MAINLINE RENEWAL LEADERS AFFIRM "THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE"

AS THE GLOBAL ANGLICAN FUTURE CONFERENCE IS MEETING TODAY IN JERUSALEM, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS AN HISTORIC EVENT FOR THE ENTIRE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. THE ANGLICAN BISHOPS HAVE ISSUED A THEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATION FOR THEIR CONFERENCE ENTITLED, "THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE". THIS IS A REMARKABLE WITNESS THAT SHOULD BE READ BY US ALL. WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED BY ARCHBISHOP AKINOLA'S RESOUNDING CALL TO REFORMATION AND RENEWAL OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION RATHER THAN DIVISION. CONSTITUENTS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR CHURCH RENEWAL SENT THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OF SUPPORT:

Link:
THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

STATEMENT:

"In the unity that is ours in the Holy Spirit, we stand in solidarity with the witness of you, our Anglican brothers and sisters gathered in Jerusalem for the Global Anglican Futures Conference. We appreciate your call to reformation of the Anglican Communion in the unity that is ours in Jesus Christ alone, and your rejection of the division caused by The Episcopal Church in the U.S. and the Canadian Anglican Church. We share your voice in calling the  church to "The Way, The Truth and the Life". In the word of this historic document you have been inspired to publish, we too would say to our denominations of the apostolic ecumenical church,

"In the church of Christ different identities (of race, nationality, class, gender) are not merely included, they are transformed. And they are relativised by being included in the identity of the crucified and risen Lord. They then bear one message: the good news of Christ's death and resurrection, and his transforming power. Christians do not simply belong to a message, they bear that message in their lives." (The Way, The Truth &  The Life, p. 26)


 

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH USA GENERAL ASSEMBLY STRUGGLES WITH LOSSES, SEXUALITY, ABORTION, ANTI-SEMITISM
ELECTS REVISIONIST MODERATOR

The statistical report released at the beginning of this weeks PCUSA General Assembly reveal that 2007 has been the denominations most severe year of membership loss since 1981, losing 57,572 members, 2.54% of its total membership.  Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick is stepping down after 12 years as Stated Clerk, having presided over the most devastating era of decline in Presbyterian Church history. In his farewell comments he acknowledged that the church was now, "In deep need of renewal."


He went on to say, "any decline in membership is a disappointment, to be sure, because those numbers represent members we know and love who are no longer part of our congregations." Kirkpatrick will continue to preside over the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

While his replacement will be chosen later this week, the GA did elect, 39 year old, Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, of San Francisco, Calif. , as moderator. Bruce promised to give the PCUSA a more gen-X style of leadership and in an interview with the Presbyterian Layman said, "homosexuality is not sinful by nature and should not be an excluding factor for ordination or marriage."
http://www.layman.org

PEW STUDY II
The Problem is in the Pew!

The second part of the Pew Study on the American religious landscape was released yesterday, and for those of you who haven't already studied it, there is alarming news. It appears that evangelism will have to begin inside the church before it can be done outside.
http://religions.pewforum.org/
reports

According to this study, 83% of those affiliated with the mainline church believe that many religions can lead to eternal life. Even more startling is that 57% of evangelicals and 59% of those affiliated with historically African American churches do not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal salvation.

In response to the question of whether the teachings of their religion can be interpreted in more than one way, 82% of mainliners, 53% of Evangelicals and 57% of African American Christians believed they can. While 97 - 99% of all those who claim to be Christians believe in God, only 62% of mainliners believe God is personal while 26% believe God is an impersonal force.

While 63% of the public believe that the Bible is the 'Word of God', only 33% believe it can be interpreted literally.

JERUSALEM CALLS ANGLICANS TO GOD'S FUTURE

Archbishop Akinola of Nigeria called the Anglican Communion to reformation not division in his opening challenge. He made clear that the Episcopal Church in the U.S. and the Canadian Anglican Church had torn the fabric of unity in their repetitive defiance of authority, but that a renewed and reformed global Anglican Communion would move forward in the power and purpose of the Holy Spirit.

Bishop Jensen of Australia in an interview with the British press outlined how this evolution would occur. Asked how GAFCON would effect the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he compared what is happening spiritually to what happened politically 100 years ago. He said this was a spiritual equivalent of moving from the model of the British empire to the commonwealth in which authority was diversified.

GAFCON has live streaming of events, audio and text versions of presentations on its website.
http://www.gafcon.org

"People of the living God, welcome to Jerusalem. Welcome to GAFCON. One of the marks of apostolic ministry is signs, wonders and miracle. There are many in today's Church, who would lay claim to apostolic authority without holding on to apostolic faith nor do they manifest any of the marks of the apostles. In GAFCON, I have seen signs and wonders. That we are able to gather here this week is a miracle for which we must give thanks to God." > Archbishop Akinola

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CANADA REAFFIRMS SOVEREIGNTY OF JESUS CHRIST

At their recent general assembly, the Presbyterian Church in Canada reaffirmed the exclusiveness and uniqueness of the saving work of Jesus Christ. There had been a number of representatives to the assembly whose remarks indicated that they were moving toward a 'generic' faith that embraced all world religions as equally valid ways to God. This resolution made clear their reaffirmation of the Bible.
The Renewal Fellowship

UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA: TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Last weekend 600 United Church leaders from across Canada met in a conference whose opening event was entitled "Shouldn't the United Church Just Throw in the Towel"?
They came away after hours of panels and discussion, undecided. Lack of identity has plagued the Canadian denomination which has suffered a 21% loss in membership since 1996 and is down to a nationwide membership of 558,000, only a fraction of which worship regularly.

Renewal Pastor Rev. Conn denBok said, "The United Church has moved from being a Christ-centered body to become a 'government sponsored social club' in which all classic Christian doctrines are open to question. Greta Vosper who is pastor of West Hill United Church in Toronto and has recently published a provocative book celebrating her disbelief, said she is looking forward to a time "when the label Christian won't even exist and the Church will be freed of the burdens of the past."

Ian Hunter, writing in the National Post on the conference says, "the United Church is as dead as those unattached feet that keep washing up on the shores of British Columbia - and for exactly the same reason. For several decades, the United Church has deliberately cut itself off from the body of Christ."

Rev. Michael Blair, exec. minister of a ministry unit of the United Church said, "We're afraid of the evangelism word . . . any organism that isn't growing is dying. I think it's really crucial for us to figure out how we can evangelize because it's a sign of life."

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