From here:
Grateful for the gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the leadership of the Most Reverend Peter J. Akinola, the Primates Council of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON/FCA) met in Bermuda from April 5 through 9, 2010.
The Primates Council[i] consists of Primates (Senior Archbishops) of Anglican Provinces who met together in Jerusalem in June 2008 as part of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). Their determination to give witness to the life transforming gospel of Jesus Christ and the trustworthiness of the Bible led to the establishment of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA).
FCA is a movement defined by theology that delivers spiritual and practical outcomes to faithful Anglican Christians around the world. Together the Primates Council represents over thirty four million Anglicans more than half of the active membership of the Anglican Communion
In faithful obedience to the Great Commission the Primates Council devoted much of their meeting ensuring that those provinces presently members of the FCA would be strengthened in their witness to the whole Gospel through engagement in various development projects, the production of critical theological resources and participation in multi-national mission initiatives.
We gave thanks for the visionary and sacrificial leadership of our founding chairman, Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, retired Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). We are also grateful for his courageous stand for the Œfaith once and for all delivered to the saints¹ and his leadership both of the Church of Nigeria and also within the wider Anglican Communion.
We elected the Most Rev¹d Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone, as the Chairman and the Most Rev¹d Emmanuel Kolini, Church of Rwanda, and the Most Rev¹d Eliud Wabukala, Anglican Church of Kenya as the Vice-Chairmen. The Most Rev¹d Peter Jensen, Diocese of Sydney, Anglican Church of Australia, continues as General Secretary.
We acknowledged that the issues that divide our beloved Communion are far from settled and that the election of the Reverend Mary Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, as a Bishop in Los Angeles in The Episcopal Church (TEC), makes clear to all that the American Episcopal Church leadership has formally committed itself to a pattern of life which is contrary to Scripture.
This action also makes clear that any pretence that there has been a season of gracious restraint in the Communion has come to an end. Now is the time for all orthodox biblical Anglicans, both in the USA and around the world, to demonstrate a clear and unambiguous stand for the historic faith and their refusal to participate in the direction and unbiblical practice and agenda of TEC.
We recognise that the current strategy in the Anglican Communion to strengthen structures by committee and commission has proved ineffective. Indeed we believe that the current structures have lost integrity and relevance. We believe that it is only by a theologically grounded, biblically shaped reformation such as the one called for by the Jerusalem Declaration that God¹s Kingdom will advance. The Anglican Communion will only be able to fulfill its gospel mandate if it understands itself to be a community gathered around a confession of faith rather than an organisation that has its primary focus on institutional loyalty.
We committed ourselves once more to the Mission of Christ working collaboratively both with our friends in the Global South and throughout the Communion and look forward with anticipation to the FOURTH GLOBAL SOUTH TO SOUTH ENCOUNTER to be held later this month at St Andrew¹s Cathedral, Singapore.
We are also aware of the challenges that many of our sisters and brothers face in different parts of the world. In particular we are mindful of those who live with the threat of violence because of their Christian faith, such as Nigeria, Iraq and Sudan and those who live in places of deprivation and disaster such as Haiti and Chile. We also observe that there are a growing number of nations, such as Kenya, Uganda and now the United Kingdom where Christian views are marginalized or ignored. We stand with all those in such circumstances and assure them of our continued prayers.
Finally:
The Primates¹ Council expressed its profound appreciation for the gracious hospitality shown it by the people of Bermuda and the faithful witness of Christians in this land for almost four hundred years. We are aware of some of their current concerns and tensions and are praying for God¹s guidance and wisdom for the leaders of both the churches and the government.
To God be the glory!
[i] Present in Bermuda were:
The Most Rev¹d Peter J. Akinola, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
The Most Rev¹d Justice Akrofi, Archbishop, Anglican Province of West Africa
The Most Rev¹d Robert Duncan, Archbishop, Anglican Church in North America
The Most Rev’d Emmanuel Kolini, Archbishop, Anglican Church of Rwanda
The Most Rev¹d Valentino Mokiwa, Archbishop, Anglican Church of Tanzania
The Most Rev¹d Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop, Province of the Southern Cone
The Most Rev¹d Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop, Anglican Church of Kenya
The Most Rev¹d Nicholas Okoh, Archbishop, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
The Most Rev¹d Henry L. Orombi, Archbishop, Anglican Church of Uganda, represented by Bishop Nathan Kyamanywa
The Most Rev¹d Peter Jensen, Archbishop, Diocese of Sydney
“…….community gathered around a confession of faith rather than an organisation that has its primary focus on institutional loyalty.” Reformation anyone? Shades of Luther?
“We also observe that there are a growing number of nations, such as Kenya, Uganda and now the United Kingdom where Christian views are marginalized or ignored” …Not to mention our home and native land which is not only actively pursuing these two but has shown itself to condemn and punish Christian views in the name of rights and freedoms. “Woe Canada”
“This action also makes clear that any pretence that there has been a season of gracious restraint in the Communion has come to an end. Now is the time for all orthodox biblical Anglicans, both in the USA and around the world, to demonstrate a clear and unambiguous stand for the historic faith and their refusal to participate in the direction and unbiblical practice and agenda of TEC.”
Well this is a clear and present call, I hope and pray that the delegates to the ACoC national synod will be aware of this “dropping of the gauntlet” and respond openly and clearly. One way or the other, that those who sacrifice within the ACoC may be given a clear mandate to either withdraw or begin the task of unification of my Baptismal church with the bright star that is the ACNA.
Pauline; Reformation or Renewal “A rose by any other name”
It was necessity that created Lutherianism it is necessity that brings us to this. Will we ever truly “get it” and not have to wait for necessity?
If I remember my history correctly (and anyone please correct me if I am wrong) Luther’s original intent was to object to the changes (i.e. the “selling” of indulgences” that was a means of raising money to pay for work being done at the Vatican) that were occuring in his Church at that time (the Roman Catholic Church). His letter that he posted on the door of his Church sparked a powder keg that had already been builing up for some time, and resulted in the Reformation. Thus, the Reformation as it originated in Germany was an attempt to bring the Church back to what it had been before. Not a re-forming into something new, but a re-forming into what it had been.
What is going on in ACNA can be viewed as something similar (although I am not sure just how similar). So, I for one am fine with it being labelled something of a “new Reformation”.
AMPisAnglican (#3), I believe you’re right – but Luther was also concerned about theological corruption in the Roman Church. Doctrinal issues such as justification by faith and the priesthood of all believers were also important factors in the Reformation. Since our sinful natures always try to move us in a direction away from God, maybe a term like “continually reforming” has merit.
The church has always gone through seasons of reform, we just don’t call it that. We call it a reformation when the leadership is too corrupt to accept the reform from within, and persecutes those who would lead reform. When the church is reformed from within we call it a movement of the Holy Spirit. For example, St Francis of Assissi and the founding of the Franciscan movement led to 100 000 men becoming friars in the 13th C alone, and a renewal of the church in the 13th C. Francis came within a hair’s breadth of being declared a heretic for his stance regarding poverty, because it threatened the wealth of the church.
I am conscious of my verbosity having negative effect on some, such as Warren’s recent compliment
, as well as one of the BM’s private request to stop dominating the Blog. So I hesitate to join this discussion but I fear I must. So with apologies to those whom I may offend here goes.
Both 4&5 have legitimate contribution, Warren’s point, as I see it, was that the selling of indulgences was the straw as WO was for some and SSB’s is currently. Sam’s point using St. Francis’ example is historically on the money but neither shows in this post-modern time any continuing success. For this reason I unfortunately have to disagree with Warren’s positive suggestion that either could be refered to as “continually reforming” although both did bring us a form of personal enlightenment. This had always been available to us from the early church and scripture. In the end neither did anything to improve the wayward church which was and continues to be on a negative degree slope.
This brings me to my point, in the form of a question.
Is the “C”hurch our responsibility or God’s?
Stuck (#6), I think you missed my point. But that’s okay – I often miss yours. It isn’t worth pursuing.
Sorry Warren!
As an interesting point, the real powder keg that blew up at the reformation was that Erasmus published a Greek copy of the New Testament (or the whole Bible, sorry but I can’t remember). He did not realise the effects that this would cause. It was in reading this instead of the ‘adjusted’ Vulgate (the translation that the Roman Church used, which carried some misleading mistranslations) that the reformers began to grasp how far the Church had gone astray.
This is also why some many of them insisted on getting the Bible to the people in their own languages.
your fellow unworthy servant in Christ,
Brian DeVisser
Hello Brian (9)
Your post reminds me of the importance for all Faithful to have accurate translations of God’s Holy Word. This very issue is one that I am continuing to struggle with. I have concluded (rather easily I might add) that the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) has been so “politically corrected” that it is nothing short of an abomination. The King James Version (KJV) is the “standard” for all Anglicans and even though written in a beautiful form of English, it is not easily understood. I have heard it mentioned that the New King James Version (NKJV) is “leading” (whatever that means). Then there are the New International Version (NIV), the Jerusalem Version (JV), the Revised Standard Version (RSV, not to be confused with the NRSV) which also has a 2nd Catholic Edition. The list just keeps going on and on.
Perhaps someone can tell me which version(s) are authorized/accepted within ACNA.
Frankly, I think the best way to deal with the translation issue is to switch the translation you read every now and then, and if something seems not quite clear, look it up in a few other translations. http://www.biblegateway.com is very usefull for this.
I don’t think there is a recomended translation for ACNA. Personally, I switch back and forth between the ESV and the TNIV, mostly.
Kate is “right on” I personally use the KJV in meditation and take advantage often of “Bible Gateway” and other “Parallel resources. One of the most popular (and nearly always included now) is Gene Petterson’s “The Message”. Great for quoting to the unitiated and in my opinion pretty darn accurate. Also great fun to use.
The Message is ok – I find some of the slang that Peterson uses pretty dated. Have you read Tell It Slant, and the other books in that series? I think that they are pretty wonderful.
Thanks Kate I’m on it!!
stuck #12:
I think (and this is my opinion only) that you will be far more accurately served by the “Amplified” bible version than by the Message. The Message is, (again my opinion) most inaccurate.