It is interesting that our sermon topic for today (set down 6 months ago) is about church unity, when as we speak, the worldwide Anglican communion is on the brink of splitting. If you’re not aware, GAFCON (The Global Anglican Future’s Conference) has been underway in Rwanda this past week, where the main topic of discussion has been the English Bishops’ support for same-sex marriages. One of the statements that has been released from this conference says the following:
We have no confidence that the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the other instruments of Communion led by him (the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates’ Meetings) are able to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of Scripture. The instruments of Communion have failed to maintain true communion based on the Word of God and shared faith in Christ.
While nothing is finalised as yet, the majority of Anglican provinces around the globe are in the process of splitting from The Church of England. So why is this happening? The reason is that while church unity is arguably the second most important doctrine in the NT, keeping faithfully to the teaching of the Bible is the most important doctrine. Pretty much the only thing that should threaten church unity is when people leave behind the teaching of Scripture, which the majority of English Bishops have done on the topic of same-sex marriage.
I don’t have to explain the seriousness of this situation. Please pray that the English Bishops will hear the call to repent of their actions to stave off this split. Please also be praying for the delegates at GAFCON, in particular the Anglican Primates and Bishops, who are responsible for setting the path ahead for the Anglican Communion.
