Thoughts after GAFCON Tony Payne

John Sandeman21/07/2008 01:43 PM

Tony,
Fulcrum, the “open” evangelical group has critiqued the Gafcon response to the proposed Anglican covenant, saying that the Gafcon team used the wrong document. While I don’t think this affects the main thrust of Gafcon’s rejection of the covenant, does Fulcrum have a point? It would be good for Gafcon to be seen to respond to Fulcrum, I think because it is a group that as you have pointed out elsewhere, will be faced with a choice sooner or later.
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=330

Tony,
What do you mean by “classically Evangelical”? How would you describe the current Bishop of Tasmania?

Mark Thompson21/07/2008 06:40 PM

John,

I think that the comparison of the St Andrews Draft of the covenant was in fact done with another document and not the Nassau Draft. This was an unfortunate error. The St Andrews Draft is not in fact as significantly different from the Nassau Draft as this comparison document suggests.

However, the critique of the St Andrews Draft of the Anglican Covenant stands on its own. I understand it was written independently and prior to the comparison document. On that score I think Andrew Goddard’s attempts at defending the St Andrews Draft are unconvincing.

Hi Marty

I did say that someone would correct me immediately!

What I meant by ‘classically evangelical’ was someone who builds their life and ministry on those elements of evangelical theology that have always characterized it (the five solas of the Reformation are not a bad summary). Another way of saying it is that if a ‘classic evangelical’ were transported back in time by a century, he would still be readily recognized as an evangelical by his forebears.

TP

I was more interested in clarification rather than correction, so thanks!

John Sandeman21/07/2008 10:52 PM

Thank you Mark for that frank response. I think it is helpful for Gafcon to be open about these things and not to resort to PR.

Hi Tony

Thanks for your thought on GAFCON. While reading the material on the GAFCON website during the conference I couldn’t help notice the charismatic flavour of many of the comments, particularly those of the African Bishops. Do you have any thoughts on how you see this impacting the wider Anglican community in the future?

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