Thread by @SandmanGrant

Welcome to Day 4, #Gafcon23. Each day the Bible reading has been delivered by memory by an American cathedral Dean! (Couldn’t quite get all of Colossians 3:1-17!)

Archbishop @KanishkaRaffel addresses ‘identity’ in a world where
* identity has been used to divide from the land of his heritage - 🇱🇰- through to the nation that hosts us here - 🇷🇼;
* sexuality & identity have often merged as one, and ‘male & female’ are oppressive to some.

And he asks us: we are many cultures, backgrounds, languages, style or emphasis … how can we be one?

His key verse is Colossians 3:11 - “Christ is all” - and he puts everything else into second place.

“The identity of the church is found in Christ” - not ethnic, cultural, economic, or gender identity (see also Galatians 3:28).

He outlines the passage this way:
1️⃣ The source of identity - vv1-4
2️⃣ The shape of identity - vv5-15
3️⃣ The habits of identity.

1. Col 3:1-4… The source of the church’s identity is in Christ, crucified, risen, hidden but to be revealed. And there is just one command here - setting hearts and minds (v2) on things above.

So Kanishka says: Let Christ be your first thought in the morning and the last thought at night; Christ the motivation of every action, the inspiration of every plan, the counsellor whose advice you seek, his approval all you desire, serving him your joy and contentment!

2. Col 3:5-15 - Christ’s character the shape of our identity. More than I can capture, but Kanishka upholds Lambeth I.10, yet notes we’ve focused on one form of immorality while overlooking sins which may be more common, not least the rivers of tears shed by women abused: repent!

Kanishka also targets greed, slander, lies etc. (vv5-9), as we conduct our ministries, including as we contend for the faith. And he commends the character of Christ: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” And so…

3. Col 3:16-17 - the habits of our identity. Firstly letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (v15). At GAFCON we might be naturally estranged but Christ’s peace means there are no enemies of flesh and blood and if someone makes them your enemy, then you pray for them!

Then, our second habit that must shape our identity is to let the word of Christ *dwell* richly among us (v16). Certainly Anglican theology means we are and must always be people of the word, and he cites Articles 19 & 20.

And lastly thankfulness. It’s in v15, v16 (“gratitude”) and v17! Does gratitude for Christ crucified and risen shape our identity?

We receive a financial report about #Gafcon & its uncertain income. So it seeks to raise a $20M endowment! They are looking for “founders” who will give $10K for each of next three years and a dozen or two stand of the spot to pledge this! Regular donors: gafcon.org/donate

For those at home (or elsewhere) you might pause to pray for a growing number of the Australian contingent who have struggled with colds (& flu?) meaning some are watching the livestream from their hotel bedrooms.

Canon Ashley Null suggests he hasn’t had a new idea for 35 years and we should consider his talk today as a ‘greatest hits’ album. But, he says, it’s good to tell the old story of Jesus and his love again and again!

Null tells the story of John Stott who earned a million dollars of book royalties each year and gave $950K away so developing world pastors could have Bible commentaries while he lived in a 2 room apartment. A godly Christian who said we would spit if we could see his heart.

Christians are tempted to see their neighbours’ sins but to overlook their own. That’s why each day begins with calls to repent ourselves. Not just in daily morning prayer but additional responsive prayers of repentance after the Bible study too.

This reflects Cranmer’s theology and liturgy: all hearts are open to God and so we confess our sins morning and evening. And it’s why his prayers target the heart.

And we are reminded why with this very characteristic Null quote explaining Cranmer’s approach!
(Image courtesy of @WhiteHorseInn)

The serpent switched Eve’s focus from all the good things God supplied to the one thing he’d (rightly) withheld. The same refocus onto discontent occurs today. Then he makes Eve doubt whether God loved her. And we are encouraged to feel cheated today.

So Null sees much of life spent in trying to earn love or prove ourselves. But he reminds us that all of growing up in Kansas he never saw the horse pushing the cart!

Repentance is not a work we do to please God but our response to his alluring by the work of Christ for us!

Only love for God will lead to amendment of life. But does it come from fear, condemnation or shame? No, says Null, we cannot shame our way to righteousness. Only love produces love!

This love was already described: “This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

He draws our attention to the order of the comfortable words in Cranmer’s Communion Service…

“Let God remain the horse and not the cart!”

#Gafcon, grace before repentance. And grace before obedience.

“Only God’s love for sinners inspires sinners to love God more than sin.”

Meet Rev. Antony Dandato of Zimbabwe. He asked me for a copy of Peter Jensen’s new book from @matthiasmedia entrusted to me by Dave Morgan from his sick bed.

I though I better ask him what he was doing and why he wanted the book.

Answer = global gospel fellowship!

Antony was trained in student ministry by Tim Thorburn, a colleague of @rscchin in IFES, helped by @bpfahlert to develop ministry apprenticeships, now serving in Anglican ministry as Principal of a Bible college, & a friend of @EphiasN with whom my friend Dr Joe Radkovic visits!

My afternoon seminar is on biblical ministry in African cultural settings. A few slides from Bishop Alfred Olwa…

Partly for the reasons noted here, there is a struggle for servant leadership, and Bp Olwa suggests Anglican bishops robes can feed into this (& Alfred humbly admits he has a set of the robes)!

He sees great hope in continued and improved biblical preaching!

Now we hear from Rev Berthier Lainirina, serving in Madagascar as a Bible college principal. He comes from a French speaking high church background and came across works translated into French from JC Ryle and John Stott which re-shaped his understanding of Anglicanism!

Some of Berthier’s slides…

Western apologetics not really needed…

Don’t think you can just add Christ to your other gods!

Likewise prosperity theology is a problem in Madagascar!

The challenges keep coming! (Berthier displays impressive theological insight!)

Who is Christ? Is it helpful in Africa to call Christ the ‘chief’?

Berthier started St Patrick’s Theological College teaching 17 students… the context is poverty. Where are the buildings?

He began as the only FT lecturer in many subjects: Doctrine, Acts, Romans, Ephesians etc.! He wonders if a PhD (which he is doing as an accreditation requirement) which leads you into a very narrow expertise is useful in such a context that requires wide-ranging basic expertise.

The college has grown to 50 students, has more than one FT lecturer, and with the help of @AnglicanAidSyd, they are building dormitories for the students. You could give here! anglicanaid.org.au/projects/st-pa…

😮 Astonishingly Bishop Olwa says there are churches in Uganda where the marriage vows “for richer and poorer, in sickness as well as in health” have been edited to remove mention of sickness or poverty as incompatible with prosperity preaching!

I am loathe to report this but African delegates from the floor report instances of people with money getting the better seats at the front of church or a pastor suggesting charging for foot-washing on Maundy Thursday. 😢

An African bishop says biblical teaching is badly needed & thanks @LanghamPartners’ expository training but Westerners don’t understand the culture since no experience of witch doctors & poverty etc. African pastors need to educate members re. union with Christ in his sufferings.

On culture, Berthier notes that Australians often show they love their friends by joking around and stirring them, but in Madagascar if elders around you should be silent. Respect for elders is good but it can be hard to correct what the pastor or the politician says.

Bishop Alfred also wants to keep perspective.
✅Many faithful leaders doing everything possible to promote biblical teaching, including expository!
✅ He affirms a suggestion made for African leaders to share insights & resources among themselves as an avenue for real blessing.

Alfred comments sadly that time available for preaching is getting displaced by other things: notices, finances, (perhaps also singing). I reckon that’s a problem in Western churches too!

I’m so deeply encouraged by the heartfelt honesty of all African speakers in this session. There is a beautiful humble African commitment to an upsurge of biblical preaching and teaching. Hallelujah!

A sneaky pano sneak preview of the #Gafcon23 conference photo forming up!

In the evening session of #gafcon23, Bishop Bill Atwood leads the report from GAFCON, Americas. He begins with a story from 1992 when he talked to ECUSA bishops when evangelicals were still in a majority. They asked his advice…

He said you have Bishop Jack Spong denying creedal truths - you must discipline him or you’ll lose the church. And they did not. He was asked to lead a provincial service with a prayer to God the Mother. It was his last involvement with that province. It’s 30 years of struggle.

And his encouragement to those who are just starting to go through such things: it doesn’t last. You may leave or be forced out, but you’ll find new fellowship (and even fun) in a new structure.

In Mexico Anglican ministry is growing and Pentecostal pastors are being confirmed into the Anglican Church.

Archbishop Tito of Chile - after reporting his country has the best wine and best meat! - he reports church planting and mission-mindedness rather than maintenance with doctrine based on 39 Articles.

Bishop of San Joaquin thanks GAFCON for giving a lifeline when ABC said he could do nothing. They developed ministry to reach out with gospel to millions of immigrants coming from Latin America. They also offer the Anglican immigration initiative to provide legal assistance.

A Hong Kong born ACNA Canada Bishop shares his parish outreach to large numbers of recent Hong Kong immigrants reaching 30 kids, 40 youth and a dozen families with whole families being baptised.

Now on to Craig Roberts on youth 80% or so come to Christ before 18. But a sadly high percentage of our young people fall away with research suggesting top three belief blockers being sexual abuse scandal, hypocrisy of leaders and the idea that religion causes wars.

Craig says top three things local churches can do for youth ministry…
1️⃣ Surround young people with other disciplers beyond Mum and Dad.
2️⃣ Allow your youth to ask
their questions with thoughtful biblical answers.
3️⃣ Get them serving, and not just in mercy but also in word.

Now Archbishop Ben Kwashi, General Secretary of GAFCON leads us in thanksgiving
…for early leaders,
- for Peter Akinola
- for Bob Duncan
- for Henry Orombi
- for Donald Mtetemela
- For Peter Jensen & others.

And for the GAFCON Primates Council

For the Gafcon UK-based trustees, incl. Aussie Laurie Scandrett

For Archbishop Laurent Mbanda for hosting us - setting an example of greeting people at the airport personally in the middle of the night - and his daughter Erica leading the welcome team.

For Bill Atwood.

For the conference musicians, Rwandan music, American music, old hymns.

For the #gafcon23 Conference Team led by Aussie Daniel Willis.

For the Statement Team, going to bed at midnight if not 3am, integrating all the feedback, led by Aussie Bishop Michael Stead.

For the AV Team with Aussies, Nigerians, Rwandans.

More thanks to come tomorrow.

Last night vision of the Kigali Convention Centre… from our accelerating bus on way back to Ubumwe Grande Hotel…

The evening session began and finished with one of my designated funeral hymns, with the last version led acapella by Archbishop Kwashi, but here’s a chorus from earlier. We then sang it in our own mother tongues simultaneously!

That ends the Day 4 tweet thread. It feels like it’s getting longer each day, but I hope it’s giving some of you some encouragement and insight into #GAFCON and biblical global Anglicanism!

@threadreaderapp please unroll!