The conference has spent the last 2 days concentrating on “mini conferences” looking at a diverse range of topics. I’ve spent time with others considering the work of the Spirit in the Church. Yesterday we considered the question of spiritual opposition, what it looks like and how Jesus by His Spirit is the stronger man (Luke 11:22) who defeats all demonic opposition. It was truly fascinating to hear from Ugandan Rev Dr Afred Olwa about spiritual warfare in rural Africa. We then broke into small groups and discussed what spiritual opposition GAFCON churches were facing and what might be done about it. What was striking was that although I was in a group dominated by Africans (as you would expect in a conference that accurately reflects the true makeup of the Communion) their concern was first and foremost for the Western churches. The responses of potential solutions was also encouraging. Much of it was grounded in what we might call “word ministry”. There was a deep desire to stand publicly with those who were facing opposition; not just to send bland greetings but genuinely stand in the fire with them (Justin Welby take note). There was also a heartfelt desire to share one with another in partnership in ministry. I’ve spent a lot of time introducing African bishops to the distance learning material from Sydney’s Moore Theological College which is already supporting many dioceses all over the world to train their clergy and laity. Perhaps in the future there’ll be an opportunity to renew those relationships as we extend that partnership.

More personally, I’m struck by the work yet to be done amongst some of us evangelicals in addressing the question of Spiritual warfare. Not one conservative I spoke to doubted in any way the genuine nature of the demonic encounters that Alfred and others were describing, but for many of us we have not yet fully clarified how they manifest themselves in our particular culture.

Read it all.

Check it out (you can click on it to make it larger).

Living alongside and evangelizing Muslim neighbors has been a recurring theme at the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) meeting this week in Nairobi, Kenya. Relations between Anglican Christians and Muslims have been made more complicated in recent years with the rise of radical Islamists and key differences in how Christians and some Muslims understand moral codes and public law.

“Our arguments should have validity and strength in the pubic square, people should see it is focused on love, truth and graciousness,” declared Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali at a GAFCON mini-conference session on Islam held on Thursday. The former bishop of Rochester, England explained that Christians and Muslims have a different attitude about power.

“Islam believes you change the world by gaining power, Christians believe you change the world by a willingness to give up power,” Nazir-Ali assessed. Yet temptation to theocracy, he reported, is everywhere.

Read it all.

There is nothing in Anglicanism like GAFCON. The Lambeth Conferences have all the bishops and their wives; the Anglican Consultative Council has a few representatives from each province. The Third Divine Commonwealth Conference in Nigeria from November 18-22 with 5000 people is largely composed of members of the Church of Nigeria.

GAFCON2013 is made up of bishops, clergy and lay people drawn from 38 countries numbering over 1300 people.

The Archdeacon of Cardigan, the Venerable Will Strange, describes the worship, led by a choir and a drummer as fantastic. The morning bible expositions of the Book of Ephesians have been spectacular and models of their kind.

Read it all.

We believe the apostolic faith,” Dr [Peter] Jensen said in the opening session, “and we do not believe the faith of those who contradict the Bible, and who deny the uniqueness and supremacy of Christ.”

The first day of the conference was devoted to worship, and to a preparatory talk given by Dr Jensen. The second day alternated between worship and presentations by the Archbishop of Kenya, Dr Eliud Wabukala, who hosted the conference, and the Principal of Oak Hill Theological College, the Revd Dr Mike Ovey.

Shorter presentations were offered by the Vicar of St Mark’s, Battersea Rise, the Revd Paul Perkin; the Archbishop of Sudan, Dr Daniel Deng Bul; the Bishop of Jos, Nigeria, the Rt Revd Ben Kwashi; Andrea Minichiello Williams, of Christian Concern; the Bishop of Nelson, New Zealand, the Rt Revd Richard Ellena; and the vice-chancellor of Uganda Christian University, Canon John Senyonyi.

Read it all.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who at the carpenter’s bench didst manifest the dignity of honest labour, and dost give to each of us our tasks to perform: Help us to do our daily work with readiness of mind and singleness of heart, not with eye-service as menpleasers, but as thy servants, labouring heartily as unto thee and not unto men, so that whatever we do, great or small, may be to the glory of thy holy name.

–John R. W. Stott (1921-2011)

But I trust in thee, O LORD, I say, “Thou art my God.” My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors! Let thy face shine on thy servant; save me in thy steadfast love!

–Psalm 31:15-16

Today has been a S-L-O-W news day at GAFCON II. The plenary session time was short, followed by mini-conference sessions. Then in the afternoon the delegates took a trip to Nairobi National Park, and had dinner at a famous Nairobi restaurant. Hopefully the slightly slower pace will have given the attendees a bit of a mental break. (If you’ve ever attended a large, intense week-long conference, you know how welcome a respite can be mid-week!)

Even though it’s been a less notably newsworthy day, however, there are some excellent Day 4 roundups starting to appear on the blogs now. Here are links to four entries we elves really liked and recommend reading.

Summary GAFCON II Day 4 (Andrew Symes, Anglican Mainstream)
Nigel Fortescue: GAFCON Day 4
Rob Munro: GAFCON Day 4: Widening Horizons
Bishop Foley Beach: The Suffering Church

And for those of you who want to see the photos of gorgeous Kenyan wildlife and scenery… here you go:
Photos Day 4 (ACNA facebook page – mostly pictures from this afternoon’s trip to Nairobi National Park)

P.S. we forgot to mention: the preacher this morning for the Bible exposition of Ephesians 4 was John Yates III (the son of the Rector of The Falls Church) and who was just interviewed this week by Stand Firm blogger David Ould. [See Kendall’s post here]. By all accounts, John Yates III can preach as well as his dad!

Update: David Ould’s latest blog entry about Day 4 at GAFCON wasn’t yet available when we first posted this entry, but it certainly is worth reading as well, and thankfully Kendall posted it as a stand alone article, above.

tudios and filmmakers are rediscovering a classic text as source material for upcoming mainstream films: the Bible.

Nearly 10 years after the blockbuster success of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which earned $611.9 million worldwide, studios are looking to the Good Book for good material….

Read it all.

This brings me to the… more profound… reason for my support of Judge Ortbal’s reasoning: at the root of TEC’s fracture lies our General Convention’s failure to engage our church’s own identity, an identity rooted in the deeper character of unitive mission that ought to inform our life. In brief, the Church’s unity is given in her “apostolicity”, her apostolic mission. When the latter is subverted, unity disintegrates, and this is what we have seen happen in TEC. The result is not a “good” ”“ I continue to believe that the disassociation of dioceses like Quincy, Fort Worth, South Carolina, and San Joaquin constitutes a failure of the Christian life. But the reversion to diocesan “independence” represents the almost natural reassertion of the will to apostolicity that one would expect in a situation of profound ecclesial dysfunction. And that reversion has something to teach us.

The polity question has to do with General Convention in this case. Dioceses, at least in theory, joined the Convention because such joining represented the furtherance of the apostolic ministry of the Church. They have disassociated themselves when that ministry was being impeded by General Convention. Part of the demanded reconsideration of our common life has to do with figuring out why this has been the case, and on what basis.

Read it all.

It appears that the default position of the communion in the past decade was to assert that what we hold in common is an adequate basis for unity in the communion. What we hold in common tended to get reduced to our “historic bonds of affection”. Everything else was contested.

Such an attitude to unity ignored the centrality of the identity discussion of the communion. When it did deal with the identity issue it drove a wedge between the local and universal and between diversity and unity. It privileged the local and diversity over the universal and unity.

A global/universal communion of churches has two key features: identity and unity. Identity is integrally connected to unity. It is the undermining of the integrity of the identity of the Anglican Communion that produced fragmentation and brokenness we see today in the Communion. The four instruments of unity that were expected to deal with the breakdown of unity in the communion, have failed in the opinion of both Anglican leaders and commentators.

Read it all.

My father, who died earlier this year at the ripe old age of 90, had a life that was as varied as it was long.

He served in the Italian campaign in the Second World War, then became an Anglican clergyman, a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and subsequently dean of St John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong. For 21 years he was principal of Morley College, an institute of adult education, in London, and finally director of a large charitable foundation. In his retirement he returned to his first love, church history, completing a project on Restoration church courts that he had put aside 30 years previously and ending his career with seven entries on Restoration Anglican divines for the Dictionary of National Biography, which was published in his 81st year. (“Not my period” he would always declare stoutly when asked a question about a historical event that fell outside the late 17th century, although in fact he wrote what is still a standard history of the movement for Christian unity.)

At the age of 85 he was awarded the rare degree of doctor of divinity by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a ceremony at Lambeth Palace at which Rowan Williams preached a fire-breathing sermon on the threat of secularism, little knowing that my father had long ceased to be a believer.

Read it all.

[I was listening to the speaker on 60 minutes and he said the following}…

:“I have ”“ one teacher I remember was an elderly Jesuit at Xavier (high school in New York City) from Boston. He had a Boston accent. Father Tom Matthews, and he taught me a lesson that I’ve recounted in some of my speeches. He taught me what I refer to as the Shakespeare principle.

The class was reading one of the Shakespeare plays, ”˜Hamlet’ or whatever, and one of my classmates or whatever, sort of smart aleck kid, John Antonelli, as I recall. It’s ridiculous I would remember his name. But [John] made some really smart aleck sophomoric criticism of the play, and Father Matthews looked down at him and he said, with his Boston accent, ”˜Mister, when you read Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s not on trial. You are.’”

And so it was for me and Flannery O’Connor. As I read her work, Flannery O’Connor was not on trial. I was. Sheepishly, I have to admit that I had similarly grossly misjudged the great G.K. Chesterton in the past (see my previous post “Finding My Way to Orthodoxy” http://acatholicthinker.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/finding-my-way-to-orthodoxy/). The work of Flannery O’Connor could be harsh, violent and discomfiting. And yet it is also thick with truth, grace and redemption. To the superficial reader, a yarn filled with unattractive figures on ill-fated endeavors may be all that is perceived. But to those willing to consider her work more deeply, powerful themes of deeply religious truths become apparent. Perhaps the greatest and most pervasive of these truths in Flannery’s stories is the pain, suffering and “meanness” that often accompanies the beautiful grace of God.

Read it all (emphasis mine).

The wedding party stood outside the church, eagerly awaiting the ceremonious arrival of the bride. Instead, drive-by shooters killed four, including two children and the groom’s mother, and injured 18.

Beyond its poignancy, the attack in Cairo’s industrial neighborhood of Warraq was significant for being one of the first to target Egypt’s Christians specifically, versus the now-common attacks on their church buildings.

“Since the revolution, this is the first instance Coptic people were targeted randomly in a church, with weapons,” said Mina Magdy, general coordinator for the Maspero Youth Union, a mostly Coptic revolutionary group formed in response to church burnings in 2011 after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.

Read it all.

[Same Sex Practice]…goes against the teachings of the Bible and should not be admitted to the Church, conservative Anglican leaders have said.

Gathering in Nairobi for week-long Global Anglican Future Conference, the clergy on Monday said they would preach for adherence to the teachings of the Bible and do not support the infiltration of “secularising” influences.

Read it all.

Ai Aoyama is a sex and relationship counsellor who works out of her narrow three-story home on a Tokyo back street. Aoyama, 52, is trying to cure what Japan’s media calls sekkusu shinai shokogun, or “celibacy syndrome”. Japan’s under-40s appear to be losing interest in conventional relationships. Millions aren’t even dating, and increasing numbers can’t be bothered with sex.

Japan’s under-40s won’t go forth and multiply out of duty, as postwar generations did. The country is undergoing major social transition after 20 years of economic stagnation. It is also battling against the effects on its already nuclear-destruction-scarred psyche of 2011’s earthquake, tsunami and radioactive meltdown. There is no going back. “Both men and women say to me they don’t see the point of love. They don’t believe it can lead anywhere,” says Aoyama. “Relationships have become too hard.”

Japan’s punishing corporate world makes it almost impossible for women to combine a career and family, while children are unaffordable unless both parents work. Cohabiting or unmarried parenthood is still unusual, dogged by bureaucratic disapproval.

Read it all.

Conference members have been enjoying the outstanding venue of All Saints Cathedral, its Trinity Conference Centre and grounds festooned with tents for meals, stands for 44 exhibiting organisations and a street craft market. There are one hundred patient volunteers of whom eighty are members of the cathedral congregation.

The Dean and the Church Council have closed all other Cathedral activities for the week and taken a bank loan of £100,000 to pay for the extra facilities. The overall impression is that this is how a Cathedral and its precincts can be used to resource the whole Church.

There were nine day long ‘mini-conferences’ …on Islam, Marriage and Family, Theological Education, Aid and Development.

Read it all.

It was ably demonstrated from history and contemporary analysis that the West is be default proclaiming a gospel of cheap grace. That means proclaiming a faith without repentance, and which therefore requires no forgiveness; a grace that is self bestowed, not given by God, and therefore a presumption. All this has flowed from the man-centredness from Kant onwards, where ”˜maturity’ implies autonomy and entitlement, leading to rights without duties, and a narcissism that responds to any challenge with irrational rage.

The fruit of this non-gospel is a worldly church promoting itself to others with an attractive mix of technological and financial superiority, but worldly in its theology. It only proclaims as sin things that culture is willing to concede are has, like racism or injustice; what it won’t do is challenge what culture approves. Many examples of the fruit of this were given, from places now persecuted over it.

Read it all.

This morning I stopped to chat with John W Yates III of Holy Trinity Church in Raleigh, N.C.. John was a former study assistant to John Stott and we talked about Uncle John’s influence on North American Anglicans.

Take the time to listen to it all.

(Photo courtesy of Bob Lawrence)

Watch it all (about 18 1/2 minutes).

UPDATE: Here is a written transcript at Anglican Ink

Strokes are increasingly killing younger people, especially in developing countries where unhealthy lifestyle habits have taken hold, according to a study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

While strokes are usually thought to afflict older people, the number of people ages 20 to 64 who experience them has risen by 25 percent in the past two decades, according to researchers from countries including the U.S., U.K. and Japan. This younger group now makes up 31 percent of total strokes, compared with 25 percent before 1990, the study found.

Read it all.

O God, our Father, we are exceedingly frail, and indisposed to every virtuous and gallant undertaking: Strengthen our weakness, we beseech thee, that we may do valiantly in this spiritual war; help us against our own negligence and cowardice, and defend us from the treachery of our unfaithful hearts; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Saint Augustine

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.

–Psalm 37:3-5

This post is sticky – look below the GAFCON links entry for new posts. UPDATED FRIDAY Oct 25th – 15:20 GMT / 11:20 Eastern

UPDATE: The video of today’s (Friday) Press Conference on the draft of the Conference Statement is now online. There is an accompanying Press Release here.

***
The tireless Kevin Kallsen has got some new GAFCON videos uploaded (not easy when you’re dealing with African internet connections!!)

From Tuesday at GAFCON:
VIDEO: Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali: Global Challenge [12 minutes]
VIDEO: Dr. Mike Ovey’s presentation on The Grace of God or the World of the West [50 minutes]

Other videos we recommend include:
(Sunday) Archbishop Welby’s Sermon at Nairobi Cathedral
(Sunday) VIDEO: Archbishop Jensen’s address to the archbishops’ luncheon with Justin Welby [12 minutes]
(Monday) Opening Press Conference
(Monday) Abp. Wabukala welcomes delegates to Kenya [7:48]
(Tuesday) The Rev. Paul Perkin: What is happening in the Church of England [18 minutes]
(Tuesday) The Lonely Church [13 minutes]

All the Anglican TV videos can be found here (YouTube)
The GAFCON videos page is here (Vimeo)

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

Those who make this journey must look in two directions, the Archbishop said.

‘First, they look at the world. Jesus tells his disciples to let people come to him. To do that they have to be outward looking, in touch with the world, welcoming, generous-spirited, alive with the life of the Christ to whom they will introduce all who come.’

He added that as a Christian, Prince George ‘is to share the life of Christ which is in him, regardless of whom he meets, their faith or nature or habits, so that others find life. That sharing may be in words, or generous actions – most likely both – but it will be both very costly and infinitely rewarding.’

The second direction in which Christians must look is towards Christ, the Archbishop said….

Read it all and note the video link at the bottom for those interested.

The christening of Prince George has taken place in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London.

The prince, third in line to the throne, was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The christening was private, with only senior royals, four members of the Middleton family, the seven godparents and their spouses among the 22 guests.

Read it all.