No obedience required

Apparently, liberal Presbyterians want to follow liberal Episcopalians and Lutherans off the cliff:

The Presbyterian Church (USA) opens the door to gay ministers, but who is following?
By Timothy Dalrymple, World Magazine

For three decades pro-gay factions within the Presbyterian Church (USA) have pressed for the ordination of homosexual church officers. This time they’ve carried the day, with a majority of presbyteries now voting to amend the PC(USA) Book of Order to permit sexually active gays and lesbians to be ordained.

Prior to the amendment, the Book of Order directed the governing bodies of presbyteries (regional organizations of the denomination) to ordain as deacons, elders, and ministers only those who lived “a life of obedience to Scripture,” whether in single “chastity” or married “fidelity.” Those “persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin” should not be ordained.

The newly passed Amendment 10-A removes this language and directs the governing bodies simply to be “guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.” The presbyteries are not compelled to ordain non-celibate homosexuals, but they are no longer forbidden to do so, just as they are no longer forbidden to ordain heterosexuals who are sexually active outside of marriage.

The denominational debate about homosexuality, and related issues of biblical interpretation and authority, has been going on ever since Northern and Southern Presbyterians joined to form the PC(USA) in 1983. The debate grew so intense that the denomination declared a three-year moratorium on the subject in 1993. Conservatives won a victory in 1997 when they successfully added the “fidelity and chastity” requirement. Ever since, liberal Presbyterians have proposed a series of possible substitutes that would permit gay ordination. While those proposals were defeated every time, the margins of defeat grew progressively smaller—until May 10, when the Twin Cities presbytery in Minnesota gave the new ordination standards majority support among presbyteries. The new rule will take effect on July 10.

Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the PC(USA)’s General Assembly from 2008 to 2010, said he could “weep with joy for friends long yearning for this day.” Presbyterians for Renewal, a group devoted to strengthening the denomination’s commitment to biblical authority, expressed “unspeakably deep grief.” Some noted that the earlier standards called for “a life of obedience to Scripture,” whereas the new standards only ask the governing bodies to “be guided by Scripture.” As author and minister Mark D. Roberts wrote, “Guidance implies far less than obedience,” and viewing the Bible as only as a source of guidance “appears to put Scripture on a par with other sources of guidance.”

The amendment to PC(USA) ordination standards occurs against the backdrop of a long numerical decline. The denomination has lost one-fifth of its membership in the past decade, and four out of five worshippers in its pews today are over the age of 45. At the same time, the movement for gay ordination across Christian denominations may be slowing down. Although many mainline denominations have opened the doors to homosexual priests and pastors, no other denominations are waiting in the wings to follow their lead. There is no obvious next battleground for this fight.

For the Presbyterian Church (USA), the battle will now shift to individual presbyteries as they will decide for themselves whether or not to ordain gay candidates, as renewal movements will continue to protest. The Fellowship PC(USA), a nascent movement led by prominent Presbyterian traditionalists, stated tartly, “We as a Fellowship choose to remain obedient to Scripture and guided by the Book of Order.”

JOPLIN, MO: Reformed Episcopal Church Wiped Out in Tornado Alley

From www.virtueonline.org

All they salvaged were two candlesticks and a processional cross from the wreckage of their church, but that is not the end of the road for this small but determined Reformed Episcopal Church in Joplin, after multiple tornadoes ripped through the city killing more than 123 men, women and children. Another 233 are officially still missing.

For REC Bishop Sam Seamans it was a devastation he thought he would never live to see. "I had never understood what an EF5 tornado could do until I saw this. I have seen tornadoes before but not like this. It is a tragedy beyond comprehension," he told VOL by phone.

"It is utter devastation. The little church was picked up and smashed into St. James Methodist Church next door, destroying both. None of our people were hurt. No one was in the church building."

Bishop Seamans visited with Fr. Jon Hunter, vicar of Our Savior Anglican church, to assess what their needs were in the immediate context. "All is not lost. We have located a free a meeting room given by a lady to house 50 people so we can meet next Sunday. Then we need to figure out where to rent or build permanently. The tragedy is we have lost it all including prayer books, hardware, chalices, and the Altar Cross. They were all completely destroyed along with the building. We are basically starting from ground zero."

Seamans said people are in high spirits and counting their blessings, but it does knock the wind out of your sails. "We were able to get a plan for this coming Sunday and continue with the mission of being the church and provide Joplin with an orthodox Anglican Christian mission."

The church is about 30-strong. They are grateful they are all still alive according to the Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Mid-America in the REC. His Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Royal Grote is shipping prayer books and hymnals as we speak, he said.

Predicting the End Without Predicting the End

by Curtis Crenshaw

 

The Rev. Dr. Curtis Crenshaw is the Dean of Cranmer Theological House, a Seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church

Review of John Hagee’s Can America Survive?

(Also, regarding Harold Camping, Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye)

(Free to disseminate: Rev. Dr. Curtis I. Crenshaw, Th.M., Th.D.)

(click here to get the free pdf file of the whole article if you want to send it to someone.)

There are various ways Christians have to predict the end of the world. First, there is the absolute nut, Harold Camping, who says May 21^st, 2011 will be the end of the world with judgments, especially earthquakes. I’m not sure how many times he has predicted and been wrong (more than once), but May 21st is just three days from now. He is an embarrassment to all Christians. We rightly distance ourselves from him. Even the end time guru and popular writer of the Left Behind series, Tim LaHaye, rejects Camping’s nonsense. He says:

Is Harold Camping Right This Time? [He has the] well advertised claim that Jesus Christ will come to rapture believers on May 21, 2011―this is not only wrong but dangerous. [He] also claims that God will destroy this world on October 21, 2011―this is not only bizarre but 100% wrong!
Our Lord Jesus Himself said of the time when He will return to rapture His church to Heaven “. . . that no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). These words were preceded with verse 35, when He also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (from:

http://www.leftbehind.com/05_news/is_harold_camping_right_this_time.asp).

Yet, LaHaye also predicts the end. On the same web page just given, LaHaye has this advertizement: Three Signs of the End, by himself and his popular co-writer Jerry Jenkins. LaHaye goes on to say: “In our book Are We Living in the End Times? we list many of the signs of the times apparent in our generation. We believe that while no one knows the day or the hour when Christ will return, we have more reason to believe He could come in our lifetime than any generation before us.”
In one sense, every generation could say that it has “more reason to believe He could come in our lifetime than any generation” because we’re one generation closer to His return. But LaHaye is doing what I call predicting the end without predicting the end. He and Jenkins hype things up, talk about all the so-called prophecies about the end, sell millions of books, and then make a disclaimer, once in a while. The only difference between Camping and LaHaye when it comes to prophecy is that LaHaye is not as specific on the date of His return―Camping says it will be in three days, May 21, 2011, and LaHaye says in our lifetimes. Both are date setters.

Read more here

GAFCON Bishops Release New Statement

GAFCON primates meeting in Africa have announced plans for another international conference as well as opening offices in London and Nairobi.

The council of Anglican leaders was established by the Global Anglican Future Conference in 2008, representing more than 35 million Anglicans.

Now, the Primates are planning for a second GAFCON in 2013 preceded by a leadership conference in New York in 2012.
At the start of their meeting just after Easter, the council elected Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya, as its new Chairman to replace Archbishop Greg Venables, the Primate of the Southern Cone.

The new Primate of the Southern Cone, Archbishop Hector Zavala, was welcomed to the council, as was the Primate of Rwanda Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje.

The election of Archbishop Wabukala is significant as it marks a transition of the chairmanship to someone other than one of the original GAFCON primates.
Archbishops Zavala and Rwaje are also new Primates.

In a 13 point statement issued after their Nairobi meeting, the Council said “if we are offer adequate support to our member provinces, sustain our various initiatives, and strengthen our communications capabilities we must add capacity to our current secretariat.”

A Chairman’s office would be established in Nairobi, Kenya and a GAFCON Global Coordination office would be established in London under the direction of the Rt. Rev’d Martyn Minns, Missionary Bishop of the Church of Nigeria, serving as Deputy Secretary and Executive Director.

The meeting discussed the challenges confronting the Anglican Communion and the Primates said they were “disappointed that those who organized the Primates meeting in Dublin not only failed to address these core concerns but decided instead to unilaterally reduce the status of the Primates’ Meeting. This action was taken with complete disregard for the resolutions of both Lambeth 1978 and 1998 that called for an enhanced role in ‘doctrinal, moral and pastoral matters’. We believe that they were seriously misled and their actions unacceptable.”

“We continue to be troubled by the promotion of a shadow gospel that appears to replace a traditional reading of Holy Scriptures and a robust theology of the church with an uncertain faith and a never ending listening process. This faith masquerades as a religion of tolerance and generosity and yet it is decidedly intolerant to those who hold to the “faith once and for all delivered to the saints”.
The Primates reaffirmed the statement of orthodox faith formulated at GAFCON 1 in 2008, known as the Jerusalem Declaration.

“We believe that the theological principles outlined in the Jerusalem Declaration offers the only way forward that holds true to our past and also gives a sure foundation for the future” the Primates said.
The Full text reads: (download statement)

Nairobi Statement from the GAFCON/FCA Primates Council

Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

1. We met in Nairobi from April 25th through April 28th, 2011. We gathered as the elected leaders of provinces and national churches of the Anglican Communion and as leaders of GAFCON/FCA. We rejoice in the Easter proclamation that Jesus Christ is alive and we joyfully acknowledge his love for all humanity, his Lordship over all the earth and his promise to return with power and great glory.

2. We are profoundly saddened by the many disasters that have afflicted our world in recent months and offer our prayers for those whose lives have been devastated. We take to heart the warning from our Lord that in our age there would be “wars and rumors of wars” and a season when, “nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom and famines and earthquakes in various places.” We also remember His solemn warning that no-one can know the time for the end of this age and so we acknowledge all these events as reminders of the urgent need for repentance and reconciliation with our heavenly Father.

3. We are distressed that, in the face of these enormous challenges, we are still divided as a Communion. The fabric of our common life has been torn at its deepest level and until the presenting issues are addressed we will remain weakened at a time when the needs before us are so great. We were disappointed that those who organized the Primates meeting in Dublin not only failed to address these core concerns but decided instead to unilaterally reduce the status of the Primates’ Meeting. This action was taken with complete disregard for the resolutions of both Lambeth 1978 and 1998 that called for an enhanced role in “doctrinal, moral and pastoral matters”. We believe that they were seriously misled and their actions unacceptable.

4. We note the efforts of the Roman Catholic Church to offer support for those Anglican clergy and congregations who find themselves alienated by recent actions in the Communion. We believe that the provision of an Anglican Ordinariate is intended to be a gracious gift but sadly one that also points out that our own Communion has failed to make adequate provision for those who hold to a traditional view of the faith. We remain convinced that from within the Provinces that we represent there are creative ways by which we can support those who have been alienated so that they can remain within the Anglican family.

5. We devoted a considerable portion of our time together exploring some of the presenting issues regarding Anglican ecclesiology. We were mindful of the importance of letting scripture speak directly to the nature of the church and not simply let our current experience delimit our doctrine. While we are grateful for our history and our particular Anglican tradition we believe that there is and can only ever be one church of Jesus Christ which he has purchased with his own blood and over which he is the Head. The local church is the fundamental expression of the one true church here on earth and is bound together with other local churches by ties of love, fellowship and truth. From such networks have come denominations, national churches and global communions.

6. As members of the global Anglican Communion we delight in the particular history with which we have been blessed. We are grateful for the missionary heritage that gave birth to our global communion with its distinctive balance of reformed catholicity. Meeting in Nairobi we are especially thankful for the influence of the East African Revival with its emphasis on the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, a call to Holy living and unquestionable desire for evangelism.

7. We believe, however, that we are fully the church in our various settings, created and sustained by Word and Sacrament, and marked by obedience that results in faith, hope and love. We also recognize the Lord’s call to discipline demands from us a commitment to unity, holiness, apostolicity and catholicity. All of these are aspects of what it means to be church and we are committed to resourcing our bishops and other leaders so that we can more fully become the church that God has established.

8. We continue to be troubled by the promotion of a shadow gospel that appears to replace a traditional reading of Holy Scriptures and a robust theology of the church with an uncertain faith and a never ending listening process. This faith masquerades as a religion of tolerance and generosity and yet it is decidedly intolerant to those who hold to the “faith once and for all delivered to the saints”. We believe that the theological principles outlined in the Jerusalem Declaration offers the only way forward that holds true to our past and also gives a sure foundation for the future.

9. Confident of the power of God’s Word to renew His church we are creating a network for theologians and theological educators who embrace the Jerusalem Declaration to give further support for our seminaries and Bible Colleges. We have also reviewed and approved plans for the leadership conference now scheduled for April 2012 and the beginning preparations for an international gathering of Primates, Bishops, Clergy and Lay Leaders now scheduled for the first half of 2013 and provisionally designated “GAFCON 2”.

10. We are delighted in the election of the Most Rev’d Eliud Wabukala, Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya to serve as Chairman of the Primates’ Council and also the Most Rev’d Nicholas D. Okoh, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) to serve as Vice-Chairman. We were pleased to appoint Bishop Greg Venables and Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini as trustees. We also welcomed the Most Rev’d Hector Zavala, Province of the Southern Cone and the Most Rev’d Onesphore Rwaje, Anglican Church of Rwanda as new members of the Council.

11. We also recognized that if we are to offer adequate support to our member provinces, sustain our various initiatives, and strengthen our communications capabilities we must add capacity to our current secretariat. Consequently it was agreed that a GAFCON/FCA Chairman’s office would be established in Nairobi, Kenya and a Global Coordination office would be established in London under the direction of the Rt. Rev’d Martyn Minns, Missionary Bishop of the Church of Nigeria, serving as Deputy Secretary and Executive Director.

12. Finally we know that it is only be God’s grace that we can accomplish anything and we call on all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord to join us in prayer for our world and especially for those who are suffering because of natural disasters as well as those who struggle to live under violent and oppressive governments. We know that our only hope is in the redeeming and transforming love of God and we pray that we will all be faithful to our call to be an instrument of God’s grace.

13. To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

The Primates Council
The Most Rev’d Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop, Anglican Church of Kenya, Chair
The Most Rev’d Justice Akrofi, Archbishop, Anglican Province of West Africa
The Most Rev’d Robert Duncan, Archbishop, Anglican Church in North America
The Most Rev ‘d Onesphore Rwaje, Archbishop, Anglican Church of Rwanda
The Most Rev’d Valentino Mokiwa, Archbishop, Anglican Church of Tanzania
The Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh, Archbishop, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
The Most Rev’d Henry Orombi, Archbishop, Church of Uganda
The Most Rev’d Hector Zavala, Province of the Southern Cone
The Most Rev’d Peter Jensen, Archbishop, Diocese of Sydney, Secretary

An Easter Message from Archbishop Bob Duncan

The Most Rev. Robert Duncan is the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America.  Here is his Easter Message for 2011, which he preached at the Great Vigil of Easter at the Anglican Cathedral in Pittsburgh:

The Easter Choice

“The choice remains one of whether night will follow day, or day will follow night. Step from the gathering darkness of your night into blazing light of Jesus’ day.”

April 23, 2011

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre. [Matthew 28:1]
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where he lay.” [Matthew 28:5-6]


Archbishop’s Easter Homily – Easter Vigil, 23rd April, A.D.2011

“It is the difference between night and day.” How often have we used this expression? Countless times. This is a metaphor that makes great sense to humankind, because the night and the day are so different. So little, relatively speaking, is possible in the darkness, and so much is possible in the light.

The difference between the “stone cold tomb” (as the Epiphany carol puts it¹) and the empty tomb is “night and day.” The watch between Holy Saturday and Easter morn is the contrast between the darkest night and the brightest day.

Before this night all human history ends in night, ends in the tomb. After this night there is the possibility of human life issuing in endless day. Easter changes everything. Jesus changes everything. Technically, of course, it is the cross that achieves what Luther called the “Great Exchange,” but the cross is the ultimate darkness, the ultimate night, in terms of human history as a dead end, where even the light of day (according to the Gospel accounts themselves) becomes dark as night. The ultimate night, Good Friday, ends in the death of Life, followed by the three days night of Jesus’ entombment. Before the dawn of Easter is mankind’s longest and darkest night. Until this night all human life ends in death.

Jesus’ Resurrection makes possible to every man, woman, and child that his or her life might end with life, rather than with death. Jesus’ Resurrection also makes possible “abundant life” before death, life lived without fear of death – life fearlessly lived. It also makes possible life empowered by God’s Holy Spirit, life lived in concert with God’s purposes and God’s will, rather than in the increasing pain of aging and the gathering darkness of the dying that is the consequence of humanity’s endless rebellion.

Accepting Jesus is a choice, for every individual and for whole peoples. Without Jesus day ends in night. With Jesus night ends in day. And it is not just about the way each of our stories ends, but also about the whole of our story itself. Those who follow Jesus become agents of light – by the working of the Holy Spirit and despite their sin – in the darkness of this world. Those who do not know Jesus are increasingly overtaken by the darkness brought by others or by the inevitable death overtaking their own life. These are the options, this is the choice: darkness and light, night and day.
One of the Easter Vigil’s most famous stories is of the baptism of an extraordinarily gifted young man who had sought answers in all the philosophies of his age and in all the pleasures of the world. One day he heard a child singing, “Pick it up and read it.” He heard the song several times, but could not see the child. He picked up a Bible and happened to turn to Romans 13:13-14². He later wrote: “My heart was flooded with light.” He would also later pray: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” The date was April 24th, 387. The place Milan. The young man’s name was Augustine, arguably the greatest intellect in all of human history. For him the decision was to follow Jesus. For him the decision was to allow day to follow night.
Another of the great Easter Vigil stories occurs in a savage and pagan land on the edge of the known world. On the Hill of Slane, on the night of the spring equinox, in sight of the Irish kingdom gathered around their king to celebrate their deity’s festival, a newly consecrated bishop lights an Easter fire to proclaim to an unevangelized people that true day was breaking in on their night. The evangelist’s name was Patrick. Soon a whole people, a whole nation, would choose for the day that can follow night. The year was 433.

We who gather here for worship on this Easter near the beginning of the 21st century face a world of competing ideologies and pagan savageries. The choice remains one of whether night will follow day, or day will follow night. Every individual must choose and every people must decide. (If there are any here who haven’t yet chosen, it is not too late. Step from the gathering darkness of your night into blazing light of Jesus’ day.) Jesus presents the choice. His cross and empty tomb present a doorway into a very different future, the difference (and the doorway) between night and day. Our call is to live in the day, both by deed and by word. Our call is to the transformation of the world with the love and light of Jesus. We can help one another to live abundantly in the day, and we can help others to choose Jesus and the new day He offers. It is a matter of life and death, of day and night. We here know the tomb is empty. We know what is possible in Jesus. In thanksgiving for what Jesus has done for us, let us be agents of the same Easter choice for others. We know that day does follow night for those who make the Easter choice.

Alleluia. Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! AMEN.

¹ We Three Kings, stanza 4, Hymnal 1982, Hymn 128.
² “Let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” These two verses are preceded by the exhortation: “Let us then cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”