A Communiqué from the Gafcon Primates to Members and Supporters

29th April 2017

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." ~ Isaiah 2:3

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As your Primates, we met in Lagos, Nigeria from 24th -28th April 2017 to pray and work for the continued renewal of the Anglican Communion. We give thanks for the extraordinary hospitality of the Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, the Archbishop of Lagos, and the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

We began our time together each day with prayer and the study of God’s Word. Aware that we are approaching the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we gave thanks for the faithful witness of those leaders who challenged the Church to recover the authority of the Scriptures. They were men and women who were willing to take costly action, and sealed that testimony with their own blood.

Jerusalem 2018 Global Anglican Future Conference
Gafcon is a global family made up of 9 provinces and 5 branches representing the majority of the world’s Anglicans. Jerusalem 2018 will be the 10th anniversary of the founding of our movement. We are looking forward to acting as an instrument of unity in gathering our people together so that they can share the same joy in the Gospel that we experience when we are together.

Our theme will be “Proclaiming Christ Faithfully to the Nations” and we are anticipating having over 1,700 delegates join in worship, teaching and pilgrimage. In the next few months, each province or branch will be issuing invitations among their membership. Please pray for the planning team as they attend to the many details of this event.

If One Part of the Body Suffers, Every Part Suffers With It
Our meeting has also been an opportunity to share with one another our burdens and the suffering of our people. In particular, we discussed the ongoing civil war in South Sudan, and the challenges faced by the church in that province. This conflict has displaced millions, many of whom have found a temporary home in northern Uganda. The Anglican church there is caring for these refugees as best it can, but the region’s resources are currently overwhelmed. We commissioned the Primates of Uganda and Kenya to visit the South Sudan to explore ways we can work with other ecumenical partners to offer mediation that might bring about an end to this conflict.

Many in our African provinces are confronted by the dual threats of insurgent Islamism and drought. The targeting of Christians and churches in northern Nigeria has been in the news, and the daily dangers there and elsewhere continue to be real. Combined with drought conditions, there is the potential for widespread famine in our Sub-Saharan provinces.

In our Global North provinces the challenges are different. With the increasing influence of materialism, secularism, and the loss of moral foundations, our people in these provinces face dangers that are subtle, but spiritually dangerous.

Please keep each of these concerns in your prayers, and consider what God might be calling you to do in response. Our provinces have borders, but our Church does not, and the sharing of material and spiritual resources has never been more needed.

A Missionary Bishop
During our meeting, we considered how best to respond to the voice of faithful Anglicans in some parts of the Global North who are in need of biblically faithful episcopal leadership. Of immediate concern is the reality that on 8th June 2017 the Scottish Episcopal Church is likely to formalize their rejection of Jesus’ teaching on marriage. If this were to happen, faithful Anglicans in Scotland will need appropriate pastoral care. In addition, within England there are churches that have, for reasons of conscience, been planted outside of the Church of England by the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE). These churches are growing, and are in need of episcopal leadership. Therefore, we have decided to consecrate a missionary bishop who will be tasked with providing episcopal leadership for those who are outside the structures of any Anglican province, especially in Europe.

A Word of Encouragement to Faithful Anglicans within European Provinces
We wish to reassure all faithful Anglicans in European provinces that they also have our prayers and our support. We are aware that some Christians within these provinces who are contending for the faith may at first perceive the news of a missionary bishop as a threat to their hopes for reform from within.

We believe that the complexity of the current situation in Europe does not admit of a single solution. Faithful Christians may be called to different courses of action. We bless those whose context and conscience have led them to remain and contend for the faith within the current structures. If you are successful, you will not need a missionary bishop; if you are not successful, an alternative is at hand. The only true failure would be to waste time through inaction.

We also pray for those who are not yet clear about what faithfulness requires. May God give you the wisdom and courage of the Reformers to stand firm wherever the Lord calls you to stand.

Bishops Training Institute (BTI)
The launch of the Bishops Training Institute has been successful, drawing bishops from around the world for training and teaching in the unique role of leading a diocese. The Institute is based in Kenya, and led by the Rt Rev. Samson Mwaluda, assisted by the Rev. Paul Sampson. The next course will take place in May this year, and BTI 3 in November.

Branch Updates
We received updates from our established branches in Australia, New Zealand, Southern Africa, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. We also received encouraging reports about new Gafcon branches emerging in other parts of the Anglican world. We give thanks for the continued growth of this movement, and the opportunity we have to share in fellowship with those who are preaching the Gospel around the world both in season and out of season.

The Global South
We give thanks for the fellowship that we had last October with the Anglican Global South at the 6th Global South Anglican Conference in Cairo, Egypt. We affirm our desire to continue to work in close partnership, walking together in the truth of the Gospel.

Conclusion
We are grateful for the leadership of our Chairman, the Most Rev. Dr Nicholas Okoh. As we look towards Jerusalem 2018, we ask for your continued prayers and support. Specifically, we ask that you would pray for the continued renewal of the Anglican Communion, and the spread of this reform movement. In all these things may Christ be glorified and his name proclaimed faithfully to the nations.

Found here

Early spring garden 2017

 Periwinkle in bloom

 

Close-up

Snow on the mountain, Coral bells,  Bleeding Heart 

 

 Fiddleheads

Anglican Unscripted Episodes 283 and 284

Apr 24, 2017
Anglican Unscripted is the only video newscast in the Anglican Church. Each Episode Kevin, George, Allan, and Gavin bring you news and prospective from around the globe.
Please Donate- http://anglican.ink/donate


Apr 24, 2017

Jesu, be endless praise to Thee...

Jesu, be endless praise to Thee,

Whose boundless mercy hath for me—

For me a full atonement made,

An everlasting ransom paid.

O let the dead now hear Thy voice;

Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;

Their beauty this, their glorious dress,

Jesu, Thy blood and righteousness.

...Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf image

Reformation Anglicanism; Relevance of the Resurrection....

Relevance of the Resurrection
By the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
April 21, 2017

5 Reasons Reformation Anglicanism Is Relevant
The church is meant to be a beacon, marking out the safe path to true wholeness and hope. Sadly, however, the church today often capitulates to the world’s narrative without ever being aware of it. Our preaching can easily reinforce that we are what we do, telling people they must focus on doing things pleasing to God so he will continue to accept them. Yet true Christianity bases all its hope on what God has promised to do in, through, and for us because of his love—not on what we must try to do to earn it.

Here is the core message of Reformation Anglicanism. Forged in a time when the Western church had lost its way, its five characteristics illumine the authentic gospel once again for the 21st century...

Paris Gunman was 'focus of anti-terror' probe; Powerful solar flares expected...more

Paris Champs Elysees shooting: Gunman was 'focus of anti-terror' probe ...The gunman who shot dead a policeman in Paris on Thursday has been identified from papers left in his car, but French officials are yet to release his name.

Local media say the 39-year-old lived in the city's suburbs, and had been seen as a potential Islamist radical.

The gunman wounded two police officers before being shot dead by security forces on the Champs Elysees...

Christian Pastor Detained in China for Singing ‘Jesus Loves You’   ...Pastor Xu Rongzhang was reportedly detained after he led a group of Christians in singing the popular Christian song. Although Xu was released later the same day he was detained, his identification documents and travel permit was not returned to him till two days later.

Xu was never given an explanation why singing “Jesus Loves You” was deemed illegal.

Xu’s situation has been becoming increasingly common for Christians in China. Many have been arrested or worse. Back in February, five Christians were sentenced to three to seven years in prison on the charge that they purchased and sold “forbidden Christian devotional books.”...

Transgender Man Sues Hospital for Refusing to Take Part in 'Transition.'  A woman who wanted a hysterectomy so she could pretend to be a man is now suing a hospital for not taking part in her "transition."

The craziest part is that she had the procedure done with very little fuss or opposition but she, along with the ACLU, believes that Catholic institutions must be made to conform, must be made to submit. The ACLU has now filed suit against Dignity Health Hospital in California.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges that Dignity discriminated against Evan Michael Minton, 35, when she sought a hysterectomy as part of her "transition." So Dignity said it couldn't perform the surgery at one of their Catholic hospitals but it was quite willing to perform it at one of their non-Catholic hospitals...

Paul Remembered Mary
Paul loved Christ and His church, and it is obvious from his letters to the local churches that Paul’s love for God’s people was genuine.  At the end of Romans, Paul dives off into a series of greetings and acknowledgements. It’s quite clear that while he wrote entire epistles to Timothy, Paul likewise remembered others who worked behind the scenes.  Not everyone is called to pastor a church, and the church needs people up front and behind the scenes to run properly.

Paul remembered Mary and how hard she worked.  In Romans 16:6, Paul requested that a particular Mary would be recognized for her service.  Paul had remembered her diligent work for the glory of God.  It apparently made an impression on him...

Powerful solar flares could spark auroras next week
-A coronal hole will send solar winds towards Earth on April 23 and April 24
-There is a 75 per cent chance that this will lead to a geomagnetic storm
-Geomagnetic storms are responsible for creating stunning auroras
-But they can also cause havoc for the electrical power grid and satellites

Fearing Dreher: Why the Benedict Option Scares Christians  ...Rod Dreher, in his much-discussed The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation (2017), asserts that we are living in “post-Christian America.” It seems that no one, whether on the left or right,  disagrees with this assessment, from liberal critic Emma Green (“Christianity is no longer the cultural default”), to conservative writers Fr. Dwight Longenecker (“the tsunami of anti-Christian culture”) and New York Times columnist Ross Douthat (“traditional religion in all its forms has become a counterculture in the West”), to Patrick Gilger (“Christian America is already a contradiction in terms”) and Damon Linker (“a minority in a majority secular nation”) also agree.

So, how should Christians react to the widely acknowledged reality that Christendom—that is, civilization and culture based on Christian principles and morality—is dead? Mr. Dreher says that “Christians are now in a time of decision,” and he calls on them to take concrete steps to preserve their Christian way of life in this country. Almost all the reviews of Mr. Dreher’s book concentrate on and criticize his supposedly monastic and society-denying “option” and downplay his very uncomfortable assessment of the need for that option. This review does the opposite...

The Blessing of Selective Ignorance
...Every time you pull up Facebook or Twitter, turn on opinion based news or listen to talk radio, you will find yourself getting angry about things that you didn’t even know about two minutes before. Media companies make loads of money from our attention. Your attention brings in advertising dollars and nothing grabs your attention like events or opinions that make you angry.

Remembering that selective ignorance doesn’t mean ignoring the real news events of the day, but you must remember that there are less real news events going on in the world than you think. An actresses opinion about the President, a Facebook “friend’s” opinion about politics, or a ridiculous Facebook comment on a news story from someone that you don’t know aren’t news, don’t matter to you at all, and will only serve to make you angry. Ignore it. Your life will be better for it...


This is about that (with Andrew Wilson) from Kings Church on Vimeo.

The Resurrection narratives...

The Resurrection narratives are not a picture of survival after death; they record how a totally new mode of being has arisen in the Universe. Something new had appeared in the Universe: as new as the first coming of organic life. This Man, after death, does not get divided into “ghost” and “corpse.” A new mode of being has arisen. That is the story. What are we going to make of it? ...C.S. Lewis image

Report: School-Issued Computers ‘Spy’ on Children; Lois Lerner: Public Can Never Know What I Did...more

Alabama Senate Passes Pro-Life Bill Saying There is No Right to Abortion Alabama state Senators advanced a bill this week that would add the right to life for unborn babies into the Alabama Constitution. The proposal would write into the Alabama Constitution that it is state policy to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life, according to AP.

The state Senate approved the bill in a 25-7 vote. The measure passed the state House in March. Now the amendment will have to be approved by voters on the 2018 ballot after it clears the House again following changes.

State Rep. Matt Fridy, who sponsored the bill, said the amendment would not make abortions illegal in Alabama immediately; it would protect unborn babies’ right to life in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned and the power to legislate abortion is returned to the states...

Report: School-Issued Computers ‘Spy’ on Children Without Parental Consent  A new report finds that, under the guise of “personalized learning,” school-issued computer devices — now distributed to one-third of K-12 students in schools across the United States — are serving to collect and store an unprecedented amount of personal data on children without their parents’ notice or consent.

A newly released investigation by Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) reveals student use of technology in school has grown at a profound rate, especially with free or low-fee devices issued by schools.

The education technology industry, according to the report, is now valued at over $8 billion.

Approximately half of the devices issued to U.S. children are Google Chromebooks, with about 30 million students, teachers, and school officials using Google’s G Suite for Education, observes EFF...

Lois Lerner: Public Can Never Know What I Did  ...Lerner told the judge that if her actions at the IRS were to become public knowledge, she could face death threats from angry Americans – particularly those on the conservative side of the spectrum...

Why Are So Many Lesbians Getting Pregnant?
...Multiple studies with samples drawn from various nations find that sexual-minority youth aged fourteen to nineteen have pregnancy rates two to seven times greater than their heterosexual peers. Their pregnancy rates continue to rise, even though the overall teen pregnancy rate is declining in the United States.

Only one study to date has examined the pregnancy rates of adult sexual-minority women who are eighteen to forty-four years old. Published late last year, it reveals the same thing: unintended pregnancies are higher among sexual-minority women than their heterosexual peers. Their proportion for ending pregnancies by abortion is double that of heterosexual women.

Clearly something’s up here, and it is doubtful that the rules of human reproduction have drastically evolved. Clearly these pregnancies cannot all be assigned to bisexuals. Still, it is curious that those who go both ways still have higher pregnancy rates than heterosexuals. The numbers among those who identify as gay and lesbian remain unbelievably high. Could it be possible that being lesbian or gay is not quite as absolute or fixed as gender theorists want us to believe? One’s sexual orientation is supposed to be locked in and unchangeable, like sex, race, or ethnicity. But this pregnancy phenomenon confounds that narrative...

Shroud of Turin, Authenticated Again: Libya's horrific slave trade...more

 The Shroud of Turin, Authenticated Again

...Remarkably, two ancient pieces of cloth, the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo, are extant today. Both are revered as relics, and each bears the name of the city where it currently resides. 

 First and foremost is the Shroud of Turin. Secured in a vault in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, the Shroud is believed by millions to be the burial cloth of Jesus. It is a fine linen cloth, measuring 14.5 feet by 3.5 feet, and mysteriously displays a finely detailed negative photographic image — front and back, head to toe, of an anatomically correct man who appears to have been tortured, beaten, and crucified. Note that, in their accounts of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross, all four Gospels mention a “fine linen cloth.”

Perhaps it is a coincidence, but clearly seen on the body of the crucified man in the Shroud are gruesome markings consistent with the Gospel accounts of Christ’s Passion. You can count over 100 whip marks, possibly from scourging by Roman flagra, and identify on his wrists and feet obvious wounds that could have been from large spikes. Other markings are compatible with what could have been a crown of thorns. On closer examination, you can spot bruises (from beatings?) on his face, knees (from falling?), and the back of his shoulders (from carrying a heavy cross?), and a large bloody mark (from a spear?) in his side. Like the crucified Jesus in Gospel accounts, the man in the Shroud had no broken bones. Perhaps it is a coincidence, but clearly seen on the body of the crucified man in the Shroud are gruesome markings consistent with the Gospel accounts of Christ’s Passion... image

5 Reasons Reformation Anglicanism Is Relevant
The church is meant to be a beacon, marking out the safe path to true wholeness and hope. Sadly, however, the church today often capitulates to the world’s narrative without ever being aware of it. Our preaching can easily reinforce that we are what we do, telling people they must focus on doing things pleasing to God so he will continue to accept them. Yet true Christianity bases all its hope on what God has promised to do in, through, and for us because of his love—not on what we must try to do to earn it.

Here is the core message of Reformation Anglicanism. Forged in a time when the Western church had lost its way, its five characteristics illumine the authentic gospel once again for the 21st century....

 

After Church Bombings, Egyptian Christians Are Resigned but Resolute   When the bomb went off at St. Mark’s Cathedral one week ago, William Frances had one thought: “Oh, my God, it’s happening again.”

 

Six years earlier, Mr. Frances lost his mother, his sister and a cousin in a bombing at another Alexandria church that left him devastated. Now he prayed he hadn’t lost anyone else.

 

“I had enough,” he recalled. “I said: ‘Please, God, no more. Please.’”...

"Spit on the Cross or Die": Muslim Persecution of Christians, January 2017  Muslim Persecution of Christians, January 2017

 

5 facts on how Americans view the Bible and other religious texts  ...Both Passover and Easter are based on biblical accounts. Passover commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, as described in the Hebrew Scriptures. Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus, as described in the Christian Gospels. In this important season for both traditions, here are five key facts about Americans and their holy texts...

Libya Revives Horrific Slave Trade as International Community Largely Remains Silent   Perhaps it is battle fatigue or outrage fatigue or tragedy fatigue, but the horrific resurgence of the African slave trade in Libya has been met largely with silence from the international community after a lone report from the U.N. on Libya’s enslavement of migrants desperately trying to reach Europe.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says migrants from across the continent are making their way to Libya in hopes of finding transportation to Europe, primarily Italy and Spain. Upon arrival many are taken captive by traffickers and traders, imprisoned and held ransom. Those that cannot receive money from their families for their release are sold in market squares. Men are sold for labor according to their skill set. Women are sold for sex...

Confirmed: John Brennan Colluded With Foreign Spies to Defeat Trump    An article in the Guardian last week  provides more confirmation that John Brennan was the American progenitor of political espionage aimed at defeating Donald Trump. One side did collude with foreign powers to tip the election — Hillary’s.

Seeking to retain his position as CIA director under Hillary, Brennan teamed up with British spies and Estonian spies to cripple Trump’s candidacy. He used their phony intelligence as a pretext for a multi-agency investigation into Trump, which led the FBI to probe a computer server connected to Trump Tower and gave cover to Susan Rice, among other Hillary supporters, to spy on Trump and his people...

It can be so easy for Easter to be a moment in time...

It can be so easy for Easter to be a moment in time and not a moment that changes time. Our experience with Christ should change our lives. We shouldn’t experience the resurrection and then just go back to the day to day lives we lead unchanged. Life should be different because of the grace of Christ. Did Easter change you, or are you back to the daily grind? Jesus wants more from us than to just experience the joy of the resurrection - He wants us to live changed lives! ...Don Crane image

Bp. Julian Dobbs: Radio Interview on Christian Persecution

by Jerry Newcombe
April 17, 2017

Bishop Julian Dobbs is involved with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. He’s also a board member of the Barnabas Fund, a group dedicated to helping the Christians around the world facing great persecution for their faith. Bishop Dobbs has been in Egypt, visiting Christians there. Julian Dobbs joins Jerry Newcombe to discuss the recent Palm Sunday bombings in two of the Coptic churches in Egypt, to help us better understand what the Christians there face—in one of the oldest Christian communities of the world.

Interview here

Anglican Unscripted Episode 292

Apr 18, 2017

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

Easter 2017

I greet Thy sepulchre, salute Thy grave,

That blest enclosure, where the angels gave

The first glad tidings of Thy early light,

And resurrection from the earth and night.

I see that morning in Thy convert’s tears,

Fresh as the dew, which but this dawning wears.

I smell her spices; and her ointment yields

As rich a scent as the now primros’d fields:

The Day-star smiles, and light, with the deceased,

Now shines in all the chambers of the East.

...Henry Vaughan image

Holy Saturday 2017

LORD, God of my salvation;

I cry out day and night before you.

Let my prayer come before you;

incline your ear to my cry!
 

For my soul is full of troubles,

and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

I am a man who has no strength,

like one set loose among the dead,

like the slain that lie in the grave,

like those whom you remember no more,

for they are cut off from your hand.

You have put me in the depths of the pit,

in the regions dark and deep.

Your wrath lies heavy upon me,

and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
 

You have caused my companions to shun me;

you have made me a horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

my eye grows dim through sorrow.

Every day I call upon you, O LORD;

I spread out my hands to you.

Do you work wonders for the dead?

Do the departed rise up to praise you?

Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,

or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

Are your wonders known in the darkness,

or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

 

But I, O LORD, cry to you;

in the morning my prayer comes before you.

O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?

Why do you hide your face from me?

Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,

I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.

Your wrath has swept over me;

your dreadful assaults destroy me.

They surround me like a flood all day long;

they close in on me together.

You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;

my companions have become darkness.
-Psalm 88 image

Good Friday 2017

I bind my heart, this tide
To the Galilean’s side,
To the wounds of Calvary—
To the Christ who died for me.

I bind my soul this day
To the brother far away
And the brother near at hand,
In this town and in this land.

I bind my heart in thrall
To God, the Lord of all,
To God, the poor man’s Friend,
And the Christ whom He did send.

I bind myself to peace,
To make strife and envy cease.
God, knit Thou sure the cord
Of my thralldom to my Lord.
...Lauchlan MacLean Watt image

Maundy Thursday 2017

Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless

Thy chosen pilgrim flock

With manna in the wilderness,

With water from the rock.

We would not live by bread alone,

But by Thy word of grace,

In strength of which we travel on

To our abiding place.

Be known to us in breaking bread,

And do not then depart;

Savior, abide with us, and spread

Thy table in our heart.

Lord, sup with us in love divine,

Thy Body and Thy Blood,

That living bread, that heavenly wine,

Be our immortal food.

-James Montgomery image

Anglican Unscripted Episode 281

Apr 10, 2017

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

Senate uses "nuclear option"-final confirmation vote for Gorsuch today; ISIS executes 33 in Syria...more

Trump’s Supreme Court nominee moves to final confirmation vote after historic rule change ...Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, used the "nuclear option," a rule change, so that Democrats couldn't filibuster Gorsuch. McConnell did this because Republicans didn't have the 60 needed votes to end debate (the filibuster). Democrats successfully blocked Gorsuch's nomination by voting against ending debate this morning. Without the "nuclear option," Democrats would have been able to continue blocking Gorsuch's nomination...

ISIS Brutally Executes 33 People in Syria
The Islamic State reportedly executed 33 people in eastern Syria on Wednesday, CNN.com reports.

The killings took place in the al-Mayadin desert near the city of Deir Ezzor.

The initial report came from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which said that the terrorist group carried out the executions with sharp tools.

Those executed were between the ages of 18 and 25. The human rights group noted that this mass killing was “the largest execution operation carried out by the Islamic State organization in 2017."...

Boko Haram kidnaps 22 girls and women in north-east Nigeria  ...Boko Haram Islamists have abducted 22 girls and women in two separate raids in north-east Nigeria, residents and vigilantes said.

In the first attack on Thursday, the jihadists raided the village of Pulka near the border with Cameroon where they kidnapped 18 girls...

Heavy security measures to be taken in Jerusalem for Passover, Easter More than 3,500 policemen will patrol Jerusalem during Passover and Easter with an emphasis on the Old City, where some 150,000 visitors from around the globe are expected to gather at the Western Wall and in the Christian Quarter.

Following two recent stabbing attacks in the Muslim Quarter, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said security will be at its highest level to ensure the public’s safety.

Close to Half of American Adults Infected With HPV
More than 42 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 59 are infected with genital human papillomavirus, according to the first survey to look at the prevalence of the virus in the adult population. The report, published on Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics, found that certain high-risk strains of the virus infected 25.1 percent of men and 20.4 percent of women...

GAFCON Chairman Archbp. Okoh's April 2017 letter

4th April 2017

To the Faithful of the Gafcon movement and friends from Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria and Chairman, the Gafcon Primates Council.

My dear people of God,

In times of anxiety and distress, I am sure many of us have found this promise to be a great comfort:

‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope’ (Jeremiah 29:11).

This is the word that came from the Lord to his exiled people many centuries ago and it remains a promise we can apply to the Church as the people of God today.

In the book of Jeremiah, the Word of the Lord is the power that ultimately shapes events. In a time of national apostasy, when hearts were hardened, it became a word of judgement that was fulfilled in the exile and destruction of Jerusalem, but in judgement God remembers mercy. A faithful remnant will return and God’s purposes will not be defeated.

In our time, God is still active through his Word, the Scriptures. The Anglican Communion is a wonderful gift of God, but we see its witness degraded and confused by false teaching. What is more, the Communion’s traditional leadership responds by accommodating it. There is no hope in that direction, but at the same time, we see a new future unfolding. This is the Gafcon vision and it is being demonstrated very clearly in North America.

Last month, under the inspired and courageous leadership of Bishop Mark Lawrence, the former TEC Diocese of South Carolina voted unanimously to affiliate with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). South Carolina will be its largest diocese and already has a global reach. Its annual ‘Mere Christianity’ conferences are highly regarded and its Anglican Leadership Institute is devoted to developing faithful leaders throughout the Communion. This is a very significant moment in the global realignment of the Communion. Here we see the power of the Word of the Lord: TEC recedes into history while faithful Anglican witness grows.

Commitment to growth will be much in evidence at the ACNA’s Provincial Assembly as it meets in Chicago from 27th to 30th June this year. Gafcon leaders from around the world will join Archbishop Foley Beach as over 1,000 members come together around the theme of ‘Mission on our Doorstep’; a vision for local mission which is greatly strengthened by partnerships that span the continents. I encourage all who can to make the most of this opportunity to work together and be equipped for the vital task of gospel proclamation.

The restoration we have seen in North America after the devastation unleashed when church leaders substitute their word for God’s Word should be a strong encouragement to faithful Anglicans on the other side of the Atlantic, as we see the Church of England and other Provinces moving at varying speeds in the same direction as TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada to institutionalise the rejection of God’s Word in matters of sexuality morality and human identity. As this season of Lent reminds us, we are called to walk the way of the cross, but sacrifice for the sake of the gospel will never be in vain.

Finally my brothers and sisters, please pray for us as the Gafcon Primates Council meets in Lagos from 24th to 28th April. We are called to shoulder heavy burdens and many of us are deeply involved with issues of famine relief, insecurity and governance in our nations as well as the need to contend for the truth of the gospel in the wider Communion. Pray for our fellowship together and that our deliberations may be guided by the Holy Spirit, to the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and the extension of the Kingdom of God.

The Most Revd Nicholas D. Okoh
Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria and Chairman, the GAFCON Primates Council
Found here

First major U.S. city braces for Obamacare collapse; Londonistan: 423 New Mosques; 500 Closed Churches...more

First major U.S. city braces for Obamacare collapse ...Knoxville, Tennessee, could soon become the first U.S. city where Obamacare collapses altogether. Currently, there is only one health insurer that offers coverage on the Obamacare exchange to roughly 40,000 people who live in the 16 counties in and around Knoxville, CNN reported. The estimated population in Knoxville in 2015 was 185, 291.

Humana, the only insurer servicing patients there in 2017, announced recently that will pull out of the exchange in 2018. Humana was the first health insurance provider to announce earlier this year that it planned to pull out of Obamacare exchanges nationwide. The company cited the fact that it stood to lose more than $45 million as a result of participating in the exchanges...

Australian Islamic group calls for Christian converts from Islam to be killed  “Do you want to kill ex-Muslims?” to which the reply came “Islam is clear that apostates do attract capital punishment, we don’t shy away from that.” The location was not Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, but a public library in Sydney, Australia where Hezb ut Tahrir were holding a public meeting.

The statement has made news headlines in Australia and police have been asked to investigate. However, this should surprise no-one. Barnabas Aid has for many years been highlighting the problem of apostasy sections of sharia. All four schools of sharia in Sunni Islam (Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shaf’i) as well as the Shi’a (Ja’fari) require any sane adult male leaving Islam to be killed within three days. The same punishment applies to women in three of the schools (Hanbali, Maliki and Shaf’i), while the other two require women to be imprisoned until she repents with the Shi’a (Ja’fari) also requiring her to be beaten with rods. Even children and young people are not exempt from the apostasy law. All five schools of sharia require them to be imprisoned until they reach adulthood, at which point the adult penalty must be applied...

Londonistan: 423 New Mosques; 500 Closed Churches
◾British multiculturalists are feeding Islamic fundamentalism. Muslims do not need to become the majority in the UK; they just need gradually to Islamize the most important cities. The change is already taking place.
◾British personalities keep opening the door to introducing Islamic sharia law. One of the leading British judges, Sir James Munby, said that Christianity no longer influences the courts and these must be multicultural, which means more Islamic. Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chief Justice Lord Phillips, also suggested that the English law should "incorporate" elements of sharia law.
◾British universities are also advancing Islamic law. The academic guidelines, "External speakers in higher education institutions", provide that "orthodox religious groups" may separate men and women during events. At the Queen Mary University of London, women have had to use a separate entrance and were forced to sit in a room without being able to ask questions or raise their hands, just as in Riyadh or Tehran.

Pro-Life Woman Convicted for Showing Image of Aborted Baby in Public An Australian court recently upheld the conviction of a pro-life woman who was arrested for displaying graphic images of an aborted baby outside an Melbourne abortion facility in 2013.

Pro-life sidewalk counselor Michelle Fraser was arrested outside the East Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic in 2013 and charged with “displaying an obscene figure in a public place,” according to BuzzFeed News. Her signs showed the photo of an aborted baby’s bloody, mangled hand and head resting against a coin. Fraser later was convicted and fined $600.

Fraser appealed her case to the Victorian Supreme Court but lost on March 21 when the high court upheld the conviction, according to the report...

Woman Demands Doctors Sever Her Spinal Cord To Align Body To Mind, ‘Same As A Transsexual Man’   ...Now, to the most important question, because this involves real, hurting human beings: Does the cutting help? Few would agree that cutting off a perfectly healthy limb or severing spinal nerves is the compassionate and sensible solution for the transabled person. But is it different for the transgendered person?

A 2011 Swedish study, a long-term follow-up of men and women who underwent gender reassignment surgery, indicates that cutting bodies and administering hormonal treatments are not as ameliorative as many think. The authors carefully explain the methodological problems that have plagued previous analyses and how their study provides marked improvements.

In contrast to the general population in Sweden, those who have undergone sex reassignment surgery in that extremely gender-variant country are:

Three times more likely to die prematurely from any cause.
Nineteen times more likely to die from suicide.
Three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
Three times more likely to require psychiatric hospitalization.
Two times more likely to engage in substance misuse.
Two times more likely to commit violent crime.

Of all the health categories the researchers examined, only suffering “any accident” or committing “any crime” were less than two times greater than the general population. The scholars conclude, “Even though surgery and hormonal therapy alleviates gender dysphoria, it is apparently not sufficient to remedy the high rates of morbidity and mortality found among transsexual persons.” Cutting the body does not seem to heal the mind...

The Rainbow Ringwraiths
...Millions of our young men gave their lives to fight these totalist regimes and to preserve our cherished freedoms. But a new totalitarianism is descending upon the West, and it comes in the form of the militant and totalitarian rainbow activists.

This site has documented hundreds of cases of pink fascism at work, and every day a new horror story emerges. I have recently discussed how various corporations are pushing the activist agenda, and how those who refuse to toe the line have suffered as a result...

The Three Myths of Cohabitation
...In the vast majority of countries that we looked at in Europe, at all education levels, people who are married when they have kids are markedly more stable than people who are cohabiting when they have their kids. Generally speaking, the least educated married families in Europe enjoy more stability than the most educated cohabiting families. That’s not what I would have guessed. I assumed that we’d find some kind of marriage stability premium, but I didn’t realize it would be that pronounced, and that marriage was a more powerful predictor of family stability in Europe than parental education.

In other words, the marriage premium is pretty consistent across Europe. And a lot of academics and journalists and policymakers and ordinary professionals make the mistake of thinking that in Europe, cohabitation and marriage are functional equivalents, but in reality they’re not...

Catholic university supports abortion, suspends prof for calling it murder

Outrage After Teen Gets Into Stanford By Writing ‘Black Lives Matter’ 100 Times on Application Social media users have slammed a Muslim teen activist who was accepted into Stanford University after writing “Black Lives Matter” 100 times in his application, with some saying a black applicant wouldn’t have been accepted.

On Monday, Mic.com published an article about Ziad Ahmed, a Muslim teenager who replied to a question “What matters to you, and why?” on his college application by writing “Black Lives Matter” exactly 100 times.

Ahmed was accepted into the university. “Everyone who reviewed your application was inspired by your passion, determination, accomplishments and heart,” read a letter from Stanford posted on his Twitter...

UK: Churchgoing among kids plummets; Is Europe Choosing to Disappear?...more

Is Europe Choosing to Disappear? ... No modern, affluent society ever stopped having children before. The influx of Muslim immigrants is a symptom, not a cause of Europe's decline. Members of a healthy continent, who embrace the future in its most elementary form (raising a new generation), would have never have allowed foreign immigrants carving out separate spheres of sharia law in Europe's multicultural enclaves.

As the British author Douglas Murray, has asked, why were workers not brought in from European countries suffering high unemployment, such as Portugal, Italy, Greece or Spain? A sterile Europe apparently thought that civil liberties could be bargained away in exchange for a temporary peace. Everything became negotiable, because everything seemed perishable. An entire continent is filled with aging occupants indulging in childlike illusions of "internationalism", and claiming that all conflicts can be resolved peacefully, non-lethally and diplomatically. Europe's culture is essentially pacifist. It demonizes war, and seeks pleasure and comfort above all else.

Europe's demographic suicide also has serious consequences for the security of a society. During the transition to an elderly-majority state, democracy will be endangered. Welfare redistribution depends on younger workers providing payroll taxes to fund social security. What happens when an elderly majority can vote for itself more and more, at the expense of the dwindling young? National defense will be endangered. Today Europe already refuses to invest in the NATO alliance. Old people's entitlements will take precedence over defense spending. States that will not spend money on defense will be vulnerable to those that do...

Catholic Archbishop: Europe Will Be Muslim in 10 Years 'Because of Our Stupidity' ...Archbishop Liberati further said, "We have a weak Christian faith. the Church nowadays does not work well and seminaries are empty. Parishes are the only thing still standing. We need a true Christian life. All this paves the way to Islam. In addition to this, they [Muslims] have children and we do not. We are in full decline."...

UK: Churchgoing among kids plummets as parents admit they could do more to share Christian faith ...The research revealed that despite 95 per cent of parents acknowledging it is largely their responsibility to teach their children Christian faith, 92 per cent admitted they could be doing more.

According to Christian Research, the Church in the UK will have lost an estimated 1.1 million children between 1990 and 2020. By the year 2020, at the current rate of decline, just 183,700 children aged under 15 will attend church compared to 375,300 in 2010...

Suspected gas attack in Syria kills over 55, mass injuries reported   Bombs reportedly hit a hospital treating victims from a suspected chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun on Tuesday in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, according to AFP.

The report emerged after a British-based war monitoring group said the suspected gas attack conducted by the Syrian government or Russian jets killed at least 58 people, including nine children, and injured dozens more...

President Trump Defunds UNFPA, Which Promotes Abortion and Pushes Population Control in China The Trump administration announced plans Monday to stop funding the United Nations agency that has been caught promoting forced and coerced abortions and sterilizations in China.

For many years, links have been exposed between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and China’s one-child policy. China’s oppressive population control policy, recently changed to a two-child limit, has led to forced and coerced abortions up through nine months of pregnancy, as well as forced and coerced sterilizations...

Crocus...

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

it shall blossom abundantly
    and rejoice with joy and singing.

-Isaiah 35:1


 

First lovely day in Syracuse in quite a while. Although this area is not dry desert or wilderness-the spring purple crocus blooming in the backyard is a cause for rejoicing!

Vimeo Voids Christian Content; Canada is Harvesting the Organs of Euthanasia Patients...more

The horrifying intersection of assisted suicide and organ donation: Culture of death advances in Canada Listen at website-Albert Mohler podcast

Report: China Aborted 336 Million Babies Since 1971  China recently released statistics that reveal that there have been 336 million abortions performed in the country over the past four decades.

According to The Gospel Coalition, this staggering number means that China has sanctioned more abortions in in the last four decades--many of which are forced on women--than the entire population of the world at the time of the Crusades (c. 1100 AD).

Although many are likely familiar with China’s strict “one-child” policy (now a “two-child” policy as of 2015), the actual impact of that policy will likely still be a shock.

Canada is Harvesting the Organs of Euthanasia Patients ...But even supporters acknowledge the potential unintended consequences. Allard and Fortin warned in their article that encouraging organ harvesting could put pressure on those diagnosed with terminal illness to consider assisted suicide as an alternative sense of purpose...

Vimeo Voids Christian Content
Vimeo, a leading online film production and sharing outlet, pulled the entire 850-count video catalog of Pure Passion ministry this month after determining the video content “demeaned” homosexuals.

David Foster, founder and executive director of Pure Passion, disputes the allegation and said Vimeo simply did not like his ministry’s message that Jesus saves and heals all sexual brokenness.

Foster’s encounter with the web-based platform is nothing new, according to a spokesman for National Religious Broadcasters. It is part of a disturbing trend of censorship of conservative and Christian messages online by new media, or sharing sites that bypass traditional channels to reach an intended audience, the NRB and other observers say. With no laws forcing new media to host all content, online ministries like Foster’s are at the mercy of secular progressive gatekeepers...

Really...Hitler's "Mein Kampf" is a Best-Seller in India?  I was quite surprised last week when I learned that Mein Kampf is a best seller in India – the world’s largest democracy. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

In the last three years, India has leaped in ranking from the 28th worst to the 15th worst country for severe Christian persecution, according to the World Watch List. It’s not a coincidence that Prime Minister Modi was also elected three years ago.

Modi’s and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are avowed adherents to Hindutva. Hindutva is a radical, highly politicized form of Hinduism that seeks to create a pure Hindu race, nation and culture...