More GAFCON Ethics in Action

Faithful readers will know that I watch little Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney Australia, as closely as I do Bishop Quinine when he’s near the Rectory silverware, and for the same reasons. Consequently this note from a noble Australian blogger which appeared in the comments of an earlier post is especially worthy of everyone’s attention:

In reports from the Standing Committee to the Sydney Diocesan Synod to be held in a few weeks time the following can be found:

The Standing Committee had declared 6 churches to be affiliated with this Church in this Diocese under clause 4(1) of the Ordinance. As at 7 August 2008, each of these declarations remains effective. Details of these affiliations are as follows:

On 11 December 2006 the Standing Committee resolved to affiliate with the following 3 churches:
Northern Lakes Evangelical Church Newcastle Senior Pastor: The Rev Connan O'Shea
Albury Bible Fellowship Riverina Senior Pastor: The Rev Chris Little
The Point Community Church Grafton Senior Minister: The Rev Steve Covetz

On 10 December 2007 the Standing Committee resolved to affiliate with the following 2 churches:
The Lakes Evangelical Church Newcastle Senior Pastor: The Rev David Sheath
Maitland Evangelical Church Newcastle Senior Pastor: The Rev Roger Burgess

On 16 June 2008 the Standing Committee resolved to affiliate with:
Stanthorpe Evangelical Community Church Brisbane Senior Minister: The Rev Neville Heywood

In bold after each “church” is the Diocese in which this “affiliate” is located, and – surprise, surprise – each happens to be somewhere well known for its readiness to stand up to little Pete and his team of thugs relatives. Similarly, those Australian Anglo-Catholic Dioceses who are happily compromising everything their movement holds dear (presbyteral presidency, Catholic tradition, and liturgical sophistication to name just a few) in order to follow Sydney’s instructions in National Synod voting just happen to have avoided the establishment of one of these exciting exercises in sheep-stealing.

To be fair however, at least when the Jensen family and serfs talk about “church planting” they really are starting something new, albeit only in the same sense as introducing ticks or tapeworms into an area represents an increase in bio-diversity. In contrast, The Most Reverend Peter Jasper Akinola, DD (as he likes to be informally addressed) counts his “realigned” North American parishes as successful “missionary plants”. Which could come as a surprise to some of the antebellum Episcopal families of Fairfax Virginia, whom I suspect aren’t used to being considered as the product of anyone’s horticultural endeavors – let alone those of a petty African demi-despot who demands a reduction in the size of his country’s government, but whom from 2002 to 2007 managed to increase the size of his own administrative bureaucracy by at least 34%. Which is a pretty odd way to spend the offertory, even by my standards. Particularly in a country where poverty is endemic. Just imagine what the place would be like if they had homosexuals and women bishops as well?

I’m Father Christian and I teach the Bible.