Thinking Anglicans

Opinion – 31 May 2017

Richard Beck Experimental Theology How to See an Old Church

Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The insidious nature of systemic homophobic prejudice at the heart of the respectable church

Justin Gau a sermon preached at St John’s College Cambridge Kingdom Values…Mercy
There is an audio recording and a transcript.

27 Comments

Opinion – 27 May 2017

Michael Curry Thy Kingdom Come (video)
[released to mark the start of the Thy Kingdom Come global wave of prayer]

Archdruid Eileen Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Failed Church Advertising Slogans

Charles Clapham pneuma When leadership fails: Holman Hunt and ‘The Hireling Shepherd’

John Turner Patheos John Donne, Redone

Rhonda Waters Anglican Journal Let’s ask the hard questions

Charlotte Bannister-Parker ViaMedia.News Walking Beside Our Neighbour

2 Comments

Church of Scotland apologises and moves towards same-sex marriage

The (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland has issued this press release: Assembly agrees apology to gay people and accepts same sex marriage report.

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has approved an apology to gay people for the history of discrimination they have faced in the Church.

Commissioners also approved a report which could pave the way to allow some ministers to conduct same sex marriages in the future.

The text of this press release is copied in full below the fold.

Some press coverage of this:

Guardian Harriet Sherwood Church of Scotland in step towards conducting same-sex marriages

BBC Kirk’s General Assembly moves towards allowing gay marriage

The Herald Kirk backs same sex marriage in church, and formal apology to LGBT people and a leader column: Kirk takes step in the right direction

The Scotsman Kirk agrees to apologise for failing to recognise gay people and Leader comment: Kirk is right to apologise

Christian Today Church of Scotland apologises for discrimination against gay people, moves toward accepting gay marriage

(more…)

13 Comments

General Synod timetable – July 2017

Updated 2 July to incorporate revised tiemtable

The Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York from Friday July 7 until Monday July 11. The outline timetable is available here, and is copied below. The full agenda will be published with the first release of papers on Friday June 16.

revised timetable

GENERAL SYNOD: JULY 2017
Timetable

Friday 7 July
2.30 pm – 7.00 pm
2.30 pm Opening worship
Introduction and welcomes
Response on behalf of ecumenical guests
3.15 pm Report by the Business Committee
3.45 pm Debate on a motion from the Archbishops “After the General Election, a still small voice of calm”
4.45 pm Legislative Business Amending Canon No. 36 – Final Drafting
5.05 pm Approval of appointment to the Archbishops’ Council
5.25 pm Church Commissioners Annual Report – Presentation under Standing Order 107 followed by Q&A
*6.00 pm Questions
7.00 pm Close of business
Worship

Saturday 8 July
7.30 am Holy Communion in the Berrick Saul Theatre
8.15 am House of Bishops meeting to approve the final form of Amending Canons Nos. 36 and 37

9.00 am – 12.30 pm
9.00 am Morning worship
9.15 am Presentation from the House of Bishops on the Proposals for the Pastoral Advisory Group on Human Sexuality and the development of the Teaching Document – Presentation under S.O. 107 followed by Q&A
10.15 am Report from the Mission and Public Affairs Council on the Presence and Engagement Interfaith programme
*11.00 Legislative Business Legislative Reform Measure – Final Drafting / Final Approval
11.45 Legislative Business Statute Law (Repeals) Measure – Final Drafting/Final Approval
12.00 Legislative Business Pensions (Pre-consolidation) Measure – Final Drafting / Final Approval
*12.10 Introductory Session: National Support for Local Churches – Presentation under Standing Order 107

12.30 pm – 2.30 pm
Lunch

Synod members meet in groups from 2.30 pm – 4.00 pm
2.30 pm Workshops on Forms of National Support for Local Churches

4.30 pm – 7.00 pm
4.30 pm Report from the Archbishops’ Council on National Support for Local Churches
5.45 pm Private Member’s Motion – Conversion Therapy
7.00 pm Close of business
Worship

8.30 pm Meeting of the House of Laity

Sunday 9 July

10.00 am Holy Communion in York Minster

2.30 pm – 7.00 pm
2.30 pm Diocesan Synod Motion – Welcoming Transgender People
3.45 pm Interim Report on the Review of the Crown Nominations Commission – Presentation under S.O. 107 followed by Q&A
4.30 pm Report from the House of Clergy on a Covenant for Clergy Wellbeing
5.45 pm
EITHER
Meetings of the House of Laity and Convocations from 5.45-7.00 pm [including evening worship]
OR
Private Member’s Motion – Schools Admissions Code
7.00 pm Close of business
Worship

Monday 10 July
9.00 am – 12.30 pm
9.00 am Morning worship
9.15 am Diocesan Synod Motion – Cost of Applying for Citizenship
10.30 am Report from the Elections Review Group
10.50 am Presentation from the Elections Review Group Presentation under S.O. 107 followed by Q&A
11.50 pm Legislative Business (ctd …) Amending Canon No. 36 – Final Approval

12.30 pm – 2.30 pm
Lunch

2.30 pm – 5.00 pm
2.30 pm Archbishops’ Council’s Annual Report 2016 – Presentation under S.O. 106 followed by Q&A
3.00 pm Archbishops’ Council’s Budget for 2018
4.00 pm Amending Canon No. 37 – Final Approval
*4.30 pm Farewells
*5.00 pm Prorogation

Contingency Business
Private Members’ Motion: Schools Admission Code
Diocesan Synod Motion: Food wastage

Deemed Items
The Archbishops’ Council Audit Committee Annual Report
Report from the Standing Orders Committee on the amendments to the Standing Orders required in connection with the Legislative Reform Measure and other matters
Miscellaneous Provisions Measure
Payments to the CCT Order
Fees Orders

* not later than
Please note that all timings are indicative unless marked with an asterisk

6 Comments

Report from May House of Bishops

The English House of Bishops has issued this brief summary of their meeting held this week.

Report from May House of Bishops
24 May 2017

The House of Bishops met at Bishopthorpe Palace on 22-23 May; on the Tuesday morning prayers were said for all those affected by the Manchester bombing.

Bishops in the House of Lords (Lords Spiritual) met ahead of the full meeting to look at the parliamentary term ahead, particularly in light of the General Election.

A new approach to delegation, new outline proposals for selection for ministry and draft bishops’ guidelines on ordination training were all discussed and approved. The House also agreed that the Faith and Order Commission (FAOC) could publish a document from the Joint Working Group with the Methodist Church to allow both churches to discuss it further over the coming year.

The House discussed next steps on human sexuality. This included progress on work, announced by the Archbishops after February’s General Synod, to establish a group to produce a Teaching Document and to set up a Pastoral Advisory Group. The meeting also looked at safeguarding policy and a FAOC theology paper on this area, along with a discussion on the work of the National Safeguarding Steering Group.

6 Comments

Church Commissioners publish results for 2016

The Church Commissioners for England announced today publication of their 2016 financial results and annual report. Their press release is copied below the fold.

You can download the 2016 report here. There are also reports for earlier years and an annual review focussing on some of the projects they have funded and supported over the past 12 months.

Press reports

Simon Goodley The Guardian Church of England made stunning 17% return on investments in 2016

BBC News Church of England fund sees ‘stellar’ returns

John Plender Financial Times Church of England delivers divine returns

Peter Smith Financial Times Church of England fund becomes top world performer

(more…)

16 Comments

Opinion – 20 May 2017

Marie Griffith Religion & Politics Healing a House Divided: An Interview with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
The Episcopal Café has published some highlights from the interview.

Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Shifting questions, changing virtues

Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Fear of Hell Fire

The catholicity and covenant blog responds to the Credible Bishops paper [see here].
Credible bishops or catholic episcopate?
Credible Bishops – a liberal Protestant understanding of episcopacy

To mark Christian Aid Week, the leaders of the three main political parties write exclusively for the Church Times on the importance of international development: A joint commitment to our neighbours overseas

David Pocklington and Frank Cranmer Law & Religion UK Bishops sans frontières
Frank Cranmer Law & Religion UK More on the objection to an episcopal election in the Anglican Church of Canada

12 Comments

Opinion – 17 May 2017

Robert Atwell Church of England God in fragments: how worship can unlock memory

Stephen Bullivant of St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London has published this report: The “No Religion” Population of Britain.
Harriet Sherwood of The Guardian and Olivia Rudgard of The Telegraph have both written about the report.
[direct link to the full report (20 page pdf)]

36 Comments

More comments following the Jesmond consecration

Adrian Hilton has written at Archbishop Cranmer that Justin Welby is not a heretic, he’s a very faithful Anglican.

This is a detailed rebuttal of claims made by Bishop Martin Morrison of the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (who presided over the irregular consecration of Jonathan Pryke as bishop in Jesmond on 2nd May). I recommend reading all of it.

Paul Williams Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham writes Gospel unity in uncertain times.

…Recent events here in England have, once again, illustrated the scale of that challenge. In one parish a clergyman (holding a licence from the Bishop of Newcastle) has, we are told, been consecrated as a bishop outside of the structures and pattern of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. The rights and wrongs of that decision will no doubt occupy much debate online and elsewhere and it is important to acknowledge that the Church of England, like churches across the world, is facing challenges – and this is certainly not the first time in our history that we have faced a move such as this.

But it is time now to draw a line in the sand and ask whether unilateral actions such as this will help the cause of the gospel in our nation. I have no doubt that this is the motive behind the recent irregular ordination of a bishop, however, I believe we live at a time of extraordinary opportunity for the Church of England and therefore this is no time to be distracted by further fragmentation….

Lee Gatiss at Church Society has published Topical Tuesday: A Call to Steadfastness

…The vast majority of Conservative evangelicals in the Church of England are not about to go anywhere, or do anything wild. They are united around the agenda of staying in and fighting on, for the glory of God and the good of England. Yes, a very small number are in AMiE (though they have ambitious plans for growth, with which we wish them well and for which we pray); and one perplexingly idiosyncratic church has gone a bit rogue by making its curate into a bishop. They get all the headlines, while the Church Society approach continues to be the main game, supported by the Bishop of Maidstone, Rod Thomas; by those who speak for us in GAFCON meetings such as our President, Wallace Benn; by the next generation of ministers in our Junior Anglican Evangelical Conference; and by many others in churches up and down the country who are thinking every week not about the latest political game or ecclesiastical twitterstorm, but about using the still vast opportunities given to us within the Church of England for reaching out, building up, and sending people into the harvest field. So today, we in Church Society reaffirm our commitment to working within the structures of the Church of England, for reform and renewal, and the re-evangelisation of our spiritually needy land…

1 Comment

Canadians decline to consecrate as bishop a former AMiA priest

The Anglican Journal reports: Worley will not serve as bishop of Caledonia, rules provincial HoB

The Rev. Jake Worley, elected bishop of the diocese of Caledonia April 22, will not be consecrated, after a ruling by the House of Bishops of the ecclesiastical province of British Columbia and Yukon.

“As the Provincial House has registered its objection, the Rev. Worley will not be consecrated bishop in the Diocese of Caledonia in the Anglican Church of Canada,” reads a statement released Monday, May 15 by the national office of the Anglican Church of Canada. The statement specifies that, according to the canons (church laws) of the province, the decision is final. The diocese will now proceed to hold another synod to elect another bishop, it adds.

Last month’s election was held to find a successor for Bishop William Anderson, who announced in late 2015 his plans to retire.

The house’s decision has to do with Worley’s views on his involvement with the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), a collection of theologically conservative churches that was originally a mission of the Anglican Province of Rwanda.

In 2007, Worley, who was born and raised in the U.S., planted a church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as a missionary for the Anglican Province of Rwanda. (At some point after Worley left, that church joined the Anglican Church in North America, another grouping of conservative Anglican churches.)

The bishops began to discuss Worley’s views after a review of his service for AMiA, which, according to the statement, he performed “under license from the Province of Rwanda in the geographical jurisdiction of The Episcopal Church without permission of the Episcopal Church.”

“After many open and prayerful conversations, the majority of the House concluded that within the past five years the Rev. Worley has held—and continues to hold—views contrary to the Discipline of the Anglican Church of Canada,” Archbishop John Privett, metropolitan of the province, is quoted as saying.

According to the canons of the diocese, the House of Bishops can object to the election of a bishop if “he or she teaches or holds or has within five years previously taught or held anything contrary to the Doctrine or Discipline of the Anglican Church of Canada.”

“The view he held and holds is that it is acceptable and permissible for a priest of one church of the Anglican Communion to exercise priestly ministry in the geographical jurisdiction of a second church of the Anglican Communion without the permission of the Ecclesiastical Authority of that second church,” Privett continues.

The bishops made their decision, according to the statement, after they “reviewed the Rev. Worley’s past actions, what he has written directly to the House, and what he said when meeting with the Provincial House of Bishops.”

The bishops, the statement says, met several times after Worley’s election last month, to “review the materials before them” and meet with Worley.

The statement concludes with a request by the House of Bishops for prayers, “especially for the Worley family, for the Diocese of Caledonia and all those who worship and minister there.”

Neither Privett nor Worley was immediately available for comment as of press time.

51 Comments

Jesmond: new style bishops explained

Updated Monday evening

Jesmond Parish Church has written a Q and A document about its reasons for the episcopal consecration. This was handed out in church this morning. The full text is copied below the fold.

Today’s Sunday programme on BBC Radio carried an interview with David Holloway, and this was followed by a discussion in which the participants were Gavin Ashenden and Ian Paul. You can hear that by following this link and going forward 32 minutes. The BBC headlines the item as ‘Breakaway Anglican Church’.

Update
Christian Today reports that:

A spokeswoman for John Sentamu told Christian Today: ‘The Archbishop of York has been informed by the Bishop of Newcastle that a minister who holds her licence in that diocese has been made bishop in a ceremony held under the auspices of an overseas Church.

‘All clergy of the Church of England are bound by Canon Law, which forms part of the law of the land.

‘Whilst the facts of the matter are being investigated it is not possible to say how what has happened relates to Canon Law so it would not be appropriate at this point to offer further comment.’

(more…)

48 Comments

Jesmond's episcopal consecration: more links

Updated Saturday evening

The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of S.A. has issued this Statement on the Jesmond Consecration.

The Anglican Church League has issued this statement: The Jesmond Consecration and Mark Thompson of _Moore Theological College in Sydney has written thjs about The Jesmond Consecration.

Andy Walton has written: Why now? The deeply strange timing of the renegade conservative Anglicans.

Ian Paul wrote: Should evangelicals be embarrassed by Newcastle?

Philip Jones writes about A Rogue Bishop. He thinks that the Monarch has to be involved to create a bishop in England.

The local newspaper the Newcastle Chronicle has a report: Newcastle priest could start split in Church of England over issue of homosexuality.

Harry Farley reports that: Justin Welby is a heretic, say breakaway conservative Anglicans.

Update
Andrew Goddard has published a detailed analysis of this event, which is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand what has being going on. Strongly recommended. “Order! Order!”: Reflections on The Jesmond Consecration.

24 Comments

Opinion – 13 May 2017

Andrew Brown The Guardian This latest Church of England schism has an unexpected source
“The latest challenge to Anglicanism’s stance on homosexuality comes not from a black African ‘missionary bishops’, but from a very different conservative group”

Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Small is beautiful; in praise of the ‘ordinary’ parish

Kirstin Freeman Still Striving For That Elusive Halo A Sorrowful Tale and a Lesson for Today’s Church

Giles Fraser The Guardian The rise of so-called happy funerals is no laughing matter
“There is something deeply emotionally brittle and infantile about the refusal to allow ourselves to be overcome with grief”

Giles Goddard ViaMedia.News ReNew and Reject….

Linda Woodhead Modern Church How to split up the Church of England

11 Comments

Conservative evangelical plans for a rival structure

Updated again Saturday

Harry Farley reports in Christian Today on a document, discussed at a recent conservative evangelical conference, that he describes as containing “extensive plans by conservative evangelicals to form a rival Anglican structure to the Church of England in the UK”.

Read his full report here: Blueprint for Church schism revealed as conservative Christian leaders plot separate Anglican structure. He quotes extensively from the document, which is titled Credible Bishops.

The Conference website is here. The About Us page describes the organisers:

We are a conference organised by Anglican Mission in England, Church Society, and Reform. The conference is chaired by William Taylor, rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London. The planning committee comprises William Taylor, Mark Burkill, Susie Leafe, Lee McMunn, Brian O’ Donoghue, Lee Gatiss and Richard Farr.

Updates
The full text of the Credible Bishops document is available as a PDF here.

The conference has now issued this statement:

‘Credible Bishops’ paper: A Statement from ReNew, Friday 12 May 2017

Reference has been made in newspapers and on social media this week to ‘Credible Bishops’, a discussion document produced for the 2016 ReNew Conference. ReNew’s goal is to pioneer, establish, and secure healthy local Anglican churches across the length and breadth of England, and this document was designed to stimulate debate at last September’s conference.

Recent events, and discussions at General Synod, have served to reduce confidence in the structures of the Church of England.

There should be little surprise that Anglican Evangelicals in England are desirous of orthodox episcopal oversight. They are eager to remain in the strongest possible fellowship with those in the Church of England and in the vast majority of global Anglicanism, who are faithful in theology and practice to our historic formularies.

Such oversight may emerge in different ways for the benefit of the many churches and separate organisations associated with ReNew.

67 Comments

Opinion – 10 May 2017

David Emmott Campaign for Fair Rants Writing in the Sand
[For details of the Ken Leech Conference see here.]

David Hoyle Address from Bishop Michael [Perham]’s funeral

Kelvin Holdsworth Thurible The Tim Farron Question and the Archbishop of Canterbury

9 Comments

More about Jesmond's episcopal consecration

The original Church Times report has been updated: Vicar of Jesmond warns against trying to discipline curate ordained bishop by breakaway Church.

It now reports that the Diocese of Newcastle has made a public statement. Here’s what it says:

The Bishop of Newcastle is aware that a minister holding her licence to a parish within the Diocese has taken part in a service of consecration as a bishop under the auspices of an overseas church.

It is the clearly established law of the land that no one can exercise ministry in the Church of England without either holding office or having the permission of the diocesan bishop.

It is also the case that no overseas bishop may exercise episcopal functions within the Church of England without the express permission of the Archbishop of the province and a commission from the Bishop of the diocese in which they wish to minister.

In this case neither has been sought.

The Archbishop of York is being kept informed.

The Church Times goes on to report:

The Vicar of Jesmond Parish Church, the Revd David Holloway, responded to the diocesan statement on Tuesday afternoon with the comment that it was “quite wrong”, owing to the diocese’s failure, in his view, to study the Overseas and Other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure 1967 properly.

He also stated that the Clergy Discipline Measure did not apply, since “matters involving doctrine, ritual or ceremonial” were not covered by it, and the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1963 had been declared by a C of E working party not to command “the necessary confidence of the Church”.

If it were to be used, he said, it would “be utter folly and invite a range of reciprocal heresy trials”.

Earlier, Law & Religion UK published this note: Church of England: confusion over episcopal consecration in Newcastle. This contains a number of useful links to background documents.

And Christian Today has Church of England issues warning against conservative minister consecrated as rebel bishop.

14 Comments

Jesmond Parish Church issues press release

Jesmond Parish Church has issued this press release:

On St Athanasius’ Day, 2 May 2017, Jonathan Pryke, the senior minister, under its vicar, of Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, was consecrated a “bishop in the Church of God”. This was by the Presiding Bishop of REACH SA (the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa), formerly known as CESA (the Church of England in South Africa) and whose orders of bishop, priest/presbyter and deacon are recognized by the Church of England. But like the new ACNA (the Anglican Church in North America) whose orders are also recognized, it is not in communion with the Church of England. Officially the Church of England is in Communion with the heterodox ACSA (the Anglican Church of South Africa), and with the heterodox TEC (The Episcopal Church [of America]). But, in practice, many orthodox English and Global Anglicans are in communion with both REACH SA and ACNA.

The service took place neither in a Church of England “place of worship” nor an unconsecrated place of worship designated under s.43 of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011. It did not take place in Jesmond Parish Church. The ceremony was according to the REACH SA consecration Holy Communion service with only REACH SA bishops taking part. The declaration, however, was to the Church of England’s Canon A5 which says:

“The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular such doctrine is to be found in the 39 Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal.”

The oath was of “all due reverence and obedience” not to the Presiding Bishop of REACH SA but to “bishops and other chief ministers” under whom Jonathan is set. So he has a dispersed responsibility and duty: in things temporal to the Bishop of Newcastle, with whom, sadly, in things spiritual, Jesmond Parish Church along with other churches in the diocese are in impaired communion; in terms of Jesmond Parish Church, to the vicar of Jesmond and where there is united agreement, to the Jesmond PCC; and, pastorally, to one of the participating REACH SA bishops. This bishop particularly understands the English situation and does not want to see bishops “parachuted in” to form a new “orthodox church” or “province”. He sees the role of REACH SA simply as helping English people have the courage to take responsibility for reforming the Church of England to be in line with Canon A5, to evangelize and to see growth. This consecration took place after considerable discussion and encouragement from leaders in the Church of England, and with the Presiding Bishop of REACH SA convinced it right to proceed after discussion with the Secretary of GAFCON.

There is a very lengthy section entitled Information for Editors which can be read by following the link above and scrolliing down.

Another copy formatted as a PDF is now available here. I recommend reading it carefully in full.

23 Comments

Conservatives consecrate their own bishop in Newcastle

Updated again Tuesday lunchtime

George Conger has reported at Anglican Ink that a Church of England clergyman has been consecrated a bishop by persons as yet unamed, acting on behalf of the “Church of England in South Africa”, a body whose website says that the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA) is now the “official operating name” of CESA.

George’s report: Missionary bishop for Britain consecrated at Jesmond and is copied in full below the fold.

The clergyman is Jonathan Pryke of Jesmond Parish Church. His Crockford entry reads:

Curate, Jesmond (Clayton Memorial Church)

Born: 1959

Ordained Deacon: 1985
Ordained Priest: 1986

Education
Trinity College Cambridge BA 1980
Trinity College Cambridge MA 1985

Ordination Training
Trinity College Bristol BD 1985

Ministry
Curate, CORBY (St Columba and the Northern Saints) Peterborough 1985-1988
Curate, JESMOND (Clayton Memorial Church) Newcastle from 1988

The Church Times has this report by Tim Wyatt: Jesmond curate’s breakaway consecration surprises both diocese and conservative Evangelicals

THE authorities in Newcastle diocese still seem to be in the dark after an assistant curate of a conservative Evangelical parish church in the diocese was reportedly consecrated bishop through the action of a breakaway Church in South Africa.

The curate, the Revd Jonathan Pryke, has served at Jesmond Parish Church since 1988. He was consecrated by bishops from the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA) at a service in Newcastle earlier this month, several sources told the Church Times.

But a spokesman for the diocese simply said today: “The Bishop of Newcastle is aware of reports concerning this matter and is seeking clarification.”

The Church Times has repeatedly attempted to contact both Bishop Pryke and his Vicar, the Revd David Holloway, but neither has responded…

This AMiE Statement in response to the consecration of Jonathan Pryke has also been published:

The AMiE Executive Committee recently requested that the GAFCON Primates support the consecration of a Missionary Bishop. We were overjoyed when they agreed to do this for the sake of gospel growth.

We can confirm that the consecration of the Revd Jonathan Pryke was a gospel decision taken independently of AMiE. His consecration was never discussed at our Executive meetings.

Jonathan is a valued member of the AMiE Exec and we are thankful to God for his abundant gifts and wisdom. We will be praying for him in this new season of his ministry.

This statement has been issued by GAFCON UK: Statement on the consecration at Jesmond Parish Church

8th May 2017

Gafcon UK are aware that Jesmond Parish Church have for some years been in a form of impaired communion with the Bishop of Newcastle, and have developed a special relationship with REACH-SA (formerly CESA).

Over the past few years, several clergy have been ordained by REACH Bishops to serve in the Jesmond church network and in one other part of England.

The leadership of Jesmond church have for some time been speaking publicly about the need for new missionary Bishops in Western nations who can oversee new Anglican ministries in the Celtic model. The reasoning can be found in the statement from the 2017 Jesmond Conference, here.

Gafcon UK have been informed of the latest developments but cannot comment further at this stage.

(more…)

37 Comments

General Election 2017: "Archbishops highlight the place of faith in British life"

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a pastoral letter to the parishes and chaplaincies of the Church of England as a contribution to next month’s general election in the UK. The full pastoral letter can be read here (pdf) and here (webpage), and there is a press release (copied below the fold).

Press reports

BBC News Archbishops of Canterbury and York voice election concerns
ITV News Archbishops of Canterbury and York raise election concerns in letter
Harry Farley Christian Today Archbishops: Religion must be central in general election to avoid extremism
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Church of England urges voters to ‘set aside apathy’ in general election
Olivia Rudgard The Telegraph Don’t ‘exploit’ the faith of political opponents, say Archbishops

(more…)

15 Comments

Opinion – 6 May 2017

Jonathan Mitchican The Living Church Evangelism of the Weird

Richard Peers Quodcumque Welsh Sodality Talk; Mary, Messy Church and Mission

Justin Thacker Church Times Yes, the poor will be with us — so fight on

Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley That Was the Church that Wasn’t

4 Comments