The CEEC has news:
Chairman stands down.
EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND EVANGELICAL COUNCIL HELD ON THURSDAY 4th DECEMBER 2008:
´The Executive Officer of the Church of England Evangelical Council informed the meeting that Dr Richard Turnbull had tendered a letter of resignation as chairman. The letter was read to the meeting and was received with great surprise and regret. “Richard has contributed significantly to the life of CEEC, for thirteen years as a member and for the last three of those years as its chair. The Council is very grateful to him for all that he has done over those years; and records that it is not the Council´s wish that he should discontinue as its chairman.” Having due regard to Richards priorities for home, for family and for his responsibilities as Principal of Wycliffe Hall, it was resolved that his resignation be accepted with great regret; and that Richard be invited to continue as a member of the Council.´
A statement from Bishop Wallace Benn, President of CEEC will be available shortly.
And, the Council has issued this statement:
26 CommentsThe Council met on 4th December – its first meeting since the NEAC5 Consultation meeting at All Souls Langham Place on 15th November 2008. The following statement summarises our deliberations concerning the Consultation.
CEEC apologises for the fact that we failed to circulate the proposed resolutions prior to the Consultation day. We acknowledge that this was a serious mistake which understandably caused consternation on the day.
We appreciate the fact that, following 15th November, many people availed themselves of the opportunity to make their views known by e-mail to comments@ceec.info. CEEC have heard a summary of what was said by this means.
We understand that what happened at the Consultation together with associated press reports has undermined the credibility of the Council. Though we are sensitive to the accusation that CEEC is not properly representative of evangelicals, over half the membership is elected and all those who subscribe to the Council’s Basis of Faith are eligible to stand for election.
We resolve to do all we can to fulfill our stated purpose of taking counsel together about matters of particular concern to evangelical Anglicans.
The Council, having listened to all that was said on 15th November, has adopted the following Resolution:
- “CEEC affirms and rejoices that the Church of England professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds and its historic formularies (the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons) and set out in Canon A5 and the Declaration of Assent.
- Further we affirm (1) the CEEC’s own Basis of Belief, (2) Resolution 3.5 of Lambeth 1998 (concerning the authority of Holy Scriptures), (3) Resolution 1.10 of Lambeth 1998 (concerning human sexuality), and (4) the Jerusalem Declaration, and as members of the Anglican Communion, we acknowledge our obligation to stand in prayerful solidarity with faithful Anglicans across the globe.
- We recognize that evangelical Anglicans will pursue a variety of strategies for dealing with the current crisis in the Communion, and we support those who are seeking to work through the existing Anglican Communion structures, those who are working within the framework set out in the GAFCON Statement, and those supporting both.
- We call on the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates to recognize the urgency of the situation as it affects parishes and clergy, particularly in the USA, Canada and Brazil, and to give immediate and serious consideration to granting recognition to the new Province in the USA.”
There is an old saw which says that God invented humanity because God loves stories. In the tradition of the Hebrew people, there was a prohibition against rendering their God in the plastic arts and so they went to town on narrative and thoroughly delighted in it. The Hebrew sacred texts are story and counter-story describing worlds and the God who is active in those worlds. If you are familiar with the world painted by the Deuteronomist, that you get what you deserve, and God rewards the righteous, then the Book of Job comes alive as a counter-story, protesting that ill-fortune falls on the righteous too, and the reasons are hidden in the depths of God.
The Christmas stories are counter-stories. They are stories which are holding out for a God and a world which will work differently to the one in which the storytellers live. Matthew uses the Moses story, and Luke the call of Samuel, to tell their listeners that the God who was present in these classical tales is present in Jesus of Nazareth. We know that the Christmas stories are counter-stories because they use words for Jesus of Nazareth which the early audience will have associated with Augustus Caesar. Caesar was Son of God, Prince of Peace, and our Christmas birth story writers are saying that Jesus is these things, in other words, Jesus is, Caesar is not. Caesar’s Roman Peace is fine if you are Roman, and so long as Caesar has the biggest army. The peace of Jesus of Nazareth is about seeking out those who do not benefit from Roman peace, and including them at life’s table. Our Christmas stories are asking us whether our God is more likely to be found in a Roman palace, or a cow’s feeding trough.
All of this is commonplace for first year students in Biblical studies, I’m saying nothing new. But over the last several years my worry has been that we have lost our grip on the power of story. When you clear our public spaces of religious stories (particularly those pressed into the service of worldly interest) you are not left with a pristine post-Enlightenment space. The power of stories is that they are ways of inviting us to consider who we might be, they invite us to make lives in the worlds they describe, and they invite our loyalty and our resources. This is too much power to be left unfulfilled.
Into this space come the storytellers we know, news organisations, spin doctors and advertisements, each seeking to frame the world and our place in it. With the technological gap between generations, the worry is that our children are being formed by stories told by Nintendo, Sony and the like. After school our children step into virtual worlds which are laid out before them. They can progress through these worlds with the purchase of each upgrade, and they are being encouraged to acquire skills which will help them be promoted through the moral universes the games companies have described.
All of this goes by stealth because this happens unsupervised. Work-weary parents may even be grateful for the diversion. Narratives are being quietly assimilated, and these are shared in the schoolyard, and young friends measure each other by their skill and knowledge in worlds barely guessed at by those who have the care of developing the next generation.
We need to dispense with the tinsel-and-teatowel Christmas and recover its visceral power in the world where the story was first told, a world which was about brute force and malnutrition. We need to rediscover the power of telling stories of a God which runs counter to the prevailing values of the day.
If we can recover Christmas as a counter-story in its own day under Rome, we might want to start telling new counter-stories about the God we believe in, in our own day, to the Playstation generation.
10 CommentsThe Diocese of Los Angeles held its annual convention last weekend.
News reports:
Los Angeles Times Episcopal Diocese of L.A. officially condones the blessing of gay unions by Jessica Garrison
The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has announced that church leaders can bless the unions of same-sex couples as a matter of policy.
The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, whose diocese encompasses Los Angeles County and five other Southern California counties, made the announcement Friday during a diocesan convention in Riverside.
Bruno acted just days after hundreds of conservative Episcopal congregations in North America formed a breakaway church amid a rift that began with the ordination of a gay bishop in New Hampshire five years ago.
Bruno’s declaration is not expected to have a major effect on Episcopal churches in Southern California. Many have been blessing gay unions for years. But he has now made it official…
Riverside Press-Enterprise At Riverside convention Episcopalians say no to ban on gay bishops by David Olson
3 CommentsIn a move that presaged yet another battle over homosexuality at a national Episcopal Church meeting, delegates to the Los Angeles Diocese’s convention voted overwhelmingly Saturday to support lifting a moratorium on consecrating bishops who are in same-sex relationships…
There is a lengthy interview with Archbishop Peter Akinola in the Sunday Tribune, a Nigerian newspaper.
29 CommentsComment is free Belief has a weekly question. This week it is Can religion help us through the slump?
There are five responses from Julia Neuberger, Francis Davis, Ishtiaq Hussain, Graham Kings, and Nick Spencer.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about the Enigmatic life of Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Michael Wright argues in the Guardian that Now is a good time for Quakers to reassess their priorities and find their tongues.
Catherine Pepinster writes in The Times The beauty of our creations is also part of our faith.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times that Borrowing is no way out of the credit crisis.
7 CommentsUpdated again Sunday morning
From epiScope: Renunciation of Orders
Today, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori “accepted the renunciation of the Ordained Ministry of this Church, made in writing on November 24, 2008 by the Right Rev. Jack Leo Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth who is, therefore, removed from Ordained Ministry of this Church and released from the obligations of all Ministerial offices, and is deprived of the right to exercise the gifts and spiritual authority as a Minister of God’s Word and Sacraments conferred on him in Ordinations.”
Saturday morning update
There is a detailed ENS report: Presiding Bishop declares inhibited Fort Worth bishop has renounced his orders.
See also PB “accepts” Bishop Iker’s renunciation of orders at Episcopal Café.
Here is what was published on the date mentioned above.
Read what she wrote to the House of Bishops.
…My decision to accept Bishop Iker’s voluntary renunciation fits squarely within the canons. Bishop Iker’s November 24 statement clearly constitutes “a renunciation of the ordained ministry of this Church, and a desire to be removed therefrom” as contemplated by Canon III.12.7(a). Other, similar letters — most recently from Bishops Bena and Fairfield — have also been treated as voluntary renunciations and with the consent of my Council of Advice I have accepted them and removed and released those bishops from our ordained ministry, as well…
Sunday morning update
Bishop Iker has issued a statement: What Renunciation?
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports Episcopal Church presiding bishop says Iker renounced orders.
And, Bishop Iker commented on the proposed new province in this newspaper report: Fort Worth Episcopal bishop weighs in on the church’s split.
The Steering Committee North Texas Episcopalians issued this statement.
4 CommentsUpdated Tuesday
Primates of the GAFCON Primates’ Council meeting in London have issued the following statement about the Province of the Anglican Church in North America:
We welcome the news of the North American Anglican Province in formation. We fully support this development with our prayer and blessing, since it demonstrates the determination of these faithful Christians to remain authentic Anglicans.
North American Anglicans have been tragically divided since 2003 when activities condemned by the clear teaching of Scripture and the vast majority of the Anglican Communion were publicly endorsed. This has left many Anglicans without a proper spiritual home. The steps taken to form the new Province are a necessary initiative. A new Province will draw together in unity many of those who wish to remain faithful to the teaching of God’s word, and also create the highest level of fellowship possible with the wider Anglican Communion.
Furthermore, it releases the energy of many Anglican Christians to be involved in mission, free from the difficulties of remaining in fellowship with those who have so clearly disregarded the word of God.
There are some reports of the meeting that was held today between several GAFCON primates and the Archbishop of Canterbury:
Ruth Gledhill has Canterbury summit: nothing happened
Baby Blue has Rowan Williams hosts Anglican primates at Canterbury Cathedral for emergency summit
Tuesday update
Although the statement appearing on the GAFCON website does not include any signatures, it now appears from this Religion News Service report, Conservative Anglican Primates Back New Province, that it may have been signed by only five of the six primates who constitute the GAFCON primates council. The name missing from the RNS report is The Most Rev Valentino Mokiwa, Primate of Tanzania.
20 CommentsUpdated again Saturday morning
The Los Angeles Times has Episcopal Church leader says those who defected ‘are no longer Episcopalians’ by Duke Helfand
Update There is an additional article: Split in Episcopal Church hits new level
The Washington Post has A Worldwide Anglican Melee by Jacqueline L. Salmon and Michelle Boorstein
The Toronto Star has Anglicans formalize split by Stuart Laidlaw
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has Episcopalian churches in Georgia may join new Anglican group by Christopher Quinn
Religion News Service has What’s ahead for the fractured Episcopal Church? by Daniel Burke
Christianity Today has Conservative Anglicans Create Rival Church by Timothy Morgan
Jim Naughton at Episcopal Café has 100,000? We think not and he also has some critique of other coverage here and also here.
Updates
The Living Church has at last published a report, Provisional Structure Unveiled for New Province.
Stand Firm has published a note: Clarifying the Role of the AAC in the New Province.
The Anglican Journal has Anglican Church in North America: new church or new province?
Christian Today has GAFCON Primates to meet Archbishop over US split
The New York Times has yet another article, Conservative Anglicans Vow to Press Ahead With Split by Laurie Goodstein.
12 CommentsUpdated Saturday morning
Among the interesting comments so far…
Jan Nunley reminds us of some earlier news events in Everything old…
In particular, she links to Dissident Episcopalians Meet to Discuss New Church, which is dated 1977.
Update Jan has more, in I found another one….
Jeffrey Weiss at the Dallas Morning News suggests the new ‘Anglican Church in North America’ isn’t actually Anglican, in fact he says:
At this point I put these folks in the same basket as the women who claim they’re Catholic priests, Christians who say they are “Messianic Jews” and Mormons who say they are Christians.
Ian Douglas asks Why do we call them traditionalists?
Paragraph 154 of The Windsor Report clearly states: ‘Whilst there are instances in the polity of Anglican churches that more than one jurisdiction exists in one place, this is something to be discouraged rather than propagated. We do not therefore favour the establishment of parallel jurisdictions.’
Update Jeff Sharlet has Anglicans Toot Somebody Else’s Horn.
5 CommentsUpdated Friday evening
The Living Church reports that the former bishop of Quincy, who recently retired suddenly just before the diocese voted to align with the Southern Cone, has accepted a new assignment, see Bishop Ackerman Accepts Call to Springfield.
ENS reports that QUINCY: Diocese begins to reorganize after split.
There is a report overnight that
Members of the Cathedral parish of the Diocese of Quincy voted Thursday night to not be “realigned” or “removed” to the Anglican province of the Southern Cone in a 181 to 35 vote.
According to Episcopal Café four hundred of the diocese’s 1850 members belong to the cathedral parish, and it accounts for 22 percent of Quincy’s average Sunday attendance.
There is more information here.
Friday evening update
ENS has QUINCY: Cathedral to stay in the Episcopal Church and the Living Church has Quincy’s Cathedral Parish Won’t Join Southern Cone.
And there is this press release about a forthcoming meeting.
8 CommentsUpdated Thursday evening
For reports of the event yesterday in Illinois, see here, and also here.
ENS has published Lambeth Palace responds to Common Cause Partnership announcement:
“There are clear guidelines set out in the Anglican Consultative Council Reports, notably ACC 10 in 1996 (resolution 12), detailing the steps necessary for the amendments of existing provincial constitutions and the creation of new provinces,” the spokesperson said. “Once begun, any of these processes will take years to complete. In relation to the recent announcement from the meeting of the Common Cause Partnership in Chicago, the process has not yet begun.”
Resolution 12 from ACC 10 can be found here.
The BBC World Service has a 9 minute radio segment in which Christopher Landau interviews several of the principals in this story.
Analysis
Wednesday
Listen (9mins)
Last Updated: Wednesday, 3 December 2008, 00:41 GMTBreakaway members of the Anglican churches in North America are announcing the formation of a new north American church. Their unilateral actions will result in two competing Anglican churches existing in North America.
Our religious affairs correspondent Christopher Landau asks: What does this mean for those trying to preserve the unity of the worldwide communion?
Thursday evening update
A further Episcopal News Service report: Communion process presents challenges for proposed province by Matthew Davies and Mary Frances Schjonberg
Church of England Newspaper New American Province looms by George Conger
The Times Archbishops hold Canterbury summit over threat of schism by Ruth Gledhill
And also, Lambeth Palace on new province as Gafcon primates fly in for summit on Ruth’s blog.
21 CommentsOn this day in the year 1637, a man reported a vision that he had seen. ‘I have been at a great feast,’ he said, ‘O, magnify the Lord with me.’ One of his hearers asked him, ‘At a feast?’ and he replied, ‘Ay, at a great feast. At the great King’s feast.’
These were the last words of Nicholas Ferrar, who died at Little Gidding shortly after midnight on Monday 4 December 1637, just as Advent Sunday had ended.
In Advent the Church traditionally focuses on ‘coming’. Perhaps primarily we think of the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, but the lectionary reminds us of other themes too: the role of John the Baptist; the prophets; judgement; the kingdom that is to come.
Ferrar’s vision of a feast was and remains one of the central images of the coming kingdom — a time of plenty, a time when all shall be welcomed to eat at the table in God’s household. It’s an image that Jesus uses frequently in his parables about the kingdom, and it is an image that comes to us from the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah foretells that God ‘will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines’ (Isaiah 25.6).
In Isaiah this is all seen as part of the time when God shall rule the earth from Mount Zion, and the poor, the humble, the downtrodden will be raised up to a place of honour. Death itself will be swallowed up for ever, and God will wipe away the tears from the people’s eyes. Isaiah’s prophecy was made at a time of great difficulty for the people of Israel and it proclaims his belief that, however bad things looked, the God of Israel would remember those who were faithful.
Isaiah, moreover, proclaims his great idea that the God of Israel was supreme, the only god, and that God is a lover of justice and mercy, rather than an unfaithful tyrant. Jesus develops the idea further: he does not simply talk about feasting in God’s kingdom; in addition he actually sits and eats and drinks with the underclasses and the unclean, declaring by his actions that their sins are forgiven (because they needed no further ritual cleansing) and that they are favoured by God. Jesus’s respectable contemporaries were scandalized by this behaviour, but it is all too easy for us not to see the scandal, and even easier for us to pay lip-service to looking after those less favoured by society in our own day.
Nicholas Ferrar and his family, living a quiet and godly life at Little Gidding, did not forget the poor and needy. They welcomed into their household a number of poor widows, they provided alms and education for many, and Ferrar, utilizing his training in medicine, ran a dispensary for the neighbourhood. And we too, each of us in our own lives, can perhaps take some simple and practical steps to alleviate the suffering around us. In this way, as well as by prayer and faith, we will help to realize God’s kingdom here on earth, and proclaim the Advent hope to the world. That is our challenge this Advent.
Today at Little Gidding, a service of Holy Communion will be celebrated at the tomb of Nicholas Ferrar to honour his memory and his example of spiritual determination and faith in an age of great trouble. In the eucharist we enjoy a foretaste of the banquet in God’s household. May we, with Nicholas Ferrar and all God’s holy people, sit at the great King’s feast!
11 CommentsUpdated Thursday lunchtime
For earlier reports go here.
The New York Times article by Laurie Goodstein previously linked has been written-through and is now headlined Episcopal Split as Conservatives Form New Group (h/t KH).
Also, there is a link here to a podcast in which this journalist is interviewed.
Reuters Michael Conlon Episcopal Church dissidents move toward division
Chicago Tribune Manya Brachear Conservatives unveil plan to break from Episcopal Church
Cleveland Plain Dealer Former Episcopal breakaway parishes join new North American Anglican Church
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Fort Worth Episcopal diocese joins new Anglican Church in North America
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Proposed constitution to reunite conservative Episcopalian groups
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Duncan to head new Anglican church
Canada National Post Conservative Anglicans take step in forming new church
Washington Post Conservative Episcopalians Vote to Create Alternative Branch by Michelle Boorstein
Washington Times Anglican conservatives propose constitution by Julia Duin
And,in the British press:
Telegraph Anglican row spills into US as Episcopal church splits over homosexual priests by Tom Leonard
And, there was this earlier report on Episcopal News Service that I missed yesterday, Conservative Anglicans due to announce new province.
Thursday lunchtime update
Religious Intelligence has this report by George Conger Legal framework set for new Third Province in North America
11 CommentsA report from Canada of division among conservatives there, in an Anglican Journal report Conservative Anglicans determined to stay within church by Keith Knight.
About 50 conservative Anglican leaders, including eight young theological students, gathered in Toronto for a one-day consultation on Nov. 25 and emerged with a determination to remain within the Anglican Church of Canada. They came from 16 dioceses across the country.
Rev. Brett Cane of St. Aidan’s Anglican Church in Winnipeg is chair of Anglican Essentials Federation who was quick to point out that the organization is going through a name change. He said that the “Essentials” label has negative connotations in some parts of the country. He said that the federation is loosening its connection to the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). “We will still maintain links of fellowship with the network but we will not be organizationally tied together.”
Andrew Brown has commented at Cif belief on Anglican divisions in When a schism has a schism of its own.
For most of the first years of Rowan Williams’ time as leader of the Anglican Communion, there was a running story about whether he could hold it together in the face of its divisions about almost everything, but most noisily about gay people and liberalism. Some time this summer, it became obvious that he hadn’t and that there is a full-scale schism under way but by that time almost everyone had got bored and started to talk about other things. So this week the story returns with a twist: will there be a second schism within the schism? In particular will the coalition that has been trying to drive the liberal churches of North America out of the Communion break up; and will the puritan evangelical faction start to break up the Church of England too?
Over at Episcopal Café there is discussion under the heading If the Episcopal Church got adventuresome of an article on his own blog by Geoffrey Hoare titled Archbishop Duncan.
6 CommentsUpdated Wednesday evening
Three reports this morning about the forthcoming event in Illinois:
BBC North American Anglicans to split by Christopher Landau
Update this report has now been written-through by editorial staff and retitled North American Anglicans separate.
Christian Science Monitor Conservative bishops propose a competing North American Anglican church by Jane Lampman
Christian Post Breakaway Anglicans Aim for Less Division with New Province by Lillian Kwon
Wednesday evening update
This short Associated Press report: Conservatives form rival group to Episcopal Church
Now superseded by this substantial one by Rachel Zoll Conservatives form rival group to Episcopal Church
New York Times Laurie Goodstein Conservatives Expected to Split Episcopal Church
Chicago Tribune Manya Brachear Schism or stunt? Conservatives form new Anglican denomination
Dallas Morning News Jeffrey Weiss New Anglican-ish province to include Fort Worth?
epiScope has this Statement from The Episcopal Church.
The Anglican Church in North America has published:
Draft Constitution html pdf
Draft Canons html pdf
Telegraph US Anglicans form breakaway church
Daily Mail Anglican Church in U.S. splits in two in row over gay issues
Wall Street Journal Episcopals Form Rival Church
Earlier reports:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Constitution to reunite conservative Episcopal groups
Canadian Press Breakaway Anglicans to form new North American church
22 CommentsBBC One (Wales only) has a documentary scheduled for Wednesday 3 December at 10.45 pm.
The Archbishop
SYNOPSIS:
A personal profile of The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, filmed at a time of great division in the Anglican Church. The programme examines the arguments surrounding the consecration of gay bishops and the ordination of women bishops.
Read the press release at the Church in Wales website: The Archbishop – BBC One Wales documentary.
Two newspaper reports:
Western Mail Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan says he would consecrate a gay bishop
Daily Post Archbishop of Wales would consecrate gay bishop
11 CommentsTwo pieces recently on Daily Episcopalian.
Adrian Worsfold wrote Taking over the Church of England.
…Why is GAFCON like Militant? Because a core group maintains control as a reaction to the failure of other Evangelicals to get their way in the wider Western Churches. It then infiltrates to force its agenda. Even at the Conference itself, that jumble of oddities called the Jerusalem Declaration was born in a back room – it was leaked even before the assembled could give it the rubber stamp. GAFCON itself was planned by annoying the local Anglicans in Jerusalem because of their opposition to its divisiveness.
In Britain came the entryism into one of the theological colleges and the scattering of much of its evangelical staff, replaced by hardliners and the agreeable. The same man, Chair of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) has chaired the recent National Evangelical Anglican Consultation, in which, without notice, and without a right to amend, a pro-GAFCON motion was put to the meeting. The assembled would not have it, and refused to give it a vote. The result is that the CEEC will vote for it anyway on the spurious basis that it represents Evangelicals. Perhaps the CEEC once did, but as ever the hardliners continued to attend when others dropped away – it is how the entryists work…
George Clifford wrote An “alternative” province? Why not?
Until two weeks ago, I strongly advocated the Anglican Communion refusing to establish a new province in North America and mandating that provinces cease violating provincial boundaries by conducting ministries or establishing congregations within the Episcopal Church’s jurisdiction.
Then I read that the Episcopal Church had spent in excess of $1.9 million in 2008 on lawsuits connected to the departure of parishes and dioceses from this Church. Daily I read about critical needs for healthcare, food, sanitation, and shelter in the United States and abroad. I see the spiritual illness and death that afflict so many. I remember that Anglicans have wisely never claimed to be the only branch of the Christian Church.
I started to wonder, Was I wrong? Why not another North American province?
Also, Jonathan Wynne-Jones wrote at the Telegraph Squabbling evangelicals need to find a united voice.
61 Comments…Now it’s the evangelicals who are fighting amongst themselves.
In truth, the unity that was central to their success in forcing the gay cleric, Jeffrey John, to stand down as Bishop of Reading has long gone.
With hindsight this may be viewed as something of a pyrrhic victory as it led to a splintering in the evangelical movement: Anglican Mainstream and Fulcrum emerged from the 2003 row to represent the conservative and more ‘open’ factions.
The simmering tensions spilt over at the recent meeting, held at All Souls Langham Place – the church which was home to the evangelical doyen John Stott for 30 years.
Lacking such an inspirational and unifying figure, they have been reduced to bickering and squabbling.
Richard Turnbull, the chair of the Church of England Evangelical Council, was heckled by a group led by Graham Kings – a leading member of Fulcrum, and his opposite number as it were.
While some there found this childish and inappropriate – more befitting the floor of the Commons than a church, it is nevertheless easy to appreciate their frustration…
The Church Times has a leader, The right way to spend Advent.
Roderick Strange writes in The Times that Advent teaches us the deeper lessons of waiting.
The Church of England has an Advent calendar. See related press release here.
Stephen Plant reviews a new book about Methodism in The Times at All the world can still be John Wesley’s parish.
In the Guardian The hajj is the perfect opportunity for Muslims to put our anger behind us, says Kia Abdullah.
At Cif belief the question this week is: How can we talk about God online? There are responses from Mark Vernon, Theo Hobson, and Stephen Tomkins.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about Auctioning off the bishop’s bequest.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times that Bonhoeffer went to Bradford.
0 CommentsOver at Fulcrum Graham Kings has highlighted a recent comment made here at Thinking Anglicans in response to the article Church Times on NEAC.
See Rallying Point of Jerusalem Declaration, Diocesan Funds and FCA.
Today, the Church Times has an article on the proposed new province, see Province plan to be unveiled by Pat Ashworth.
The site described as “the new Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) web site set up by Anglican Mainstream South Africa” can be found here.
8 CommentsUpdated again Thursday evening
ACNS announces that the Joint Standing Committee (JSC) of the Primates and Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) Meeting is being held in London this week.
The report lists those who are attending and includes a picture of them.
Ruth Gledhill reports for The Times that Conservative Anglicans face “punishment” for helping US rebels.
And there is more on her blog under the heading Southern Cone heading south.
Looks like action is about to be taken against Greg Venables and the Southern Cone for sheltering no fewer than four TEC conservative bishops and their flocks, the latest being Jack Iker and Forth Worth. See our news report summing up the latest. I understand that the Joint Standing Committee meeting in London this week, from which significantly Egypt’s Mouneer Anis and Uganda’s Henry Orombi are absent, is to discuss suspending Southern Cone’s voting rights from the upcoming Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Jamaica next May. As long-standing readers will recall, this is what happened to TEC, then Ecusa, at the last ACC meeting in Nottingham in 2005. This is not so much a ‘booting out’ but should be regarded as a punishment, I am told. Meanwhile, it seems highly probable that TEC and Canada are to be rewarded for their restraint by being given a full seat back at the table again in May.
Episcopal Café notes these reports with a question: Southern Cone “suspension”: Sabre rattling? Trial balloon?
Wednesday evening update
Matt Davies of Episcopal News Service reports on the meeting, in Joint Standing Committee plans for 2009 ACC meeting.
The Joint Standing Committee of the Primates and Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) has devoted much of its November 24-26 meeting to discussing budgetary issues and planning the next meeting of the ACC — the communion’s main policy-making body — set for May 1-12, 2009 in Kingston, Jamaica.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was among those attending the JSC meeting, which was held behind closed doors at the Anglican Communion Office and Lambeth Palace in London. She noted that a November 26 report in The Times of London newspaper, that suggested the JSC had discussed plans to discipline the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone for its recent incursions into other provinces, was untrue. “The subject has not come up,” she told Episcopal News Service…
Thursday evening update
The Living Church has an article by George Conger titled Analysis: Recognition of Third Province Likely to Take Years, and there is a longer version of this piece over here.
67 Comments