Rectors Letter || What is Gafcon?
As many of you know, later this month I will be travelling to Jerusalem to meet with over 1,600+ Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, Ministers and Lay leaders of the Anglican Church worldwide. Over 43 countries will be represented, and we will be gathering in Jerusalem to help each other to be faithful to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But what is Gafcon, (the Global Anglican Future Conference), and why be part of it?
Gafcon began in 2008 when moral compromise, doctrinal error and the collapse of biblical witness in parts of the Anglican communion had reached such a level that the leaders of the majority of the world’s Anglicans felt it was necessary to take a united stand for truth.
Many of you will be aware that the Episcopal Church of USA, (TEC), in 2003 elected and consecrated a non-celibate homosexual man as one of their bishops. After his election, many theologically orthodox Anglicans in the United States abandoned the Episcopal Church, formed the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and aligned themselves with bishops outside the Episcopal Church in the United States. The Anglican Church of Canada was at the same time pushing for liturgies, (Prayer Book services), for practising homosexuals.
Year after year, meeting after meeting, the Primates, (leaders), of the Anglican Communion called on these Churches to stop their unbiblical ways, and repent; but they charged on ahead. The crunch point came in July 2007, when invitations for the Lambeth Conference were sent out, in which the Archbishop of Canterbury included all those who had consecrated Gene Robinson, (the openly gay bishop in America).
Orthodox Primates agreed, that a stand had to be made, and so they gathered together at the birthplace of Christianity in Jerusalem. A crowd of more than one thousand witnesses, including Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, clergy and lay leaders gathered in Jerusalem for the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon).
The outcome of that first conference was the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration, (you can read the Jerusalem Declaration at the end of this newletter) - a commitment to authentic Anglican doctrine founded on the clear and present word of God - The Bible. Gafcon aims to help and support Anglican Churches around the world remain faithful to the Bible’s teaching as they pursue Christian ministry and mission in this world.
Today some orthodox brothers and sisters in New Zealand, Scotland, America are having to choose to take their stand against unbiblical and ungodly practice. Other believers are living out their faith in Muslim countries where daily they are being persecuted, e.g. Archbishop Ali Buba Lamido, (a guest at Donaghcloney Parish on 22ndApril).
I am going to Gafcon in Jerusalem, to stand with these my brothers and sisters in Christ and to learn how to keep on proclaiming Christ faithfully to the nations.
As you might be aware, Gafcon Ireland launched on 21 April 2018 and is the local expression of the global Gafcon movement. We are a fellowship of Anglican (Church of Ireland) Christians in Ireland who are passionate about the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and join with like-minded people around the world in the Gafcon movement. Gafcon Ireland sees the desperate need on the island of Ireland for the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified–the only way God is reconciled to humanity. Like Thomas Cranmer, the great Anglican reformer, we are proud to be labelled people of this gospel.
Gafcon Ireland shares the passion of the global movement to be a whole-church movement - the leadership and membership joined together in Christ’s mission. Gafcon Ireland is devoted to staying true to the Bible’s teaching and acts for the glory of Jesus the King!
Please pray for safe travel for all the delegates travelling to the conference, for security and safety and for us to hold fast to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you would like to know more about Gafcon, please go to their webpage www.gafcon.org, and if you would like to find out about Gafcon Ireland, please go to www.gafconireland.com.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Yours in Christ,
Bryan