ACNA Report Day 3 – Truth and Catechesis

Jun 28, 2014 by

By Andrew Symes:

My concern expressed yesterday – that the clear exposition of Scripture might come second to the brilliant celebrity speakers – was well and truly answered today. The morning Bible teaching focused on the compassion of Jesus on the crowds in Mark 6:34 and Matthew 9:36. Peter Walker (formerly NT lecturer at Wycliffe Hall Oxford) pointed out that Jesus’ compassion for the hungry crowds led him first of all to teach. A major part of Christian compassion is worked out in imparting truth so that people meet Jesus who supplies our needs. Strong voices in the culture try to divert us from this priority. Perhaps they deny the idea of absolute truth and say that any claim to it is an attempt to oppress others. Or maybe they just say that all people need is hugs and food. The challenge to ACNA is to remain counter cultural by continuing to have confidence in Scripture as God’s truth revealing Christ. Like the disciples at the feeding of the 5000, we have nothing to give of ourselves – all we can do is hand out the life giving food which Jesus supplies.

The importance of regular, intentional, systematic teaching of the truth in our churches was underlined by Dr Jim Packer who was given a standing ovation after being introduced by Robert Duncan. It was the first time I had heard the revered theologian whose books helped form the Christian understanding of so many over the years. He famously had his licence to preach in the Church of Canada removed by Bishop Michael Ingham, one of the seismic shocks which brought about the formation of ACNA. Now in his late eighties, Packer was as sprightly as ever as he responded graciously to the standing ovation and delivered his message.

Packer J I

Dr Jim Packer

“I’m here to advocate all age catechesis as necessary for healthy church life”, began Packer, who reminded us that this was normal in the church in the past, but its abandonment has led to today’s crisis of religious individualism. Catechesis can be defined as “instruction that transforms”, a key part of discipling following the exhortation of 2 Timothy 2:2. The regular simple teaching of basic doctrines, often through question and answer method, anchors spirituality, mission and pastoral care in good bible truth and the historic formulations, and nurtures character in Christ. This is not something that is just restricted to clergy doing the teaching and a few keen laity receiving it: learning is for all and teaching can be shared in a team. “We need a catechetical revolution of the 21st century, where this ancient and vital discipline is brought back into the heart of church life.”

Copies of the catechism written recently by Packer and others for the ACNA immediately sold out during the coffee break. The message caused me to reflect on my experience of church in England, and whether every member catechesis of this kind would be tolerated! In places where it can be done it would surely have a powerful effect over many years.

Os Guinness was next on the platform, giving his usual incisive analysis of the failures of modern civilisation, and three things that the Church can try to do in God’s strength: prepare the Global South to understand and face the destructive philosophies that have already overwhelmed the West; win back the West through good apologetics, and contribute to the human future rather than retreat into ghettos. Learning from history and standing firm in the faith once delivered in vital: “When things have been lost we go back first to go forward best.”

Next, in the after lunch slot, was a presentation by Amy Orr Ewing, clergy wife, evangelist and lecturer at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. She recounted amazing experiences of seeing God at work, and took us through some verses from John’s Gospel where key questions from Jesus lead to changed lives.

It seemed to be all Brits today. Even I got an opportunity in a seminar run by the American Anglican Council, a networking and training group similar to Anglican Mainstream whose Director Canon Phil Ashey gave a presentation on Global Anglicanism, explaining how ACNA had come into being after confessing Anglicans in North America were encouraged to form a new ecclesial initiative by the GAFCON primates. I spoke briefly on the state of the Church of England, and then we were privileged to hear comments about GAFCON from Archbishops Eliud Wabukala and Peter Jensen.

In the evening a celebration dinner was followed by moving speeches by retiring Archbishop Bob Duncan who paid tribute to key supporters of his ministry, and then by others in praise of Bob and his wife Nara. During the meal I sat next to a couple who remarkably I had met only a short while before – they had just returned from a mission trip to the Congo where I am due to travel next week. It was extremely helpful for me to hear their experiences and perspective on a country where there has been so much suffering, yet where the church is beginning to thrive. The ACNA has a huge commitment to world mission, not just through GAFCON but through a number of agencies doing relief and development work as well as evangelism. During this conference a number of conversations that have helped my understanding of the North American church but this last one was clearly set up by divine providence.

 

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