“Remaining Faithful” – Evangelical CofE Bishops respond to GAFCON “Letter to the Churches”
by David Ould:
A group of evangelical Church of England bishops have written a detailed response to the GAFCON “Letter to the Churches” issued at GAFCON2018 in Jerusalem.
Their response, published by the Church of England Evangelical Council (“CEEC”), has much which supporters of GAFCON will find encouraging. There are, however, sections that demonstrate the differing positions both between those bishops and GAFCON and between the bishops themselves.
The most contentious paragraph is the following:
8. Most of us did not attend GAFCON 2018. We were grateful for your invitation to do so, but did indicate to you that for many, though not all, evangelical Bishops in the Church of England, the requirement that we sign the Jerusalem Declaration is a sticking point. Some were happy to sign and were able to be with you in Jerusalem. For those of us who can’t sign it, some have a difficulty with affirming Clause 13, particularly in relation to our role within the Church of England. Others operate on the basis that the Church of England’s Declaration of Assent, the Ordinal, and our adherence to scripture, creeds and formularies are sufficient. The Church of England is a reformed catholic Church, and the reason we can in good conscience minister within it is that it stands in that inheritance of faith. There are parishes who sometimes ask us to sign declarations before we visit them; this we have always resisted, and it would set a very difficult precedent for us to accede to your request. You will, we hope, understand our reasons. Perhaps there is room for some accommodation on this issue for those of us who would like to attend future GAFCON events.
Clause 13 of the Jerusalem Declaration states:
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