ProudlyAnglican's Blog

Chairman's April Letter 30th April 2020 Archbishop Foley Beach Cliquez ici pour lire la Lettre en Français Para ler a carta em Português, clique aqui Para leer la carta en Español, haga clic aquí Beloved in Christ Jesus: Greetings in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Times of crisis such as we are now living through are revealing. They force us to focus on what is really important to us and it has been so encouraging to see Gafcon churches around the world quickly adapting to new ways of being church and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ using the tools the internet gives us.  Our churches are also making it a priority to care for the most vulnerable. Here in North America, our Matthew 25 Initiative network is serving some of the most poor and under-resourced people in North America from some 100 centers, while globally, the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (see  https://ardf.org/apply-for-covid19-funds ) is seeking to provide on t...

New Nigerian Primate declares ‘a decade of the reign of God’ 26th March 2020 GAFCON On Wednesday 25th March, Archbishop Henry Ndukuba took the helm of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, as its 5th Archbishop Metropolitan and Primate in a service held at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja. Although the relentless spread of the coronavirus epidemic meant that far fewer were present than the thousands originally expected, including many international visitors, the service was anything but downbeat and a livestream ensured a global audience, as is only appropriate for a Church that accounts for at least one in four of the world’s active Anglicans. In a powerful and heartfelt address, Archbishop Ndukuba paid tribute to his predecessors and took as his theme 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, sharing the Apostle Paul’s passion to know nothing ‘ except Jesus Christ and him crucified ’. For a nation and a world in fear and brought by crisis to a crossroads...

22nd May 2020 Charles Raven What are we learning about the Anglican Communion under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic? This crisis has highlighted many unknowns, but some things do become clearer. Reactions to the unexpected are revealing. Africa is likely to be the region that ends up suffering most. Although the death toll, at the time of writing, is much lower than that in the West, the impact on the region’s economy and food security will put growing millions at risk even if the disease itself is contained, and in East Africa the problem is being compounded by devastating and recurrent locust plagues. In such circumstances it would be understandable if African Anglican leaders were majoring on the need for emergency aid and debt relief. While both are undeniably important, calling people back to a God-centred hope in the gospel has been of first importance. This is the context of all the subsequent advice being given on preventing contagion. So, for example, Archbish...

Kigali 2020 Postponed 20th March 2020  Archbishop Ben Kwashi Dear Brothers and Sisters, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33 Sober greetings in Lent! As the coronavirus pandemic continues to escalate, we are seeing international travel being drastically reduced and severe restrictions being placed on people gathering, especially in large numbers. In the light of these developments, the Gafcon Primates Council has reviewed plans for our Bishops Conference in Kigali 2020 and with much regret have decided to postpone the conference until such time as it becomes possible to reconvene. We also have in mind the need to act responsibly and not risk adding to infections in our host nation, Rwanda, nor risk delegates to the conference becoming infected and spreading the disease in their home countries. We realise this news will be deepl...

Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu Enthroned as 9th Archbishop of Uganda 5th March 2020 GAFCON On Sunday March 1st, the Most Rev'd Stephen Kaziimba was enthroned as the 9th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe. More than 3,000 people attended the ceremony, including His Excellency the President, political leaders, the Nnabagereka and Katikkiro of Buganda and other cultural leaders, business leaders, and all the Bishops of the Church of Uganda.  Primates from Brazil, Congo, North America, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania and Burundi were present. Archbishop Laurent Mbanda brought his greetings from Rwanda, Archbishop Miguel Uchoa brought greetings from the Americas and Bishop Malcolm Richards spoke on behalf of Gafcon Deputy General Secretary and Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies. Gafcon Chairman Archbishop Foley Beach preached from John 20.19-31 noting that the first thing ...

21st February 2020 Archbishop Foley Beach Beloved in Christ Jesus: Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Light of the world! The season of Epiphany has been a reminder to us of the mission of the Church – to reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ.  With the Great Commission Jesus encouraged his disciples – Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have command you; and I am with you until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19,20).  One of the great joys of the Anglican Communion is that it has the potential to demonstrate the gospel ‘mystery’ of being heirs, members and sharers together by a common global life and mission. It has been my privilege to share in the installation of Archbishop Melter Tais as the new Primate of South East Asia. It is a joy to be with brothers and sisters who are so united in ...

Greetings to you in Peace. Yesterday suicide bombers unleashed death and destruction as unsuspecting Sri Lankan Christians gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Together with those killed in hotels, the death toll has reached 310, with many more injured, and our hearts go out in prayer for all who have been caught up in these deeply traumatic events. News of this atrocity came through just before I preached at All Souls Langham Place and let me repeat what I said then, “The resurrection of Jesus is a total defeat of death and of those who would want to use death to scare people off from faith in Jesus. His resurrection has made death powerless against all who believe in Jesus Christ.” At our recent  conference in Dubai , Gafcon resolved to stand with the Suffering Church and this will be a leading agenda item for our Primates Council as it meets in Sydney next week. Meanwhile, in this Easter week let us remember that the one who drew alongside two sad and discou...

Bishop William Love (left) of the Diocese of Albany and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the US-based Episcopal Church T he Bishop of Albany, William Love, has had a partial restriction placed on his ministry over his refusal to permit same sex marriages in his diocese. The US-based Episcopal Church’s General Convention voted last year to approve a motion requiring all bishops to permit their clergy to conduct same-sex marriages in dioceses where they were legal under civil law. In November, Bishop William sent  an eight-page letter  to the Churches in his diocese, in the north of the US State of New York, saying that the resolution was “in direct conflict and contradiction to God’s intent for the sacrament of marriage as revealed through Holy Scripture.” T oday, the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, announced that had placed a partial restriction on Bishop William’s ministry pending a preliminary investigation. The decision was taken, he said,...

The Primate Of All Nigeria and Archbishop Metropolitan, The Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh, set the tone for the conference by speaking to the theme with comforting assurance of God’s love and protection to the bereaved, homeless, widows, widowers and orphans, reinforced with the biblical saying: “And lo I am with you always to the close of the age, to bless you…” I n September 2018, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) held its Standing Committee Conference in Minna, Niger State, with the theme: “God Our Refuge And Strength.” No topic could be more appropriate at this hazardous time in Nigeria, when the Christian community, especially our brothers and sisters in the northern part of the country face realties and threat of persecution, violent attacks and extermination.

Author: David Ould The meeting, which began on Monday with the notable absence of a number of the GAFCON Primates, issued a Communiqué. On the subject of the recent events in Scotland the following is said: In our last meeting in January 2016 we made a clear decision to walk together while acknowledging the distance that exists in our relationships due to deep differences in understanding on same sex marriage. We endorsed this approach, which we will continue with renewed commitment.

Author: Scottish Anglican Network The Scottish Anglican Network is grateful to the GAFCON primates who gave courageous leadership by not attending the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion this week. We are thankful too for the GAFCON Primates and others who did attend and who robustly supported the complementary nature of biblical marriage. The Scottish Episcopal Church now faces the same consequences as The Episcopal Church (USA). Although these consequences are very mild indeed, they indicate that the SEC has departed from the faith once given, and that many provinces are now in seriously impaired communion with it. We know that, “Godly sorrow brings repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10a). We hope that the intention of the Primates’ meeting, despite the Scottish Primus’ clear determination to not turn back from the decision of his province, is to allow the Scottish Episcopal Church time to repent of the damage it is doing by its schismatic action. The sad altern...

Gafcon's Initial Response to the Primates' Meeting 2017 Communique (The communique can be found at the bottom of this page) Today’s Communique from the Primates' Meeting 2017, in Canterbury, England, is very disappointing, but it is not surprising.  As we have consistently said, the current “Instruments of Unity” are broken, and as Archbishop Ntagali, Primate of Uganda, has said, “every attempt to repair the torn fabric and heal the betrayal has made the situation worse.”[1]  This has again proved true.  When the leaders of Gafcon and the Global South, representing the majority of the world’s Anglicans, met in Cairo last month it was their prayer that “the outcome of the upcoming [Primates] meeting would be decisive and lead to coherent and responsible action regarding the issues which continue to tear apart the fabric of the Communion, issues that have eternal consequences.”[2]  Judging by the Communique, their hopes for the meeting have been disappoint...

The persistent assertions that the Primates of the Anglican Communion are 'walking together', do not reflect the reality. Three of the leading Primates of the Communion are absent from the meeting in Canterbury on firmly stated principle.  Archbishop Okoh, Primate of Nigeria, and Gafcon Chairman, has said, 'I have concluded that attendance at Canterbury would be to give credibility to a pattern of behaviour which is allowing great damage to be done to global Anglican witness and unity'.  Archbishop Ntagali, the Primate of Uganda and Vice-Chairman of Gafcon has said, 'if we are not walking in the same direction, how can we walk together?' In no way can these leaders, with the Archbishop of Rwanda, be said to be 'walking together.'  They have chosen to witness to the truth by their absence. 

A five-day meeting of the primates of the Anglican Communion kicked off this morning, amidst a flurry of press speculation of what might and might not arise from the closed door meeting at Canterbury Cathedral. Sixteen of the 39 primates and moderators of the Anglican Communion have been elected to their posts since the 2016 gathering in Canterbury. Three primates who attended the last meeting, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria, Archbishop of Stanley Ntagali of Uganda, and Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje of Rwanda, stated they were boycotting the meeting in response to the failure of the Archbishop of Canterbury to honor the promises he made at the last meeting. Three other primates are unable to attend. A final count of who is present is expected sometime this week.

Archbishop admits he is struggling with issue, in interview where he also expresses hope of not having to oversee Queen’s funeral Justin Welby has said he struggles with the question of whether gay sex is a sin and acknowledged that the gulf between conservative and liberal Anglicans on the issue is “irreconcilable”. In an interview byAlastair Campbell for GQ magazine, the archbishop of Canterbury also said the Queen was “one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met” and that he hoped he would not have to preside over her funeral. Welby, who came under fire at the weekend by survivors of sexual abuse for his suggestion that the Church of England had acted with integrity, is likely to disappoint LGBTI campaigners within the church over his “cop-out” on gay sex. Asked by Campbell if gay sex was sinful, Welby said: “You know very well that is a question I can’t give a straight answer to. Sorry, badly phrased there. I should have thought that one through.” Pr...

May God grant us the grace to move closer to Him, the wisdom to respect each other and live in peace and harmony. May we experience unity, equity, justice and fairness.  —Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, of Enugu Anglican Diocese. May God bless Nigeria more than the worldly expectations. May the enemies of this blessed nation hear about the miracles which God will perform. We shall live long to see the fall of all those who plan to destroy its glory. —Bishop (Dr) J.A. Ajetunmobi, Anglican Diocese of Ibadan-South . I decree that the purpose of God shall stand in Nigeria and every form of insecurity shall be brought to an end. God will abort every evil conceived in the womb of darkness concerning Nigeria’s security. —Reverend Andrew Olajide, St. Peter’s Anglican Church. Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that you would bless us with your spirit of unity in our nation. Fill us with Your spirit of love and unity. —Reverend Adeboye Noah Oyelere, St. Paul’s Anglican Church,...

In the front row, Chairman, Christian Council of Nigeria, Osun State, Bishop Afolabi Popoola (second right); Secretary, CCN, Osun State, Reverend (Dr) Olufemi Abiola (middle); Reverend Olumide Kehinde (right); Deaconess Evelyn Ijabiken (second left), and Bishop R.T. Osonuga (left), and others at the CCN Osun State thanksgiving service marking Nigeria’s 57th independence, at Union Baptist Church, Odi-Olowo, Osogbo, Osun State, last Sunday. Chairman, Christian Council of Nigeria, Osun State and Bishop of Osun Diocese, Anglican Communion, Right Reverend Afolabi Popoola, has lamented the poverty level in the country, stating that with its rich resources, Nigeria had no business being poor. He stated this at the thanksgiving service organised by the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) Osun State, last Sunday, to mark Nigeria’s 57th independence, at Union Baptist Church, Odi-Olowo, Osogbo. “There is no reason for us to be poor. It is a shame for Nigerians to purchase second-hand it...