The final day of the Conference, and in some ways the most exciting. Our preacher from Singapore, was introduced by a prayer for us to be, in response to the Word of God ,”obedient, violent and militant”. And the Bishop thrilled is with the challenge of Luke 24:36-53, to build our call to proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations on the vital foundations: the indisputable truth of Christ’s Resurrection, the indispensable gift of the Holy Spirit, and irrepressible joy of Christ’s ascension.
Our final conference talk from the archbishop of Uganda was wide ranging, not terribly expositional, but focused passionately and powerfully on our relationship to God: to m forget what he had done for us; to remember what it means to be his family, to obey his call to mission to lift Jesus high, and to remain in Christ. It was a taste of that East African revival style of preaching – powerful, inspiring and challenging.
Then we had the full reading of the final statement which you can find on https://www.gafcon.org/news/gafcon-2018-final-statement. It was a moving moment. It has been radically redrafted overnight to much more give a sense of the feeling of confidence and commitment to mission that characterised the conference. It is robust, but measured. It raises soon controversial things – like calling on TEC and the other provinces who have adopted unbiblical litres and canons- TEC, Brazil, Scotland for example, to be not invited to the next big global Anglican meeting, the Lambeth Conference in 2020; if they does not happen, GAFCON will recommend their bishops do not go, and given that GAFCON represents 71% of the Anglican Communion membership, that is a big challenge. Incidentally GAFCON is bigger that those Lambeth conferences, and this one is possibly the biggest international gathering of global Anglicans ever!
The other encouragement of the statement is the formation of networks to encourage and support various ministries across the communion, including church planting, theological education, and intercession. There’s even one for lawyers, which are needed sadly. One of the delegates was telling me that their new 2 million pound building, on land given to the minister personally for a new church, is under threat of being confiscated by their Province because they will not agree to same-sex marriage – that are awaiting advice from lawyers even now- and this is close to home!
What was most moving though was, it was event that despite 2000 delegates having been consulted, overnight the drafting team had taken on board nearly all three constructive suggestions. It felt like a Spirit-led work of God. One bishop from the UK said to me, “that has given me hope for the Anglican Communion”. And the joy is, that they are inviting any who want to, to join them in this movement of the Spirit of God.
There was a final session with more challenges. The General Secretary Peter Jensen is retiring, and Been Kwashi is taking his place – which is exciting news for us at Cheadle, because if plans don’t get changed because of these new responsibilities, he is due to visit us in November. You will not want to miss that one! And the other new appointment was that Foley Beach, the primate of the ACNA is to be the new chairman of the Primates council, which is a clear recognition that GAFCON sees them as faithful Anglicans, even though they are not formally recognised by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Neither is the new province of Brazil that our old friend Miguel Uchoa had just been appointed archbishop of.
I don’t know how the press will report this last week, out which sound bites they will pass on, but for me, once again, this he felt like a taste of revival. Most days the prayer and praise had brought a year to my eyes, with the joy and the power of the event. Every day has been a joy in building new friendships and facing new challenges. And the glory had been that amidst radical diversity of cultures and churches, of worship styles and liturgies, there had been a profound unity in a commitment to the authoritative truth of God’s Word, a passionate enthusiasm for sharing the gospel and a sacrificial commitment to God’s service. It is what the Anglican church should be in the UK, of we repent of our reluctance to stand up for Christ and his truth. It’s what it could be in the UK because it is what it is in the GAFCON fellowship. That is what to work for, pray for and belong to, or else we may just miss the most significant movement of the Spirit of God in our lifetime! I for one don’t want us to miss it!
Finally, what do you do after a conference like that? I went to stand on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended to the throne of God as King of kings and Lord of lords – praying for his kingdom to come on earth as in heaven. And then to descend to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem and wrestled in prayer to fulfil his mission of bringing salvation to his world – praying for his heart to touch my heart with a deeper compassion for the list and a greater passion for teaching out to them with His good news. It has always been Gods mission to give us a truth to pass on that saves those who trust him, and where better to recommit to the conference commitment: we will proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations!
As Rector of Cheadle I have the best boss of this and any world, the biggest extended family and the greatest of jobs- to share good news!
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