The crisis in the worldwide Anglican communion continues. These are important days for us to think what it means to be Anglican. I didn’t grow up Anglican and really needed to examine 39 Articles very closely at college. What it means to be Anglican looks different between Canberra, Sydney, and the States. This isn’t a time to back away from the denomination but to graciously speak about the possibility of unity in truth, love and mission. That is what Peter Jensen is calling people to here:
The FCA exists to keep Anglicanism united, to enable those whose spiritual existence as Anglicans is threatened to remain Anglicans with integrity.
It exists to keep orthodox, biblical Anglicanism inside the fold at the highest level possible; to gather up the fragments, to unite them. It exists so that evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics and mere Anglicans can continue to be Anglicans without compromising Biblical truth. The question for you is: will you join us, will you help us keep our Communion one, holy, catholic and apostolic.
You can read a transcript of Peter’s address at Anglican Mainstream.
There is some press coverage from BBC News, Ruth Gledhill, and Times Online.
July 7, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I was there!!! He was great =) I had some sydney-anglican-patriotism going on…
Apparently you can view most of the day on anglican TV (no I don’t have a site for this) for the next week.
July 7, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Tash
great to hear you got a leave pass
any other reflections on English Anglican scene?
July 20, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Yes! Much delayed, sorry. The English generally seem much more attached to their church, in a non-religious way…I had a conversation with a housemate’s boyfriend when I got home which seems representative – his position was basically that it would be a sad day for England if the Anglican church were to split, and that its greatest strength is its breadth and ability to be so inclusive. English virtues of mildness, live-and-let-live etc. Many people seem to value the church’s existence at all over its mandate to actually be a church (rather than a nice solid British institution…)
That’s oversimplifying of course. But I have the impression that a lot more people are nominally Christian here than at home – secularisation seems slower?
Not profound thoughts. But there you are…
July 21, 2009 at 11:19 am
Thanks Tash – some good insights. Dare I ask how different Sydney Anglicanism now looks from a distance?
July 27, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Rosy! Not enough distance, sorry. Give me another couple of years…