The Disastrous New Urban Agenda; Germany tightens refugee policy...more

The Disastrous New Urban Agenda ...Progressive politicians are unwilling to stick to their real work of improving the core functions of municipal government, namely K–12 public education and public safety, and maintaining the basic infrastructure and services—parks, libraries, and the like. The rise of 21st-century urban progressivism points toward a future characterized by shoddy local services, increased regulation of city economies, and the consolidation of inequality.

 Germany tightens refugee policy as Finland joins Sweden in deportations  Germany has moved to toughen its asylum policies as Finland and Sweden announced plans to deport tens of thousands of people in a bid to contain the migrant crisis.

Sigmar Gabriel, the vice chancellor, announced that Germany would place Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on a list of “safe countries of origin” – meaning that migrants from those countries would have little chance of winning asylum...

Dutch suggest EU sends migrants heading to Greece back to Turkey   ...In the latest idea for discouraging migrants from flooding into Europe, the head of a party in the Dutch ruling coalition said it was drafting a plan under which those arriving in Greece by sea could be dispatched straight back to Turkey...

Deutsche Bank Says Managers Won’t Get Bonuses Amid Record Loss

The Inside Story of the Turnpike Mass, from the Priest Who Led It ...According to Fr. Behm, his group plus several other big groups from other schools got stuck near the mile marker 133 on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. They were there for approximately 22 hours! The cause of the jam, Fr. Behm was told, was an accident involving two tractor-trailers that blocked all of the westbound lanes of traffic. In the time it took to clear this accident, the snow in turn rendered the road impassible and the vehicles immobile.

He couldn’t claim credit for the idea of having Mass: “I was the principal celebrant of the liturgy,” he said, “but credit for the idea, and credit for building the altar, and credit for going around to the various buses inviting people to join them belongs completely to the pilgrims from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, particularly Mr. Bill Dill, their youth minister.”...

HIV becoming resistant to key drug, study finds  ...HIV was resistant to the drug Tenofovir in 60% of selected cases in some African countries, according to the study, which covered a 17-year period...

You will never find Jesus so precious...

You will never find Jesus so precious as when the world is one vast howling wilderness. Then he is like a rose blooming in the midst of the desolation—a rock rising above the storm.  ...Robert Murray M’Cheyne image

The Spreading Scent of Cologne; Anger in Austria As Christian Hymn Renamed...more

The Spreading Scent of Cologne
The city of Cologne, still famous for its scented water, has become, since last New Year's Eve, best known for the depredations and misogyny of a growing population of immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. The events of that evening, when hundreds of women were assaulted, manhandled, and even raped by thousands of migrant newcomers who could not be restrained by the police, spread across the world in days if not hours.

At first, the police played down the seriousness of the incidents, but by January 10^th, the BBC reported that the number of criminal cases had risen to 516, forty percent of which were related to sexual assault. According to German police, "Asylum seekers and illegal migrants from North Africa comprise the majority of suspects." This has been confirmed by Germany's interior ministry, which has stated that almost all those involved were migrants...

Anger As Christian Hymn Renamed ‘Allah’s Love Is Wonderful’ At School Austrian authorities are investigating after children were sent home from a kindergarten with homework to learn the words to a Christian hymn, which had the word ‘God’ replaced with ‘Allah’.

The Austrian parent of one child at the Muslim majority school in Oberösterreich complained after he found the handout given to his daughter with the words and musical notation for the popular German children’s hymn ‘Gottes liebe ist so wunderbar’ (God’s love is so wonderful) had been edited and photocopied with new lyrics...

The links below are a series of excellent articles by Bruce Ashford, a professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary:

The (Religious) Problem with American Politics

The (Religious) Problem with Liberalism

The (Religious) Problem with Socialism

The (Religious) Problem with Libertarianism

The (Religious) Problem with Conservatism and Progressivism

The (Religious) Problem with Nationalism

A (Religious) Alternative for American Politics

BBC to air ‘deeply disturbing’ assisted suicide documentary ...The BBC insists that the moment of him actually dying is not shown, but The Daily Telegraph has reported that there is a fleeting shot of his corpse.

It will be the first time footage from inside Switzerland’s second largest assisted suicide clinic will be shown on British television.

Pro-life campaigners have criticised the BBC for being a “cheerleader for suicide”...

Estimate: Common Core To Cost California Nearly $10 Billion, Nation $80 Billion Common Core's rollout costs were projected at $17 billion. California's actual spending suggests taxpayers will pay more than four times that...

Why the United States is so vulnerable to the alarming spread of Zika virus  With the Zika virus now circulating in two dozen countries and territories across the Americas, the mosquito-borne pathogen seems destined to reach the United States and likely sooner rather than later.

What is far less certain, say public health and infectious disease experts, is Zika’s potential reach and impact here. The South is seen as vulnerable because of its warm, humid climate and pockets of poverty where more people live without air-conditioning or proper window screens. Plus, the region is already home to mosquitoes that can transmit the virus...

7 Ways to Fight Distraction During Prayer
I’ve been trying to pray more this year. But prayer does not always come easily to me. I often find (can you relate?) that I sit down to pray with the best of intentions, only to suddenly catch myself, a few moments later, daydreaming about yesterday’s conversation, tomorrow’s meeting, or next week’s vacation.

Most of us have experienced this, and the rest of us are liars!

Distraction can be a huge hindrance in our prayer life, but I am also discovering that it provides an opportunity for growth. Here are seven strategies for fighting distraction, and harnessing it to deepen and direct our prayers... Excellent!

This new technology will revolutionize how we connect to the internet The future of wireless internet just happened, and it came out of nowhere.

A startup called Starry is soon offering wireless internet equipment that delivers super-fast wireless internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) using a technology called millimeter wave band.

Gigabit internet is extremely fast. You can download a whole HD movie in 25 seconds when it would take you half an hour with your average 20 Mbps wired connection from your cable company... 


Jan 27, 2016

The effect that pop has on your body!

Anglican Unscripted Episode 215

Jan 27, 2016

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

Please Donate http://anglicanink.com/donate

Nigeria: Vicar shot and wounded during church invasion
Gunmen stormed an Anglican Church in Nigeria’s Diocese of the Niger Delta during worship services on Sunday, abducting a member of the congregation. On 24 Jan 2016 kidnappers invaded St Stephen’s Anglican Church in the village of Igbedi in the country’s coastal Bayelsa State shortly after noon, local newspapers reported. A prominent member of the congregation, Duncan Eke -- a petroleum engineer -- was taken away at gunpoint. The church’s minister, the Rev. Ezekiel Obata, attempted to intervene but was shot and wounded by the kidnappers. He was taken to a clinic in the neighboring city of Yenagoa and is expected to recover from his wounds...

Guard what you say, especially today...

Guard what you say, especially today. Yes, guard your tongue. Blessings await you but so also are self-induced troubles. Remember: Life and death are in the power of your tongue. Indeed, James warns, that the tongue sets on fire "the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell (Jms 3:6). Don't destroy your life by speaking loveless words containing seeds of death. Speak life/reap life. ...Francis Frangipane image

Anglicans March for Life; Playrooms, Not Dining Rooms...more

Anglicans Celebrate, Protect, and Honor Life
 ...Among the warriors were dozens of Anglican church members led by the Anglicans for Life ministry along with the Archbishop and a number of other bishops of the Anglican Church in North America.

As the electric green posters they carry in The March for Life proclaim, Anglicans celebrate, protect, and honor life. In the past three years, some dozen Anglican bishops and many of their wives have come to Washington, DC to join the tens of thousands of marchers who celebrate life, from conception to natural death, as a gift from God.

This year the bishops arrived early. Along with dozens of clergy and lay people, on Thursday, January 21, they attended “Summit 2016: Mobilizing the Church for Life,” a conference sponsored by Anglicans for Life and the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. The summit was hosted by The Falls Church Anglican...

Anglicans Mobilize for Life
For the first time, Anglican Christians have presented a conference timed with the national March for Life aimed at mobilizing U.S. and Canadian churches to address sanctity of life issues.

Warning of a “tsunami” of state legislation and court rulings legalizing physician-assisted suicide “just over the horizon,” conference speakers sought to equip local churches to address problems like abortion or euthanasia in, or coming to, their communities. Unlike the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide in 1973, the Church is more aware of the perils of euthanasia and is better positioned to push back against laws allowing people to take their own lives, speakers argued.

“People care about abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide, but many do not know what to do about them or where to get started,” explained organizers Bishop John Guernsey of the Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic and Deacon Georgette Forney of Anglicans for Life...

Hundreds of Pro-Life Students Stuck in Massive Blizzard Hold Service at Altar Made of Snow

March For Life 2016: story and photos
Thousands of Americans – including at least one Hollywood superstar and a barefoot monk – braved the cold and snow Friday to join the 2016 March for Life in Washington on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Throngs of pro-lifers turned out, despite weather forecasts predicting a blizzard and three feet of snow...

It's Legal To Buy And Sell Children, As Long As They're Small Children created during in vitro fertilization can be disposed of for potential flaws, evaluated for ‘desirable’ characteristics, experimented upon, and bought and sold...

Why Millennial Home Buyers Want Playrooms, Not Dining Rooms   With an unusually honest headline, a finance website indicted modern parenthood. It was unintentional, as truths often are. The story was about millennials buying homes, and how this generation is sacrificing things that once seemed essential for families (large yards) for things they deem more important (indoor playrooms).

“Buyers today—especially millennial buyers—want everyone to have a private space of their own to decompress under one roof, and the bonus room/playroom outweighs a large yard in their buying decision,” a real-estate agent in northern Virginia told writer Amy Hoak of Dow Jones & Co.’s MarketWatch.com...

Why Introverted Teachers Are Burning Out  ...In order to slow the rate of teacher attrition, some people are recommending more induction programs for new teachers. However, this seems to—once again—overlook the needs of introverted teachers. I wouldn’t even classify myself an introvert, and the school where I work is extremely respectful of each teacher’s personal style. But I remember, as a new teacher, the overwhelming number of interactions that were ostensibly designed to help me—support classes, beginning teacher programs, department meetings, union mixers, “Back to School Night,” constant public introductions, and administrative observations. I remember desperately yearning to just quietly study Hamlet and read my new students’ papers...

What the U.S. East Coast's Massive Snow Storm Looks Like-From outer space down to the streets

The UN’s Push for "Same-Sex Marriage"
In direct opposition to international law, both the central UN bureaucracy and individual Member States are aggressively promoting same-sex marriage worldwide...

 'Panic' as Europe Faces Demise Over Migrant Crisis, Top Officials Say  Time is running out to solve Europe’s refugee crisis with the unity of the continent hanging in the balance, top officials at the elite World Economic Forum in Davos said Friday...

Those who are readiest to trust God...

God knows just when to withhold from us any visible sign of encouragement, and when to grant us such a sign. How good it is that we may trust Him anyway! When all visible evidences that He is remembering us are withheld, that is best; He wants us to realize that His Word, His promise of remembrance, is more substantial and dependable than any evidence of our senses. When He sends the visible evidence, that is well also; we appreciate it all the more after we have trusted Him without it. Those who are readiest to trust God without other evidence than His Word always receive the greatest number of visible evidences of His love. ...CG Trumbull image

Archbishop Foley on March for Life

Jan 22, 2016

Archbishop Foley Beach speaks to Anglicans for Life about the 57 Million abortions America has allowed over the last 42 years.

The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy; Burkina Faso Dead Include 7 Mission Workers...more

Albert Mohler: The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy
...Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples. According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can't name even five of the Ten Commandments. "No wonder people break the Ten Commandments all the time. They don't know what they are," said George Barna, president of the firm. The bottom line? "Increasingly, America is biblically illiterate."  [see Barna Group's web site]

Multiple surveys reveal the problem in stark terms. According to 82 percent of Americans, "God helps those who help themselves," is a Bible verse. Those identified as born-again Christians did better--by one percent. A majority of adults think the Bible teaches that the most important purpose in life is taking care of one's family.

Some of the statistics are enough to perplex even those aware of the problem. A Barna poll indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham. We are in big trouble...

ISIS Has 'Pulverized' Iraq's Oldest Christian Monastery   Satellite photos obtained by the Associated Press confirm what church leaders and Middle East preservationists had feared: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to rubble, yet another victim of ISIS's relentless destruction of heritage sites.

St. Elijah's Monastery stood as a place of worship for 1,400 years, including most recently for U.S. troops. In earlier millennia, generations of monks tucked candles in the niches, prayed in the chapel, worshipped at the altar. The Greek letters chi and rho, representing the first two letters of Christ's name, were carved near the entrance...

Burkina Faso Dead Include 7 Mission Workers Six of the 29 people killed by Islamist militants in Burkina Faso on Friday were on a humanitarian trip prompted by their Christian faith, while a seventh was a US missionary who, with his wife, had been running an orphanage and women’s refuge in the West African country since 2011.

The dead included four Canadians from the same family who had gone there over their Christmas break to do aid work in schools and orphanages...

Pakistan university attack: Dozens of students and teachers killed by militants ...The latest terrorist attack against a Pakistani educational establishment was conducted just 30 miles from the scene of the Peshawar school massacre when 132 children were killed 13 months ago.

Police put the initial death toll at 21, but there were fears that the number would increase to as many as 40 as they scoured buildings Bacha Khan university in Charsadda where the gunmen conducted their killing spree...

Sweden's Afghan "Rapefugees"
...On New Year's Eve, the same kind of mass sexual assaults that happened to women in Cologne -- in Arabic called the "Taharrush" game -- also took place in Sweden, but the police and the media have chosen to bury the information. The men, it turned out, were mainly Afghan, and claiming to be "unaccompanied refugee children."

In reality, many of them are much older than 18, and are now commonly referred to with the recently coined name, "Rapefugees," rather than "refugee children."

It recently emerged that the Immigration Service urged its administrators to accept as a "child" everyone who looked under the age of 40 -- apparently without any thought as to how inappropriate it is to place grown men in elementary and secondary schools with teenage girls. As Sweden -- until December -- kept its doors wide open to the migrants of the world, the country has accepted vastly more asylum seekers than its Nordic neighbors...

Brazil Zika outbreak: More babies born with birth defects  New figures from Brazil show a further rise in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads to mothers infected with the Zika virus.

There have been 3,893 cases of microcephaly since October, when the authorities first noticed a surge, up from 3,500 in last week's report.

Zika is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya...

Anglican Unscripted Episode 214

Jan 20, 2016

Anglican Unscripted is the only video newscast in the Anglican Church. Each Episode Kevin, George, Allan and Peter bring you news and prospective from around the globe. Please Donate - http://anglicanink.com/donate

A.S. Haley: Who Dares Call It by Name?

January 19, 2016

Excerpt:
At the root of what ECUSA has seen fit to do with its marriage liturgies is, to speak simply and directly, the sin of blasphemy -- against both Jesus Christ our Savior, and against the Holy Trinity. Nothing has changed since I laid it out in this earlier post:

The blasphemy begins in the rite at the point where the celebrant says to the congregation (see p. 98 of these materials; my bold emphasis added):

Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of N. and N. in Holy Matrimony. The joining of two people in a life of mutual fidelity signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and so it is worthy of being honored among all people.

As I wrote in an earlier post, critiquing the rite when it was first proposed, the bold language evinces a category mistake of the worst sort, by equating the union of two people of the same gender to the holy union between Christ and His Church. (How can they be so equated? In the former, which of the two men -- or two women -- signifies Christ, and which the Church?)

The earlier posts also explain how the trial rites for same-sex marriages go on to blaspheme the Holy Trinity, as well as each of the three Persons separately, so that the sin is comprehensive and complete. (Was no one on the drafting committee, or among the bishops, clergy and laity who voted for the rituals, mindful of Jesus's warning in the twelfth chapter of Matthew?

[31] Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. [32] And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32 ESV))

Regardless of what may be the spiritual consequences of such blasphemy, it simply cannot be that a Communion of Christian churches will ignore, let alone accommodate, one of their member provinces as it systematically goes about promoting and uttering blasphemy in its rites and liturgies.

Full Essay

Praise will sometimes bubble up...

Like supernatural effervescence, praise will sometimes bubble up from the joy of simply knowing Christ. Praise like that is...delight. Pure pleasure! But praise can also be supernatural determination. A decisive action. Praise like that is...quiet resolve. Fixed devotion. Strength of spirit.
-Joni Eareckson Tada image

The Secret of Spurgeon’s Success; Muslims ‘practically impossible’ to integrate into Europe...more

The Secret of Spurgeon’s Success On the 18th of January 1854, 162 years ago to the day, Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached his first sermon at New Park Street chapel. He was 19 years old. The church was nearly empty, about 40 members in attendance. After 38 years as their pastor, the number of new members who had joined the church was 14,460.

Spurgeon’s sermons were different from the longwinded, technical, theological lectures that were common in churches of the day. His sermons were humorous, filled with illustrations, and application. Soon he became known as the Prince of Preachers, the pastor of the largest church in the world, with one of the most successful Baptist ministries since, well, John the Baptist.

He started orphanages, dozens of outreach ministries, and a pastor’s training college with 900 students.

His success was obvious, but the reason for his success was not as obvious, except to those who knew him well...

The Islamization of France in 2015
Chronological review of some of the main stories about the rise of Islam in France during 2015...

Exposing America to Germany’s Muslim Refugee Crisis ...A million people from another culture, who practice another religion, who have no regard for women's rights and who believe that Western Society is decadent, who refuse to assimilate and don't believe they are bound by the laws of the host country, is a lot to turn loose on any society at one time, and New Year's Eve was just a small harbinger of things to come. Even if the troublemakers represent just 2 percent of the population of refugees, that is still approximately 20,000 people that can cause a lot of problems for Germany...

Czech president: Muslims ‘practically impossible’ to integrate into Europe  Existing ghettos and the recent sexual harassment scandals involving Muslim migrants in European cities are evidence the integration of the Muslim community into Europe is next to impossible, Czech President Milos Zeman said in an interview on Sunday...

Five planets to align in spectacular celestial show Five planets will be visible in the night sky this week in a rare astronomical alignment which has not happened for more than a decade.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will all appear together for the first time since 2005.
 

The alignment will be visible in Britain just before dawn from January 20, but astronomers say the best view is likely to be on the morning of February 5...

James O’Keefe’s Common Core Videos Are Just The Tip Of The Iceberg, Part I

Feb 10, 2014

AWC Family Foundation lecture:
"Story-Killers: How the Common Core Destroys Minds and Souls"
Lecture given 2 years ago, but still resonates. -PD

Book: The Story-Killers: A Common-Sense Case Against the Common Core

Anglican TV: Primates 2016: Interview with Archbishop Foley

Jan 17, 2016

Kevin Kallsen sits down for a behind the scenes interview with Archbishop Foley Beach about the Primates Gathering 2016

Anglican Unscripted Episode 213

Jan 17, 2016

Anglican Unscripted is the only video newscast in the Anglican Church. Each Episode Kevin, George, Allan and Peter bring you news and prospective from around the globe. Please Donate - http://anglicanink.com/donate

Anglican Unscripted Episode 212....other news on Primates' Meeting 2016

Jan 16, 2016
Anglican Unscripted is the only video newscast in the Anglican Church. Each Episode Kevin, George, Allan and Peter bring you news and prospective from around the globe.
Please Donate - http://anglicanink.com/donate

Inside the Canterbury primates gathering -Anglican Ink

Fr. Dwight Longenecker: Seven Ways the Episcopalians Will React to Suspension

Justin Welby says sorry to LGBTI community for hurt and pain caused by Anglican church   The archbishop of Canterbury has apologised for the “hurt and pain” the Anglican church has inflicted on lesbian, gay and transgender people as he attempted to defend the decision to sanction the liberal US church for allowing same-sex marriage.

Justin Welby’s remarks came at the end of a week-long summit of the world’s Anglican leaders, in which he sought to soothe divisions caused by the decision on Thursday to uphold a “traditional doctrine” of marriage as “between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union”...

Censure of US church will weigh on Canada, says Hiltz Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, acknowledged  tonight that the decision by the majority of primates to temporarily restrict the Episcopal Church's participation in the Anglican Communion’s decision-making related to doctrine and polity “will weigh into” the Anglican Church of Canada’s own deliberations about same-sex marriage this July...

BREAKING: American Pastor Saeed Abedini and Other Americans Have Just Been Freed

By Jay Sekulow
January 16, 2016

American Pastor Saeed Abedini has just been released from imprisonment in Iran.

For more than three years, Pastor Saeed – a U.S. citizen – has endured imprisonment in Iran.

We can now officially confirm that Pastor Saeed has been freed.  In addition there are reports that 3 other Americans imprisoned in Iran have also been released.

News broke late last night that Pastor Saeed had been taken from his prison cell to Iran’s Central Intelligence agency.  While the details are still coming in, we can confirm that this morning he was released... the rest

5 Americans released by Iran, 4 as part of prisoner swap, official says Iran has freed four U.S. prisoners as part of a prisoner swap, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, Marine veteran Amir Hekmati and Christian pastor Saeed Abedinir, senior U.S. administration officials said Saturday, confirming reports first published in Iranian media.

A fifth man -- described as a recently detained student named Matthew Trevithick-- was separately released, U.S. officials said.

The announcement comes on a day when the United Nations' nuclear watchdog is expected to announce whether Iran is in compliance with a July deal to restrict its nuclear program...

ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach: Statement on Primates Meeting

ACNA Archbishop Beach: Statement on Primates Meeting
To the members of the Anglican Church in North America,

I am writing to you from Canterbury, England late on the night of January 14th, 2016.  Thank you for your prayers and support this week.  Although I’m tired at the end of a long day, I wanted to send you an update.

I participated fully in the meeting, where the first and primary agenda item was addressing the Episcopal Church’s changes to the doctrine of marriage.  We spent most of the week discussing this issue and seeking to come to a common conclusion.

We unanimously agreed that these changes “represent a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of our Provinces on the doctrine of marriage,” and we wrestled with what the consequences should be.

The GAFCON and Global South Primates were tremendous in their leadership in the meeting, and made a strong impact in the final decision.  I confess that I have mixed feelings about the sanctions.
The sanctions are strong, but they are not strong enough, and to my deep disappointment, they didn’t include the Anglican Church of Canada as they should.

With that said, it took many steps for the Anglican Communion to come to this current crisis. This is a good step back in the right direction, but it will take many more if the Communion is to be restored.
Thank you again for your incredible prayer support, and let us stay on our mission – to reach North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ!
Your brother in Christ,

The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church in North America

CANTERBURY: ACNA Archbishop says Primatial Meeting was Step Forward
An exclusive interview with Archbishop Foley Beach...Virtueonline

ACNA Primate was given ballot paper to vote on Episcopal Church 
THE Primate of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), Dr Foley Beach, was a full, voting participant in the Primates’ gathering in Canterbury.

He said on Friday that he was handed a ballot paper on Thursday to vote on the fate of the Episcopal Church in the United States but declined it... Church Times

A.S. Haley: On the Death of the Anglican Communion plus other reactions to Primates meeting

A.S. Haley: On the Death of the Anglican Communion  ...An agreement evolved that would require ECUSA’s suspension from Communion-related activities for three years. This would give ECUSA a sporting chance to decide in its General Convention (to be held in 2018) that it really did not mean to go against the majority of the Anglican provinces in approving same-sex church weddings that blasphemed the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and substituted same-sex love as a model for the relation between Christ and His Church.

With the primate of Canada (Archbishop Fred Hiltz) remonstrating that his church had not gone so far (at least, not until its next General Synod later this year), the primates decided to extend their sanction at this point only to ECUSA, and to leave the Anglican Church of Canada to its future deliberations.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry protested that his church was trying only to be faithful to the Holy Scriptures as its leaders perceived them, but the clear voice of the Bible in opposition to same-sex concourse (whether in or out of so-called “marriage”) spoke louder than his protests. As a result, Presiding Bishop Curry will have to explain to his House of Bishops (and to General Convention in 2018) that they could face further sanctions—even permanent expulsion—from the Anglican Communion if ECUSA continues openly to contravene the sense of the Anglican Communion embodied in Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference.

The reaction to the Primates’ sanctions among Episcopalians committed to that church’s revisionist agenda was overwhelmingly negative, as might be expected. An announcement of the Primates’ Statement posted at Episcopal Café garnered more than 100 comments as of this writing—most of them derisive and derogatory. There were many calls to cut off the Episcopal Church (USA)‘s subsidy to the Anglican Communion Office—as though ECUSA should withhold its money from those who dissent from it, while expecting its own dissenting members to voluntarily surrender their churches and bank accounts in lieu of being sued for them. (The double standard of liberals—“one rule for me, another for thee”—marks them every time.)...

Albert Mohler: Anglican Communion sanctions Episcopal Church on homosexuality, reaffirms biblical marriage Play the podcast-it's the first story

Journalists must look to the left, as Anglican Communion goes into 'stoppage time'  ...When you look at the current events in the context of an accurate timeline, it's clear that (a) the Episcopal Church has merely been placed in "time out," (b) that the global primates really do think this dispute is about the Bible and marriage, (c) that the state of sacramental Communion among Anglican leaders remains as broken as ever and (d) that all Canterbury has really achieved, with this meeting, is send the contest into extra innings (or perhaps "stoppage time" is a better term among global Anglicans).

So where to start? There is no way to deal with all of the coverage and many publications have major holes in the timeline framing this event. Many journalists still think that this battle is primarily about the election of an openly gay, non-celibate bishop in a tiny U.S. diocese in 2003. As I have noted many times here at GetReligion, Communion among Anglican bishops and archbishops was already breaking down years before that and shepherds from the growing Anglican flocks in Africa, Asia and across the "Global South" were already taking steps to support traditionalists inside the Episcopal Church... GetReligion

Episcopal Church leader announces she will defy primates ban

Primates Meeting 2016-Final Communique

Walking Together in the Service of God in the World 

January 15, 2016

The meeting of Anglican Primates, the senior bishops of the 38 Anglican Provinces, joined by the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of North America, took place in Canterbury between Monday 11 January and Friday 15 January at the invitation of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The first morning was spent in prayer and fasting.

We came knowing that the 2016 Primates’ meeting would be concerned with the differences among us in regard to our teaching on matters of human sexuality. We were also eager to address wider areas of concern.

The meeting started by agreeing the agenda. The first agreed item was to discuss an important point of contention among Anglicans worldwide: the recent change to the doctrine of marriage by The Episcopal Church in the USA.

Over the past week the unanimous decision of the Primates was to walk together, however painful this is, and despite our differences, as a deep expression of our unity in the body of Christ. We looked at what that meant in practical terms.

We received the recommendation of a working group of our members which took up the task of how our Anglican Communion of Churches might walk together and our unity be strengthened. Their work, consistent with previous statements of the Primates’ meetings, addressed what consequences follow for The Episcopal Church in relation to the Anglican Communion following its recent change of marriage doctrine. The recommendations in paragraphs 7 and 8 of the Addendum A below are:

“It is our unanimous desire to walk together. However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.

 

“We have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a Task Group to maintain conversation among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ.”

 

These recommendations were adopted by the majority of the Primates present.

We will develop this process so that it can also be applied when any unilateral decisions on matters of doctrine and polity are taken that threaten our unity.

The Primates condemned homophobic prejudice and violence and resolved to work together to offer pastoral care and loving service irrespective of sexual orientation. This conviction arises out of our discipleship of Jesus Christ. The Primates reaffirmed their rejection of criminal sanctions against same-sex attracted people.

The Primates recognise that the Christian church and within it the Anglican Communion have often acted in a way towards people on the basis of their sexual orientation that has caused deep hurt. Where this has happened they express their profound sorrow and affirm again that God's love for every human being is the same, regardless of their sexuality, and that the church should never by its actions give any other impression.

We affirmed the consultation that had taken place in preparation for the meeting by Archbishop Welby and commended his approach for future events within the Communion.
The consideration of the required application for admission to membership of the Communion of the Anglican Church of North America was recognised as properly belonging to the Anglican Consultative Council. The Primates recognise that such an application, were it to come forward, would raise significant questions of polity and jurisdiction.

In the wake of the climate change conference in Paris last month, the meeting heard about a petition of almost two million signatures co-coordinated by the Anglican Environment Network. Reports were made about moves to divest from fossil fuels, the expansion of the African Deserts and the struggle for survival of the peoples of the Pacific as island life is threatened in many places by the rise of sea levels.

The meeting discussed the reality of religiously motivated violence and its impact on people and communities throughout the world. Primates living in places where such violence is a daily reality spoke movingly and passionately about their circumstances and the effect on their members. The Archbishop of Canterbury himself has taken important initiatives in bringing people together from a range of faith communities globally for discussion and mutual accountability. The Anglican Primates repudiated any religiously motivated violence and expressed solidarity with all who suffer from this evil in the world today... the rest

Gafcon Statement on Primates Communique

Statement by the GAFCON Chairman, The Most Rev. Dr. Eliud Wabukala and The GAFCON General Secretary, The Most Rev. Dr. Peter Jensen

14th January 2016

The Anglican Communion is our spiritual home and the GAFCON Primates travelled to England in the hope that godly faith and order could be restored through renewed obedience to the Bible.

We are pleased that Archbishop Foley Beach of the Anglican Church in North America has played a full part in the Canterbury meeting of Primates and that sanctions have been applied to the Episcopal Church of the United States, (TEC) recognising the need for mutual accountability on matters of doctrine within the family of the Communion.

However, this action must not be seen as an end, but as a beginning. There is much that causes us concern, especially the failure to recognise the fact that the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) has also rejected the collegial mind of the Communion by unilaterally permitting the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of those in active homosexual relationships. We fear that other provinces will do the same.

Since the beginning of the crisis in the Communion brought about by the actions of both TEC and the ACoC, the Anglican instruments of unity have been unable to guard biblical truth and restore godly order. There must therefore be doubt about the effectiveness of the sanctions that have been agreed.

In particular, it must be recognised that the continuing brokenness of the Communion is not the result simply of failed relationships, but is caused by the persistent rejection of biblical and apostolic faith as set out in Lambeth Resolution 1.10. We are therefore disappointed that the Primates’ statement makes no reference to the need for repentance.

The need for the GAFCON movement is being recognised by an ever increasing number of people and we are encouraged in our conviction that God has called us to work for an Anglican Communion which is a truly global family of Churches. We long to see a united, confident and courageous witness to God who by the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ has given us an unshakeable hope and assures us of his unfailing love.
Found here

ENS: Curry says primates’ statement will be painful for many Episcopalians

Anglicans step back from brink of schism over homosexuality -The Telegraph

Statement from Primates 2016

14 Jan 2016

Today the Primates agreed how they would walk together in the grace and love of Christ. This agreement acknowledges the significant distance that remains but confirms their unanimous commitment to walk together.

The Primates regret that it appears that this document has been leaked in advance of their communiqué tomorrow. In order to avoid speculation the document is being released in full. This agreement demonstrates the commitment of all the Primates to continue the life of the Communion with neither victor nor vanquished.

Questions and further comments will be responded to at a press conference tomorrow at 1500. Full details are available here.

The full text is as follows:

1. We gathered as Anglican Primates to pray and consider how we may preserve our unity in Christ given the ongoing deep differences that exist among us concerning our understanding of marriage.

2. Recent developments in The Episcopal Church with respect to a change in their Canon on marriage represent a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of our Provinces on the doctrine of marriage. Possible developments in other Provinces could further exacerbate this situation.

3. All of us acknowledge that these developments have caused further deep pain throughout our Communion.

4. The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union. The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching.

5. In keeping with the consistent position of previous Primates’ meetings such unilateral actions on a matter of doctrine without Catholic unity is considered by many of us as a departure from the mutual accountability and interdependence implied through being in relationship with each other in the Anglican Communion.

6. Such actions further impair our communion and create a deeper mistrust between us. This results in significant distance between us and places huge strains on the functioning of the Instruments of Communion and the ways in which we express our historic and ongoing relationships.

7. It is our unanimous desire to walk together. However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.

8. We have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a Task Group to maintain conversation among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ.

Found here

Primates suspend Episcopal Church from full participation in the Anglican Communion

by George Conger
January 14, 2016

The primates of the Anglican Communion have suspended the Episcopal Church from full participation in the life and work of the Anglican Communion. On 14 January 2016 a motion was presented to the gathering of archbishops and moderators gathered in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral that called for the Episcopal Church to be suspended for a period of three years.

The resolution as shared with Anglican Ink calls for the Episcopal Church to lose its “vote” in meetings of pan-Anglican institutions and assemblies, but preserves its “voice”, demoting the church to observer status..

The motion asks that representatives of the Episcopal Church not be permitted to represent the Communion in interfaith and ecumenical bodies or dialogue commissions, nor serve on the Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council, nor vote at meetings of the Anglican Consultative Council -- whose next meeting is this summer in Lusaka. Unlike the recommendations of the Windsor Report, which called for the “voluntary withdrawal” of the Episcopal Church from the life of the Communion, today’s vote directs the archbishop to discipline the American church.

The Episcopal Church may not take part in the decision making process “on issues of doctrine or polity”, either, agreed the primates.

The motion further asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to “appoint a task group to maintain conversations among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of commonality, and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held in the love and grace of Christ.”

The archbishop’s task group will be tasked with implementing the dialogue and codifying what “this looks like” a source familiar with the deliberations told AI.

The motion was passed by a two thirds margin, sources tell AI.

The three year time frame to repent and bring its house in order was given so as to “respect the polity of the Episcopal Church” a source tells us. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has no authority to bind the American church. That can only be done by the Church’s General Convention which is scheduled to meet in 2018.

Debate within the meeting focused on the actions of General Convention. Several primates, for whom this was their first meeting, were unaware of the background to the debate, and the group as a whole focused its attentions on the actions of last summer’s General Convention.

Leaders of the GAFCON movement, at the start of the meeting, sought to group the Anglican Church of Canada with the Episcopal Church, but Canadian Archbishop Fred Hiltz told the gathering his church had yet to adopt provincial-wide rites for same-sex marriage. It would come before the next meeting of General Synod, he explained, but had not been settled. Archbishop Hiltz’s explanation appears to have satisfied the group as a whole as the motion proposed and its accompanying debate focused on the Episcopal Church.

The Lambeth Palace press office did not respond to requests for comment, while a spokesman for Archbishop Foley Beach of the ACNA said he would not be commenting at this time. The Rev. Arun Arora, director of communications for the Church of England released a message on Twitter in response to the news of sanctions, stating: “@anglicanink Acting within the love&grace of Jesus Not about sanctions but consequences in context of unanimous commitment to walk together”. He declined to expand upon this statement.

The meeting continues to mid-day Friday, and a formal press conference has been scheduled after the close.

The meeting continues.

  Anglican Ink

Who will save the Communion?

Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden
Church of England Newspaper
January 15, 2016

Media reports prior to the Canterbury gathering heavily trailed as a resolution to the current crisis that churches might remain in communion with Canterbury while some were not in communion with others.

 Our hope and prayer is that the Communion will take a firmer line than this in support of the settled Christian teaching on marriage which has stood the test of time.

 TEC and Canada will never return to Lambeth 1.10. They cannot do so. The changed culture in the west will not go back. The key issue is not waiting for them to change or acting in such a way that will facilitate their change. The key issue is how the communion should continue if it is accepted that they should not be asked to leave.

 African and other provinces have been faithfully ministering to the poor, to Ebola victims, to those who live with same-sex attraction and behaviour, to those persecuted in the Middle East and Pakistan, struggling to maintain faithful witness. Now they are being made the villains of the piece for strongly objecting to the heresies of TEC. Yet TEC has created the problem. Their churches are declining in numbers, their leaders espouse heresy, and they insist everyone become like them.

 If TEC remains we do not see how it will be possible to contain them. That will put increasing pressure on the orthodox including members of the Global South that will more likely lead to their exit sooner rather than later. TEC and Canada must be told plainly that the future of the communion is in their hands. Since they have created the problem, they must come up with a solution. They are making it look as if the Orthodox provinces have created the problem. If TEC wishes this historic communion to survive they must be prepared to make sacrifices. They need to give undertakings that satisfy the rest or withdraw from the Communion. GAFCON must be willing to say what will enable them to accept the continuing membership of TEC and Canada in the Communion, short of them becoming orthodox which is now impossible. The future of the communion is in TEC’s hands. The Archbishop of Canterbury should put much pressure on TEC to come up with a viable solution...

The rest at Anglican Mainstream

Primates Meeting in Canterbury-Day 4

Updated news at top...

Archbishop of Uganda leaves primates meeting
Statement by Archbishop Stanley Ntagali
Excerpt:
...On the second day of the gathering, I moved a resolution that asked the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada to voluntarily withdraw from the meeting and other Anglican Communion activities until they repented of their decisions that have torn the fabric of the Anglican Communion at its deepest level. They would not agree to this request nor did it appear that the Archbishop of Canterbury and his facilitators would ensure that this matter be substantively addressed in a timely manner.

Sadly, after two long days of discussions, I was concerned that the process set up for this meeting would not permit us to address the unfinished business from the 2007 Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam.

In accordance with the resolution of our Provincial Assembly, it was, therefore, necessary for me to withdraw from the meeting, which I did at the end of the second day. It seemed that I was being manipulated into participating in a long meeting with the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada without the necessary discipline being upheld. My conscience is at peace....

Partial sanctions for TEC
Anglican Ink

Ruth Gledhill: US Episcopal Church could face sanctions for appointing gay bishops

David Ould: Primates Meeting Day 4 - Your Guess is as Good as Mine  It’s just gone 8am on Day 4. What can I tell you?

To be honest, not much. The reality is that our sources in Canterbury have dried up. They’re still there, they’re still happy to talk, but they have next to nothing to say to us. Which tells us one thing - if we thought that it was tense yesterday, today will be almost unbearable.

What we do know is that disquiet is bleeding out over the processes that have been involved. The UK Telegraph have reported that there was an attempt to use a Delphi Method in the discussions which did not go down well...

CANTERBURY: From My Ear to Your Ear: "Trust us" say GAFCON Primates -David Virtue

Archbishops ‘treated like children’ in church gay crisis talks   -Telegraph

Anglican Unscripted Episode 211

Published on Jan 12, 2016

 

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

Please Donate - http://anglicanink.com/donate

Archbishop of Canterbury's address to the Primates gathering

11 Jan 2016   
by Justin Welby

[N.b. The text of this address first appeared on the website of the Nigerian newspaper, The Vanguard. Spokesmen for the archbishop did not respond to requests to confirm the authenticity of the document, but a spokesman for the meeting told AI:"As it's a private meeting we're not commenting on the Vanguard report."]

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

All Christians, but most especially Bishops, in the succession to the Apostles, are people who are sent. We are not our own masters, but we serve another, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not choose our actions, but we have a mission, the missio dei, to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, to make disciples, to know “nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”.
We do not have our own resources, but we are filled by the Holy Spirit, as the qualification for our actions.

We are not principally impelled by duty, or reason, or power, but “the love of Christ urges us on”
There have always been tensions. The first Lambeth Conference, boycotted by the Archbishop of York and many English Bishops, was over a question of heresy. Divorce, contraception, the ordination of women, all caused deep fractures, and were seen as doctrinal, not only moral, issues.
The reality is that a Church such as the Anglican Communion is such a mixture of histories, and of theological difference, that inevitably there will be deep differences and from time to time these will lead to grave crises, such as the one faced in recent years... the rest at Anglican Ink

First Day report on the 2016 primates gathering in Canterbury  -Anglican Ink

Anglican Primates Convene With Different Expectations, Appeals -Juicy Ecumenism

Anglican summit: Traditionalists’ anger over Justin Welby’s federal plan -The Telegraph

Sin, corruption and Islam: Justin Welby on the threats facing the Anglican Communion

-Ruth Gledhill

Church of England attendance plunges to record low
-The Telegraph

Anglican Primates Convene With Different Expectations, Appeals

January 11, 2016
by Jeffrey Walton

Clues as to what transpired during Monday’s gathering of Anglican Communion Primates are few: reportedly no one walked out, and all 38 primates, plus Archbishop Foley Beach of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), attended the public evensong service at Canterbury Cathedral following an initial meeting in the afternoon.

Unlike previous official Primates’ Meetings, there will be no press conferences and all sessions are to be conducted in private. Even the agenda is unknown, with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby stating that the Primates themselves will determine the topics of discussion.

Background on the gathering, which Welby announced in September, can be found here.

But while there are few official communications from the gathering, different groups of church officials have been communicating with their churches. Both ACNA — and the broader Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) group with which it is affiliated — have shared prayer requests and created web sites around the gathering, as has Welby via an official web site operated by the London-based Anglican Communion Office... the rest

Canterbury Primates gathering 2016

Monday, January 11, 2016
(Will update as I can...PD)

Schism would not be a disaster says Welby -Anglican Ink

The agenda is the first item on the agenda at the Primates gathering -Anglican Ink

Wet, cold start to primates gathering in Canterbury -Anglican Ink

A.S. Haley: Consolation on the Loss of Communion

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, the meeting starting in Canterbury tomorrow is not a meeting of the Anglican Communion. It is not even a meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion, because it includes the Most Rev. Foley Beach, primate of the Anglican Church in North America -- and ACNA is not a constituent member of the Anglican Communion.

But it will be a milestone in the demise of that Communion.

In a sense, the times have passed the Anglican Communion by. It is no longer equipped with structures that are able to deal with the circumstances facing Protestant churches in the twenty-first century. The Primates' Meeting, as we see, is being bypassed in favor of a gathering of primates; whether another Lambeth Conference will be called is doubtful; and no one particularly cares whether or not the Anglican Consultative Council continues to meet, because it has lost its constituencies in the debacle over the Anglican Covenant.
In short, the fabric of the Anglican Communion is torn, exactly as predicted by the primates in 2003 before ECUSA took the step which the Communion asked it not to take, and consecrated V. Gene Robinson to the episcopacy. It is useless dreaming to hope that the fabric will ever be mended. The real question is: what, if anything, will succeed the Anglican Communion?

To begin with, it is entirely safe to say that birds of a feather will flock together. ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada are joined by apostasy, and will never repent or confess error. Even while being instrumental in its death, they will continue to trumpet their membership in "the Anglican Communion."

Likewise, the GAFCON primates are united by their traditional orthodoxy. ACNA is part of GAFCON, and will continue to be. They, along with a majority of the 38 provinces of the former Anglican Communion, may organize under a different name, but one which still has the descriptor "Anglican" in it. Or they may continue to meet, without either the apostate provinces or the Archbishop of Canterbury, and still consider themselves the true "Anglican Communion." Only time will tell. the rest

David Ould: Portents, Prophecy and Predictions - What Will Happen at the Primates’ Meeting?

January 8, 2016
Stand Firm

As many readers will be aware, next week sees the much-awaited Primates’ Meeting/Gathering called by Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The crisis that the Anglican Communion is in has not gone away (who would have thought?!) and the time has perhaps come for a clear decision on the path forward.

As one might expect, the net has been awash with various prognostications (yes, alliteration can’t be avoided) as to what will happen and as the day has approached I’ve had more and more people ask me what’s going to happen. Well, grab a cup of something and sit down because I’m going to give it my best shot.

As I can best see, there have been essentially 2 major dynamics at work in the lead-up to this coming week which can be broadly characterised as the “save the family” party and the “restore Biblical order” party. Now even as I write that I realise that I am potentially characterising one side as not being Biblical - that’s not my intention in the labels but I’m not going to pretend that by the time you get to the end of this piece I won’t have made my best effort to persuade you that the “family” party really don’t get what the Bible has to say about this whole thing.

But, for now, let’s just spend a bit of time thinking about this “family” approach. The line basically goes like this, “we have much that unites us; a common identity forged from a common history. This is an expression of Christian unity and we would be very foolish to let it go”.... the rest

A Letter from Archbishop Beach on the Upcoming Primates Gathering

Posted January 8, 2016

Archbishop Beach addresses the Anglican Church in North America about the upcoming Primates gathering in Canterbury, England.

Grace and peace to you in the incredible Name of our Messiah and Lord, Jesus Christ!!

As most of you know, I have been invited to attend a gathering called by the Archbishop of Canterbury next week in Canterbury, England.  The reasons he has not been able to call a meeting of the Primates of the Communion until this time is because the actions of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have deeply torn the fabric of trust and fellowship in the Communion.  In 2007 the Primates met in Dar es Salaam and unanimously agreed on a course of action to restore the godly fellowship of the Communion by asking these two provinces to repent and return to the Biblical teaching and practice of the Anglican Communion.  When they did not repent, the previous Archbishop of Canterbury acted against the consensus of the Primates and ignored the consequences which were imposed.  This has made the breach even wider.

Since that time, the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) has met in Jerusalem (2008) and in Nairobi (2013), and through GAFCON, the Anglican Church in North America was birthed in 2009.  Since that time our Province in North America has been recognized and is in full communion with the provinces represented by GAFCON and the Global South of the Anglican Communion.  These provinces represent the vast majority of the Anglicans in the world and have been our partners in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ and discipling people in Anglican Christianity.

I have been asked many times why I am going.  Firstly, as a group the GAFCON Primates all decided together that we would attend in good faith and see if there is a possibility of restoring order to the structures of the Anglican Communion. 

Secondly, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, invited me in good faith, and like my brother Primates, I am going in good faith.

Thirdly, the Anglican Church in North America is now a Partner Province of the Global South who are also planning to attend.

Fourthly, to not attempt to bring godly order and unity to the Church would be a sin against the Lord and His bride.

I am writing to ask for your prayers, even fasting, as the Lord leads you. I travel to the UK this weekend for the meetings which begin on Monday morning at Canterbury Cathedral.  I see no easy answers without repentance and Gospel Truth.  Pray for wisdom. Pray for confidence in the Truth of God. Pray for boldness. Pray for humility. Pray for repentance.  Pray for healing.  What is at stake?  It is really not about me or about the Anglican Church in North America.  It is the reputation of Jesus Christ.  It is the souls of millions of people who are being taught a false Gospel and are being led into spiritual and sexual bondage under the pretense of the Christian Faith.  It is about the third largest expression of the Christian Faith being able to unite and bring Christian hope and godliness in the face of violent opposition all around the globe. 

Personally, I believe this will be an extremely challenging meeting for all involved, but I believe in a big and powerful God!!  

Thank you in advance for your prayers.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than we can ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations" (Ephesians 3:20f, ESV).

Your brother in Christ,
 

The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach

Archbishop and Primate

Anglican Church in North America

 Link

Ca methane gas leak disaster: Where American Families Are Moving...other news

A gas leak in California is arguably the worst environmental disaster since the BP oil spill ...For a state beset by drought, wildfires, giant sinkholes and other natural calamities, the gas leak has emerged as the number one environmental concern of Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, an aggressive environmentalist who is particularly concerned about combating climate change.

Aside from the immediate chaos caused by the leak, the longer-term consequences for the environment have shaken government officials, scientists and environmental groups – and could seriously set back the Obama administration’s high profile efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute directly to global warming.

Scientists and environmental experts say the Aliso Canyon leak became the biggest single source of methane emissions in all of California practically overnight when it began Oct. 23...

California gas leak is declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles 'It's the BP spill on land': California declares state of emergency for gas leak which has been spewing noxious methane fumes for more than two months...

Cologne inquiry into 'coordinated' New Year's Eve sex attacks German police are investigating reports that scores of women were sexually assaulted and mugged in Cologne city centre during New Year’s Eve celebrations, in what a minister called a “completely new dimension of crime”.

Authorities and media were accused of a cover-up linked to initial indications that, according to the police, those allegedly responsible for the sex attacks and numerous robberies were of Arab and north African origin.

Sixty complaints were filed to police, a third of which were linked to sexual assault. Cologne’s mayor, Henriette Reker, called an emergency meeting of high-ranking security officials on Tuesday, saying her aim was to ensure the city centre did not turn into a “lawless zone”...

Where American Families Are Moving  
...In a new study by the Chapman Center for Demographics and Policy, we found that the best cities for middle-class families tend to be located outside the largest metropolitan areas. This was based on such factors as housing affordability, migration, income growth, commute times, and middle-income jobs. Many of our best-rated cities tend to mid-sized. The three most highly rated were Des Moines, Iowa, Madison, Wis., and Albany, N.Y., all with populations of less than 1 million. Among our top 10 metropolitan areas for families, five are larger than this, but only two—the Washington, D.C. area and Minneapolis-St. Paul—are among the nation's 20 largest metropolitan areas...

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