GAFCON Australasia Conference Opens with Announcement of New Diocese
by David Ould:
The GAFCON Australasia Conference has opened in Canberra with over 350 delegates gathering together from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
In his opening keynote address on the first evening the chair of GAFCON Australia, Bishop Richard Condie, announced the formation of a new Diocese of the Southern Cross. Speaking to a packed room, Condie reminded those present that GAFCON Australia had originally been set up as a “break glass in case of emergency” organisation. The emergency, he stressed, had now come:
This walking away from the scriptures and the ridiculing of those who uphold them as we have seen in some presidential addresses by bishops in Australian Synods this year, IS the crisis, it IS the emergency to which we must respond.
He went on to describe the emergency facing the Anglican Church of Australia as brought about by the existence of two gospels, one of which was no gospel at all. In response GAFCON Australia has been working towards 4 goals:
- Develop and promote a national strategy to reach Australia through healthy faithful biblical orthodox Anglican churches.
- Promote reform and repentance within the Anglican Church of Australia.
- Support and strengthen healthy faithful biblical orthodox Anglican churches throughout Australia.
- Enable the Diocese of the Southern Cross to be fully formed within 2-years.
That diocese has now been formed. Condie then addressed the question of leadership: