A New Diocese for the Anglican Church
You have no doubt seen the news this week and the talk of a schism in the Anglican Church with the creation of a new diocese. This was announced at the inaugural ‘Gafcon Australasia Conference’ at which I was in attendance and on Thursday our previous Archbishop Glenn Davies was commissioned to lead this new diocese. The Diocese of the Southern Cross will provide important support to Anglicans who serve in dioceses where the leadership has strayed from the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s people (Jude 3).
Throughout the world there have been Anglican leaders who have chosen to follow patterns of the world in behaviour, which has been seen in their acceptance and encouragement of same-sex relationships, including amongst bishops and ministers.
As so many have moved away from the Bible’s clear teaching, it has become increasingly important for us to work together to defend the truth and protect God’s people from those who have deserted the truth.
The Diocese of the Southern Cross will serve as an alternative to the revisionist (i.e., progressive) teaching on sexuality that has seeped in to a number of Anglican Dioceses around the country. As the Bishop of Tasmania, Richard Condie, described it in his address on Monday night outlining the important point at which the Anglican Church finds itself, it is a lifeboat for faithful orthodox Anglicans who can no longer serve under Bishops who fail to uphold the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures. As our former Archbishop Peter Jensen put it in a talk on Philippians 4 on Thursday, we are witnessing the push of “a new morality based on a false theology” and we find ourselves in a new and different world. It was encouraging throughout this week as we immersed ouselves in Paul’s letter to the Philippians to be reminded of Paul’s call to stand firm, united in the Lord Jesus, “striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you (Philippians 1:27-28).
A few people have been asking me about the implications of this new diocese and what it means for the Anglican Church.
The new diocese doesn't affect anyone in a Sydney Anglican church, and is not caused by, or primarily about same sex marriage - that's one of the touch points, but this is really about authenticity and integrity.
This is a painful but tragically necessary step for there are bishops who have failed to keep their promises to keep Jesus and the bible as their ultimate authority. To be properly Anglican is to have the bible as the ultimate authority (rather than going along with whatever society thinks is good, right or wrong). It would be like a minister overseen by a bishop who says they follow Jesus but don't act like it. It's a bit like if you'd signed up to play in a rugby team, signed a contract, then the coach told you that he wanted you play league rather than union half way through a season: It's still rugby, but it's not what you signed up for and it's a dilution of the game as it originated. This new diocese is about integrity when it comes to keeping the bible as our ultimate authority.
Faithful, orthodox Anglicans in Australia will need to wrestle with whether they can continue with confidence as members of the Anglican Church in Australia in their diocese - and we need to pray for and support these brothers and sisters. As I discovered this last week, some have already decided to leave their diocese and join the Diocese of the Southern Cross, just as those in New Zealand who decided to join the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand. Others (some even friends of mine from my time at Moore College) are recommitting to the reform and renewal of faithful ministry in the Anglican Church of Australia. They need our prayers.
The vision of GAFCON is that we might ’Proclaim Christ Faithfully to the Nations’. This was the theme of the conference and is the holy calling of the church. We long to see Christ honoured throughout his world. Embedded in that is a call for repentance and a return to see the beauty of the gospel of grace to us sinners. It has been timely to hear that afresh in light of the challenges before us.
You can find more information over at the GAFCON Australia website with some helpful “FAQ’s”.
Here are some prayer points that might inform our prayers
For humility, grace and love on the part of those who are leaving
For repentance from those who are seeking to undermine the teaching of Jesus
For God’s comfort for those who are forced to leave amid fractured relationships
For God’s provision for churches who have to leave behind church property and assets including appropriate facilities in which the new church can gather
For ministers pastoring their flock through a time of upheaval, uncertainty and stress
For wisdom, strength and faithfulness for Bishop Davies
Please pray for those who are facing serious opposition as they stand up for the truth, and pray that all who gather might offer a great support to each other as we seek to make the truth of Jesus clear and pure to this world that critically needs to know Jesus.