Sunday 31 December 2006

Bishop of Willesden condemns 'Covenant for the Church of England'

THE BISHOP of Willesden, the Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, has disowned the “covenant” document presented to the Archbishop of Canterbury two weeks ago. He described it last week as “a significant own goal” for Evangelical Anglicans. In a letter to all members of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), on whose behalf the covenant was sent out by the Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Revd Wallace Benn, and the Principal of Wycliffe Hall, the Revd Dr Richard Turnbull, Bishop Broadbent says that members had not been able to read or agree to the document in its final draft. It had not appeared on an agenda paper, and minutes of meetings appeared no longer to be distributed. He describes the CEEC as in “deep disarray”. Read more

1 comment:

Ballifield said...

THE BISHOP of Willesden has disowned the “covenant”
May I remind the good Bishop that the new covenant re-affirms a faithfulness to biblical orthodoxy as defined by Canon A5: “The doctrine of the Church of England 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”. A faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds. Departing from this common faith is the cause of schism.

Evangelical bishops would now be “rigorously and ill-temperedly questioned” by their brother bishops at the House of Bishops meeting in January.
Good, perhaps they may learn something if they take the trouble to listen with open minds. If Bishops do not support the foundations on which our church is built is there any wonder it is unsteady on its feet.

“Why the covenant and why now?”
The answer is very simple - it is needed NOW!

“Various bishops are not allowing churches to plant”.
I live close to a large evangelical church whose congregation come from far a field. It is desperately seeking space to house this growing congregation. Church planting would solve not only the problem of the growing church but also breathe new life into my own dying church and others in the area.
As a church we should be about “mission and outreach” Stifling this activity within the church will prevent the preaching of the word to others and ultimately strangle our existing church.

Perhaps we should pray not for the growth and stability of the Church of England but its death and resurrection as a church founded on the teachings of the gospels.