it necessary to style it not a meeting, when clearly he had at least an informal meeting over lunch with remarks on camera following.
If the Church of England and its top Archbishop continue the theological direction and accommodation to the culture that seems likely, the Archbishop of Canterbury will lose more and more ability to call meetings himself and have the whole communion pay attention or come, or even to keep his own land safe from separations, divisions, and new missionary activity. Because of the British Commonwealth history, evangelical African and Asian Anglican clergy can come into the country and be allowed to work. It is difficult for the United Kingdom to keep them out, and if they start storefront churches it will not be long before they and orthodox Church of England clergy begin to rebuild a faithful church. I do believe that the British Isles and the Continent can be re-evangelized.
Over a thousand years ago, evangelists came out of Ireland to establish the Gospel of Jesus Christ in parts of the British Isles and the Continent that never had it, or where it had grown dim and flickered. The next wave of evangelists is waiting for their sending "churches to say, "Go!" Justin Welby must needs decide whether he wants to be with the culture which is dying, or the catholic and clear faith which is waiting on stage right and which is the future.
It would seem that Archbishop Welby's Christian and Anglican credentials are absolutely intact and that further, he is a product of Holy Trinity, Brompton, home of the Alpha program which so many of us have used and applaud. There is the feeling, however, that the desire to accommodate the practice of the church to the deteriorating secular culture rather than to take a stand for the historic Christian faith could lead to business as usual with a dismal outcome, instead of the victorious future that the Lord deserves.
Archbishop Welby has a very important role to play in global Anglicanism. Please pray that his orthodox tendencies will prevail over the pull of the accommodationists within the Church of England, and that he will be fully present for the next GAFCON, whenever that is.
Blessings and Peace in Jesus,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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Dear Friends in Christ,
 | | Canon Ashey |
Although I have just returned from Nairobi and have much to say about GAFCON II and the GAFCON movement going forward, today I want to express my thanks and gratitude for the life of +John-David Schofield, who went home to Jesus this week at the age of 75.
I had a unique opportunity to see the impact of his life and ministry on others when I followed him as Rector of St. Columba's Episcopal Church and Retreat House, Inverness CA. For many years +John-David served there as Rector and Spiritual Director of the Retreat House. His love for people matched his love for Jesus Christ as he poured his life, day and night, into their lives. I cannot count the number of people in Inverness and well beyond who travelled every Sunday to hear him preach, teach and provide spiritual direction. He spent much time in Inverness and Point Reyes walking about in his cassock - greeting, welcoming, sharing Christ, and praying for people on the spot. Marin County, California, was at that time quite avante garde culturally and politically, so +John-David's views were not always welcome. But the love of Jesus Christ and the joy that he exuded won him the respect even of his detractors.
He was quite simply a holy man of God who faithfully said his prayers and faithfully cared for his people as a good "under-shepherd" of Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. As a celibate monastic, he gave his life and time away freely to others as needed - and seemingly without limit. I had the privilege of observing first-hand the lives whose wreck he had helped to turn to the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. I heard first-hand the testimonies of those who came to know Christ through his witness, who experienced profound inner healing and went on through his spiritual direction to deeper discipleship through the great catholic disciplines and habits of heart that we have inherited as Anglicans.
It was quite challenging to follow a living legend. As a very young priest and first-time Rector, I was overly confident in what I thought I knew, and not as aware of the realities of the typical dynamics and conflicts of church life. Even though he was now the Bishop of San Joaquin, and a diocese away, he always made time for my phone calls asking for counsel about whatever challenges I was encountering. I found him unfailingly encouraging, affirming and always with time for prayer.
Stepping into the role he defined as a Spiritual Director was also not easy. But he left behind so many helps and resources. I still remember finding the Prayer Book in the "Lady Chapel" where he heard confessions. Inside he had printed the various and typical sins for which people came to him for confession. Underneath each sin he listed multiple Bible verses that provided, as penance, divinely inspired and comforting words from God himself to those who so needed it. When I left St. Columba's I photocopied those pages from the Prayer Book. +John David's understanding and practice of auricular confession has shaped my understanding and practice of that sacrament.
I remember him once saying to me that if Jesus Christ can be present through the Holy Spirit in the bread and the wine we receive at Holy Communion, surely the Holy Spirit can be alive and active in our own lives as well, personally and directly. His logic was irresistable. It was at the heart of his synthesis of the Anglo-Catholic and the Charismatic streams within orthodox Anglicanism in North America. It shaped his profound understanding of the connection between the sacraments and the healing, transforming power of the Holy Spirit. I pray his unique contribution will not be lost as we bring together all three streams - Anglo-Catholic, Charismatic and Evangelical - in the Anglican Church in North America.
Here was a man who lived fully into Paul's exhortation in Philippians 4:4-7: "Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!..." With joy and gentleness, with confidence and peace in Christ, with intercession and thanksgiving he served His Lord and others in Jesus'name. Bishop, priest, spiritual director, friend - we shall miss him and his servant leadership so very much.
May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
In Christ,
Phil+
The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
Chief Operating and Development Officer, American Anglican Council
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The 39 Articles: The Person of Jesus
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As we continue on through the 39 Articles of Religion, Canon Ashey focuses today on the person of Jesus as described in the final section of Article II:
II. Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man.
The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and of one substance with the Father, took Man's nature in
the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect Natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person,
never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men. View this week's Anglican Perspective here.
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GAFCON 2013 ends with commitment in Nairobi
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More than 1300 Anglican Bishops, clergy and laity have committed themselves to outreach, witness and building networks of orthodox Anglicans around the world.
The delegates at the Global Anglican Future Conference finished a week-long meeting by vowing to expand the activities of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, established after the first GAFCON in 2008.
The conference communique and commitment was worked on by the delegates throughout the week, with input from a meeting of Bishops and Archbishops and mini-conferences on subjects such as marriage and family, Islam, theological education, children and youth, women and Gospel and culture.
"We met with great joy in Nairobi" the statement said and "...reaffirmed our view that we are a global fellowship of confessing Anglicans, engaged in a movement of the Holy Spirit which is both personal and ecclesial." . . .
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Canon Phil Ashey on the Global Anglican Future Conference
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October 28, 2013
The Rev. J. Philip Ashey is the Chief Operating and Development Officer of the American Anglican Council, where he provides legal and canonical advice to churches and pastor care for clergy and other leaders. Listen along as he and Jonathan Armstrong of the Aqueduct Project discuss the Global Anglican Future Conference 2013, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya this last week.
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England: Church facing divide over blessings for same-sex couples
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October 29, 2013
By Edward Malnick and John Bingham
The Church of England is facing a split over proposals to offer a formal blessing for gay couples.
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the former bishop of Rochester, warned on Tuesday that a move to celebrate same-sex relationships in church would be a "red line" for traditionalist parishes. Clergy and lay members of the Church opposed to any relaxation of the rules could reject the authority of any bishops who supported the move, he warned.
His intervention came amid mounting expectation that an official commission examining the Church's teaching on sexuality will recommend the introduction of a formal service for gay couples....
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| Bishop John-David Schofield dead at 75 | Anglican Ink
October 29, 2013
The former Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, the Rt. Rev. John David Schofield has died. He was 75.
In a statement released on the diocesan website on 29 October 2013, the Rt. Rev. Eric Menees, the currenet bishop of San Joaquin wrote that it was with "a heavy heart but a joyful spirit that I must share with you the passing of our beloved brother."
Bishop Schofield "died peacefully at home sometime last night sitting in his favorite green chair and was found this morning by friends," the bishop said. . .
Read the entire article here.
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