Anglican Mainstream South Africa

The Rev Rod Thomas, chairman of the Reform network of evangelicals, said some clergy and congregations may make the “radical” move of secession from the established church because of the liberal direction in which it is moving on women bishops and homosexuality.

He claimed the differences are now so great that there effectively two religions within the church, one liberal and one conservative, and that at least 25 parishes are already seeking “alternative oversight” because their bishop does not share their beliefs in tradition and the Bible.

He said he hoped this could be provided by creating new “religious communities”, by getting conservative bishops from other dioceses to provide oversight, or by employing retired English bishops to take over the care of those who did not want to be led by a liberal prelate.

But Mr Thomas added that if this were not possible, clergy could be consecrated by orthodox Anglican bishops in foreign countries before returning to their parishes - which may then lose their Church of England name.

This has already happened in the USA as clergy have abandoned the ultra-liberal Episcopal Church, which is run by a woman and where an openly gay bishop has been elected and same-sex unions blessed, in favour of churches in Africa and South America.

But it would break the moratorium on “border-crossing” demanded by the Archbishop of Canterbury as part of a rescue plan to save the 80 million-strong Anglican Communion from a complete split.

Speaking during the annual conference of Reform in central London, where the plans are being debated, Mr Thomas said: “We are actively going to take forward the agenda of alternative episcopal oversight. We are no longer able to sit back and wait to see what happens.

“The most radical scenario which I don’t discount, but neither am I saying we are pressing for, is where you have a shortlist of names and ask overseas persons to consecrate them so they cater for individuals in this country.”

He said this option could be triggered by a “crisis” such as the General Synod, the Church of England’s governing body, introducing women bishops without adequate provision for opponents of the innovation, or by a bishop blessing same-sex unions.

Mr Thomas stressed that he hoped an English solution could be found, such as the establishment of “religious communities” to cover entire parishes that did not want to have a female bishop, or existing bishops taking charge of parishes outside their diocesan boundaries.

But he admitted that alternative oversight may mean parishes cease to identify themselves with the Church of England, and instead with the global “fellowship of confessing Anglicans” established by the Gafcon movement of orthodox Anglicans in Jerusalem earlier this year.

The Gafcon organisers have already set up a council of province leaders and are encouraging clergy around the world to sign up to their declaration of faithfulness to scripture.

CEEC deplores the recent deposition of Bishop Bob Duncan and expresses full support for him and sends warm greetings and prayers to him, the Diocese of Pittsburgh and their new home in the province of the Southern Cone.
We endorse the following two statements from six diocesan bishops of the Church of England and Anglican Mainstream.
“We declare that we continue to believe that Bishop Bob is a bishop in the Church of God and a bishop in good standing in the Anglican Communion.”
and
“It is with great sadness that we have learned of the recent vote of TEC House of Bishops to depose the Bishop of Pittsburgh for abandonment of communion. To take such action is hardly in the spirit of the reflections at this year’s Lambeth Conference or the Archbishop of Canterbury’s final presidential address.
“We see this vote as further evidence that The Episcopal Church in the USA in its formal decisions and structures ‘have denied the orthodox faith.’ As the Jerusalem Declaration on behalf of 1100 Anglican church leaders around the world said: ‘We reject the authority of those churches and leaders who have denied the orthodox faith in word or deed. We pray for them and call on them to repent and return to the Lord.’
“Anglicans who adhere to the orthodox faith will continue to welcome and receive the ministry of Bishop Bob Duncan as a faithful Bishop and wish him and the people of the Diocese of Pittsburgh the Lord’s blessing in their faithful witness to the gospel.”

Read here

FROM LISA’S LOOKOUT

October 13th

The article below is noteworthy on four counts.  First, it signals the apparently profound and still-in-existence differences between the sexes in liberated 2008.  Gender turns out not to be such a construct after all.  And trendy young women still seem to be ducking the ‘whore’/’slut’ label and identity.

Second, this FWB (’Friends With Benefits’: regular sex-only partners) is increasingly seen as respectable, and at least not a positively immoral, lifestyle.  The CNN would not warmly describe, say, activity which is perceived as completely beyond the pale (for instance, ‘A Day in the Life of Marc, Slave Owner in Sudan’).  But the FWB phenomenon has managed to make it to first, even second base, aided in huge part by its prevalence and ‘feel-good’ factors, which help to grant some social legitimacy to it.

Third, this article is deeply sad. That women (and men) could settle for FWB - with the requisite social and linguistic manoeuvrings, so as to lessen the unintended negative consequences - and not realise how they will get burned is tragic.  One cannot undo the sexual, psychological and spiritual bonding which occurs in sex. Just because one does not reckon on the price does not mean one will not pay. Moreover, how these FWB are remotely ’friends’ is beyond me:  ‘friends’ in fact are the one thing they are not. Yet such is the euphemistic nomenclature ascribed to them.  Why?

Finally — and I hate to bring it up here but will do so anyway — this article confirms the reality that one of the sexual phenomenas in ‘gay’ culture, that of the f—buddy, is being firmly established in ’straight’ culture, just with a more genteel label and refined etiquette. Norms of sexual libertinism, most advanced and developed across the culture in ’gay’world, are now appearing in wider society. ’How Gay Sex Changed the World’, Channel 4’s recent documentary, boasts such is the case and gives lots of evidence to prove it!  In ‘gay’world, these ‘relationships’ have been called f—buddies; in respectable ’straight’ world, they are called FWB, though even there f—-buddies terminology is surfacing in less formal, more popular spheres now. See for yourself.  Google is a great place to start.

So much for the privileging of the intimate binary psycho-sexual ’relationship’ — we are now into the cultural affirmation of a love-free pure orgasmic experience with FWB (and Friends is rightly in the plural).  And you must not assume that the members of your church are immune from its corrosive touch.   Though few would probably volunteer the information — such matters are still relatively taboo, are they not? — they would know all about it.  Perhaps only too well.

OP-ED: The Proper Way to Be Friends with Benefits
CNN
Judy McGuire October 9, 2008    Hat-tip:  Maggie Gallagher, iMAPP

There are times in every woman’s life where her body wants either what her heart can’t handle or her brain knows better.

Men are seemingly born knowing how to detract emotions from sex, but women can have a harder time of it.

You know the drill — you want a man, but not a relationship. Or, more to the point, you want some loving ['loving'?]  but don’t want the strings attached.

Maybe you’re wildly attracted to a dude physically, but find him mentally or morally lacking — like a tanning technician or a bounty hunter.

There’s no way you’d ever date him, but why should you deny yourself entirely?

Answer: Not a reason in the world.

Negotiating a long-term, friends-with-benefits type situation can be tricky for us ladies.

Dudes are seemingly born knowing how to detract emotions from physical activity. In fact, with many of them, I think it’s their default setting. They can spend the night with a woman and then meander off into the sunset without giving the assignation a second thought.

But women can have a harder time of it. We worry that we’re being “used” (hello? Pot meet Kettle!) or feel like we’re being promiscuous — talk about a double standard!

The trick is to accept what you’ve got with this person and avoid trying to make it something it’ll never be. I’ve certainly been guilty of trying to turn a completely fine FWB into a BF, and the results were predictably disastrous.

So here are some pitfalls to avoid:

* Language: Yes, it helps if he speaks a foreign language you don’t understand, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Pronouns like us or we are to be avoided like an open sore and all talk of plans further into the future than an hour or two away is verboten.

* Meals: Acceptable FWB dining situations include shared bowls of cocktail peanuts, late-night grilled cheese sandwiches, and fancy desserts. Meals to be avoided are breakfast, brunch, dinner, with a special get-out-of-jail free card for lunch.

* Conversation: Questions any more probing than “what are you wearing?” and “when can we meet?” can get a little sticky. Your FWB doesn’t want to hear about your crazy mom and you really don’t want him to start yapping about his Ayn Rand fixation. Keep it light, keep it moving.

* Socializing: He doesn’t meet your friends, you don’t meet his. That goes double for family members. The best thing about having a FWB is that he’s your dirty little secret.

I remember being out with a girlfriend and running into the French-Canadian model I was spending my nights with at the time. He kissed me hello as my friend’s jaw dropped down three flights of stairs. Blushing, I introduced him to my buddy who was still having trouble recovering her powers of speech. As he walked away, she punched me. Hard. “Shut up!” she yelled. I just smiled.

On second thought, if he’s that hot you might want to bring him around just for a drive-by.

Posted in From Lisa’s Lookout10 Gay Marriage10 Homosexuality10 Social justice | No Comments »

My family has supported a little girl through Tearfund for a decade or so and I have flown Tearfund’s flag and donated to it in various ways over the years. No more, however. I redirected our sponsorship from Tearfund to another Christian group which, I am told, will be able to continue to support our child in South America.  I am grateful to Tearfund for facilitating my request. I would have hated to abandon our sponsored child, but as Tearfund now presents itself, I have lost heart to support it. I had no desire to go down this path but felt I had no choice, because of both the Desmond Tutu [right, photo from Tearfund's site] and Cliff Richard affairs but also because of what they represent more broadly. And Tearfund does not appear to understand.

What exactly is my problem?  Okay, so Desmond Tutu is one of the most vocal gay rights activists on the globe today!  He did not speak about homosexuality at Tearfund’s event, but concentrated upon encouraging the church to fight poverty.  Having just spent a week or so in Uganda, where some horrific instances of poverty came very close to home, I could not agree more.

However, there is far more at stake here than simple issues of joining hands to fight poverty.  If Tutu were, say, a leading figure in cutting-edge responses to poverty but also a rabid racist (or publicly affirmative of some other immoral activity or belief system), would Tearfund have made the same judgment call?  Would it have agreed to set the racism issue to one side and concentrate upon common ground, i.e. concern for the poor? I think not, and rightly so, because it would have known that it was tacitly condoning - or at least accepting - completely unacceptable, nonChristian views. I think the same holds true here.

If Tutu’s moral views were not known around the globe, perhaps this would have made for a different outcome for me. But given the ‘facts on the ground’, to ask him to speak speaks volumes in itself. Moreover, Tearfund did not distance itself from his moral views. In a letter to me, I was informed that

‘Whilst there may be issues where we respectfully hold different views, we are united in our passion to see poverty and injustice tackled and for the local church to play a greater role in that effort …

Tearfund recognises that sexuality is a complex and divisive issue for the Church. It is largely a theological issue with widely different perspectives held within the Church and beyond it.’

Read More………….

Why are the evangelical bishops so silent? - Andrew Carey

October 6th, 2008 Posted in News |

HERNDON, VA: Canadian Theologian J.I. Packer :
Covenant Dead on Arrival. New NA Province a Must. Williams Must Resign.
Future of Anglican Communion in Doubt

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
9/29/2008

You would think that British-born theologian Dr. J. I. Packer - a man with impeccable Anglican credentials, multiple accolades, numerous books and now in his 82nd year — might just be permitted to kick back and listen to Jazz music (his favorite), write more theological tomes and exempt himself from the current culture wars in the Anglican Communion.

Not a chance.

The distinguished octogenarian Canadian, Anglican, theologian, teacher, author and priest, has experienced the culture wars first hand. At the age of 81 and with more than 60 years as a priest in the Church of England and the Anglican Church of Canada, he experienced the shock of being defrocked by a revisionist Canadian Anglican bishop and then re-ordained by an orthodox Anglican Archbishop from another jurisdiction.

A lesser man might have had heart failure and shuffled off to glory.

But this thoughtful, quiet, seemingly under-stated theologian has a rod of iron spine and a clarity of vision and purpose about the gospel and church that shines forth from the pages of his books, from his life, from the pulpit and from within the sometimes messy confines of a press conference.

In Virginia, this past weekend, he was the keynote speaker at the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) ( a division of CANA’s) second annual Synod Council at the Church of the Epiphany in Herndon. Packer ripped a proposed covenant that would include “heretics” as an unworkable solution to holding the Anglican Communion together, saying that a North American Anglican Province was absolutely necessary for orthodox Anglicans in the US and Canada.

He hinted darkly that the GAFCON Primates might be forced to form their own Anglican Communion, free of the heresies of Western Anglicanism sunk in the mire of Tillichian Christianity foisted on the West by the German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher.

“Because of liberalism, the sort of liberalism that came into the church from the end of the 19th century into the 20th century, it was never challenged and corrected. If there is a weakness in historic Anglicanism it is a willingness to tolerate the intolerable and that has betrayed us. Tillich’s position affected all the seminaries of North America. This is where we are today in the West.”

In the pulpit and at a later press conference where VOL posed a number of questions, Packer put into perspective what he saw as the current state of affairs in the Anglican Communion today.

Question: What hope do you have in a Covenant as a solution to holding the Anglican Communion together?

Packer: I don’t think it can be the solution as the matter is being handled from Canterbury, because the Covenant is being handled to include and provide for the heretics in the church and de facto what is coming out of the hopper is being drafted to keep everyone inside who are also outside of historic diocesan structures.

The liberals are maintaining positions not tolerable and need to be explicitly excluded in any future working basis. I am not thrilled at the process going on. From Rowan Williams’ standpoint nothing else needs to be done. His position sympathizes with the heretics and he doesn’t want appear to be dragging his feet. He doesn’t want to see Anglicanism restructured or redefined so as to leave those people out. He encourages the covenant process, at the same time the covenant will be exclusive of some.

(Historically) what happened in the 19th century is that bishops and the archbishops of Canterbury began a pattern of tolerance with a standard of tolerance that became (over time) a virulent liberalism because of the teaching of (German-American) theologian Paul Tillich. Episcopal leadership has been ruined from that day to this.

This has been going on in TEC and CofE for the last half century and is something like suicide. It is a process of ensuring that the life is drained out of the church and the leaders do this by encouraging various forms of liberalism. This does not communicate life and it doesn’t build up congregations, it only weakens and shrinks them.

Question: Are you in favor of a new Anglican province in North America?

Packer: Yes, I am and I hope that the movement that is underway is a non-geographic one both for the U.S. and Canada. I believe it is going to succeed. We must make it succeed. I hope it would be recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It will certainly be recognized by the majority of primates of the Anglican Communion.

(CANA missionary Bishop Martyn Minns said he hopes the Communion will recognize it. He said it would function like a province and work coherently and be recognized by GAFCON groups. Asked about a time line, Minns said a proposal would be submitted to the GAFCON Primates Council by the end of this year. It will be a short time line. By early next year recognition will come, he said.)

Question: What is your opinion of the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury? Do you have any regrets calling for the resignation of Rowan Williams?

Packer: The Archbishop of Canterbury is an honest man and by being honest he has positioned himself over a barrel, and as long as he is the ABC he will be over the barrel. Is it comfortable? No. Is it helpful for the world Anglican fellowship? Again, no.

Yes, he has admitted before becoming ABC that he said and did things, which sanctioned gay unions. When he become ABC, he said as far as the gospel is concerned, he was going to fulfill the role of the champion of Anglican order and the Lambeth Conference.

The ‘98 conference declared itself categorically against homosexual unions and homosexual activity and anonymous marriage and the ABC said he must and will uphold the standard. But his moral credibility is shot. The gay way is ruinous in all sorts of ways. Anglicans have rightly to be concerned about this.

Personally he is not in a position to being himself or to encourage or bring discipline on bishops with such a point of view that he embraces himself. So he is over a barrel. It seems to me the best way out that the Holy Scripture recommends as wisdom is that following this Lambeth, he should be finished as archbishop and move back into the academic world. He is a fine scholar. There are many institutions that would be glad to have him on their faculties.

Question (from VOL): Do you see GAFCON as a possible alternative Anglican Communion?

Packer: Speaking very cautiously, the answer is yes. One possibility will be that the orthodox Anglican communities will be organized in a fellowship which has GAFCON roots and has as its center the leadership of the Primates.

The churches of the old West are unable to enter that circle. We cannot walk together with heretics. These folk in the northern western world are heretics. What that means for the Church of England and provinces deeply infected with a lesser form of liberalism and what that means for the churches of North America is beyond me to guess. There is a sorting out going on and we shall all come out of the hopper better.

Question: What is your assessment of the Charismatic Movement?

Packer: I have assessed the Charismatic Movement and taking and looking at it piece by piece, the Charismatics really believe in exuberant praise. Praising the Lord is a central aspect of worship. It is a delightful activity, a powerful activity and the effect is charismatic. Am I cool to the charismatic movement? Oh no, I am not cool to the Charismatic Movement. I am very grateful for it, because it brought praise and giving glory to God. It is a group, corporate and needed in our personal lives. We need the Charismatic Movement to come and show us that.

Asked by VOL if this was a paradigm shift in his thinking from his Reformed theology, Packer said no. “This is not a paradigm shift. We (evangelicals) are not in the habit of giving glory to God. Charismatics help us emphasize the glory of God.

Question: Do you have any words of encouragement for the Diocese of Pittsburgh?

Packer: I have three words, VOTE FOR IT. Pittsburgh will be No. 3 diocese to leave The Episcopal Church. I hope they do come under Archbishop of the Southern Cone into a world of sunshine and peace.

Question: Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori says there are no goats, all are saved. Do you believe that?

Packer: Bishops should be guided by the teaching of the Bible. The Bible standard is that the human condition is lost and that we are without Christ. The Bible recognizes that there are those who are not saved. All of that determines our view. Faith in Christ is the path of salvation and without faith in Christ we are not in position to say anyone is saved.

DURING the course of his sermon, Dr. Packer said the following things that VOL believes are quotable and usable quotes:

“Our calling is be faithful and energetic in our walking and keep on keeping on…it is a life of steady walking…”

“We are walking home to heaven. We walk in company in, with, and under the Lord Jesus Christ…”

“The life of communion with God and with Christ is the path of holiness…”

“There are three questions we must ask when we read Scripture: “What does this tell me about God? What does it tell me about life’s ups and downs, and what does this to say to me about my life today.”

“Theology is for everyone…it is thinking together under the authority of scripture. It means we have access to God and we believe in the sovereignty of the living God.”

“The glory of the Trinity as the divine team - Father Son and Holy Spirit…we praise the Trinity. ”

“The sinfulness of sin cannot be over-emphasized. The world is convinced that the individual is basically good. We need to hammer away that we are sinners and the gospel is Good News for bad people.”

“The Gospel stresses the sinfulness of sin and stresses the glory of Jesus Christ. He is loving, serving, ministering and going to the cross to bear our sins away.”

“Don’t be afraid of penal substitution…it is Christ in our place…”

“Penal means he endures the penalty of our sin. He takes the sort of separation from God that impenitent sinners face. He bears this.

“The lord lays on him the iniquity of us all…”

“Our guilt goes to him. His righteousness…and we start over with God…our sins are forgiven…our past is blotted out…”

“Stress the graciousness of his salvation…the supernaturalness of his church of being born again.

“Stress that God moves to draw near to us…”

“The hope of heaven should be stressed…”

“Stress the glory of God in creation, providence and grace.”

“Glory is God’s self disclosure.”

“Praise to God for the praiseworthiness He deserves…God is adorable let us praise His name.”

Packer said that catechizing had fallen out of use in teaching children. Kids can learn the basics of the faith from the age of 3. They can learn what their heavenly father can do.

“Christian doctrine is not a series of abstractions….”

“We become life-long teachers and life-long learners…”

“You never come to the end of the realities that Scripture presents to us. Keep learning and keep on applying what you learn to life.”

ON BISHOPS: “When bishops are good value, they are very good value. When bishops become heretical, then parallel jurisdictions become favorable. As tensions increase for faithful Anglican congregations, they must come under helpful new bishops.”

“Bishops are overseers of pastoral ministry in stated areas. That used to be the Anglican way. Episcopal oversight has had to be set up geographically alongside of Anglican pastoral structures in the same geographic area because of the present situation.”

ON METHODS OF TEACHING:

“Monologue is basic.”
“Q & A is the form of catechetical answer.”

ON THE PRESENT SITUATION:

“I have re-aligned. CANA is part of the realignment. We are being overseen by Southern part of South America…”

“God is using the present situation to squeeze the liberal leadership out of the Anglican Communion…”

“We need to restore a sense of mission in a truly pagan world…”

“We are to be counter cultural…”

“We are called to live as the Early Church did…in the world we won’t be understood.”

“We are new creatures in Christ…”

“I see this as a temporary phase until Anglicanism restored to its former glory.”

END

VIRTUEONLINE in syndication with Anglican-TV will now air videos of stories where possible to allow readers both to read and see for themselves what leaders of the Anglican Communion have to say on the issues of the day. Working together VOL and Anglican-TV will bring you the best and the latest news.

VOL has posted three videos of Dr. Packer speaking to the Synod Council of the Anglican District of Virginia: They include his keynote address, Q&A, and a press conference as soon as they become available.

David W. Virtue, President, VirtueOnline
Kevin Kallsen, Founder, Anglican-TV