The Portal - UK edition March 2014 | Page 10

THE P RTAL March 2014 AU Page 3 Anglican Future by J. T. Stockman Taking note of events in the Anglican Communion throughout the world, one can only feel dispirited with the dissolving of the church’s commitment to Biblical truth and the willingness for compromise. The Global Anglican Future Conference [GAFCON] originated in 2008 when moral compromise, doctrinal misinterpretation and the questioning of Biblical authority in parts of the Anglican Communion, had risen to a level where Anglo Catholics and Evangelicals determined to combine and take a united position for the sake of gospel truth. It is symptomatic of the deconstructionism that has manifested itself in the latter half of the 20th Century, where longstanding traditions, ethical and religious concepts have been eroded in the name of democracy, political correctness and secular ‘progressive’ thinking. Jerusalem Declaration This resulted in the Jerusalem Declaration which states in part: “We are committed to the unity of all those who know and love Christ and to building authentic ecumenical relationships. We recognise the orders and jurisdiction of those Anglicans who uphold orthodox faith and practice, and we encourage them to join us in this declaration.” reception of females into the Episcopate in the UK. We have witnessed the decay and upset caused by the liberal approach and subsequent reception of active homosexuals into the ministry in the Episcopalian Church USA. Similarly, in Australia, we have observed, with dismay and incredulity, the “back-door” means of admitting females to the Episcopate by revising Apostolic Tradition in the Synods of individual provinces. informal same-sex unions blessings Recently, the English College of Bishops met to reflect upon the ‘Pilling Report’, commissioned to reflect on how the Church of England should respond to the question of same sex relationships. Its “key recommendations were that informal blessings of such unions should be allowed in parish churches and that a two year process of ‘facilitated 1662 Book of Common Prayer conversation’ should be set up to address strongly held The GAFCON (or more appropriately termed differences within the Church on this issue.” Traditional) Anglicans, maintain their “sacramental and liturgical heritage as an expression of the gospel, into the bosom of Mother Church and uphold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as a As a practicing Anglican, one feels saddened and true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer, distressed. A hope remains that GAFCON can to be translated and locally adapted for each culture”. reverse the corrosion; meanwhile the Ordinariates, as they grow and develop, provide a means of hope Anglicans have been manifestly made aware of for drawing like minded people into the bosom of the problems and concerns expressed relating to the Mother Church.