Thread by @bjgingerich

Some great stuff in the Presiding Bishop's report at #RECGC56. A couple of highlights:

1. Unification of Theological Education, one of the hopes being that students at all 3 REC seminaries could benefit from an accredited degree from RES

2. new Deaconness handbook, especially considering the number of women who've joined or are postulants for this ancient lay order

3. Continued commitment to the protection of children through policy and procedures

4. Bishops Resolution Opposing the Conscription of Women in the Military (pretty self-explanatory, but a big deal considering developments going about at the Pentagon and the US gov. more generally)

5. Commitment to our mission to evangelize and spread the kingdom of God through planting AND effective ministry in current/established parishes

6. "I call upon our parishes to strengthen all their catechetical and educational programs. Our world is Biblically illiterate. Even many in the church do not know the Scriptures."

This includes both Bible studies/classes of all sorts AND parochial schools: "The pandemic has created a great moment of opportunity for Christian education. Many public-school systems have alienated Christian and non-Christian families by their approach to the pandemic.

Then, there is even the more serious problem of how the public-school systems have now turned to indoctrinating our children with secular, and even sexual and pagan world views antithetical to the Christian Faith.

I encourage you to talk to our important Anglican School Association or the clergy and laity in parishes that have schools. What they have discovered is, “If you teach their children they will come.”

The school families may not join the parish, but schools transform a parish into a community of new, young families."

7. Also, in-depth biblical analysis of sexual issues and race/ethnicity issues, both cultural-social hot spots. Doctrine of creation and hamartiology important to both (my wording there).

"For my most extensive exhortation, I call upon all of us to respond to encroaching cultural and social worldviews among Scripturally committed churches with a Gospel and Biblical worldview.

All too often when the church attempts to be, “all things to all people that by all means we might save some,” she allows culture to seduce her into introducing secular thinking and concepts that insidiously confuse, confound and even violate foundational Biblical commitments

(1 Corinthians 9:22, ESV). Far too often St. Paul’s statement about becoming all things to win some by finding common ground with the world, fails to heed the apostle’s other statement,

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2)."