A turning point in the history of Anglicanism
by Edward Loane, Sydney Anglicans:
Almost 1700 years ago, on 20 June 325AD, 318 bishops concluded a very significant meeting. They had gathered in Nicaea because errors had arisen in the church which were so profound that they undermined the very foundation of the Christian message. Those bishops renounced the heresies and upheld orthodox Christian doctrine which had been revealed by God through the Scriptures. On 22 June 2018, 316 bishops (along with 669 other clergy and 965 laity), concluded another very significant meeting. They gathered in Jerusalem because errors have arisen in the church which were so profound that they undermined the very foundation of the Christian message. Those delegates renounced the heresies and upheld orthodox Christian doctrine which had been revealed by God through the Scriptures. Those in Jerusalem were gathered from around the Anglican communion and represented the majority of that fellowship. But as this was the third GAFCON that has been held, a justifiable question is whether this conference will make any lasting difference in the way the conference at Nicaea did?
In order to answer that question, it is worth understanding the context in which this movement has arisen. The Anglican communion is a global fellowship of churches that shares a common heritage with the Church of England. Ministers and missionaries went out from England to proclaim the gospel and they established churches around the world according to the biblical doctrine and liturgy which was the bedrock of the English church. As the number of churches that shared this heritage increased, means were sought to demonstrate the fellowship of shared history, doctrine and mission. Four Instruments of Communion were established to facilitate fellowship. The Archbishop of Canterbury, by leading the most ancient diocese in England (est. 597AD), was privileged to be charged with facilitating fellowship.
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