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  GAFCon update: June 28-29, 2008
 
    

Please see the GAFCon website for some excellent additional news.

Saturday, 28 June

Bethlehem pilgrimage
Like pilgrims through the centuries, GAFCON pilgrims traveled to Bethlehem, visiting the Shepherds Fields and the Church of the Nativity – one of the world’s oldest continuously used places of Christian worship.

Florence Awosoga (Nigeria) said the experience was very meaningful. “Being here brings to reality what I have read in the Scriptures,” she explained. Onesimus Asiimwe, (Uganda) agreed, describing a chance to see where Christ was born as “Grace added unto grace...This is for me a life-changing experience. It’s a dream come true.”

Senior GAFCON bishops representing 10 countries were also in Bethlehem. They had a private audience with Archbishop Theophiletus, the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Bethlehem who has expressed warm support for GAFCON’s doctrinal and ethical commitments. Archbishop Theophiletus spoke passionately about the exodus of Palestinian Christians from the land. Archbishop Kolini (Rwanda) responded that GAFCON pilgrims would do all they could to make this situation known.

Bishop Bethlehem Nopece (South Africa) was thrilled to be among the GAFCON bishops at the meeting. “I’m so delighted to be in this town after which I have been named,” he said. “It is the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream.”


Archbishops discuss Lambeth & GAFCON with media
“The sleeping giant of evangelical Anglicans has been aroused,” Archbishop Peter Jensen (Australia) told journalists at the news conference yesterday. “The revisionists committed a terrific strategic blunder in 2003…. Now their church is divided; and this could be permanent. It was folly.”

Asked if GAFCON would issue an ultimatum to the Communion, Archbishop Jensen said he did not think so, but that the sheer existence of GAFCON poses a challenge that the Communion must take into account.”

Commenting on his “GAFCON experience”, he said, “The last six months of preparing for GAFCON and the last two weeks of being in GAFCON has been the most extraordinary spiritual experience of my life.

Archbishop Greg Venables (Southern Cone) explained that, while he could not take communion with those who had turned their backs on Christ, he was going to Lambeth and would like to have seen all GAFCON bishops at Lambeth. “I decided to go after consulting with a large number of people,” he said. However, he added that he fully understands and respects the position taken by those, such as Archbishop Jensen, whose consciences do not allow them to go. He added that he hopes the matter of GAFCON will be raised and discussed at Lambeth.

Archbishop Venables also said the Southern Cone would continue to provide temporary, emergency refuge for parishes and diocese in North America also long as needed, though he hoped it wouldn’t be needed for too much longer.

Professor Edith Humphrey, a New Testament scholar who has been co-leading the Family and Marriage workshops, told reporters that the error in understanding of matters related to marriage, family and sexuality was rooted wrong understanding of basic theology. A correct understanding of family relationships was rooted is the Trinity, she said.


Redeemed to rebuild and restore
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)
“It may seem as if the foundations of Anglicanism have been destroyed by revisionism,” Bishop Michael Fape (Nigeria) said to pilgrims yesterday, “but God through all ages has always preserved a remnant to recover the foundations and restore…” what the locusts have eaten.

The key to recovering authentic Anglicanism is obedience to the Scriptures. We must offer ourselves as living sacrifices, actively working to build Christ’s Kingdom as He commanded.

“The essence of this GAFCON conference,” he stated, “is to reaffirm our position that we stand by the truth of scripture. We are not here for mere religious jamboree. We are here as a body of Anglicans committed to the orthodoxy of scriptures. On this truth we stand and shall always stand.”


Sunday, 29 June

Pilgrimage to Galilee and beyond


Pilgrimage to Galilee and beyond

  GAFCON pilgrims met with the head of the largest Christian church in the Holy Land yesterday after visiting the Mount of Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum. Archbishop Elias Chacour of the 147,000-strong Melkite Catholic Church welcomed the 1200 pilgrims to Galilee, “where an exceptional man [Jesus Christ] was born.”
“You are not strangers here; we are all the family of God,” he said. “We welcome you more warmly than the weather you are in,” he said, to chuckles from the pilgrims sitting in the 40-degree heat.

Archbishop Chacour urged GAFCON pilgrims to include remember their Christians Palestinian brothers and sisters.

The spiritual highlight was, without a doubt, the prayer service in the middle of the Sea of Galilee where pilgrims sang, heard the Word and prayed. However, no pilgrim attempted to walk on the water.


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