In a dramatic moment during a Gafcon conference session seeking input to the communique that will be issued as we leave on Friday, a delegate from Uganda suggested that Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) should “speak one language.”
The room, full of the clergy and lay delegates, erupted in loud applause and cheers.
After a break,, a suggested summary list was put up on the big screens around the Kigali Conference Centre. The Gafcon GSFA issue was not on it.
But then the chair, Tasmania’s Bishop Richard Condie, assured the meeting that he would undertake the message to the Primates and ensure it would be heard.
A panel raised a wide range of concerns that Gafcon could take up.
A Nigerian spoke of the effect of kidnapping, which, apart from the evil of kidnapping itself, has caused issues such migration to the cities. A person from a country we won’t name described missionary work in an Islamic nation called for recognition and support. Respect for the authority of Scripture was a key theme. It became clear that Gafcon is not a single issue group. “we need to stand against ALL evil being done to the body of Christ.
Later a Survey Monkey survey was sent to delegates with a draft conference statement. The Other Cheek will report the final version. This was the day for delegates to provide input for the final statement from the conference. There will be a draft statement out Wednesday afternoon Kigali time.
In the Morning session, Bishop Keith Sinclair from England finished his speach in tears. He detailed the habit of the church of england saying contradictory statements. “Rather than face this fundamental disagreement and the implications for fellowship, mission, discipline and so on, the differences are simply described as if both are possible in some hope that we can keep together in an institution that has got some shared history but no common mind,” he said.
This was a speech from a man holding on to a hope that evangelicals can maintain a place in the Church of England. He expressed sadness “The church which God used to bring the gospel to so many parts of the world because of her faith in that scriptural revelation, now seems to have succumbed to the very cultural captivity it appealed to so many to renounce.”
And then expressed a caveat, that the process in England is not over. But note that the bishop uses the word “formally:” “Formally it remains to be seen how the [English}bishops will respond to what has been said globally and in England.”
Sinclair used a phrase, almost slogan that expressed his desire: “A Reformed, Renewed, Re-ordered Anglican Communion.” It’s not in the official release of his speech. it just came out spontaneously in front of the conference – The Other Cheek understands other leaders have been heard saying it: maybe it came out of a bishop’s meeting.
With a few exceptions, the English delegates here don’t want a strong statement from Gafcon about their situation that could cause their Bishops to be less generous to them. They come across to The Other Cheek as shell-shocked, and who can blame them.
An alternate response came from the Archbishop of Uganda Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu who has called on the Archbishop of Canterbury to repent in a heart of gafcon interview, The Other Cheek story with the video is here. The mood of the conference clearly backs the Archbishop of Uganda.
Image: the Nigerian, UK and Australian team that makes the Heart of Gafcon vodcast work
The significant moment of day 3 – the James Wong interview
Today’s livestreams,
The first screen will show today’s livestream which started at 3pm Eastern Australia Timetime. And then start again around 6pm Eastern Australia Time
The second screen will show the main morning conference session which starts at 5pm Eastern Australia Time