2016 Editorial Articles

Dec 30, 2016 by

Review of 2016: a selection of Editorial articles from Anglican Mainstream.

by Andrew Symes.

A very happy New Year to all our readers. As we head into 2017, may this year see the strengthening of prophetic Christian witness,  and the development of a faithful Church which seeks to think correctly, act lovingly and speak courageously, against the grain if necessary.

Here are some pieces written for Anglican Mainstream over the past year, grouped in categories according to topics and issues.

The global Anglican Communion, the C of E and GAFCON

Canterbury Primates meeting: ‘good disagreement’ and a potential future. [Some predictions before the meeting took place in January 2016].

Crisis in the Anglican Communion: recent history and potential outcomes. [A  brief outline of the causes of the global divisions in the church].

‘Primates reaffirm teaching on marriage’ – encouragements and concerns. [Assessment of the Canterbury Primates meeting – good and bad news.]

The Anglican Communion and GAFCON according to Peter Jensen. [GAFCON General Secretary’s take on the ACC Lusaka meeting, and mission in general.]

Where do we find ‘Anglican Communion’? [Is there a model for biblical fellowship when the C of E leadership appears increasingly compromised by heterodox teaching?]

Anglican divisions harden despite talk of unity. [Shared conversations at the July Synod, compromises in Canada, and the hope provided by GAFCON.]

 Unity, truth and courage in Cairo and Paris: direction for the C of E faithful? [United witness of GAFCON and Global South; La Manif Pour Tous.]


Culture, Gospel and Mission

True Anglicanism: Gospel proclamation, compassionate care, cultural leadership

A call to cultural leadership [a review of the conference on the subject led by Christian Concern].

Understanding and engaging with the culture

“Sowing in tears on the hard ground of the West” – A response to surveys showing rapid decline in churchgoing and faith

“A home group that works”

The basic beliefs which unite confessing Anglicans [the counter-cultural and life-giving teaching of Morning Prayer].

Faced with occupation, does the church resist or collaborate? [The occupation of Jersey in WW2 as a parable for the church in contemporary culture].

New evangelistic course addresses contemporary idolatries [a review of “Life Explored].

The church and its mission: visible and invisible [some key themes from the Letter to the Ephesians].

Gospel, church and nation [Niebuhr’s models for how the church responds to the culture, with examples from different wings of the C of E].

What is good news to the poor? [A response to Bishop Philip North’s critique of the C of E’s failure to make headway in the deprived estates of Britain].


Responses to Revisionism in the C of E

 LGBTI Mission – a vision of the future C of E?

My reflections on participation in regional Shared Conversations

Blessing of same sex marriage by Oxford clergywoman [Cape Town, May 2016].

York Minster and Buddhist prayers contradicting Archbishops’ evangelism initiative

Changing an organisation’s purpose [The nation’s senior midwife and the Bishop of Liverpool are both abusing their position by unilaterally trying to change the purpose of their organization].

Journeys in, or moving away from, grace and truth? [A review of a book of essays edited by Jayne Ozanne].

The C of E: limits to diversity and the inevitability of separation? [When moderate evangelicals call for formal separation between orthodox believers and revisionists, how long can unity be maintained?]

Cathedral, university, media join forces to undermine biblical faith

The open letter from evangelicals to C of E Bishops: a commentary [in October, 88 evangelical leaders signed a strongly worded letter urging the Bishops not to change the C of E’s teaching on sexual ethics].

The ‘just be positive’ message: are we substituting God’s grace with our own? [A common response to what is happening in society and church is to be positive and optimistic, not offering any critique.]

C of E revisionists use the BBC and the South African church to continue campaign [a response to a feature on the ‘Sunday’ programme in early December].


 Sexuality, gender and marriage

‘Our bodies proclaim the Gospel’ – Christopher West’s insightful biblical theology of sex and marriage. [Reports on the Conference in January 2016].

Marriage, and ‘being human’. [A report on a Synod fringe meeting addressed by Michael Nazir-Ali and Edmund Adamus].

Living Out say no to ‘gay cure’ therapies; Core Issues Trust responds. [Should Christians support counselling for people who want to move away from homosexuality?]

“Gender-fluid – God’s purpose in creation? [God created our male and female physical bodies: the new teaching on gender is a Gnostic denial of this].

Science and the Bible. [An eminent Professor claims that science disproves the Bible on sexuality. Is he right?]

Transgender: pastoral and prophetic responses. [Two recent books show different but complementary approaches to the people and the ideas.]

Conference responds to radical cultural shift. [Pansexual humanism is ‘The New Normal”; this event explored what is going on and what concerned folk can do.


 Articles from 2015

Articles from 2014

Revd Andrew Symes

Executive Secretary

Anglican Mainstream

+44 (0) 1865 883388

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