A very 'Anglican' schism

When is a schism not a schism? When it is done by Anglicans. A new  global Anglican fellowship, a province for North America which means formalising the brokenness that exists already, remaining in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury but broken communion with the liberals, a strong 'Jerusalem Declaration'. It is pretty much as we reported today online and tonight in The Sunday Times. Read it all for yourself, below.

STATEMENT ON THE GLOBAL ANGLICAN FUTURE
Praise the LORD!
It is good to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. (Psalm 147:1-2)
Brothers and Sisters in Christ: We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, send you greetings from Jerusalem!
Introduction
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which was held in Jerusalem from 22-29 June 2008, is a spiritual movement to preserve and promote the truth and power of the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ as we Anglicans have received it. The movement is global: it has mobilised Anglicans from around the world. We are Anglican: 1148 lay and clergy participants, including 291 bishops representing millions of faithful Anglican Christians. We cherish our Anglican heritage and the Anglican Communion and have no intention of departing from it. And we believe that, in God’s providence, Anglicanism has a bright future in obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and to build up the church on the foundation of biblical truth
(Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:20).
GAFCON is not just a moment in time, but a movement in the Spirit, and we hereby:
• launch the GAFCON movement as a fellowship of confessing Anglicans
• publish the Jerusalem Declaration as the basis of the fellowship
• Encourage GAFCON Primates’ Council.
The Global Anglican Context
The future of the Anglican Communion is but a piece of the wider scenario of opportunities and challenges for the gospel in 21st century global culture. We rejoice in the way God has opened doors for gospel mission among many peoples, but we grieve for the spiritual decline in the most economically developed nations, where the forces of militant secularism and pluralism are eating away the fabric of society and churches are compromised and enfeebled in their witness. The vacuum left by them is readily filled by other faiths and deceptive cults. To meet these challenges will require Christians to work together to understand and oppose these forces and to liberate those under their sway. It will entail the planting of new churches among unreached peoples and also committed action to restore authentic Christianity to compromised churches.

The Anglican Communion, present in six continents, is well positioned to address this challenge, but currently it is divided and distracted. The Global Anglican Future Conference emerged in response to a crisis within the Anglican Communion, a crisis involving three undeniable facts concerning world Anglicanism.

The first fact is the acceptance and promotion within the provinces of the Anglican Communion of a different ‘gospel’ (cf. Galatians 1:6-8) which is contrary to the apostolic gospel. This false gospel undermines the authority of God’s Word written and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the author of salvation from sin, death and judgement. Many of its proponents claim that all religions offer equal access to God and that Jesus is only a way, not the way, the truth and the life. It promotes a variety of sexual preferences and immoral behaviour as a universal human right. It claims God’s blessing for same-sex unions over against the biblical teaching on holy matrimony. In 2003 this false gospel led to the consecration of a bishop living in a homosexual relationship.

The second fact is the declaration by provincial bodies in the Global South that they are out of communion with bishops and churches that promote this false gospel. These declarations have resulted in a realignment whereby faithful Anglican Christians have left existing territorial parishes, dioceses and provinces in certain Western churches and become members of other dioceses and provinces, all within the Anglican Communion. These actions have also led to the appointment of new Anglican bishops set over geographic areas already occupied by other Anglican bishops. A major realignment has occurred and will continue to unfold.

The third fact is the manifest failure of the Communion Instruments to exercise discipline in the face of overt heterodoxy. The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada, in proclaiming this false gospel, have consistently defied the 1998 Lambeth statement of biblical moral principle (Resolution 1.10). Despite numerous meetings and reports to and from the ‘Instruments of Unity,’ no effective action has been taken, and the bishops of these unrepentant churches are welcomed to Lambeth 2008. To make matters worse, there has been a failure to honour promises of discipline, the authority of the Primates’ Meeting has been undermined and the Lambeth Conference has been structured so as to avoid any hard decisions. We can only come to the devastating conclusion that ‘we are a global Communion with a colonial structure’.

Sadly, this crisis has torn the fabric of the Communion in such a way that it cannot simply be patched back together. At the same time, it has brought together many Anglicans across the globe into personal and pastoral relationships in a fellowship which is faithful to biblical teaching, more representative of the demographic distribution of global Anglicanism today and stronger as an instrument of effective mission, ministry and social involvement.

A Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans

We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, are a fellowship of confessing Anglicans for the benefit of the Church and the furtherance of its mission. We are a fellowship of people united in the communion (koinonia) of the one Spirit and committed to work and pray together in the common mission of Christ. It is a confessing fellowship in that its members confess the faith of Christ crucified, stand firm for the gospel in the global and Anglican context, and affirm a contemporary rule, the Jerusalem Declaration, to guide the movement for the future. We are a fellowship of Anglicans, including provinces, dioceses, churches, missionary jurisdictions, para-church organisations and individual Anglican Christians whose goal is to reform, heal and revitalise the Anglican Communion and expand its mission to the world.

Our fellowship is not breaking away from the Anglican Communion. We, together with many other faithful
Anglicans throughout the world, believe the doctrinal foundation of Anglicanism, which defines our core
identity as Anglicans, is expressed in these words: The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy
Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. We intend to remain faithful to this standard, and we call on others in the Communion to reaffirm and return to it. While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Building on the above doctrinal foundation of Anglican identity, we hereby publish the Jerusalem Declaration as the basis of our fellowship.

The Jerusalem Declaration
In the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit:
We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, have met in the land of Jesus’ birth. We express our loyalty as disciples to the King of kings, the Lord Jesus. We joyfully embrace his command to proclaim the reality of his kingdom which he first announced in this land. The gospel of the kingdom is the good news of salvation, liberation and transformation for all. In light of the above, we agree to chart a way forward together that promotes and protects the biblical gospel and mission to the world, solemnly declaring the following tenets of orthodoxy which underpin our Anglican identity.
1. We rejoice in the gospel of God through which we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God first loved us, we love him and as believers bring
forth fruits of love, ongoing repentance, lively hope and thanksgiving to God in all things.
2. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God written and to
contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached, taught and
obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading.
3. We uphold the four Ecumenical Councils and the three historic Creeds as expressing the rule of faith of
the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
4. We uphold the Thirty-nine Articles as containing the true doctrine of the Church agreeing with God’s
Word and as authoritative for Anglicans today.
5. We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the
death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all
who come to him in repentance and faith.
6. We rejoice in our Anglican sacramental and liturgical heritage as an expression of the gospel, and we
uphold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer, to
be translated and locally adapted for each culture.
7. We recognise that God has called and gifted bishops, priests and deacons in historic succession to equip all the people of God for their ministry in the world. We uphold the classic Anglican Ordinal as an
authoritative standard of clerical orders.
8. We acknowledge God’s creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of
Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the
basis of the family. We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed
commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married.
9. We gladly accept the Great Commission of the risen Lord to make disciples of all nations, to seek those who do not know Christ and to baptise, teach and bring new believers to maturity.
10. We are mindful of our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, to uphold and advocate
justice in society, and to seek relief and empowerment of the poor and needy.
11. 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.
12. We celebrate the God-given diversity among us which enriches our global fellowship, and we
acknowledge freedom in secondary matters. We pledge to work together to seek the mind of Christ on
issues that divide us.
13. We reject the authority of those churches and leaders who have denied the orthodox faith in word or
deed. We pray for them and call on them to repent and return to the Lord.
14. We rejoice at the prospect of Jesus’ coming again in glory, and while we await this final event of
history, we praise him for the way he builds up his church through his Spirit by miraculously changing
lives.

The Road Ahead
We believe the Holy Spirit has led us during this week in Jerusalem to begin a new work. There are many
important decisions for the development of this fellowship which will take more time, prayer and deliberation. Among other matters, we shall seek to expand participation in this fellowship beyond those who have come to Jerusalem, including cooperation with the Global South and the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa. We can, however, discern certain milestones on the road ahead.
Primates’ Council

We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, do hereby acknowledge the participating
Primates of GAFCON who have called us together, and encourage them to form the initial Council of the
GAFCON movement. We look forward to the enlargement of the Council and entreat the Primates to organise and expand the fellowship of confessing Anglicans. We urge the Primates’ Council to authenticate and recognise confessing Anglican jurisdictions, clergy and congregations and to encourage all Anglicans to promote the gospel and defend the faith. We recognise the desirability of territorial jurisdiction for provinces and dioceses of the Anglican Communion, in those areas where churches and leaders are denying the orthodox faith or are preventing its spread, and in a few areas for which overlapping jurisdictions are beneficial for historical or cultural reasons.

We thank God for the courageous actions of those Primates and provinces who have offered orthodox oversight to churches under false leadership, especially in North and South America. The actions of these Primates have been a positive response to pastoral necessities and mission opportunities. We believe that such actions will continue to be necessary and we support them in offering help around the world.
We believe this is a critical moment when the Primates’ Council will need to put in place structures to lead and support the church. In particular, we believe the time is now ripe for the formation of a province in North
America for the federation currently known as Common Cause Partnership to be recognised by the Primates’ Council.

Conclusion: Message from Jerusalem
We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, were summoned by the Primates’ leadership team to Jerusalem in June 2008 to deliberate on the crisis that has divided the Anglican Communion for the past decade and to seek direction for the future. We have visited holy sites, prayed together, listened to God’s Word preached and expounded, learned from various speakers and teachers, and shared our thoughts and hopes with each other.

The meeting in Jerusalem this week was called in a sense of urgency that a false gospel has so paralysed the Anglican Communion that this crisis must be addressed. The chief threat of this dispute involves the
compromising of the integrity of the church’s worldwide mission. The primary reason we have come to
Jerusalem and issued this declaration is to free our churches to give clear and certain witness to Jesus Christ. It is our hope that this Statement on the Global Anglican Future will be received with comfort and joy by many Anglicans around the world who have been distressed about the direction of the Communion. We believe the Anglican Communion should and will be reformed around the biblical gospel and mandate to go into all the world and present Christ to the nations.
Jerusalem
Feast of St Peter and St Paul
29 June 2008

Comments

[Jasper Green Pennington+]

Too much talk. Love God and your neighbor as yourself...or at least the very best you can by keeping quiet... remember that God either loves all or none!

[Robert Ian Williams]

Response to dave Cohen...I thought the GAFCON declaration was grounded in the 1662 BCP which onkly has the commeration of Peter, Apostle....not the common lectionary or Common worship. the feast of St peter and Paul was originated by the Church of Rome.

Response to Mr Stevens

It was the Anglo-Catholics who wanted to go back to 1549...now the Evangelicals are taking them forward to 1662...a prayer book with no proper canon, offertory, prayers for the dead etc

[An American Observer]

The North American and European Anglican churches have not forced the Anglican churches of the South to do anything they don't want to do, and yet, the Southern churches are throwing a temper tantrum about just one issue, homosexuality.

Even within the North American churches, no parish is REQUIRED to bless gay unions, nor is any diocese REQUIRED to elect women bishops. I'd like to emphasize that Bishop Gene Robinson was elected by the clergy and laity of his diocese and that Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schori was elected by the majority of laity and clergy at our General Convention. This is not a matter of anyone imposing these moves from the top down.

Back when women's ordination was approved, a few parishes split off from the Episcopal Church. A few more are splitting off on the issue of homosexuality.

Now as for the notion that all evangelical churches are thriving and all liberal churches are dying, that's a common axiom among conservatives, but it ain't necessarily so.

I've seen evangelical parishes that were struggling and liberal parishes that were thriving. The difference between the dying and the thriving parishes is not theology, but clerical and lay leadership.

If the clerical and lay leadership create a sense of excitement and purpose, plenty of opportunities for parishioners to become personally involved in worship, study, and community service, and if the parishioners are friendly to newcomers, a parish thrives.

If its entire program consists of the priest celebrating the Eucharist and preaching as if he'd rather be anywhere else but in church and if it offers few opportunities for lay leadership or participation and is attended by standoffish people, a parish dies. This is particularly true in the more secularized parts of North America and Europe, where people no longer have to attend church to be seen as socially acceptable.

[Malcolm+]

The most glaring falsehood in the thing is the claim that it is not a split.

In purporting to recognize (ie, create whole cloth) new provinces, it reveals itself as schism pure and simple.

[George Parr]

So what are you advocating then Jim W - that the inexorable advancement in the acknowledgment of human rights should be seen as a temporary societal phenomenon and discouraged?

To treat homosexuals in the same way as anyone else is a matter of human decency not political correctness and your post ably demonstrates the reactionary and homophobic view held by some Christians. Charges of elitism against a political class of society mirrored by an Anglican microcosm are risible. The position is quite the reverse, with the 'traditionalists' painting themselves as unthinking bigots who seek to marinate in a higher form of holiness, whilst denying the tolerance and understanding allegedly found within the doctrine they expressly claim to reverence.

That expressions of human sexuality should have occupied the church to such a massive extent is evidence of a dysfunctional mindset, quite out of tune with reality.

One cannot help wondering if the empty barrel of Anglicanism, in kicking up such a fuss, has latched on to something it perceives as evidence of political correctness, for the express purpose of making the most noise; a desperate desire to hang on to some form of importance within a society that basically regards its sexual advice as pointless.

This has resulted in some of its leading figures, through a lack of rationality, becoming basically invisible within society, because the relevance of their public utterances on sexuality do not accord with a majority view, or represent any form of viable common sense. Others continue to judge society morally, defaming and denouncing their peers, and in doing so they signal a rejection of optimism and embrace only negativity. If 'traditionalists' are running out of money what does that tell you?

[Rev Wayne Nicholson]

Robert Ian Williams -- kudos for a well-reasoned critique. You obviously know the 39 Articles and 1662 PB better than I!

[Alec]

Stout Presbyterian churches get ready for a second wave of refugees.

God comes to His rights in Election and Predestination...the 39 Articles are friendly there.

God initiates and finalizes who is plucked from the fire. There is more of the Orphan Oliver in our position before Him than the last 250 years are willing to admit.

Satan's also male. Ladies, don't submit to him.

[Jenny]

Many Episcopalians I know in the US, are fed up with what they perceive as the moral relativism and wave of selfishness that is endemic among too many of their pastors. Little to no focus on the poverty that exists in their respective communities.

I'll wager that this same selfishness, moral relativism and other glass ceiling mindsets has alienated the faithful in Britain, and helped create divides.

I also have to add that a church should not call itself Christian, when it seeks to sweep Christ under the carpet, and holds a Lambeth Conference that is surrounded by merchants, and sends some of it's leadership to Capetown to come up with a design scenario. It's obscene when poverty is rampant, unemployment out of control, and the ABofC seems to care less about those very real problems.

[Jim W]

It is definitely a schism, and the lead sentence does not have anything to do with the reality. This means the end of the Anglican church that has existed for five centuries.

Now we will have two groups:

On one hand, there is a tiny, affluent, eltist group that has turned away from the traditional teachings of Christianity and is primarily concerned with the promotion and advocacy of homosexuality and abortion.

On the other hand, there is a large and rapidly growing international church that holds to traditional beliefs, but has little money.

What will happen to the first group when the current political climate changes and homosexuality is no longer the most important concern for the politically correct?

What will happen to the second when they cannot pay the bills?

[Lawrence Auster]

The June 28 article by Ruth Gledhill, "Anglicans Face Split," which I criticized in my comment posted above, has been deleted and replaced by a different article dated June 29, entitled, "Anglicans form 'new church' in gay clergy row." The new version of the article makes up for some of the defects I discussed in my comment about the original version. It does not make unsupported claims about an imminent church "split," it supplies the name of the new "fellowship," and is altogether a clearer, more factual, and more cautiously written piece. It is also much shorter, at 444 words instead of the original 1184 words.

I needed to point this out, because anyone reading my earlier comment would think it was completely off-base, since the article I was criticizing has been replaced by a new and more accurate article, without notification that this has been done.

I discuss this further at my website: http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/010908.html

[J Pearce]

Should Gafcon be renamed Nafcon?

A bunch of homophobe nazi's from the less salubrious reaches of Africa stamp their feet and what happens? All the lily-livered, white liberal middle class, jumper wearing saddos, quiver in fright and supplication.

Pathetic.

All humans are valuable. It is though human endeavour and intelligence that they are best judged, not some iron age moral prism.

It seems we have a 5th column of spineless Christian losers who want to see society dribble into a medievalist quagmire. TJ, you should be ashamed. Supporting Gafcon is nothing less than the religious equivalent of appeasement.

[Michael Stevens]

A bizarre confection, as Robert Williams says, they are trying to go back to 1549.
What they omit is as telling as what they include.
Can women be Bishops? Priests?
Can people be divorced and remain in the Church - even though Christ explicitly states that marriage is for eternity?
The strange obsession with homosexuality here is all that seems to hold them together.

[George Parr]

What a rhetorical lament for common sense this statement is; major world concern and top of the list - homosexuals. Not even guidance over divorce and marriage or the role of women in the church, and precious little formulae for conciliation - so the discrimination and inequality is set to continue in the firmly-fixed minds of these people. Another massive denial of the spectrum of human genetics, from homophobes who use their 'faith' as a shield.

The planet meanwhile, with all of its starvation, poverty, suffering, wars and disasters, both natural and political, goes on being round and in need. The Anglican Church and its globe-trotting band of comfortably-off, well-fed tourists has clearly far more pressing issues to chatter about and disagree over.

Even the response from the press has been muted on this curious mix of prejudice and ineffectuality. Perhaps it's a measure of relevance and just how very little the perceived enormity of the 'schism' matters.

[William Sulik]

My, my -- I am surprised by the cattiness of the comments above. I think Ms. Gledhill has it right - this is a very Anglican approach to the problems created by the Americans when they acted in their very unilateral American fashion.

The Americans, with there money and power think they can push the rest of the world around. With this Jerusalem Declaration, the Anglican Communion is telling the Americans they can continue acting like spoiled brats and the rest of the world will ignore them.

[Robert Ian Williams]

Flexible orthodoxy in GAFCONIAN ANGLICANISM.

Peter Jensen..We will have no female presbyters in Sydney. Its unbiblical, not orthodox and a symptom of corrupt Western liberalism... oh hello is that you Archbishop Orombi of Uganda, welcome orthodox brother.

Archbishop Orombi, we belive firmly in women presbyers and believe it is orthodox and Biblical.

So the Anglican fudge continues , even if it isn't pink!

[Ashley Burston]

I personally welcome someone doing something to try and improve the dire situation which is resulting in the church becoming more and more useless.

These guys are the "best of breed" most relevant uncompromising growing churches in the Anglican communion. The churches that don't join are going to slowly disappear -- or quickly considering the economic situation.

The fact that is being missed is that the 17th century would be an upgrade for many of the places in the world where majority of Christians and Anglicans now live.

While the liberal/socialists are great at enslaving me to aid they suck at giving my society the qualities that are going to make it successful. They want a communist love bath not a productive and successful society that rewards good performance (see St Paul's injunction that he who does not work shall not eat if you think that isn't Christian).

So what if they disagree on women ordination, divorce and a bunch of stuff. They agree that an attempt to follow the Bible rather than actively moving away from it. So they may get to agreements in the end. But whatever they are doing they are going roughly in the right direction which a million-fold better than the current liberal lot.

The existing leadership has been weak and pathetic, now they have a real problem.

[David Cohen]

What is your game, RIW? Do at least get your facts right.

The great majority of Anglicans these days use the Revised Common Lectionary. Today is the feast of Saints Peter & Paul.

It appears in Common Worship which is authorised for use in the Church of England both by the General Synod and by law, and is used in most parishes.

[Loelle Forrester]

My heart was broken at St Matthew's Manly in 1982. I spent many years in the wilderness, without fellowship, as the church went its merry way. A chance to hope again, to go home, to worship again with the BCP, not on tenterhooks waiting for the next shock or scandal. I am overcome with joy that this moment has arrived in my lifetime. Deo gratias, deo gratias!!

[Tom Moderate]

re the header for you last blog from Jerusalem

How appropriate that it should include the abbreviation WBLG - only one letter away from LBGT

Given the propensity of the religious for clangers, how interesting it would be if a GAFCON delegate's car was found to be an LB GTI....!

All of which prompts the thought
"Should theological hare coursing be banned?"

Tom Dixon

[Tom Jackson]

Inevitable; just inevitable.

With due respect to Rowan Williams, he has failed in his responsibility to the Church, to Anglicans generally and, more importantly, to God.

As demonstrated by the latest developments, thank God the Spirit moves amongst the majority, making known the direction and flow of God’s presence and Grace, ensuring that whatever the intentions and influence of those minority groups who appear to value their own interpretations of Christ’s teaching more than that of the vast majority of Christians, the Church will remain strong and steadfast under our Lord’s guidance.

Even those of us who support the emergence and participation of women at the highest levels of the Church must acknowledge the attempts to clarify and consolidate Christ’s teaching by those who represent opposing views if they represent a clear majority. Difficult though it may be, we have to trust and rely upon God to indicate His Will through the Body of His Church rather than through a minority of individuals.

Rowan Williams could have led this process. He could have demonstrated leadership, come down from the clouds and responded to the obvious and concerned feelings of such a large number of those he was chosen to represent.

The Archbishop wavered; under some misguided and confused desire to dampen down any conflict, however well-intentioned, his credibility and recognition as the leader of the Anglican Communion gradually dissipated.

What happens now, God only knows and it is in His hands that we must place our hope and trust.

[PL]

Perhaps unnoticed in the general press coverage of GAFCON, it seems that two GAFCON Primates have already taken some bold steps by signing a "concordat" of oversight for All Saints Anglican Church in the Algarve, an independent Anglican church within the Diocese in Europe

[Robert Ian Williams]

Forgot to mention that the declaration is dated, St Peter and St Paul. The English Church and 1662 BCP has no feast day of St Peter and Paul ( which is unique to the Church of Rome)...in the BCP, it is simply Peter, Apostle!

[Lawrence Auster]

I came to this page after reading Ruth Gledhill's article in the June 28 Times, "Anglicans face split." Unfortunately, her article is unclearly and confusingly written and makes statements for which I can find no factual support. Her lead sentence makes this sensational announcement:

"The Anglican Communion will be split tomorrow when conservatives representing more than half its total membership will announce the formation of a new orthodox body to be a stronghold against liberal views. It will be schism in all but name."

She then refers to a "new global Anglican fellowship." But what does this fellowship consist of? It all seems terribly vague. She doesn't even provide a name for this new body. The only name of a new organization referenced in her article—and it doesn't appear until 500 words into the article—is "Global Anglican Future Conference." But a conference is not a new church body. It's a conference. Anglicans have conferences all the time. Where then is the new orthodox body Miss Gledhill had referenced? So I went to the GAFCON website (Global Anglican Future Conference) and to the Wikipedia article on GAFCON and found no reference to a new orthodox body. Rather, GAFCON is a conference. That's ALL it is. Yes, it represents a significant further step in the agonizingly slow separation within the Anglican Communion, in that, apparently for the first time, all the dissident Anglican groups are getting together and planning to work together. But there is no "orthodox body" being established as separate from the existing Communion. I see nothing of a decisive nature, no formal break, occurring at this Jerusalem conference.

I wonder if Ruth Gledhill will acknowledge that her sensational lead sentence was incorrect and misleading.

[David Cohen]

Oh yes, Robert Ian Williams, I could provide you with a long list of inconsistencies in RC claims and practices. But it would not get us any further than your list.

[Lisa Fox]

I had many of the same reactions, Robert. The Anglo-Catholics must surely bristle at some points in the 39 Articles.

And the only creed upon which the GAFconites could agree is their hatred of homosexuals. Nothing about divorce and remarriage. Nothing about women in holy orders. And certainly nothing about lay presidency. The only "social" issue about which they spoke is homosexuality. Doesn't that make it clear that the only glue holding these people together is their loathing of homosexuality?

I urge all readers to actually read the 39 Articles and the 1662 prayer book. No way I would return to them. But these will become normative for the GAFCONites.

These folks are very, very happy to step back three centuries into the past. I hope they enjoy the 17th century.

[Robert Ian Williams]

No mention of Christ's teaching on divorce and re-marriage , because they can't agree as to what his words mean.

The thirty nine articles upheld , but Bishops like Iker and Schofield ( and most of the Common cause)contradict them by reserving the Holy Communion elements and worshipping them as God. They also invoke the Saints and practice the annointing of the sick described in the artivcles as corrupt.

Indeed many of the Common Cause do not accept as orthodox female ordination, which is upheld by others. The issue of womens ordination and headship is ignored.

The 1662 Prayer book does not have prayers for the dead, places the Gloria after the reception of Holy Communion, excludes the benedictus, agnus Dei.

This is the oxford movement in reverse...which wanted to get back to 1549.

" we recognise the orders and jurisdiction those Anglicans who uphold orthodox Faith abnd practice.........so Bishop Schofield et al will recognise as Orthodox faith and practice Churches which uphold womens ordination , and have a woman presiding at the Eucharist and heading a congregation!

Gafcon "orthodoxy" is a therefore a broad wide and subjective definition.

They recognuse the first four ecumenical Councils , which recognised the primacy and authority of Rome.

Chalcedon :"Peter has spoken through Leo."

However they do not recognise Church Councils that actually gave us the Canon of Scripture!

If the Bible is to be respected , why are some of the Orthodox allowing women to be ordained and have authority in the Church!

There are so many holes in this document, and so much self deception..it is hard to believe that this forms a credible basis for unity and orthodoxy. It avoids key areas...and is a mockery of the 39 articles, when it includes bishops who openly repudiate the injunctions in the articles.

Contrast Gafcon with the Council of jerusalem recorded in the Acts of the Apostles..." Peter spoke and all held silence."