Editor’s Note: This continues our presentation of the material from the GAFCON theological resource paper“The Way, The Truth, and the Life” begun yesterday. You may read the other installments of this series here: Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 While the Reformed church defines the definition of “Apostolic Ministry” differently than Anglicanism, the document provides a great deal of material for profitable discussion about the future of Christianity in the West. Our battle is not between two rival forms of Christianity, it is as others have noted before, between Christianity and a syncretistic religion that attempts to borrow elements of Christian terminology and imagery to use for its own advancement. The entire document can be fount at this link:The Way, The Truth, and the Life: Theological Resources for a Pilgrimage to a Global Anglican Future
The Way, The Truth And the Life:
Theological resources for a Pilgrimage to a Global Anglican Future
[copyright by the Latimer Trust]
From the Preface:
The decision to write this handbook, to serve as a theological introduction and definition for GAFCON was reached on the same day, 14 December 2007, in Nairobi, that the leadership team resolved to organize GAFCON. The opening section, A most agonizing journey towards Lambeth 2008, explains how, in recent years, huge amounts of time, energy and money have been expended, in the search for an agreeable solution to the human sexuality controversy in the Anglican Communion. It has remained elusive.
In the course of time, it became clear that the issue at stake was much wider than the human sexuality issue concerning same-sex unions. What had been ‘in the works’ for some years–the challenge to the authority of the Bible, in all matters of faith and practice, both within the Church and in personal morality–suddenly became public reality when, in 2003, Gene Robinson, a practicing homosexual, was consecrated bishop in the United States of America. Later, in 2006, the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) produced a positional paper, The Road to Lambeth, which identified a crisis of doctrine and also of leadership, observing correctly that the Anglican Communion was at a crossroads; it had to decide, without further hesitation, which way to go. One road, that of compromising biblical truth, would lead to destruction and disunity. The other road might have its own obstacles, but it would to God and to life. It is this second road that has brought us to GAFCON….
It is not the intention of these papers to initiate a fresh debate. We should remember how the Church in North Africa and Asian Minor almost totally disappeared, at a time when Christological debate was raging in the Church. Instead, the book is offered with the purpose of guiding and educating everyone who comes to GAFCON……. So, we hope it will be found to be jargon-free and readable.
From A Most Agonizing Journey towards Lambeth 2008
The Most Revd Peter Akinola
Archbishop of Abuja and Primate of all Nigeria
[Ephesians 4:1-3 quoted]
We have been on this journey for ten long years. It has been costly and debilitating for all concerned, as demonstrated mot recently by the tepid response to the invitations to the proposed Lambeth Conference 2008. At a time when we should be able to gather together and celebrate remarkable stories of growth, and the many wonderful ways in which our God has been at work in our beloved Communion, with lives being transformed, new churches being built and new dioceses established, there is little enthusiasm even to meet.
There are continual cries for patience, listening and understanding. And yet the record shows that hose who hold to the ‘faith once and for all delivered to the saints’ have shown remarkable forbearance, while their please have been ignored, their leaders have been demonized, and their advocates marginalized. At the Lambeth Conference in 1998 we made a deliberate, prayerful decision with regard to matters of Human Sexuality. This decision was supported by an overwhelming majority of the bishops of the Communion. It reflected traditional teaching, interpreted with pastoral sensitivity. And yet it has been ignored, and those who uphold it have been derided for their stubbornness. However, we have continued to meet and pray and struggle to find ways to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace….
The leadership of the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada seem to have concluded that the Bible is no longer authoritative in many areas of human experience, especially those of salvation and sexuality. They claim to have ‘‘progressed’ beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures, and they have nt hidden their intention of leading others to these same conclusions. They have even boasted that they are years ahead of others in fully understanding the truth of the Holy Scriptures and the nature of God’s love….
These past ten years of distraction have been agonizing, and the cost has been enormous. The time and financial resources spent on endless meetings, whose statements and warnings have been consistently ignored, represent a tragic loss of resources that should have been used otherwise. It now appears, however, that the journey is coming to an end, and the moment of decision is almost upon us. But this is not a time to lose heart or fail to maintain vigilance. It would be an even greater tragedy if, while trying to bring others back to the godly path, we should ourselves miss the way or lose the race.
* We want unity, but not at the cost of relegating Christ to the position of another ‘wise teacher’ who can be obeyed or disobeyed.
* We earnestly desire the healing of our beloved Communion, but not at the cost of re-writing the Bible to accommodate the latest cultural trend.
As stated in The Road to Lambeth: ‘We Anglicans stand at a crossroads. One road, the road of compromise of biblical truth, leads to destruction and disunity. The other road has its own obstacles [faithfulness is never an easy way] because it requires changes in the way the Communion has been governed and it challenges [all] our churches to live up to and into their full maturity in Christ.’
The first road, the one that follows the current path of The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada, is one that we simply cannot take: the cost is too high. We must not sacrifice eternal truth for mere appeasement, and we must not turn away from the source of life and love for the sake of a temporary truce.
The other road is the only one that we can embrace. It is not an easy road because it demands obedience and faithfulness from each one of us. It requires an unequivocal acceptance of, and commitment to:
*the authority and supremacy of Scripture;
*the doctrine of the Trinity;
*the person, work and resurrection of Jesus the Christ;
*the acknowledgement of Jesus as divine, and the one and only means of salvation;
*the biblical teaching on sin, forgiveness, reconciliation, and transformation by the Holy Spirit through Christ;
*the sanctity of marriage;
*teaching about morality that is rooted and grounded in biblical revelation; [and]
*apostolic ministry.
These are not onerous burdens or tiresome restrictions, but rather they are God’’s gift, designed to set us free from the bondage of sin and give us the assurance of life eternal.
It is our hope and fervent prayer that, in the coming months, all those in leadership will be directed towards the restoration of true unity in the Body of Christ, by means of an unconditional embrace of the One who says to all who will listen, ‘‘If you love me, you will obey what I command.’
John Bunyan, the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, describes the Christian life as a journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. On his journey, numerous decisions and many crossroads confront Christian, the pilgrim. The easy road was never the right road. In the same way, we have arrived at a crossroads; it is, for us, the moment of truth.
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses agains you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20a)
