Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.I write to share with you a statement released today by our GAFCON Chairman on behalf of the GAFCON Primates.It is an important statement. It is an historic statement.The future has arrived. What began with the first GAFCON gathering in Jerusalem in 2008 has now reached fruition. We have reordered the Anglican Communion.I commend to you a prayerful reading of this statement. It is especially notable that its release coincides with the commemoration of Bishops Latimer and Ridley. The flame they lit in England continues to burn brightly throughout our Communion today.There will be more to say in due course. For now, this statement is enough.COLLECT OF THE DAYHugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, Bishops and Martyrs, 1555Almighty God, you gave your servants Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.In the peace and hope of Christ Jesus,Archbp Steve Wood
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Letter from ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood on the new Gafcon Anglican Primates Communiqué
The Gafcon Primates Communiqué : The Future Has Arrived
Today, that future has arrived.
Our Gafcon Primates gathered this hour to fulfil our mandate to reform the Anglican Communion, as expressed in the Jerusalem Statement of 2008.
We resolved to reorder the Anglican Communion as follows:
1. We declare that the Anglican Communion will be reordered, with only one foundation of communion, namely the Holy Bible, “translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading” (Jerusalem Declaration, Article II), which reflects Article VI of the 39 Articles of Religion.
2. We reject the so-called Instruments of Communion, namely the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and the Primates Meeting, which have failed to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Communion.
3. We cannot continue to have communion with those who advocate the revisionist agenda, which has abandoned the inerrant word of God as the final authority and overturned Resolution I.10, of the 1998 Lambeth Conference.
4. Therefore, Gafcon has re-ordered the Anglican Communion by restoring its original structure as a fellowship of autonomous provinces bound together by the Formularies of the Reformation, as reflected at the first Lambeth Conference in 1867, and we are now the Global Anglican Communion.
5. Provinces of the Global Anglican Communion shall not participate in meetings called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, including the ACC, and shall not make any monetary contribution to the ACC, nor receive any monetary contribution from the ACC or its networks.
6. Provinces, which have yet to do so, are encouraged to amend their constitution to remove any reference to being in communion with the See of Canterbury and the Church of England.
7. To be a member of the Global Anglican Communion, a province or a diocese must assent to the Jerusalem Declaration of 2008, the contemporary standard for Anglican identity.
8. We shall form a Council of Primates of all member provinces to elect a Chairman, as primus inter pares (‘first amongst equals’), to preside over the Council as it continues “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
As I declared in my statement two weeks ago,“the reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of Gafcon, and we are ready to take the lead.”
"We are now the Communion." https://t.co/iSRqCmX1pj via @gafconference
— wyclif ⚓ (@wyclif) October 16, 2025
A Prayer for the Feast Day of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer
Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, after the examples of thy servants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer; that we may live in thy fear, die in thy favor, and rest in thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
15 Oct 1555: Nicholas Ridley is degraded from the episcopate – bishop of #London – #otd. Burnt at the stake next day in #Oxford with Latimer. pic.twitter.com/ZzEi6ja12d
— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) October 15, 2025
A prayer for the day from Daily Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, who by precept and example hast taught us that the greatest of all is the servant of all, and that the humble shall be exalted: Make us content to take the lowest place; and if it shall please thee to call us higher, do thou preserve within us a simple and lowly spirit; to thy great glory.
—Daily Prayer, Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs, eds. (London: Penguin Books 1959 edition of the 1941 original)
The October calendar page is in – have a wonderful Thursday, friends
— Mike Wood (@MikeMikwd) October 16, 2025
#ScotlandisNow #StormHour #photography #photooftheday #landscape #OutAndAboutScotland #landscapephotography @VisitScotland @ScotsMagazine #STVSnaps #ThePhotoHour #beautiful pic.twitter.com/yiCU4prcv9
From the Morning Bible Readings
Now Shephati′ah the son of Mattan, Gedali′ah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemi′ah, and Pashhur the son of Malchi′ah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out to the Chalde′ans shall live; he shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. Thus says the Lord, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” Then the princes said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” King Zedeki′ah said, “Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you.” So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchi′ah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mire, and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
When E′bed-mel′ech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate— E′bed-mel′ech went from the king’s house and said to the king, “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern; and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” Then the king commanded E′bed-mel′ech, the Ethiopian, “Take three men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” So E′bed-mel′ech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe of the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. Then E′bed-mel′ech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
–Jeremiah 38:1-13
I hadn't planned to visit this waterfall on my way back from the west coast. I'm glad I did as it was a beautiful sight. It doesn't get anymore autumn than this!
— Gord Follett Photography (@gord_follett) October 16, 2025
Rattling Brook Falls Newfoundland pic.twitter.com/uRHDXg7fWb
(Church Times) Harvest festivals still plentiful in the Church of England
Harvest Festivals remain a mainstay of the Church of England calendar, but they are less commonly celebrated in denominations that have been expanding in recent years, research from the charity Green Christian suggests.
It held a representative survey of more than 600 regular churchgoers in Britain. This found that, while two-thirds of Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, and Presbyterian churches continued to keep Harvest, just under one quarter of the respondents from New Churches, and fewer than half of those from Black Majority, Independent, and Pentecostal churches, normally held services.
Professor Tim Cooper, of Nottingham Trent University, who led the research, emphasised the importance of the festival to Christians. “Churchgoers of all backgrounds and traditions claim to care for God’s creation. But if we make choices in our food and farming practices that are not sustainable, we lack environmental integrity and dishonour the creation that God loves.”
This was also disrespectful to farmers, he suggested. “Harvest suppers are an ideal opportunity for churches to provide meals based on LOAF principles — using ingredients that are local, organic, animal-friendly and fairly traded — and thereby encourage Christians to put the principle of caring for God’s creation into daily practice.”
Harvest festival remains a mainstay in the Church of England calendar, but is less common in denominations that have been expanding in recent years, research from the charity @GreenChristian_ suggests#harvest #harvestfestival #cathedrals #churchnews https://t.co/x8Yp1vwaeb
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 15, 2025
(Bloomberg) Goldman Sees US Consumers Paying More Than Half of Trump Tariffs
Americans are set to pay more than half of President Donald Trump’s tariff costs as companies raise prices, according to economists of Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
US consumers will likely shoulder 55% of tariff costs by the end of the year, with American companies taking on 22%, the Goldman analysts wrote in an Oct. 12 research note to clients. Foreign exporters would absorb 18% of tariff costs by cutting prices for goods, while 5% would be evaded, they wrote.
For now “US businesses are likely bearing a larger share of the costs” as it takes time to raise prices, economists Elsie Peng and David Mericle wrote in the note. “If recently implemented and future tariffs have the same eventual impact on prices as the tariffs implemented earlier this year, then US consumers would eventually absorb 55% of tariff costs.”
Americans are set to pay more than half of President Donald Trump’s tariff costs as companies raise prices, according to Goldman Sachs economists https://t.co/L04IgE1sdF
— Bloomberg (@business) October 13, 2025
The world has become dangerously dependent on American stocks, writes the former IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath
The American stockmarket has see-sawed lately amid a flare-up in trade tensions, but remains near its all-time high. The surge, fuelled by enthusiasm around artificial intelligence, has drawn comparisons to the exuberance of the late 1990s that culminated in the dotcom crash of 2000. Though technological innovation is undeniably reshaping industries and increasing productivity, there are good reasons to worry that the current rally may be setting the stage for another painful market correction. The consequences of such a crash, however, could be far more severe and global in scope than those felt a quarter of a century ago.
At the heart of this concern is the sheer scale of exposure, both domestic and international, to American equities. Over the past decade and a half, American households have significantly increased their holdings in the stockmarket, encouraged by strong returns and the dominance of American tech firms. Foreign investors, particularly from Europe, have for the same reasons poured capital into American stocks, while simultaneously benefiting from the dollar’s strength. This growing interconnectedness means that any sharp downturn in American markets will reverberate around the world.
To put the potential impact in perspective, I calculate that a market correction of the same magnitude as the dotcom crash could wipe out over $20trn in wealth for American households, equivalent to roughly 70% of American GDP in 2024. This is several times larger than the losses incurred during the crash of the early 2000s. The implications for consumption would be grave. Consumption growth is already weaker than it was preceding the dotcom crash. A shock of this magnitude could cut it by 3.5 percentage points, translating into a two-percentage-point hit to overall GDP growth, even before accounting for declines in investment.
The exposure of the world to US equities is at record levels. A stock market correction would have more severe and global consequences as compared to what followed the dot-com crash. The tariff wars and lack of fiscal space compounds the problem. The underlying problem is not… pic.twitter.com/LFaN4mNgqn
— Gita Gopinath (@GitaGopinath) October 15, 2025
(PCN) The Church of England calls for a national conversation on AI and the future of work
The Church of England has called for a national conversation on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the world of work. .
A new edition of the Crucible journal, released this month, explored how automation and algorithms reshape jobs and identity.
It follows a motion passed by the Church’s General Synod in February 2024, which acknowledged the effects of AI and the ‘fourth industrial revolution’.
Renewed call for national conversation on AI and the Future of Work https://t.co/7607ZNflnM via @Anglican Ink © 2025
— George Conger (@GeorgeConger8) October 10, 2025
A Prayer for the Feast Day of Teresa of Avila
O God, who by thy Holy Spirit didst move Teresa of Avila to manifest to thy Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we beseech thee, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a lively and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever.
15 Oct: feast of Teresa of #Avila founder, #writer #mystic co-patron of #Spain (BM/JMcC) d. 1582 pic.twitter.com/G2CpTqAIPO
— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) October 15, 2025
A prayer for the day from Frank Colquhoun
Blessed Lord, who putteth down the mighty from their seat and exaltest those of low degree: Save us, we beseech thee, from pride and vainglory, from self-seeking and false ambition. Give us a humble and contrite spirit, that we may think less of ourselves, more of others, and most of all of thee, who art our mighty God and Saviour; to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit we ascribe all praise and glory, now and for evermore.
Autumn in Strid Wood, Bolton Abbey 🍁 pic.twitter.com/njpXmDfnzJ
— North Yorkshire (@visitnorthyork) October 15, 2025
From the Morning Bible Readings
King Zedeki′ah sent Jehu′cal the son of Shelemi′ah, and Zephani′ah the priest, the son of Ma-asei′ah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God.” Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt; and when the Chalde′ans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army which came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. And the Chalde′ans shall come back and fight against this city; they shall take it and burn it with fire. Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chalde′ans will surely stay away from us,” for they will not stay away. For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chalde′ans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’”
Jeremiah Is Imprisoned
Now when the Chalde′an army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion[a] there among the people. When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Iri′jah the son of Shelemi′ah, son of Hanani′ah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chalde′ans.” And Jeremiah said, “It is false; I am not deserting to the Chalde′ans.” But Iri′jah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes. And the princes were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison.
When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells, and remained there many days, King Zedeki′ah sent for him, and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house, and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” Jeremiah also said to King Zedeki′ah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? Now hear, I pray you, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you, and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” So King Zedeki′ah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard; and a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
–Jeremiah 37:3-21
Gothic statue of the Prophet Jeremiah, North Porch, Central Portal, Chartres Cathedral, c.1194 pic.twitter.com/kuPe85qt6v
— Solas (@solas_na_greine) May 1, 2025
(Church Times) New congregations’ liturgical experimentation is a problem, says director of church-planting centre
Congregationalism is being “silently endorsed” in the Church of England, a new report warns, because the leaders of new worshipping communities (NWCs) are writing eucharistic texts for their communities without the theological support of the wider Church.
The Communion Dilemma: The challenges of leading eucharistic New Things draws on a survey of 63 NWCs across 20 dioceses. It reports that 39 per cent of them are using texts not authorised by the General Synod.
“The problem is not just [that] new things are breaking the rules, but they are seeking to exist outside of the ecology of the wider Church, in which all can be benefit and learn from one another,” the report says. One way forward would be to designate some New Things as “centres for liturgical experimentation”.
The report is by the Revd Dr Joshua Cockayne, director of the Bede Centre for Church Planting Theology at Cranmer Hall. The term “New Things” was used in an earlier report by the Centre, which found that dioceses had jettisoned the use of the word “church” in describing the various new worshipping communities being established in their parishes (News, 16 August 2024).
Congregationalism is being “silently endorsed” in the Church of England, a new report warns, because the leaders of new worshipping communities (NWCs) are writing eucharistic texts for their communities without the theological support of the wider Churchhttps://t.co/KXm27fBSKs
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 14, 2025
The Latest Edition of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina Enewsletter
Trinity Anglican Seminary is offering an in-person and live-stream lecture at 7:00 p.m. on October 30 by Dr. Matthew Barrett, Research Professor of Theology. Part of the 2025 John Rodgers Lecture Series, this year’s lecture, “The Legacy of Nicaea & the Future of Anglicanism,” marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and explores the vital role of creedal Christianity in our time. Register here to receive the live-stream link.
The Latest Edition of the Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina Enewsletter https://t.co/NrndEYbzzv #parishministry #anglican #news #southcarolina #lowcountrylife pic.twitter.com/BvRsQ1TKc8
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 14, 2025
(NYT) Cars to Fighter Jets: China’s New Export Curbs May Level a Heavy Blow Worldwide
From cars and computer chips to tanks and fighter jets, China’s new export restrictions represent a sweeping effort to control global commerce and have set off a renewed trade fight that pits Beijing against not only the United States but also Europe.
The new regulations, which take effect in stages on Nov. 8 and Dec. 1, apply to the entire world, sharply escalating China’s sway over critical manufacturing at a time of increased international fractures over trade. The restrictions led President Trump on Friday to threaten to impose new 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports starting Nov. 1.
The rules go far beyond China’s limits since April on the export of rare earth metals, which are mined and processed mainly in China, as well as magnets made from those metals. In a series of announcements on Thursday, China extended its restrictions to worldwide shipments of electric motors, computer chips and other devices that have become central to modern life and are now manufactured mainly in China.
The regulations prohibit exports from China to any country of materials or components for use in military equipment. Among the items banned are the small yet powerful electric motors in missiles and fighter jets and the materials for crucial range finders in tanks and artillery that are used to zero in on distant targets.
China’s New Export Curbs May Level a Heavy Blow Worldwide https://t.co/CX91lkUldK "The new rules apply to any shipments across national borders…European automakers, in particular, face a daunting task of seeking Chinese export licenses to move car parts within Europe"
— David Mulroney (@David_Mulroney) October 13, 2025
A Haaretz Article on Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky for his Feast Day
On October 15, 1906, Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, the Jewish-born, rabbinical school-trained, former Anglican bishop of Shanghai, died in Tokyo, after a lengthy illness, at age 75. Apart from the novelty interest of a converted Jew becoming a church official and serving in the exotic East, Schereschewsky is remembered for having produced a much-respected translation into Mandarin Chinese of the Hebrew Bible, among other sacred texts, which became the standard 20th-century translation.
Samuel Schereschewsky was born on May 6, 1831, in Tauroggen, a Jewish shtetl in the Russian empire, in what is today southwest Lithuania. Both of his parents ”“ the former Rosa Salvatha, of Sephardi-Jewish heritage, and Samuel Joseph Schereschewsky ”“ died when he was very young. Samuel was apparently raised by a much older half-brother, a timber merchant who was the product of his father’s first marriage.
At age 15, he left his brother’s home, and held jobs as a glazier and as a Hebrew tutor before entering the rabbinical seminary in Zhytomir, in Ukraine.
Today the Church remembers the Apostle to the Chinese, Bp. Joseph Schereschewsky. Born to the Jews, he was training to become a rabbi when the Lord brought him out from them by the enlightening of his mind, when upon reading the New Testament he recognized it as the word of God. pic.twitter.com/5uVUriVvG5
— Joe – Young Anglican ⚓️ (@Young_Anglican) October 14, 2025
A Prayer for the Feast Day of Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky
O God, who in thy providence didst call Joseph Schereschewsky from his home in Eastern Europe to the ministry of this Church, and didst send him as a missionary to China, upholding him in his infirmity, that he might translate the holy Scriptures into languages of that land: Lead us, we pray thee, to commit our lives and talents to thee, in the confidence that when thou givest thy servants any work to do, thou dost also supply the strength to do it; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, Bishop and Missionary, 1906 pic.twitter.com/F0xkkbLRRH
— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) October 14, 2023
A prayer for the day from Charles Kingsley (1819-1875)
Take from us, O Lord God, all pride and vanity, all boasting and self-assertion, and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness; the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity; and the true power that shows itself in modesty; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Every morning we open a window to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and share some of its special qualities, like this view of moorland at Oxnop in Swaledale.
— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) October 14, 2025
📸 Wendy McDonnell | #YorkshireDales #StepIntoNature pic.twitter.com/Mf5oCZ0jYs
From the Morning Scripture Readings
Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified.
Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how shall I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will any one know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves; if you in a tongue utter speech that is not intelligible, how will any one know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning; but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves; since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
–1 Corinthians 14:1-12
Each time is different, a journey up on Kinder #PeakDistrict
— Sarah Lister (@ABTheAdventure) October 14, 2025
🗓️ Last Sunday morning pic.twitter.com/5poHHIXSQs
Martin Davie–The Archbishop of Canterbury has a limited role, and it is worth thinking through what it is in the midst of the current Anglican confusion
The announcement of the choice of the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mallally, to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury has been accompanied by frequent references to the Archbishop of Canterbury as the ‘head of the Church of England’ or the ‘head of the Anglican Communion.’ In this post I shall explain why both of these statements are misleading, what roles the Archbishop of Canterbury actually has in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, and the implications of the fact that these roles are very limited.
What do we mean by ‘head?’
When thinking about these topics, the first thing we need to be clear about is what we mean when we say that someone is the ‘head’ of something. When we use the word head in this connection we are using analogical language. An analogy is being drawn between the role of the head (and more specifically what is inside the head, the brain) in the human body and the role of an individual in a particular organisation.
The analogy is between the role of the brain in determining how a human body shall act and the role of an individual in determining what happens in an organisation. Calling some the head in this way (as in the terms ‘head of state,’ ‘head teacher’ and ‘head of the armed forces’ ) means that they are the person who has the authority and ability to govern the life of the state, the school, or the armed forces. They have the right to say what will happen.
By extension, when it is said that the Archbishop of Canterbury is head of the Church of England or the Anglican Communion, what is being claimed is that the Archbishop of Canterbury has a similar governing authority over these bodies. The problem with this claim is that it is untrue for three reasons.
Martin Davie–'The…problem with this statement is that the idea that the Church of England does not have a ‘straightforward statement of doctrine’ is simply untrue. The Church of England does have a straightforward statement of its doctrine, and this is found in the Thirty Nine… pic.twitter.com/8jtUCwrQDb
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) November 21, 2024
(The Critic) Peter Leach–Why are Christians hung up about Sarah Mullally?
Once again the history of the church is instructive; any kind of acceptance of same-sex unions was unknown to Christianity before about the last hundred years, and has only found widespread traction in about the last thirty. (Of course, popes, televangelists and many others have had their moral failings, but these were always recognised as failings and a subject of scandal when revealed.) And once again this is in part because of extremely plain statements in Scripture. Such behaviour is an “abomination”; those who practice these things “will not inherit the kingdom of God”. There is a famous story about Sodom and Gomorrah with which you may be dimly aware. Scripture is at pains to point out that this sin, like all others, will be forgiven for anyone who repents; but it is a sin, and forgiveness does require repentance. (Of course, for all the creative reinterpretations that have flourished here as well, the real reason for the church’s shift is evident to anyone with half a brain: the culture moved, and the church wanted to move with it.)
Here there is an important difference from the issue of women’s ordination. While Scripture is clear on that topic, it is silent on its precise seriousness; most conservatives would not suggest that disobedience around women’s ordination is necessarily the death of faith. But the matter is very different with sexual immorality (of which same-sex unions are of course only one example); here God repeatedly warns us that unrepentant disobedience means judgement. To our culture, obsessed with sex and thereby cheapening it, this seems a strange overreaction. In reality, however, God could hardly do otherwise. Sex is deeply significant, the closest you can get to another human being and therefore an act with enormous power. Any parent can testify to its life-giving strength; any victim of sexual abuse, to its destructive force. God takes it seriously because it is serious.
Why Christians have an issue with Sarah Mullally — by @petermileach https://t.co/S0KODGQZhf
— The Critic (@TheCriticMag) October 11, 2025
A prayer for the feast day of Edward the Confessor
Oh God, who called your servant Edward to earthly throne, that he might advance your heavenly kingdom, and give him zeal for your Church and love for people. Mercifully grant that we who remember him this day, may by your Spirit be fruitful in good works and attain to the glorious crowns of your saints, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns with you as one God in glory everlasting, Amen.
Everyone is welcome to join us in worship as we stream the First Evensong of the Translation of St Edward the Confessor at 3pm (BST) today.
— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) October 12, 2025
The service will be sung by @WAbbeyChoir with music by Weelkes, Gibbons and Bruhns, and you can watch live or on demand at:… pic.twitter.com/BDeeSNDL9o
Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadian Blog readers!
Happy Thanksgiving to our ATU members and their families across Canada.#Thanksgiving #Solidarity #Thankful pic.twitter.com/oN3P5kRTS5
— ATU Canada (@atu_canada) October 13, 2025
A prayer to begin the day from the ACNA Prayerbook
O God, our refuge and strength, true source of all godliness: Graciously hear the devout prayers of your Church, and grant that those things which we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Peterborough Cathedral, in its misty magnificence. pic.twitter.com/J3LHiaV0Um
— Gawain Towler (@Towler) October 12, 2025
From the Morning Scripture Readings
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water,
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
–Psalm 1
Autumn view overlooking the town of Brigus Newfoundland. pic.twitter.com/4fTAjHlXOG
— Gord Follett Photography (@gord_follett) October 12, 2025
A prayer to begin the day from the Church of England
Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
From the Morning Scripture Readings
In the fourth year of Jehoi′akim the son of Josi′ah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josi′ah until today. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neri′ah, and Baruch wrote upon a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which he had spoken to him. And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am debarred from going to the house of the Lord; so you are to go, and on a fast day in the hearing of all the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll which you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. It may be that their supplication will come before the Lord, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.” And Baruch the son of Neri′ah did all that Jeremiah the prophet ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house.
In the fifth year of Jehoi′akim the son of Josi′ah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord. Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemari′ah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house.
–Jeremiah 36:1-10
A Prayer for the Feast Day of Philip the Deacon
Holy God, no one is excluded from thy love; and thy truth transformeth the minds of all who seek thee: As thy servant Philip was led to embrace the fullness of thy salvation and to bring the stranger to Baptism, so grant unto us all the grace to be heralds of the Gospel, proclaiming thy love in Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Today we keep St. Philip the Deacon. One of the Seven Deacons appointed by the Apostles to serve the early Church, he was “a man of good repute, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom” (Acts 6:3–5).
— Bishop Stephen Smuts (@BishopSmuts) October 11, 2025
Faithful, bold, and tireless, he carried the Gospel from Jerusalem to Gaza and… pic.twitter.com/kSsi5zWj7X
A prayer to begin the day from the Pastor’s Prayerbook
O God, with whom a thousand years are as one day, and who hast called us whose lives pass as a watch in the night unto thy service; Grant that we may so do our work that it shall not need to be undone. Stay, we beseech thee, the fever in our hearts, and help us to walk in the light of thine own eternity, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)
Milan Cathedral, Italy 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/w2c4z0UQXD
— Éarth (@Earthdreams_) October 11, 2025
