Anglican Church in North America soars on motion of recognition from the Synod of the Church of England

It is recorded that Jesus spoke the following to His Almighty Father:
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

The following is taken from a letter written by David Virtue and can be found at www.virtueonline.org

2/12/2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters

The vote (at Synod), when it came, stunned everybody. There were visible sounds from delegates and then brief applause. At 309 to 69 (reminiscent of the Lambeth resolution 1:10 vote 527 to 69), members of the Church of England Synod, the governing body of the church, unanimously voted to affirm The Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) and to recognize its existence as legitimately Anglican.

It was immediately hailed as another stepping-stone in orthodox Anglicanism, separating the true orthodox and evangelical faithful from Western pansexual Anglicanism.

When you consider where ACNA was a mere two years ago, this is a giant step forward. From a bishop deposed in his diocese, publicly humiliated by Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, and despised by liberal and revisionist bishops in The Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, (leader of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of a dying church into the pure, clear air of an Anglicanism that has identified with Scripture, the creeds, and the vast majority of Global South Anglicans.

The truth about why the vote went as it did was this. When the Rev. Canon Simon Butler (Sanderstead) got up and accused the motion makers of lying and invoked the ninth commandment about bearing false witness, he blew everybody away. No one, especially this august body likes to be told they are liars or potential liars. He overplayed his hand. Now the other truth is this; had the original Ashworth motion been allowed to stand, based on voting figures she would have lost, but only by 60-40 - that is 233-166.

The truth is, there is only a small handful of revisionists In the Church of England (unlike the US), the large majority of which are broad church but not necessarily liberal. Unlike their American counterparts they can be persuaded with solid arguments. TEC revisionists specialize in emotion and cries of homophobia. That does not play so well here. The British are rationalists. They don't get jerked around by emotional displays of feelings. Make your case or shut up. Appealing simply to emotion won't do.

First to acknowledge the victory was the Bishop of Winchester, The Rt. Rev. Michael Scott-Joynt who promptly said he would welcome Archbishop Duncan into his diocese to preach and confirm. Will this lead to more ACNA bishops crossing the pond to preach and perform Eucharist functions with the blessing of local bishops? Time will tell. Anyway you look at it, a door has been opened that will not now close. The liberals and revisionists can scream all they want, but this week the Anglican Communion lurched rightward and away from the secular humanism and political (read sexual) correctness that now fills Episcopal pulpits.

On hearing the news, Archbishop Duncan wrote to VOL to say that the leadership of the Anglican Church in North America is very pleased with the result. While not the original straightforward motion of Lorna Ashworth, the (Bishop of Bristol) Michael Hill amendment speaks of us "remaining in the Anglican family."You can only remain in something of which you are a part. Bishop Hill also spoke of his purpose "to encourage those in the Anglican Church in North America." That encouragement carried 309 to 69.

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Christians affirm, in contrast to all other views, that history is 'his story', God's story. For God is at work, moving from a plan conceived in eternity, through a historical outworking and disclosure, to a climax within history, and then on beyond it to another eternity of the future. The Bible has this linear understanding of time. And it tells us that the centre of God's eternal-historical plan is Jesus Christ, together with his redeemed and reconciled people. --- From "The Message of Ephesians" (The Bible Speaks Today) John R.W. Stott

Our Christian doctrines of creation and redemption tell us that God wants (all of) his gifted people to be fulfilled not frustrated, and his church to be enriched by their service. --- From "Issues Facing Christians Today" by John R.W. Stott

One day (known only to the Father), when the gospel has been 'preached in the whole world as a testimony to the nations' (Mt. 24:13), the end will come. For Christ will return in glory, terminate the historical process and perfect his reign. --- Quoted from Bultmann's "History and Eschatology" by George Eldon Ladd in "The Gospel of the Kingdom"

Theology and the Scientific Method

It is sometimes stated that theological statements cannot be tested by the scientific method. This must be absurd. Any hypothesis may be judged according to whether or not its truth can be determined objectively. The major flaw in the scientific method, from the point of view of the theologian, is its insistence that the scientist has an explainable but minimal, even neglible, impact on his world. He or she devises and conducts an experiment to test a theory and hopes for confirmation from others to confirm observations, analyses and conclusions. He assumes that his observations were not influenced by his presence. Quantum mechanics has suggested that this is not entirely true and that reality is effectively determined as and when it is experientially observed.

The question of the existence of God has not been tested according to the scientific method precisely because the wrong experiments are tried. Is it possible to test the existence of a divine being? Might it be necessary to set aside the separation of the scientist from his experiment to perform an effective test? What if the scientist must be subjectively involved before a result can be obtained? This does not negate the condition that any conclusions must be subject to independent verification. It merely points toward the need to reconfigure the experiment. The method itself is not compromised.

In fact the theologian reminds the scientist that he/she is always involved subjectively in the pursuit of science and that his/her apparently negligible influence upon his/her experiments can be greatly multiplied in the application of his conclusions in the world outside the laboratory.

We live in a world in which monetary policy is not fully approved or even understood before it is implemented. Wars are waged without consultation and agreement. Expensive medicines are developed before cheaper alternatives are tried. Dangerous chemicals find their way into the ecosystem because ethical guidelines are not considered.

Assuredly, the social sciences are in a different category than the physical sciences. The proper use of the method requires that the scientist take into account his/her presence and modify his/her behaviour. Theology might then be restored to one of its honoured roles as monitor and cleanser of society's ills.

Wake up Christians!

Christians everywhere!

Wake up! One out of every ten of us may be dealing with mental illness.

Let's learn again the power of prayer and utter reliance on the blood of Jesus as the only power effective against sin and demonic activity.

Rise from the Dead!

Pray and rejoice without ceasing!