There is a video on YouTube about one of the Anglican congregations in the Jerusalem diocese and the work it does at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQZQZLP6eHc

For me, it has more to say about mission, and indeed our Global Anglican Future, than anything I have so far heard from GAFCON.

BTW The Age journalist's name is "Zwartz"

Fixed, thanks, sorry
Simon

No doubt Archbishop Jensen makes many enlightened Sydneysiders cringe each time he opens his ignorant mouth. He is a modern-day Flogging Parson!

David Virtue has been gathering information about Changing Attitude England and Nigeria this week. The result can now be read at http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=7404

Why has he published these lies about Changing Attitude and gay people and this attack against me now? Is it because the announcement of GAFCON has been such a disaster for the conservatives, showing the splits and power struggles that are driven by Archbishop Akinola and Bishop Martyn Minns. They are trying to divert attention from their own serious problems.

David Virtue has a reputation as a very prejudiced reporter who has a record for getting things wrong and making stuff up, as well as having very, very bigoted and prejudiced ideas, especially against gay people.

David Virtue has picked on me today repeating all those old lies and smear campaigns started against me by the Ven. Tunde Popoola, the Director of Communications of the Church of Nigeria, which he has been falsely publishing since 2005. I met David Virtue in Dar Es Salaam at the Primates Meeting and we had a long conversation together. He knows who I am and the truth about me. Now has modified Tunde’s lies and made up new falsehoods about me. Since I won’t allow him to feel important I have refused to respond to him but I am angry that the conservatives continue to tell lies about me and CAN.

The Conger article, or at least the part of it posted at Anglican Mainstream, raises an interesting question. Apparently, the Archbishop was asked in a radio interview on December 19 about a possible pre-Lambeth conservative gathering. That was a week or so before the press release of GAFCON. It causes me to wonder what the Archbishop knew, and when did he know it. It also causes me to wonder what he would say now, now that the GAFCON agenda is public.

Davis,
Don't worry about the David Virtue article. They can only publish this nonsense in their own circles because everyone else knows by now that Tunde has never ever provided a shred of evidence for his slander.

You're right, it isn't worth replying to.

Davis

We can spark uproar by insisting that they name only one person as the "evil one" incarnate. There seems to be a plague of them right now.

Endure and have faith.

Reread Micah 4. They think they are winning as they gather together the masses from the nations. They say “Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

Davis, they thought their bold move would put them in the lead. It did separate them from the rest of the pack, and now others who thought they were safe from their abuse can now understand why Zion moved to make souls such as yourself safe from their abuse. For when abuse is condoned against one, it becomes tolerable for the masses. Like the camp of Korech, God has drawn together the bickerers, others who still fear God are drawing back.

"But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, he who gathers them like sheaves to the threshing floor." Zion was ordained to arise and thresh, God’s polished arrow hidden in his quiver (see Isaiah 49).

Zechariah 8:14-23 While God might have brought disaster and shown no pity, so now God is “…determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,”.... many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem…”

Micah 4:6-8 In these days the Lord gathers the lame, assembles the exiles and all those God had brought to grief. “The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”

The heart of Jerusalem is the Daughter of Zion. She chooses her mate, and her support is predicated on him honoring her covenants. Our children will be raised in peace and tyranny will be far removed (see Isaiah 54). Even beasts and eunuchs are covered by covenants and, for those with faith, sap arises from the root stock of Jesse so they are no longer dry trees (Isaiah 56:3).

Re: the Conger article -- it does sound as if the ABC was better informed about GAFCON meeting in Jerusalem than the Bishop in Jerusalem was!

Also, I have to agree with Bishop Iker -- further discussions with him are not going to change anything -- that is rather the point.

Fr. Mark Harris on Preludium quotes an interview with the PB of the Province of the Southern Cone, +Gregory Venables, printed in the ACC Newsletter.

This is how Fr. Harris, a member of TEC's Executive Council, sees the situation as it relates to GAFCON, and how +Venables relates to this planned conference prior to Lambeth 2008:

"(+Venables) has determined that the Anglican Communion has unraveled. He has determined that the Primates who count (the Global South Anglicans Steering Committee and a few others) are the power to contend with, not the Archbishop of Canterbury... He considers himself in a self-appointed guardianship role, along with the so called orthodox Primates, able to determine just who is part of the historic biblical faith.

"Along with Archbishop Akinola and several others he will have a fully owned subsidiary of the Province of the Southern Cone in the United States."

The only charity to benefit from +Venables and +Akinola's invasion of the U.S. will be the well-financed attorneys fighting in the U.S. courts over which province, TEC, the Southern Cone or CANA holds title to the church properties of the seceding Diocese of San Joaquin (to be followed in due course by Fort Worth and Pittsburgh), not to mention the divided Diocese of Virginia, with +Akinola's agent, Mr. Minns, claiming propertties worth millions of U.S. dollars.

Why isn't the Church of England in South Africa ( CESA) invited to GAFCON...is it because it has lay presidency, taken the word Catholic out of the creeds and has church plants in Central Africa, an "Orthodox" province.

CESA is very much the offspring of Sydney...so why are they not at the table...would it upset the African component and antagonise the Anglo-Catholics?

"the Sydney Archbishop said American Anglicans had become missionaries for homosexuality"

Apparently the Sydney Archbishop is one of those whom one knows is lying because his lips are moving...

Lord have mercy!

Never mind the Mind of the Communion, we might mind that the Mind of the Lord has spoken!

http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/01/gafcon-mind-of-lord-happens.html

The GAFCON website now includes the invitation that +Duncan has extended to all the CCP bishops, issued on Jan 6th. An explicit invitation to Jerusalem, despite +Dawani's concerns and before +Akinola and +Jensen had met to speak with him (supposedly during this week).

The letter states:
"The Primate or Moderator of each Province is responsible for providing the list of invitees to the leadership team"

Does this mean that every Primate gets to choose who is invited? Will there be Primates who will not get to choose? Will anyone from his province then be able to attend? What if a Primate chooses not to provide a list; does anyone from his province then get to go?

The letter also states:
"Each bishop will be responsible for his own expenses, and that of his wife, for travel, accommodation, meals and conference fees."

Having said that, there's now a Paypal facility on the site where one can donate to the conference!

And finally:
"A conference maximum of 1000 is the present constraint."

Constrained how? By the conference venue and accomodation that was pre-booked ages ago?