Why do I think College of Bishops have made the right decision? Well, most obviously because their response to Pilling is exactly the one I said in November was needed. The reason for this is more and more evident in public responses, particularly on social media, from all sides of the debate.

On the one hand, many ”˜conservatives’ say that there is nothing to be done, and no need any further discussion. I don’t think this takes into account sufficiently the need for the Church of England to develop more credible pastoral response, taking into account what Justin Welby described as the revolution in attitudes within society on this issue.

On the other hand, many ”˜revisionists’ agree there is no need for further discussion, but for exactly the opposite reason. It is clear what God is doing in society, and the Church needs to catch up without any further delay. You can see this very clearly in the fulminating responses to yesterday’s announcement on the Thinking Anglicans website (was there ever more irony in a website name?).

Read it all.

On one hand, it’s disappointing both to conservatives and liberals that the Bishops can only state the obvious ”“ that people are divided over the issue of homosexuality ”“ and cannot give any clear lead on what the church should be teaching. On the other hand, it is encouraging that the diversity is recognized; that capitulation to Western cultural norms is not seen as inevitable; that the viewpoint of majority global Anglicanism is taken into account, and above all, that
the Church of England’s pastoral and liturgical practice remains unchanged during this process of facilitated conversation”¦No change to the Church of England’s teaching on marriage is proposed or envisaged.

This presumably means that Pilling’s most contentious proposal, namely that blessings of gay couples in church should commence at the same time as facilitated conversations, has been decisively rejected. It also appears not to leave the door ajar for the acceptance of gay marriage.

There was fear among conservatives that those of their number among the Bishops would be marginalized, especially in the wake of the Bishop of Fulham’s endorsement of Pilling. However it seems clear that some kind of stand – which may have been costly ”“ must have been made to ensure a collegiate pulling back from the brink. For that we can be grateful.

Read it all.

…there is no denying that GAFCON has come a long way in a short time. The improvised character of GAFCON I has gone and in its place has come a much more sophisticated and responsible organisation. No other group of Anglicans could stage an event with as broad a participation, and that alone ought to persuade people to take it seriously.

Unfortunately, things do not work like that in the real Anglican world. The archbishop of Canterbury could not attend but he was good enough to find time in his diary to make a quick trip to Kenya just before it opened, and to send greetings to it on a video that was played to the assembled delegates. He meant well, and those who met him testified to the warm relations that they had with him. Unfortunately everything he said and did betrayed the fact that the English church establishment had been outflanked and had effectively missed the bus. The official communiqué from Lambeth Palace stated that the main reason for the archbishop’s visit to Kenya was to express solidarity with the victims of the Westgate Shopping Centre atrocity the previous month, but laudable though sympathy for them was, it was an implausible excuse. The archbishop did not rush off to Peshawar to show his support for Christian victims of Muslim terrorism in Pakistan, nor would anyone have expected him to.

Unless of course, GAFCON had been meeting there at the same time”¦In the end things got so bad that Lambeth Palace was citing the baptism of Prince George as a reason for the archbishop’s non-attendance, as if the royal family would not have been willing to find a more convenient date for the ceremony. The impression left is one of incompetence and dysfunctionality in which almost any excuse to downplay the significance of GAFCON has been eagerly seized on and exploited for far more than it is worth.

Read it all.

With thanks to Kevin Kallsen and George Conger at Anglican TV

“00:00 2013 year in review
13:47 Our 2014 Predictions
22:14 Conversation with Archbishop Duncan
42:04 AS Haley on how to sue yourself
52:31 Closing and Bloopers”

What on earth is wrong with ‘Christ crucified’? Does the phrase no longer resonate in the minds of the un-churched? Is it not a matter of general historical knowledge that Jesus died on as cross? Is it not generally known that this is what the Church believes? It must be the ultimate irony in liturgical development that the Church of England becomes ashamed of the exhortation not to be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified.
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; (1 Cor 1:23)

Saint Paul goes to the very heart of the gospel with this phrase. One is left in no doubt that Christ crucified is the very nexus – quite literally crucial – to the plan of salvation. We must preach Christ and him crucified, not just the man, for His death and resurrection are the beginning, middle and end of our redemption. Christ crucified is offensive; it is indeed a stumblingblock; it is undoubtedly foolishness to those who are being lost. But we do not help them by purging it from liturgy and trying to express it in “culturally appropriate and accessible language”.

Read it all.

Anglican Unscripted is the only video newscast in the Anglican Church. Every Week Kevin, George, Allan and Peter bring you news and prospective from around the globe.

Show Index:

00:00 Anglicans have lost the Mother Church
14:38 Piling onto Pilling Report with Peter Ould
33:14 IRS and Clergy Housing Allowances with AS Haley
41:51 The National Museum in Washington DC
48:37 Closing and Bloopers

Watch it all.

My first reaction to seeing the Pilling Report was disbelief that in the twenty first century any church could put out a report on human sexuality written by a group that appears to have consisted of 8 men and 2 women and expect it to be taken as a serious contribution to the subject….

The notion that marriage is the only way that sexually active people express themselves is surely just one of many strands in the Judaeo-Christian tradition, aimed at the ability to control knowledge of the paternity of children. Its predominance has come about in cultural settings and for cultural reasons that do not always have a great deal to do with faith or with the teachings of Jesus or interpretation of the whole spectrum of biblical, rabbinic and apocryphal texts.

The report, then, is interesting for two reasons. It is the first time that such a report by a Church of England working party contains an open acknowledgement that, where there is a massive shift in social perception such that a practice or set of practices that were previously not acceptable have come to be seen not only as acceptable, but as desirable, then this can leave the church with a problem if it does not listen and engage.

Read it all.

However, it was his comments about youth work that caught the imagination of the British press.

“As I look at the church today the most urgent and worrying gap is in young peoples work. So many churches have no ministry to young people and that means they have no interest in the future. As I have repeated many times in the past ”˜we are one generation away from extinction’. We have to give cogent reasons to young people why the Christian faith is relevant to them,” the archbishop said.

Ignoring Lord Carey’s principle points The Times, Daily Mirror, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, and Daily Mail focused on his assertion that “[t]he Church of England could be one generation away from extinction.” Just about all of the press reports and commentary misconstrued what Lord Carey was trying to say. Renewal, growth, evangelism — even optimism — was at the heart of the archbishop’s Shropshire speech, not doom and gloom.

Read it all.

Actions of General Convention and the presiding bishop have led us to conclude, along with a growing number of other parishes across the nation, that the direction of TEC is incompatible with historic Christian faith and practice. So today we face litigation that could potentially decimate our corporate life and witness. It’s hard to imagine that the body we helped form some 224 years ago would resort to the secular law courts to take all this away from us; but it’s true.

Let’s step up to this challenge together, and by God’s grace see a victory for the things we hold most dear. Ponder these facts:

We are not going against Scripture by using the secular courts. Paul himself appealed to Roman courts when the Gospel he preached was at stake.
Our team of lawyers says that this case is winnable. Recent legal wins in Texas and Illinois encourage us.
Our parish continues to grow, especially in generous giving. This year it will mean a stretch for each of us.

Read it all.

Jake Belder ”@jakebelder
A big thank you to the #gafcon2013 delegates! All of us confessing Anglicans are grateful for your faithfulness and your work this past week [This elf seconds this tweet!]

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
After the #GAFCON2013 statement was read and received, I got a high five and an enormous hug from Archbishop Ben… http://fb.me/SKpw7I9Z

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
#gafcon2013 “You have been on the Mount of Transfiguration. It is time to return to your homes and the… http://fb.me/2RuhYK8Hy

David Martin Hanke ”@dmhanke
‘Lift high the cross!’ Closing Eucharist. #gafcon2013 http://instagram.com/p/f7XvvUlhcD/

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Closing with Stand Up For Jesus #GAFCon2013

Rev. Anson Ann ”@revansonann
++Wabukala thanked the Kenyan police force by giving them a bible… this will never happen in the West. #GAFCON2013 pic.twitter.com/n1CuZVeAks

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
The Police are presented with a new Bible by AB Wabukala in thanks for helping 2 keep us safe. #gafcon2013 “Now go read it to your friends!”

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
PFJ [Abp. Peter Jensen] gets a standing ovation. Now Martyn Minns too. #gafcon2013 pic.twitter.com/774vwESs0p

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
Lots of thanks. Especially to the Kenyan church who have cared for us and bolstered security with government help. #gafcon2013

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
Thunderous applause. Standing ovation. Spontaneous singing. PFJ crying. Statement has an impact! #gafcon2013 pic.twitter.com/91NqfjIN0F

Helmut Paul Wambi ”@wambipaul
@gafconference it has been a success here in Nairobi. #gafcon2013

Rev. Anson Ann ”@revansonann
After the final Nairobi Communique was read out, there was a standing ovation and singing broke out. #GAFCON2013 pic.twitter.com/447VxPpRcN

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
Dr Senyonyi x2 [John & Ruth] come forward to read the GAFCON 2013: The Nairobi Communique. #gafcon2013 This will be a moving moment.

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
There’s been too much caution. Anglican caution has brought us to today! Bishop of Recife, Brazil #gafcon2013

daveclancey ”@daveclancey
The armor of God is the gospel. #GAFCON2013 #eph6 #ArmorofGod

daveclancey ”@daveclancey
“Everything starts with prayer. And ends with prayer.” Bp Miguel Uchoa. #gafcon2013

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Key moments and decision moments are prayer moments – Bp Ochoa #GAFCon2013 #Preach

Rev. Anson Ann ”@revansonann
+Ochoa: Be strong in the Lord (Eph 6:10). Don’t depend on yourself. Don’t even try. #GAFCON2013 pic.twitter.com/UY0Ug8T1uW

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Say to the Lord, “Let me never walk in my presumption” – Bp Ochoa #GAFCon2013 #BoldPrayer

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Each challenge we face, no matter how big, has our God who is much bigger – Bp Ochoa #GAFCon2013 #Eph6 #Truth

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Don’t even try to live a Godly life on your own. Depending on the Lord means less of you more of Him – Bp Ochoa #GAFCon2013 #Eph6

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
The All Saints children’s choir blessing our socks off w In Christ Alone #GAFCon2013”¦ http://instagram.com/p/f7HWqFl3rW/

daveclancey ”@daveclancey
Gafcon is a movement. So we must move ahead. Bp Miguel Uchoa of Recife. #gafcon2013

Rev. Anson Ann ”@revansonann
Our beloved #ANiC bishops at #GAFCON2013. pic.twitter.com/CNDABq8G3h

Zane Elliott ”@squeakycog
Hallelujah thine the glory, hallelujah amen, hallelujah thine the glory, revive us again. The cry of #gafcon2013 the heart of #Anglicans

gillian davidson ”@gfdavo
Final church service of #gafcon2013 a time of personal and corporate repentance.

gillian davidson ”@gfdavo
Bp Kanuku, Kenya on Eph 6 urging #gafcon2013 to humbly, in repentance put on the breastplate of God and face the fight that confronts us.

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
Last day of #gafcon2013 and my body has just about had it! The spirit is willing – but the flesh is weak.

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Yesterday my Rwandan sister, Vivian, told me I dance like an African! #Yessss #Arrived #GAFCon2013 @ThornhillMA @grod125

Anglican Future ”@gafconference
Thankful to All Saints Cathedral and ACK for gracious hospitality and Christ-like love to #gafcon2013 delegates #anglican

(in reverse chronological order, from most recent to earliest)

David Ould ”@davidould
Africa; it’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you. #gafcon2013

David Ould ”@davidould
last night in Nairobi. Will be very sad to leave this country where we have been so wonderfully looked after #gafcon2013

Sam Allberry ”@SamAllberry
The Kenyans should lead the singing at all Christian conferences. It’s been a wonderful week! #gafcon2013

David Ould ”@davidould
Hearing from the sole #gafcon2013 Pakistani delegate about how they Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus. #thestrifewillnotbelong

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton
More communique: Fort Worth: affirm Anglo-Catholics. Quincy: mention Eucharist alongside Gospel as unifying #Anglican

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton
More N. Amer. #GAFCON2013 communique suggestions: change evangelizing West to “areas where Gospel has been obscured.” #Anglican

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton
Suggestions for #GAFCON2013 communique heard in North American discussion group: more on sanctity of life, unborn. #Anglican

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton
“Integrity & authority of Gospel is fundamental. Go wrong with them, everything will go wrong in the end.” -Archbp Peter Jensen #GAFCON2013

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
Served as secretary of @The_ACNA caucus here at #GAFCON2013. Working out the final communique in working groups organized by Province.

Moses Kimani ”@SirMosesKimani
Listening to the amazingly good Nairobi Communique of the #GAFCON2013 Conference at All Saints Cathedral. Applause! Applause! Applause!

Rev. Anson Ann ”@revansonann
John Guernsey+ just read out the draft of the Nairobi Communique. It was very well written and exceeded my expectations. #GAFCON2013

ACNA ”@The_ACNA
Bishop John Guernsey of @The_ACNA serves as Chairman of Communique Team at #GAFCON2013 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BXa18BECAAAakgI.jpg:large ”¦ #Anglican #Episcopal #GAFCON

Mel Lacy ”@lacymel
Significant afternoon for all those at #gafcon2013 as we consider the draft Nairobi communique in our provinces pic.twitter.com/jAZKlpTyGX

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Our task is not to recreate the Jerusalem statement, our task is to put our shoulder to the wheel to move the GFCA forward #GAFCon2013

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
In Nairobi – is it possible to feel like coming home to a place I have never been before? #GAFCON2013

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
The most important moment of #gafcon2013 has arrived. @ All Saints Cathedral http://instagram.com/p/f42sQuKA6k/

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Thanks to John Thorpe for a great session on Teaching Others to Teach the Bible #ChildrenAndYouthTrack #GAFCon2013

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
@lacymel Train your leaders, Teach Bible study skills, Disciple them, Be culturally aware, PRAY #GAFCON2013 #ChildrenAndYouthTrack

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
@lacymel Teach the Word, Build Christian worldview, Support parental discipleship, Live out the Word, Teach signif. of Church #GAFCon2013

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Great session yesterday by @lacymel on discipling vibrant young people who follow Christ #GAFCon2013 #ChildrenAndYouthTrack

David Martin Hanke ”@dmhanke
I really enjoyed visiting with the delegation from Myanmar this morning. #restorationva #gafcon2013 http://instagram.com/p/f4sa1dFhfk/

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
Canon Jack at a Tweetup over tea during #GAFCON2013 of social media folks from America, Australia and England. http://fb.me/2NFzEdSYZ

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton
Islam changes wrld by power gain, Chrstns change wrld by willingness to give up power -Bishop Nazir-Ali http://bit.ly/18ibbVj #gafcon2013

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
“Christ’s cosmic victory erupts in visible expression in the local assembly.” Rev. William Taylor #gafcon2013

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
When headship and submission are on display in marriage, so is the cosmic victory of God in Jesus Christ. #gafcon2013

David Ould ”@davidould
Marriage mirrors the gospel to the world – Willy Taylor #ephesians5 #gafcon2013

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
“The western church, at best, has been asleep. At worst, has been deceived.” Rev. William Taylor #gafcon2013

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
If you sleep walk into partnership with those who court the world, you’ll be eaten alive by a crocodile. #gafcon2013 William Taylor on fire.

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Rev Taylor thanking our brothers and sisters in the global south for “staying awake” #GAFCon2013 #Eph5 # Blamo

David Ould ”@davidould
Biblical truth means we cannot be partners with those who deny it and use deceptive words Eph. 5:6-7 Willy Taylor #gafcon2013

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Submission to one another is part of bringing all things under the lordship of Christ – W Taylor #GAFCon2013 #Eph5

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
Today we’ll get a look at the draft GAFCON II statement. This is a pinnacle moment. Will it give us a direction to go together? #gafcon2013

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
Ain’t no worship like African worship! So grateful for the joyful fervour that our brothers and sisters bring to our Communion #GAFCon2013

David Ould ”@davidould
Picture simply can’t do justice to the joyful music and dancing at #gafcon2013 pic.twitter.com/dqaaG58Lz1

David Martin Hanke ”@dmhanke
Good morning! Afayo! (He is Lord!) #gafcon2013 http://instagram.com/p/f4OFSGFhcA/

Sam Allberry ”@SamAllberry
Next time someone tells you liturgy = dry, send them to All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. #gafcon2013

***
Note: there were extremely few tweets from Day 4, so we did not do a roundup of Day 4 tweets. Perhaps there were wifi problems…

Selected Tweets from the #GAFCON2013 feed – October 21, 2013 (also some tweets from #GAFCON, and #GAFCON13)

Louisa Pfitzner ”@louisapf 21 Oct
Fascinating arvo on East African revival. Key themes centrality of Christ, public repentance, making restitution #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 21 Oct
Revival does not begin with a church. Revival begins with submission and repentance to Christ. “Revival begins with you!” #gafcon13

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton 21 Oct
Bible precious & true: we take away foundation of Christian life when we undermine biblical authority. J. Senyonyi #gafcon #anglican

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 21 Oct
When theology begins to undermine the authority of the scriptures, the theology has gone bad. – Dr John Senyonyi #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 21 Oct
Big theme of East African revival is true repentance. Putting past sins aside & right. Men went & paid back those they stole from. #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 21 Oct
Rev Dr Alfred Olwa addresses #gafcon13 about the East African revival. 1930s to today!!

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather 21 Oct
@gafconference The Gospel transforms or it is no gospel – Archbishop Jensen #GAFCon2013 #preach

AnglicanGeeks ”@AnglicanGeeks 21 Oct
#GAFCON gathers #Anglicans from across the globe to build friendships and share ministry of reaching out in our broken world. #GAFCON2013

Rev. Anson Ann ”@revansonann 21 Oct
Some stats : 2008 GAFCON @ Jerusalem – 19 provinces, 1138 delegates
2013 GAFCON @ Nairobi – 27 provinces, 1352 delegates

David Ould ”@davidould 21 Oct
Jensen doing the roll call of nations! #GAFCON13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 21 Oct
Who is here. People from: Argentina, Bermuda, brazil, Burundi, Canada, chile, Congo DR, Fiji, France, Gambia, India, Iran, Ireland #gafcon13
Israel, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Namibia, NZ, Nigeria, USA, Pakistan, Paraguay, PNG, Rwanda, Seychelles, #gafcon13
Singapore, South Africa, sth Sudan, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, uk, Zambia, Australia, Mexico, Germany Sierra Leone #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 21 Oct
Just heard there will be more than 400 Nigerian delegates here. Incredible. #gafcon13

Karen Stevenson ”@loubaker 21 Oct
Worship with a taste of heaven, all nations..well at least 38 in this worship. Jesus you get the glory #GAFCON2013 @gafconference

Karen Stevenson ”@loubaker 21 Oct
So it was amazing….in a matter of hours we now have friends in 10 new countries. #GAFCON2013 @gafconference

daveclancey ”@daveclancey 21 Oct
Revival doesn’t start in the church. Revival starts in the individual. #gafcon2013

Anglican Future ”@gafconference 21 Oct
“Repentance leads to revival” – #gafcon2013

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog 21 Oct
Singing “Revive Us Again” with 1,300+ Anglicans from all over the world at #GAFCON2013 in Nairobi. Such a powerful moment.

Porterbrook ”@Porterbrook 21 Oct
Everyday radical discipleship is firmly at the heart of the agenda for #gafcon2013- walking in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Porterbrook ”@Porterbrook 21 Oct
Being challenged and refreshed by African bishops passionately exhorting #gafcon2013 to say “not I but Christ” what ever the cost.

AnglicanGeeks ”@AnglicanGeeks 21 Oct
#GAFCON gathers #Anglicans from across the globe to build friendships and share ministry of reaching out in our broken world. #GAFCON2013

Sam Allberry ”@SamAllberry 21 Oct
Seems right that an Anglican conference – even a global one hosted in Kenya – should formally begin with afternoon tea. #gafcon2013

Selected Tweets from the #GAFCON2013 feed – October 22, 2013 (also some tweets from #GAFCON, and #GAFCON13)

Satan ”@thetempter 22 Oct
Gafcon getting dangerous. Too many calls for solid gospel teaching and solid training. Bad for business. Love, Satan X #gafcon13 #gafcon2013

David Ould ”@davidould 22 Oct
“You are not alone!” – the great #GAFCON13 encouragement we’ve heard over the past few hours

Mel Lacy ”@lacymel 22 Oct
Amazing testimonies of godly Anglicans standing for Jesus in horrendous situations around the world. Praise God for them #gafcon13

Richard Condie ”@CondieR 22 Oct
GAFCON 2 shaping up as stimulating and stretching as 2008. Heard about the persecuted, compromised, and lonely church today. #gafcon2013

Zane Elliott ”@squeakycog 22 Oct
Amazing afternoon discovering that “we are not alone” as we surveyed the state of the Anglican Communion. God is faithful #gafcon2013

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather 22 Oct
As we hear from one another of the challenges facing the Communion let us not forget that darkness does not overcome our Light #GAFCon2013

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
Church of NZ. Lonely. Isolated. Trying to honor Jesus in a country that prides itself on pushing boundaries. #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
Shocking stats on UK clergy. 1/4 male clergy don’t believe the trinity, 1/2 that Jesus is unique Saviour. Even fewer of females. #gafcon13

David Ould ”@davidould 22 Oct
Paul Perkins tells #GAFCON13 about the institutionalised compromise of the CofE.

Matt Lemsing ”@mattlemsing 22 Oct
A worldly church will always oppose a church that takes Gods word to the world. #gafcon13 #gafcon2013

Mel Lacy ”@lacymel 22 Oct
If the church is sent into the world, what a tragedy when the church is infected by the world – Paul Perkins #gafcon2013

Matt Lemsing ”@mattlemsing 22 Oct
While the world wants cheap grace, it’s not the grace it needs. It’s greatest needs is that it’s sins be forgiven. #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
Biblical repentance is about being horrified at ourselves and hoping in Christ. The Western church is teaching the opposite. #gafcon13

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather 22 Oct
“People think revival is the top being blown off, when really its the bottom falling out” #GAFCon2013 #repentance

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
The cheap grace of western church is repentanceless and self-bestowed. Christ is methodologically excluded. We are exalted. #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
Mike Ovey firing up #gafcon2013 #gafcon13 with a rebuke of the cheap grace of the West. God’s been ignored!!

David Ould ”@davidould 22 Oct
Dr Mike Ovey of @OakHillLondon gives address on the loss of repentance in the West. #GAFCON13 pic.twitter.com/iA8edtUOEP

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather 22 Oct
Morning tea outside All Saints, enjoying some great Kenyan brew #GAFCon2013 #LaterGram http://instagram.com/p/fxM01cl3tc/

Karin Sowada ”@karinsowada 22 Oct
Rachel, Maasai woman & rep Mothers Union Kenya – ‘a great multitude…from every nation’ Rev 7:9 #gafcon2013 pic.twitter.com/bMUdyqhqJS

Sam Allberry ”@SamAllberry 22 Oct
Just so everyone’s clear, these guys can SING. And dance. At the same time. #feelingEnglish #gafcon2013 pic.twitter.com/g9mvSyBBCl

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
GAFCON 1 acknowledged that the Anglican Communion had been paralysed by a false gospel. – Bsp Wabukala, Chairman #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
The paralysis has intensified and we need new wine skins to reach the world with the Gospel. – Bsp Wabukala #gafcon13

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue 22 Oct
Big themes of GAFCON today are atonement, salvation, inspiration and mission. #gafcon13 #gafcon2013

Zane Elliott ”@squeakycog 22 Oct
#gafcon2013 celebrated Holy Communion this morning ‘If you take out the resurrection, xty is an empty shell.’ Most Rev. Emmanuel Egbunu

Anglican Future ”@gafconference 22 Oct
#Anglican leaders began the day singing Oh Worship the King and We are Marching in the Light of God”. #GAFCON2013 pic.twitter.com/XTmev1H5AF

Anglican Future ”@gafconference 22 Oct
Tuesday morning Eucharist! 1,352 #Anglicans at #GAFCON2013 worshipping The Lord. Great way to start a day! pic.twitter.com/BFmbeHd9tp

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog 22 Oct
I am amazed by the hospitality being extended by the Anglican Church of Kenya for #GAFCON2013. So many bright and smiling faces – it’s totally contagious.

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog 22 Oct
I admit – I got quite a bit emotional when we gathered @The_ACNA delegates for a group photo at #GAFCON2013. Such a great team!

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog 22 Oct
#Anglican Archbishops and Bishops gathered in Nairobi, Kenya for #GAFCON2013 pic.twitter.com/4lUCm4wYvp

Since the GAFCON conference delegates broke up into smaller “mini-conferences” today, it’s less easy to get a feel for what transpired. No plenary transcripts or videos. The Twitterverse gives a good overview of the day and glimpses of some of the mini-conferences. It’s also good to get a taste of the preaching on Ephesians 2.

Selected Tweets from the #GAFCON2013 feed, October 23, 2013

Chris Edwards ”@musicbyfaith
Thrilling to hear what’s coming out of Nairobi this week at #gafcon2013 – a strong centre of gravity for the future of biblical Anglicanism.

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton
“Without the witness of the spirit of Christ, our witness is futile.” -Dr. Alfred Owla #GAFCON2013 http://bit.ly/16tcypP #Anglican

Richard Condie ”@CondieR
An Aussie (Kanishka Raffel), a Ugandan (Alfred Olwa), a Brit (Mike Ovey), an American (Ashley Null), amazingly stimulating day #gafcon2013

Anglican Future ”@gafconference
“GAFCON is one of those unstoppable movements. We praise God for the leaders.” -#GAFCON2013 FB page comment #Anglican http://tinyurl.com/navgm4q

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
Archbishop Ben Kwashi of Nigeria is teaching on the priorities for a bishop’s leadership at #gafcon2013… http://fb.me/2CmiV9c20

Jeff Walton ”@jeffreyhwalton
“This is the heart of the GAFCON meeting: that the gospel may transform the cultures we live in.” -Dr. Alfred Olwa @ #GAFCON2013 #Anglican

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
If Christians think the Church is the place where they get their needs met they won’t respond sacrificially to the Gospel -Tong #gafcon2013

Kukunda Liz Bacwayo ”@busingye
#GAFCON2013 Poverty is not lack of resources, its a mindset #aid&development mini conference . Jesus can change the mindset

Kukunda Liz Bacwayo ”@busingye
#GAFCON2013 Money is needed 4 #development but it doesn’t drive #development . Say what?

Kukunda Liz Bacwayo ”@busingye
#GAFCon2013 #Aid&development mini conference brought out some unexpected reactions. Makes one wonder about how we define #development mini

daveclancey ”@daveclancey
Fellowship must be in the truth for that is the only fellowship there is. #ephesians2 #gafcon2013 #fb

Joshua Kuswadi ”@JoshuaKuswadi
Bishops singing “This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Saviour all the day long.” #gafcon2013 #africansingingrocks #loudandproud

Anglican Future ”@gafconference
“This is wonderful, defining the Unity we are in Christ. Quite Awesome” #GAFCON2013 FB page comment http://tinyurl.com/navgm4q

Matt Lemsing ”@mattlemsing
Nazir Ali giving a brilliant lecture on the history of Islam. #gafcon2013 pic.twitter.com/fZIw0Amiyw

Lee Gatiss ”@LeeGatiss
It’s not enough to just teach theology. We must train people for ministry. #gafcon2013

ACNA ”@The_ACNA
#Anglican women from around the world gather to pray together at #GAFCON2013 https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1381648_434064726698719_1407687865_n.jpg ”¦ #Episcopal #prayer

David Ould ”@davidould
Very muted applause for @ABCJustin video. #gafcon2013 but massive applause for volunteers!

Rev. Anson Ann ”@revansonann
Kanishka Raffel+ just preached an absolutely marvelous expository sermon from Eph 2 on the Grace of God. Must listen again. #GAFCON2013

Matt Lemsing ”@mattlemsing
Cannot abandon the prophets & apostles without abandoning The Lord.We must not be moved from the foundation that has been laid. #gafcon2013

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
We grieve those who abandon the cross, the apostles testimony and grace. Without the cross there is no hope. #gafcon2013 @KanishkaRaffel

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
There must be welcome, reconciliation, fellowship in prayer and the truth here at GAFCON. #ephesians2 #gafcon2013 @KanishkaRaffel

David Ould ”@davidould
with tears, @KanishkaRaffel tells us of the reconciling embrace of repentance, forgiveness and love that grace brings. #gafcon2013

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
Humanity without Jesus: stateless, friendless, hopeless, godless. #ephesians2 #gafcon2013

David Ould ”@davidould
“the wonder that God has raised YOU????!!!! Praise His Glorious Grace!!!!” – @KanishkaRaffel #gafcon2013

David Ould ”@davidould
if we get grace wrong, we get devotion, evangelism, discipleship, works of service, relationships wrong” – @KanishkaRaffel #gafcon2013

Canon Jack Lumanog ”@CanonLumanog
“If you are spiritually dead, you don’t need a doctor. You need a resurrection.” – Rev Kanishka Raffel #gafcon2013 #anglican

Nigel Fortescue ”@nigelfortescue
The best words in Ephesians 2 are these…. “But God…” #gafcon2013

David Ould ”@davidould
Now @KanishkaRaffel preaches on Ephesians 2. #gafcon2013 pic.twitter.com/wTsuY7qm8i

Heather Strong Moore ”@StrongHeather
When we started worshipping together it was beautifully remarkable to join our many cultures. Today it is joyfully normal #GAFCon2013

daveclancey ”@daveclancey
Never has ‘The church’s one foundation’ sounded so good or meant so much. #gafcon2013 #fb pic.twitter.com/YF5btGQS9p

…while Hauerwas (following Kaye) argues that the particularity of Jesus of Nazareth becomes universalised across the globe in particular and local ways, the new challenge confronting Christians is that these different particular expressions of Christianity now sit right next to each other, thanks to a virtual 24-hour news cycle. As Anthony Giddens observes, the intensification of modern trans-national relationships is such that “local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away.” Social relations are being “lifted out” out their local contexts and restructured across time and space. Thus a bishop is consecrated in New Hampshire, and immediately an Archbishop in Nigeria responds. An Episcopal election is contested in Tanzania, and bloggers across the globe instantly construct conspiracy theories. When Justin Welby announces that he won’t be attending GAFCON II because he must baptise a new heir to the throne, it quickly becomes an object of scrutiny in Florida.

This reality suggests that the calls to return to a focus on the local parish by Hauerwas and Jensen require considerable modification. When Jensen warns against Christians “talking only to each other and becoming increasingly incomprehensible to those on the outside,” we should imagine this issue not simply as being limited to the Diocese of Sydney and its local community, but recognise that it applies to a much more expansive community “on the outside.” Similarly, when Hauerwas suggests that Christians need to “learn to be where we are,” the image that should come to mind is not of some small country village, but the global village.

If the Anglican Communion is to manage – as Hauerwas (following Kaye) puts it – “to maintain catholicity without Leviathan,” it will only do so after coming to terms with the compression of space and time that has been produced by contemporary patterns of communication and travel.

Read it all.

Seitz asks, “If a new liturgical rite, a new metro-political PB, and probably a new constitution (in the case of TEC, reinforcing a new polity) are now part of the agenda of the new season, will dioceses and parishes be permitted to do what has been done up until this new time, as the church inhabited this time and space previously?” I think the recent history of the Diocese of South Carolina, as well as several other dioceses, has already given us an answer to that question.

When I read Seitz’ statement, “Let justice and mercy kiss each other, as conservatives are permitted to remain on familiar trails, while the larger Episcopal and Anglican bodies in North America forge ahead where they believe God is calling them. If in time they part ways, at least it could happen in a spirit of charity and loving-kindness,” I feel as though I am reading something written in 1998, not 2013.

If in time they part ways??? Hello? There is already a parting of the ways….

Read it all.

With thanks to Kevin Kallsen and George Conger at Anglican TV

Story Index:

Communion Bishops go to Canterbury 00:00
Texas & South Carolina Victories 07:23
Teaching Americans how to speak English 18:11
It is Just a War 31:50
Trimming the dead branches 39:38
Closing and Bloooopers 44:21

Watch it all.

My crystal ball is telling me that Holy Women, Holy Men and the furor around it is emblematic of the liturgical issues that we will be dealing with in the next few decades. We are at the point where we must come to terms with the fact that we have inherited a prayer book with a greater catholic appearance but without catholic substance behind it. To put a finer point on it, we have a catholic-looking calendar of “saints” yet no shared theology of sainthood or sanctity. While a general consensus reigned that the appearance was sufficient, the lack of a coherent shared theology was not an issue. When we press upon it too hard””as occurred and is occurring in the transition from Lesser Feasts & Fasts into Holy Women, Holy Men into whatever will come next””we reap the fruits of a sort of potemkin ecumenism that collapses without common shared theology behind it.

Is there a catholic theology of sanctity in the Episcopal Church? Yes, in some places. Is there an inherently Episcopal theology of sanctity that proceeds naturally from the ’79 BCP that is in line with a classic Christian understanding? Without question! But is it known? No. Is there any common Episcopal understanding of sanctity? The arguments around the church especially as embodied in the discussions within the SCLM lead me to answer, no””I don’t think so.

The struggle of this current generation will be to wrestle with a liturgy that portrays a catholic appearance but lack a catholic substance behind it. It’s not that the substance can’t be there””it’s that it’s not.

Read it all.

Christians in these circumstances are facing a dangerous backlash, Church leaders having supported the ousting of Mr Morsi. Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church ”“ at whose enthronement last November in Cairo the Archbishop of Dublin acted as a representative of the former Archbishop of Canterbury ”“ was critical of Mr Morsi’s pro-Islamist approach and attended the ceremony at which the army’s commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, announced the suspension of the country’s constitution. The killing of a Coptic priest and attacks on Christians’ homes have shown very clearly how vulnerable the approximately 10 per cent minority is in the situation.

The Church must heed the call of Bishop Anis and pray at this time for healing in a very troubled nation, and for all Christians in Egypt who are suffering real personal dangers.

Read it all.

To compare the mentality of a brother bishop to school shooters (see here), or to call him and presumably those close to him “petty deciders or wolves who masquerade as sheep” is incredibly inappropriate for any Christian, not to mention bizarre. I truly have never before heard or read such a spiteful and hate-fueled speech on either side of our present unpleasantness. This type of hateful and over the top language is even worse coming from a leader who claims to speak for the “national Church” and all Episcopalians. Let me be clear: I am an Episcopal priest and the Presiding Bishop does not speak for me. I have no delusion that I share in any ownership of anything outside of my parish and my diocese. The idea that one person, even if one agrees with the present incumbent, can speak for all Episcopalians is sheer lunacy.

To be fair, this centralization of power and influence certainly did not start with the present Presiding Bishop, but we do well to consider the state in which we find ourselves. Power corrupts, and the Presiding Bishop rightly notes that when one figure assumes the power it often leads to abuse, tyranny and corruption. She apparently fails to see how this truth has been demonstrated in her term as Presiding Bishop. Fast tracking bishops to “renounce their orders” rather than letting the House of Bishops speak, inhibiting without the consent of the three most senior active bishops (which the new Title IV conveniently does not require), and setting up new dioceses (which TEC has every right to do) while violating the canons of TEC all point to an office that has overgrown its canonical bounds and is running unchecked.

Read it all.

There is clearly a division among faiths occurring, which is based on a similar division among cultures. The Anglican Communion, such as it was, was a brave attempt to bridge cultures under the banner of one faith, ultimately stemming from the Church of England. But with that Church now splintering over the issue of women in the episcopate, and the majority’s treating the issue as one of straightforward “civil rights,” can the admission of openly noncelibate gays and lesbians to the Church’s episcopate be far behind? After all, that issue will be debated in the Church on that same ground of “civil rights,” which the English Archbishops recently cited in Parliament to support the measure allowing same-sex civil marriages.

And there you have it. For America, Canada, Britain, and many other European countries, it all boils down to “equal civil rights” for all, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, and their country’s churches feel bound to mirror, and thus to honor, in their own structures that which the legislatures (or judges, as in America) have decreed.

But for traditional Anglicans, including those in GAFCON, the Church is the keeper and guardian of the faith, and is not free to jettison Holy Scripture in an effort to accommodate the society in which it finds itself.

Read it all.

Thanks to Kevin Kallsen and Fr George Conger at Anglican TV

There’s been a lot of nonsense written about what the statement from the Bishop of Leicester following the Second Reading in the Lords of the Same-Sex Marriage Bill actually means, chiefly down to the spin that the Telegraph put on it. However, if you read the statement carefully you can see that the Church of England has not surrendered on the Bill and in fact may very well continue to oppose it in Committee stage and at a Third Reading.

Let’s read what the Bishop actually wrote, not what others are implying he wrote.

Both Houses of Parliament have now expressed a clear view by large majorities on the principle that there should be legislation to enable same-sex marriages to take place in England and Wales.

It is now the duty and responsibility of the Bishops who sit in the House of Lords to recognise the implications of this decision and to join with other Members in the task of considering how this legislation can “.

Read it all.

Essentially, what is at issue on the motion to remand is whether or not the Court can fairly read the Lawrence State court complaint to state a “claim or controversy” under the laws of the United States, so that the case could have been brought initially in the federal Court. One would think that a complaint based only upon State trademark law would be left to the State courts to decide, but ECUSA and its Potemkin diocese saw things differently. ECUSA has not done well in the South Carolina State courts, and so they wanted desperately to have the federal courts take jurisdiction of the dispute over who owns the rights to the name “Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.”

Read it all.

Peter Catt (“Scripture, Science, and the Big Story”) is the oddest piece, arguing that we should reject the biblical storyline since it created the oppressive “Christendom narrative” and opt instead for a meta-narrative based on quantum physics and evolution.

I would aver that the central contention of this book is that Scripture is safe for progressive Christians because it is not normative but is negotiable. I would even argue that the primary aim is to reject the notion that Scripture is the “norming norm” as tradition has often put it, thus freeing us to either cherry pick its contents, or to disregard it entirely. The book, for reasons well-motivated given the context, is about liberty from biblical authority and imagining an Anglican future where the Bible has no more authority than archived copies of the church bulletin.

Let me say that I understand the dilemma of grappling with difficult passages (difficult theologically, historically, and ethically) and trying to show the relevance of a book that includes pre-scientific creation accounts, ancient near eastern law codes, Jewish poetry, Graeco-Roman biographies, lengthy letters with heavily didactic content, and an Apocalypse, all written in times and places very foreign to our own time and place.

Read it all.

Goddard had fewer than four months to research and write the book and acknowledges that his conclusions and judgments are “initial [and] tentative” (p. 8). Each chapter provides a summary of Williams’s speeches, interviews, and sermons relevant to the topic at hand, along with commentary from Goddard and a handful of other individuals whom he interviewed. At times, the chapters feel like little more than lengthy quotations from Williams’s own writing. This is no bad thing, however. To read Williams’s original words in the context in which they were first delivered is refreshing. In any event, their complexity and depth defy easy summation. (At least two other books on Williams, Rupert Shortt’s Rowan’s Rule and Mike Higton’s Difficult Gospel, similarly rely on lengthy quotations.)

Goddard’s tight writing schedule presents other problems, as it causes him occasionally to pass over significant moments too briefly. For instance, he mentions Williams’s “historic meeting with [Zimbabwean President Robert] Mugabe” (p. 144) but provides no additional information on what made it historic or why it was significant to Williams’s ministry. These are judgments that a tight publishing deadline likely cannot accommodate.

A larger disappointment is that the people Goddard interviewed to inform his judgments seem a limited lot. They are overwhelmingly male and from the Euro-Atlantic world.

Read it all.

So, Christmas Christians are on the up.

And the number of christenings increased by 4.3%, which was accompanied by a rise of just over 5% in adult baptisms with a combined total of 139,751 baptisms ”“ meaning that the Church of England conducted an average of over 2,600 baptisms each week during 2011. Thanksgivings for the birth of a child also rose – an 11.9% increase, taking numbers to 6,582….

The bad news?

Sunday attendance has declined over the decade, and this is particularly noticeable with child attendance:

Read it all.

The Court says that Virginia is a State that follows and applies “neutral principles of law,” but don’t let that fool you. What exactly is so “neutral” about (a) judges creating a trust out of whole cloth that the parties themselves never formalized, so that (b) a church like ECUSA can secure a windfall for the unjust enrichment of one of its dioceses?

Justice Powell’s result rests entirely upon her finding that a “fiduciary relationship” existed between The Falls Church and the national Church. But she spends no time whatsoever in examining the particulars of such a relationship, or deciding just when and how it actually came into being.

Fiduciary relationships are very special in the eyes of the law. A fiduciary is a person or entity in whom one confides (such as a client with his attorney, a patient with his psychiatrist, or a penitent with his priest) — or it can also be a person or entity to whom one entrusts money or property, such as a client with his stockbroker or banker. Or it can simply be the trustee who holds certain property in trust for what the law calls the beneficiary of that trust — the person for whose benefit the trust was established.

Read it all.

…One hundred or 150 years from today, the generations then may look back at ours and wonder about how unenlightened we were in some spheres of life.

Take Church leadership: they will wonder about how come a people who lived in the age of air travel, the Internet, and pinhole surgery, had for long been so blind to the obvious ”“ that the strength of the Church, across its main denominations ”“ Catholicism, Anglicanism, Pentecostalism (CAP) ”“ in the late 20th and through the 21st Centuries lay in the Global South, and that is where its leadership should come from…

Read it all