Chinese Communist Government Cracks Down on Christian Social Media
Communist Chinese Government Cracks Down on Christian Social Media China has continued its crackdown on Christian social media content, with the accounts of churches and Christian ministries removed from social media platform WeChat on 7 June. These include registered...
Barnabas Fund Reports – Latvia recognises Armenian Genocide
Barnabas Fund Reports Latvia recognises Armenian Genocide Latvia has officially recognised as genocide the slaughter of Armenians and other Christians by the Ottoman Empire. The Baltic nation’s parliament, known as the Seima, passed a resolution on 6 May condemning...
Pakistani Christian nurses fear for lives after accusation of “blasphemy”
Pakistani Christian nurses fear for lives after accusation of “blasphemy” 11 May 2021 Three Pakistani Christian nurses fear for their lives after a “blasphemy” accusation against them provoked anger among their Muslim colleagues. Sakina Khurram was accused after...
FEATURED
Archbishop of Canterbury’s Statement on John Smyth
Following a recent meeting with survivors of the abuse carried out by John Smyth QC, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has made the following the statement on 20 May. “I am pleased to have met recently with a group of victims of the horrendous abuse...
Free Church of England Loses Biggest Diocese
Free Church of England Loses Biggest Diocese In another blow to the Free Church of England, the denomination’s South American branch (compromising its most numerous diocese) announced in a press statement that it was leaving due to, “a total lack of confidence in the...
Prudence Dailey: Assisted Suicide?
Assisted Suicide? Prudence Dailey Commentary Assisted suicide is in the news again, with Baroness Meacher’s Assisted Dying Bill having recently been introduced in the House of Lords. I do not doubt that those who advocate for assisted death are genuinely motivated by...
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...
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...
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...
NATIONAL
Presbyterian Church in Ireland Minister Resigns
Presbyterian Church in Ireland Clergyman Resigns Does Not Agree with Denomination’s Stance on Same-Sex Relationships The Revd Ian Carton, of Whitehead Presbyterian Church (PCI) in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland has announced his resignation. It is thought to be that he...
Life Beyond Covid: A Renewed Hope
National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast Goes Local “Life Beyond Covid: A Renewed Hope” Churches are using this year’s National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast (NPPB) as a chance to host constituency breakfasts with their MPs across the country Friday, 25 June. Once...
Sex Matters Wins on Appeal
Sex Matters Wins on Appeal Gender-Critical Beliefs are Worthy of Respect in a Democratic Society In a landmark judgment handed down at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London at 10:30 am, Mr Justice Choudhury overturned an earlier judgment of the Employment Tribunal,...
A House for Aasia Bibi: Barnabas Fund Raising Funds
The Barnabas Fund is raising monies to purchase a home for Aasia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman who spent nearly eight years on death row in that country. “When I was in prison, I never imagined that one day I would be free. At the same time I had my hope in...
PSNI Investigating Four Alleged Hate Crimes
Four street preachers were reported to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for alleged hate crimes. Chief Inspector Barney O’Connor told the Belfast News Letter: “We have received four reports in relation to street preachers in the Banbridge area, which...
Hitchens Criticised for Re-Tweeting Prof. Ferguson
Peter Hitchens, renowned columnist for the Mail on Sunday, has gotten a lot of criticism for continuing to re-tweet a quote from Professor Neil Ferguson that appeared in The Times last Boxing Day. It is well worth your consideration. “Sage—had watched as China...
INTERNATIONAL
Chinese Communist Government Cracks Down on Christian Social Media
Communist Chinese Government Cracks Down on Christian Social Media China has continued its crackdown on Christian social media content, with the accounts of churches and Christian ministries removed from social media platform WeChat on 7 June. These include registered...
Volcanic Eruption in Congo
Volcanic Eruption in Congo Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupted near the city of Goma in Eastern DR Congo on 22 May. A lake of molten lava spilled down its side and flowed towards the city. An immediate needs assessment by the Anglican Diocese of Goma development team...
St Vincent Losses Could Equal Half the Nation’s GDP
The Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Finance for St Vincent & the Grenadines, told the nation’s parliament that the losses due to the eruption of Soufriere volcano could equal half the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and called for a supplementary budget of...
Missionary District to Become Diocese in Kenya
Missionary District to Become Diocese in Kenya The Kisii Area Bishopric in the Diocese of Southern Nyanza, Anglican Church of Kenya, is to become a separate diocese in the new year. The district, located in western Kenya near Lake Victoria, has grown steadily under...
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...
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
Bishop of Burnley Trekking for Fundraising
Bishop of Burnley Trekking for Fundraising The Bishop of Burnley, Rt Revd Philip North, will be pulling on his walking boots this Friday and trekking east to west across the County of Lancashire … raising money towards the reopening of a redundant church hall as a...
Anglicanism Explored: On Predestination
Anglicanism Explored: On Predestination By The Revd Dr Mark Pickles Popular evangelicalism is awash with “Arminianism”. (Arminianism denies the doctrine of predestination claiming that although human beings are sinful they do have the ability to respond to the...
CDM Insurance from Ecclesiastical
CDM Insurance Clergy in the Church of England and Church in Wales can now purchase insurance to insulate them from the expenses associated with charges stemming from a Clergy Disciplinary Measure (CDM). For £25 per year, Ecclesiastical Insurance now offers an...
C of E Church Building Carbon Footprint Figures
Church of England Church Building Carbon Footprint Figures - It is estimated that the total net carbon footprint for the Church of England’s church buildings (based on energy use alone) is around 185,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide...
Bishop of Manchester: Prosecute Faith Leaders for Non-Compliance
Bishop of Manchester: Faith Leaders Should Face Prosecution For Non-Compliance on Government Ban of Gay Conversion Therapy The Bishop of Manchester, The Rt Revd David Walker announced in an self-penned article written for the ViaMedia website and in an interview with...
Bishop of Derby Praying for Fired Chaplain
Bishop of Derby Praying for Fired Chaplain In the aftermath of the firing of Trent College chaplain, The Revd Dr Bernard Randall, over a sermon in which he told students they did not have accept the school’s adoption of teachings contrary to those of the Church of...
DEVOTIONALS
JC Ryle on Sickness
Bishop JC Ryle on Sickness Lord, he whom You love is sick!" John 11:3 The chapter from which this text is taken, is well known to all Bible readers. In life-like description, in touching interest, in sublime simplicity — there is no writing in existence that will bear...
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...
DOCTRINE
Murcott: 12 Infallible Proofs
Murcott Twelve Infallible Proofs Ever since Christ’s Resurrection, the most unlikely tales and feeblest of fables have been propagated in an attempt to fracture the Christian faith. Yet, Acts 1:3 says that Christ showed Himself alive “by many infallible proofs”, being...
Heidelberg Catechism; Lord’s Day 5
Lord’s Day 5 Q & A 12 Q. According to God’s righteous judgment we deserve punishment both now and in eternity: how then can we escape this punishment and return to God’s favour? A. God requires that his justice be satisfied.1 Therefore the...
Thirty-nine Articles of Religion
Thirty-nine Articles of Religion Passing Along the Faith Once Delivered Unto the Saints X. OF FREE-WILL THE condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon...
Comparisons & Contrasts
Comparisons & Contrasts 7: Forbearance & Toleration Toleration has two elements: to disagree with another’s conduct, and yet to be prepared to permit rather than to prohibit it. For instance, before 1689, it was illegal for non-Anglican ministers to preach in public....
Martin Luther’s Parish Announcements for Collection Sunday in Wittenberg
Martin Luther’s Parish Announcements for Collection Sunday in Wittenberg Every Christian minister has his own way of making announcements to his congregation. Martin Luther, the great German reformer theologian, was no different except his manner was more memorable...
“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...
COLUMNIST
Jewel the Obscure: Advice to New Anglican Converts
Advice From Jewel the Obscure to New Anglican Converts I am often asked by those new to Anglicanism how to come to know what authentic Anglicanism is, in light of the confused mess that we see in North America, the UK and other places. I hope this helps. Unlike many...
John Calvin & The Church of England
John Calvin and the Church of England By Chuck Collins His writings and ideas so significantly influenced the Church of England that Anglicanism can be fairly described as not only generally Protestant, but “reformed.” John Calvin died on May 27, 1564, in Geneve,...
Prudence Dailey: Assisted Suicide?
Assisted Suicide? Prudence Dailey Commentary Assisted suicide is in the news again, with Baroness Meacher’s Assisted Dying Bill having recently been introduced in the House of Lords. I do not doubt that those who advocate for assisted death are genuinely motivated by...
The Splendour of the Cross & Gospel of Grace by Revd Dr Mark Pickles
An excerpt from the Revd Pickles book, Gospel-Driven Anglicanism, pages 24-25 “Only against the backdrop of my sinfulness and God’s holiness, do I really see the glory and splendour of the cross and the gospel of grace. Following on from the Confession in the...
That Happy Certainty; Commentary by Robin Ham
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 hand of God at work, not least in shaping us, then sitting down, taking a breather and reflecting upon life is pretty crucial. As...
Pilgrim’s Process by Peter Sanlon
We are all expected to change as we travel to the heavenly city. Many words are used in the Bible to describe the changes that pilgrims experience: sanctification (2 Thes.2:13) and mortification (Rom.8:13) are two. Images are used to give a sense of the change - being...
EDITORIALS
Atheists Seeking Secretary
If you missed the story of Mr Seth Mahiga, you missed an encouraging bit of information. Mr Mahiga hails from Kenya and, was until very recently, an atheist. In fact, he was so committed to atheism that he was Secretary for the group, Atheists in Kenya Society. It...
Editorial – The Creed of Athanasius
Editorial The Creed of Athanasius Christian practice is directly tied to the beliefs of Christians. Biblically faithful belief produces biblically faithful practice. To that end, our Editorial for this edition is the text from the Creed of Athanasius. There is nothing...
Editorial: Church Matters Worthy of Further Notation
Church Matters Worthy of Further Notation Try as we might, we inevitably find ourselves not able to print all the stories that really are worthy of publication. Such a matter is merely the by-product of limitation of space. The ink is willing but the paper is weak. ...
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...
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.
LETTERS
Clarification Needed Over 88 Year Old Ordinand
Sir, Your piece on the ‘Octogenarian Ordinand’ aroused my curiosity, so I went to the Free Church of England website to find out the details. Alas, I have no idea whether the reverend gentleman is the oldest person to have been ordained so I cannot help with the...
Letter to the Editor: The Church of England is Sinking
Dear Sir: For many years I have wondered who has ultimate authority in the Church of England—General Synod or Archbishops. The epidemic has given no answer as both left over-burdened parish priests to keep a ministry alive. Archbishops might be excused for leaving...
Puritans, Cranmer, and Infant Baptism
Dear Sir, If I may add two complementary notes to the very helpful piece on Infant Baptism by Canon Collins: first, the Puritans found no problem with Cranmer’s views on infant Baptism for they understood the theological foundations upon which Cranmer stood and which...
Letter to the Editor: Conversion Therapy: The Wrong Word
Dear Sir, Conversion Therapy: The Wrong Word Dear Sir, With regard to the expression “Conversion Therapy,” it needs to be pointed out that, “conversion” is the wrong word. It should be called “Aversion Therapy,” for that is how it was historically described. This is...
Lettter to the Editor: 88 Year old Ordinand
Dear Sir, Your recent coverage (English Churchman 8079) of affairs in the Free Church of England raised a question for me. It was not about the allegations as reported, but the revelation that the FCE had an octogenarian ordinand. Congratulations to its new presbyter,...
MORE NEWS
John Calvin & The Church of England
John Calvin and the Church of England By Chuck Collins His writings and ideas so significantly influenced the Church of England that Anglicanism can be fairly described as not only generally Protestant, but “reformed.” John Calvin died on May 27, 1564, in Geneve,...
Anglicanism Explored: On Predestination
Anglicanism Explored: On Predestination By The Revd Dr Mark Pickles Popular evangelicalism is awash with “Arminianism”. (Arminianism denies the doctrine of predestination claiming that although human beings are sinful they do have the ability to respond to the...
Chinese Communist Government Cracks Down on Christian Social Media
Communist Chinese Government Cracks Down on Christian Social Media China has continued its crackdown on Christian social media content, with the accounts of churches and Christian ministries removed from social media platform WeChat on 7 June. These include registered...
C of E Church Building Carbon Footprint Figures
Church of England Church Building Carbon Footprint Figures - It is estimated that the total net carbon footprint for the Church of England’s church buildings (based on energy use alone) is around 185,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide...
That Hideous Strength: How the West Was Lost
That Hideous Strength: A Deeper Look at How the West was Lost The Cancer of Cultural Marxism in the Church and the World, and the Gospel of Change Melvin Tinker Darlington: Evangelical Press, 2020 (Expanded edition) (ISBN: 978-1-7839-7294-4, 191pp) Four...
Church of Ireland Standing Committee Opposes NI Abortion Legislation
Church of Ireland Standing Committee Opposes NI Abortion Legislation The Standing Committee of the General Synod, at its meeting (Tuesday, 15th June 2021), approved the following resolution: “The Church of Ireland affirms that every human being is created with...
Volcanic Eruption in Congo
Volcanic Eruption in Congo Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupted near the city of Goma in Eastern DR Congo on 22 May. A lake of molten lava spilled down its side and flowed towards the city. An immediate needs assessment by the Anglican Diocese of Goma development team...
TRENDING
CDM Insurance from Ecclesiastical
CDM Insurance Clergy in the Church of England and Church in Wales can now purchase insurance to insulate them from the expenses associated with charges stemming from a Clergy Disciplinary Measure (CDM). For £25 per year, Ecclesiastical Insurance now offers an...
Church of Scotland and Scottish Episcopal Church OK Saint Andrew Declaration
Church of Scotland and Scottish Episcopal Church Ok Saint Andrew Declaration The Declaration gives formal recognition of the way that both churches have ministered to the whole of Scotland for many years, and how they will continue to work together. It was also backed...
