On June 8, 2017, The Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) voted officially to discard Jesus’ teaching that marriage is a lifelong union between one man and one woman. Canon 31 was officially replaced by a new rule which permits same-sex “marriages.” Anticipating this development, GAFCON (Global African Future Conference), after the vote, today appointed its own bishop to the United Kingdom (UK), Andy Lines.
The Anglican, i.e., Episcopal Church, for hundreds of years has deferred to the archbishop of Canterbury as the “first among equals,” as being the bishop uniting the Anglican Church. However, current archbishop Justin Welby has alienated the majority of Anglicans by refusing to seriously discipline TEC (The Episcopal Church in the USA) and other sections of the Church which have departed from Christian principles of marriage. In 2003 TEC appointed Gene Robinson, a practicing homosexual, as bishop. In 2015 TEC approved same-sx “marriage” rules, and in 2016 received an inconsequential slap on the wrist from Welby.
The Anglican Church numbers some 70 million members worldwide. Between 50-60 million are African. GAFCON, in appointing its own bishop to the UK, Justin Welby’s home turf, signals to all that his episcopal oversight is considered compromised. On June 30 Andy Lines will be consecrated as bishop. Anglicans in Europe will have the option of accepting Andy Lines as overseer rather than Welby. In a concrete way, today’s developments demonstrate the depth of schism in the Anglican Church.
More detail can be had at the following links:
Scottish Episcopal Church approves Gay Marriage http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-40190204
EDINBURGH: Rev. Canon Andy Lines Named GAFCON Missionary Bishop to Europe
http://virtueonline.org/edinburgh-rev-canon-andy-lines-named-gafcon-missionary-bishop-europe
Missionary Bishop Introduced by Archbishop Foley Beach
https://www.gafcon.org/news/missionary-bishop-introduced-by-archbishop-foley-beach
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7 replies on “Anglican Split Deepens as GAFCON Appoints Bishop to UK”
There are many of God’s people who have the mind to “come out of her” for their love of Jesus. These are prepared to face up to the creeping compromise that seeks to supplant the express Word of God with human reason and tradition masquerading as Christ-like love. The murky waters of Babylon are, in some poodles, clearing up, under the work of the Holy Spirit, to reveal a people long deceived but still yearning for the Living Water that alone saves lost souls.
Here is a potential solution to the SDA WO crisis. Dual conferences for the same territory. Send your tithe to the leaders you like!
I hate to admit it but a split may well be the greatest blessing. If it happens, so be it. I have often thought, how can I send my tithe to a conference that supports WO, and who are turning a blind eye to the LGTB movement that seems to be growing by leaps and bounds in our church.
Maybe someone with denomination connections in our church needs to speak to Division leaders in the SSD, African Divisions, South American Divisions other more conservative Divisions and encourage them to write an open letter to the GC Leadership, preferably Elder Wilson. Demanding him to send a strong message to the world church that the GC. condemns any actions which promotes the LGBT lifestyle and all Pastors who approves of LGBT leadership in our churches. This should be in the form of a sermon preached by Elder Wilson and in the form of an open letter to the world church sent out through our world publications and official online news service.
This letter to the GC should be an open letter, made available to the world church so all will know that the GC is in a way on the hot seat. And that the world church is expecting to hear from Elder Wilson on this important issue.
The world church deserves to know where the GC stands on this issue. Until now they have been silent.
If the 501c3 tax status has anything to do with the silence. Then I say let the chips fall. If we lose our tax except status then we can all worship in home churches. We have been praying for revival in our church for years. I cannot think of a better way to bring revival to our church.
There can be two SDA churches. One group meeting in homes and the other group that keeps the 501c3 can let the LGBTs take over.
What surprises me is that Elder Finley spoke to the world church regarding allegations that he was involved in the Great Hope project. Why can’t someone speak to the world church about issues that are tearing apart our church?
It looks like we already have a LGBT crisis in our church, it is no more an issue of just WO. Now it is an issue of what we believe on the nature of man and marriage. Four bishops in the Catholic church have written an open letter to the Pope. Our world leaders outside of America need to do the same. They must demand the that the GC make it clarify to the church whether where they stand on the issue of LGBT leadership in our church.
Here is the a link that might interest you. it is a discussion about the four bishops open letter to the Pope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14Ema6f3KC4
Our leaders at the GC and the world church have not been silent regarding the belligerent actions of some leaders in the NAD and other out-of-compliance churches. Have you read the Unity document issued from the GC officers and voted on by the Annual Council, which is the deciding body of the church when it is out of general GC session? A year’s probation was given for working out reconciliations. This is our time as lay members to PRAY for heart changes–humility and yielding to the Holy Spirit of those on all sides of the issue. Pray that our leaders will be enlightened and courageous; Pray that the enemy will be caught in his own trap; Pray that God will draw all of us to Him and bring the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17. PRAY. The deadline of this probationary time was the 2017 Annual Council, which convenes in October. We have a few more months to pray. See revivalandreformation on the last Prayer and Fasting Sabbath on October 7. Surely this is a needed time for us to come together for some serious fasting and prayer.
Your right they did come out with a statement. But I can’t help but believe they must be more forceful. Eli gave his sons a good slap on the hands as it were. When he should have removed them from the priesthood and E.G.W. says he should have had them put to death. Now I’m not suggesting the death penalty, but these Pastors who are openly condoning and promoting this abomination ought to at least be fired. This is spreading like a cancer in our church. This cancer must be surgically removed. It seems every week more news comes out through Adventist media of another church promoting the LGBT agenda. I never imagined any of our church holding a gay pride month. Unbelievable!! But this is what is happening. There wanting to bring Sodomy into the church. Could it happen? Look at Aaron and the golden calf. They had a drunken orgy. Look how Moses dealt with it in his day. His was not a week response. He did not slap them on the hands and say bad boy. His response was quick, decisive and effective.
God bears long until we pass the limits of forbearance…Genesis 15:16 “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.In other words, the promised land had been dominated by an exceptionally cruel and bestial culture for hundreds of years. The Amorites who dominated that land practiced such abominations as the slaughter of virgins and first born children in sacrifice to appease their gods. They were a people who callously tortured and destroyed with long lingering deaths both men and women whom they considered their enemies. They were a nation whose morals and scruples were paper thin. They lived like that for centuries and we have proof of that from archaeology. They were a blot on human history. They were a stench in the nostrils of God, and yet we are told that he did nothing about this for a long time. Why was that? How could the
righteous Lord sit back and do nothing? Surely it matters to him how creatures made in his own image behave? Don’t they live and move and have their being in him, sustained by him? Isn’t their breath in God’s hands? Then how can he supply the energy to hurt others so unspeakably? Surely he should smite them down at once? That is the issue before us, and here we find the divine explanation…..Nothing escapes the one who hates sin, yet God is waiting patiently for a certain moment in their history, a time when the wickedness of these Amorites has reached its full measure. That is, a time comes both for individuals and for civilizations when God says, “That’s it! Enough!” Until that moment sinners are spared judgment. They are benefiting from the longsuffering and patience of God………Now i fully understand God s mercy and justice….God is patient and long suffering indeed!