Barnabas Report of Persecution & Kidnapping from Kaduna State, Nigeria
Two Christian women were among five students murdered by kidnappers following their abduction from a university in Kaduna State, Nigeria on 20 April. The bodies of Precious Nwakacha and Dorathy Yohanna were discovered on 22 April alongside the remains of fellow...
Eritrean authorities release all but one of 23 Christians arrested at prayer meeting
13 April 2021 Authorities in Eritrea released on Sunday 11 April all but one of 23 Christians arrested at a prayer meeting in the capital Asmara towards the end of March. Eritrean church leader Dr Berhane Asmelash said they do not yet know why the Christian man was...
EMERGENCY in Mozambique – ePap for Christian Victims
The savage violence of Islamist militants in northern Mozambique is driving the local population from their homes in terror – and Christians are one of their main targets. Beheading, skinning and cutting off the limbs of their victims are the group’s typical methods....
FEATURED
Free Church of England Congregation Leaves After Actions of Bishops
The Church Council & Trustees of Emmanuel Anglican Church (FCE), Tunbridge Wells have unanimously voted to leave the denomination after actions by Bishop Primus (Presiding Bishop) John Fenwick and Bishop Paul Hunt have gone unanswered. The parish was a recent...
Peter Hitchens on the Intelligibility of Worship with the BCP
Peter Hitchens on the Intelligibility of Worship with the BCP In the last edition, we featured an interview with Peter Hitchens. This is a follow-up. As always, Hitchens responds as an informed layman in a modern world all the while holding forth to an...
FCE Primus Accused of Blackmail & Racism
Free Church of England Bishop Primus, The Rt Revd John Fenwick has been accused of attempted blackmail and racism in a growing public dispute within the denomination. The FCE left the Church of England in 1844 and linked with the Reformed Episcopal Church in the US...
Original Sin is the fundamental systematic cause of abuse
Original Sin is the Fundamental Systematic Cause of Abuse The Christian world has recently been shaken by revelations that two high-profile Evangelical leaders—the late Ravi Zacharias, founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries; and, closer to home, the Revd...
Letters To The Editor – Graham
Dear Sir, The organisers of an evangelistic event in which Franklin Graham preached have won a legal dispute with Blackpool Council. The Lancashire Festival of Hope took place over three days at Blackpool's Winter Gardens in September 2018, which saw hundreds make...
Coalition of NI Pro-Life Groups
A coalition of Northern Ireland pro-life groups have jointly called for pro-life MLAs to walk away from Stormont until Westminster allows the Northern Ireland Assembly to determine abortion law in the Province. They issued the following statement. “We reject outright...
Church of Ireland Bishops Decry Violence Over Easter Weekend
Four Church of Ireland bishops issued a statement on Easter Monday after violent protests took place over the weekend in Carrickfergus, Newtonabbey, and Londonderry. The bishops wrote: “The violence which has been happening in parts of Northern Ireland over the past...
NATIONAL
Skrine Instituted as Rector of All Souls’
The Revd Charles Walter Douglas Skrine was instituted as Rector of All Souls’, Langham Place on Wednesday, 28 April. His predecessor was The Revd Hugh Palmer. Palmer had been rector of the parish since 2005 and Chaplain to HM The Queen since 2012. Skrine had been the...
Anglican Futures Asks the Question
Quantity or Quality? The question has been asked in the Anglican Futures blog dated 04/02/2021, ‘How many churches does the Church of England actually need (and where)?’ I want to argue the issue in the Church of England is less the number of churches and more the...
Prudence Dailey Commentary
The General Synod of the Church of England, at its most recent meeting (held via Zoom), debated among other things a motion on international religious freedom, affirming the importance of freedom of religion and belief, and recognising the duty of Christians to defend...
Bishop of Maidstone’s Pastoral Response to the Fletcher Report
Bishop of Maidstone, the Rt Revd Rod Thomas has released his pastoral response to the Thirtyone:8 Report regarding Jonathan Fletcher. The response was sent privately to the parishes under the bishop’s care and has since been made available for public dissemination. It...
Protestant Truth Society Expresses Outrage at Pastor Sherwood’s Arrest
Mr George Ray, the spokesman for PTS expressed outrage over the arrest of Pastor John Sherwood for engaging in public preaching in Uxbridge. “Christians throughout Britain have expressed outrage at the wrongful arrest of an elderly Christian minister in Uxbridge on...
Oak Hill Returns Two £2,000 Gifts from Fletcher
In 2018 and 2019, Oak Hill College (as part of Kingham Hill Trust) received two gifts of £2,000, sent by Jonathan Fletcher on behalf of the FC Charitable Trust of which he was then a trustee. Subsequent to the receipt of the 2019 gift, the College’s internal processes...
INTERNATIONAL
Dean of Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham Cites Ongoing Conflict within The Episcopal Church.
The Very Revd Andrew Pearson, Dean and Rector of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama has resigned. The large, downtown parish has long been a bulwark against an increasing departure from biblical standards within the Episcopal Church, USA....
US President Joe Biden Acknowledges Armenian Genocide
On 24 April, US President Joe Biden became the first leader of his country to call the murder of 1,500,000 Armenians under the Ottoman Turkish Empire a genocide. The acknowledgement followed on a similar move by the Dutch parliament a few weeks ago. Between 1915 and...
St Vincent & the Grenadines Information for Financial Aid
Bishop Leopold Friday sent the following information to enable those with the ability to assist in the financial relief effort in the aftermath of the eruption of La Soufriere Volcano on St Vincent. Additionally, the Diocese of St Alban’s is collecting funds to assist...
Appeal from the Bishop of the Windward Islands
Appeal from the Bishop of the Windward Islands Re- Explosive Eruption of La Soufriere Volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 14th April, 2021 Late December, 2020 the La Soufriere Volcano in St. Vincent began to have some effusive eruptions and a dome...
Bishop Love Moves to Anglican Church in North America
Former Bishop of the Diocese of Albany in the Episcopal Church USA, The Rt Revd William Love, was announced as the new Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of the Living Word, Anglican Church of North America by The Rt Revd Julian Dobbs. Dobbs is the bishop ordinary for...
Dutch Correspondent – April 2021
The Reformed Daily has her Fiftieth Anniversary In 1966 five men came together. They wanted to commence a Reformed newspaper. Media were critical about the conservative part of the nation and even Christian newspapers were losing their Christian identity. It seemed...
REVIEWS
When a nation prays
Pastor Peter Simpson Minister of Penn Free Methodist Church www.realchristianity.org or jacqui.langston@btinternet.com 2021 156 (including references) pbk £6:75 or £18:25 for 3 copies (both prices include p&p) World War Two has been examined from almost...
Bibliophiles Rejoice for Choice
Bibliophiles, lovers of books and particularly those who prefer well-bound leather bibles can rejoice for the choices they have at the moment. If you do not own one and think to do so is an occasion for sin…look the other way. There are three companies currently...
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer, International
Book Review The 1662 Book of Common Prayer International Edition Given that the vast majority of 110 million Anglican Christians around belong to provinces that identify the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as their standard liturgy, it is no surprise that a publisher has...
Against The Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel In An Age Of Relativism
Against The Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel In An Age Of Relativism John C Lennox Monarch Books, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-85721-621-2 The Book of Daniel gains barely a mention in the Revised Common Lectionary, but arguably there is not a book of Scripture that is more...
What does the Bible teach about LUST?
What does the Bible teach about LUST? Owen Strachan & Gavin Peacock Christian Focus Hardback ISBN: 9781527104761 Available from Evangelical Bookshop, Belfast There are 4 chapters which follow a simple outline: People are Struggling (1); Lust is sinful (2);...
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro Plants 400 Churches Since 2012
In an era where most Western Anglican provinces are declining, the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania reports that it has planted 400 churches since 2012. In a presentation for GAFCON, The Rt Revd Stanley Hotay described the fast growing diocese in the shadow...
One and a Half Million Watch Archbishop of Canterbury’s Easter Service
One and a Half Million Watch Archbishop of Canterbury’s Easter Service Various news sources have estimated one and a half million people watched this year’s Easter Service conducted by the Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. The figures include all...
Archbishop of Canterbury Refuses Offer of Resignation
In the wake of the Thirtyone:8 report on Jonathan Fletcher, the Bishop of Maidstone, the Rt Revd Rod Thomas, offered the Archbishop of Canterbury his resignation. Fletcher’s old parish, Emmanuel Wimbledon, is a Trustee parish that holds to a complementarian position...
Lords Question Progress on Clergy Visas for Diocese of Europe
Lords Question Progress on Clergy Visas for Diocese of Europe On Tuesday 13 April, the matter of securing visas allowing clergy with UK citizenship to serve or reside in EU countries post-Brexit was brought forward during questioning by the Bishop of Leeds, Nick...
College Chapel Attendance Figures
College Chapel Attendance Figures The latest figures for college chapel attendance are from 2018. The full report can be found online at: www.churchofengland.org. 54 college chapels were invited to take part in the 2018 Chapel survey. 40 completed the survey giving...
Bishop of Penrith Appointed Bishop to the Archbishops
Bishop of Penrith Appointed Bishop to the Archbishops In a novel move, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have appointed the Bishop of Penrith as their personal bishop. The Rt Revd Dr Emma Ineson will commence her new role on 1 June. The archbishops have...
DEVOTIONALS
Heidelberg Catechism
Lord’s Day 4 Q & A 9 Q. But doesn’t God do us an injustice by requiring in his law what we are unable to do? A. No, God created human beings with the ability to keep the law.1 They, however, provoked by the devil,2 in willful disobedience,3 robbed themselves and all...
BCP Lectionary
9 May 2021 The Sixth Sunday of Easter Psalm 68:1-8 Joel 2:21-26 James 1:22 — end John 16:23 — end Collect “O Lord, from whom all good things do come: Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy...
LARGELY UNKNOWN
1: Tychicus – Totally Reliable “All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:7) Tychicus is described as a “beloved brother”. Paul wrote similarly in Ephesians 6:21:...
BCP Worship
The Second Sunday after Easter 11 April 2021 Psalm 81:1-4Ezekiel 37:1-101 John 5:4-12John 20:19-23 BCP Collect “Almighty Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification: Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice...
Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 3
Q & A 6 Q. Did God create people so wicked and perverse? A. No. God created them good (1) and in his own image,(2) that is, in true righteousness and holiness, (3) so that they might truly know God their creator, (4) love him with all their heart, and live with God in...
Comparisons & Contrasts
4: Bible Study & Meditation We often speak of Bible study; but less about its meditation? We might draw these comparisons: - Bible Study – informs the mind by acquiring knowledge. It enlightens it for what needs to be known. Meditation motivates the mind, by...
DOCTRINE
“Of Your Charity Would You Speak Up?”
The Very Revd Leander Harding, Dean of All Saints Cathedral, Diocese of Albany wrote the following piece. He has been ordained for over 40 years and has been a voice of attempted reason through many of the upheavals in The Episcopal Church. People on this side of the...
John Jewel & Schism
By Chuck Collins JOHN JEWEL is one of the most important and least know theologians in the Church of England. His contributions to Anglican thinking cannot be overestimated: alongside, in importance, the liturgy of Thomas Cranmer, the rigorous theological reflections...
That Happy Certainty — by Robin Ham
When was the last time you gave some thought to what trajectories your ministry practice is setting? Someone challenged me on this recently, and I found it a helpful way to really make me think hard about the patterns of life and ministry that are – whether I like it...
Book of Homilies Modern Language: Against Contention
During Lent, The Revd Dr Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society offered modern language versions of selections from the Book of Homilies. In an earlier edition of the English Churchman, we read the second portion of that sermon Against Contention and Brawling. What...
He Will Burn Up the Chaff with Unquenchable Fire
Bishop JC RyleHe Will Burn Up the Chaff with Unquenchable Fire In 1878, two years before he was made the first Bishop of Liverpool, The Revd JC Ryle delivered a sermon on the biblical teaching regarding the doctrine of hell. His words are as pertinent today as they...
William Hunter Transubstantiation
Written By Chuck Collins Nineteen-year old apprentice silk weaver, William Hunter, was caught and arrested for reading the Bible by himself in a local chapel (Foxe’s Book of Martyrs). The Roman Catholic magistrate decided to make an example of him by making him...
COLUMNIST
Pilgrim’s Process By Peter Sanlon
We don't make our pilgrimage through life alone. Companions include books that have proven their value to other pilgrims. One which I read annually, is 'True Spirituality' (TS) by Francis Schaeffer. Schaeffer was an evangelist, pastor and apologist - pioneering ways...
That Happy Certainty – Robin Ham
That Happy Certainty By the Revd Robin Ham "We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience" Part of the reason I blog is to reflect. Life happens, and sometimes it happens pretty fast. If we’re to learn and to grow and to see the...
Pilgrim’s Process
By The Revd Peter Sanlon We need reliable information to keep us on the right path to heaven. For this we have the Bible. But our use of the Bible is less than what it needs to be, if all we get from it is accurate information. We must so handle God's Word that it...
Prudence Dailey: Commentary
Prudence Dailey: Commentary In Defence of Christendom ‘Of course, none of us would want to see the return of Christendom’. These words were spoken some years ago by a bishop during a General Synod debate: I cannot now remember exactly who said them, nor the subject...
Anglican Futures Asks the Question?
Anglican Futures Asks the Question? How many churches does the Church of England actually need (and where)? A Provocation. However accurate or inaccurate reports at the weekend were, they have rightly stimulated a debate about the future size of the Church of England:...
Pilgrim’s Process
By The Revd Dr Peter Sanlon In our journey to heaven we are to be thankful for the world we pass through. One of the great prayers of the Book of Common Prayer (there are many!) is the General Thanksgiving. In it we pray, 'We bless thee for our creation, preservation...
EDITORIALS
It’s All About the Grace of Jesus
In the 7 weeks of the Christianity Explored course, there are two weeks that seem to elicit a negative reaction from at least one person in most classes. You might ask which biblical topics would cause someone a problem (they are sin and grace) especially, if you...
Corrections April 2021
In EC8075 we erroneously reported that the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) comes under the authority of the Anglican Church in North America. It is under the authority of the GAFCON Primates’ Council.
Freedoms Assailed
One of the most concerning aspects of all the Covid restrictions is the way police, politicians, and governments have acquiesced so readily regarding the restrictions being placed and enforced on freedom of speech and worship in majority Christian nations—even in a...
Invariably Constant
Invariably Constant Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Before that French epigram became part of the English lexicon, we had the divinely-inspired proverb in the Hebrew Scriptures: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is...
Editorial Nine Commandments Christianity
When was the last time you thought about the Ten Commandments? Can you recite them? If challenged, could you place them in order without assistance? It used to be that most people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean were very familiar with them. In Anglican...
Editorial -Times Are Confusing Enough
Times Are Confusing Enough We live in perplexing times. However, we are consistently taught in the Scriptures that this is the norm rather than the exception for us as Christians. Against the turbulence of the world, we are taught not to despair because God does not...
LETTERS
Britain’s National Portrait Gallery
Dear Sir, In Britain's National Portrait Gallery there is an 1863 painting by Thomas Jones Parker. It shows a humble Queen Victoria in a Windsor Castle audience chamber presenting a Bible to an African Ambassador with her husband, Prince Albert and Britain's Prime...
Protestant Eschatology
Dear Sir, Regarding the letter by Mr. Parsons [EC 8078] and his plea for a Protestant Eschatology, I’m a little unsure what he means by a protestant view. If he is looking for a modern protestant view of eschatology with overall commonalities shared by Evangelicals...
‘Lockdowns’
30 April 2021 During the 3 'Lockdowns' over the past year preachers who minister the Gospel in the open air have continued to be stopped from fulfilling their ministry to the public. For example in the past 5 weeks alone we have noticed: On Saturday 20 March 2021 two...
Dear Sir _ Letter to Editor
Dear Sir It would be good to see some experienced Protestant ministers explaining Biblical truth regarding 'the end times'. How vital this is, when so many 'otherwise mature Christians' are drifting into the false teaching that 'the Antichrist' and presumably 'the...
Letters To The Editor – Graham
Dear Sir, The organisers of an evangelistic event in which Franklin Graham preached have won a legal dispute with Blackpool Council. The Lancashire Festival of Hope took place over three days at Blackpool's Winter Gardens in September 2018, which saw hundreds make...
MORE NEWS
Heidelberg Catechism
Lord’s Day 4 Q & A 9 Q. But doesn’t God do us an injustice by requiring in his law what we are unable to do? A. No, God created human beings with the ability to keep the law.1 They, however, provoked by the devil,2 in willful disobedience,3 robbed themselves and all...
Skrine Instituted as Rector of All Souls’
The Revd Charles Walter Douglas Skrine was instituted as Rector of All Souls’, Langham Place on Wednesday, 28 April. His predecessor was The Revd Hugh Palmer. Palmer had been rector of the parish since 2005 and Chaplain to HM The Queen since 2012. Skrine had been the...
‘Lockdowns’
30 April 2021 During the 3 'Lockdowns' over the past year preachers who minister the Gospel in the open air have continued to be stopped from fulfilling their ministry to the public. For example in the past 5 weeks alone we have noticed: On Saturday 20 March 2021 two...
Britain’s National Portrait Gallery
Dear Sir, In Britain's National Portrait Gallery there is an 1863 painting by Thomas Jones Parker. It shows a humble Queen Victoria in a Windsor Castle audience chamber presenting a Bible to an African Ambassador with her husband, Prince Albert and Britain's Prime...
Barnabas Report of Persecution & Kidnapping from Kaduna State, Nigeria
Two Christian women were among five students murdered by kidnappers following their abduction from a university in Kaduna State, Nigeria on 20 April. The bodies of Precious Nwakacha and Dorathy Yohanna were discovered on 22 April alongside the remains of fellow...
Anglican Futures Asks the Question
Quantity or Quality? The question has been asked in the Anglican Futures blog dated 04/02/2021, ‘How many churches does the Church of England actually need (and where)?’ I want to argue the issue in the Church of England is less the number of churches and more the...
BCP Lectionary
9 May 2021 The Sixth Sunday of Easter Psalm 68:1-8 Joel 2:21-26 James 1:22 — end John 16:23 — end Collect “O Lord, from whom all good things do come: Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy...
TRENDING
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer, International
Book Review The 1662 Book of Common Prayer International Edition Given that the vast majority of 110 million Anglican Christians around belong to provinces that identify the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as their standard liturgy, it is no surprise that a publisher has...
Freedoms Assailed
One of the most concerning aspects of all the Covid restrictions is the way police, politicians, and governments have acquiesced so readily regarding the restrictions being placed and enforced on freedom of speech and worship in majority Christian nations—even in a...
