Sunday 13 April 2008

Talks from the Fulcrum Conference 'Conflict and Covenant '

... may be downloaded here (for Tom Wright) and here for Andrew Goddard.

Tom Wright, unfortunately, compares the organizers of GAFCON with the super-apostles denounced by St Paul in 2 Corinthians:

... we have seen, predictably but sadly, the rise of the super-apostles, who have wanted everything to be cut and dried in ways for which our existing polity simply did not, and does not, allow. Please note, I do not for one moment underestimate the awful situation that many of our American and Canadian friends have found themselves in, vilified, attacked and undermined by ecclesiastical authority figures who seem to have lost all grip on the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be eager only for lawsuits and property squabbles. I pray daily for many friends over there who are in intolerable situations and I don't underestimate the pressures and strains. But I do have to say, as well, that these situations have been exploited by those who have long wanted to shift the balance of power in the Anglican Communion and who have used this awful situation as an opportunity to do so. And now, just as the super-apostles were conveying the message to Paul that if he wanted to return to Corinth he'd need letters of recommendation, we are told that, if we want to go on being thought of as evangelicals, we should withdraw from Lambeth and join the super-gathering which, though not officially, is clearly designed as an alternative, and which of course hands an apparent moral victory to those who can cheerfully wave goodbye to the 'secessionists'. I have written about this elsewhere, and it is of course a very sad situation which none of us (I trust) would wish but which seems to be worsening by the day.
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2 comments:

Unknown said...

Sometimes I do wish Tom Wright would think before he denounced so roundly. I didn't feel his performance over 'Pierced for Our Transgressions' was exactly outstanding, as I pointed out here.

Anonymous said...

I am an Englishman living"in the situation" * I hate to say this, but very few if any really understand! All I say with total honesty is, that picture this; imagine making a decision that is totally theological for a church of England Diocese of which the diocese as a majority vote "Yes" for & then the Archbishop of Bishop say: "change your mind or I will take you to court over"; this is the American situation! As an English Clergyman in the Orthodox Traditional Anglio-catholic tradition I should be welcome in EVERY Diocese, but the reality, out of over 50 only 7 accept me!
If I was to drop 1 issue: agreeemnt to accept Gay Unions then another 25 Dioceses wouldaccept clergy like me! I am more in union with the Baptist convention than the Anglican Communion, sad is'nt it!!