New Beginnings Church in Mandurah, Western Australia, is the first church in the new Diocese of the Southern Cross, (formed as a home for conservative Anglicans) to have a woman minister. The Revd Linley MatthewsWant was licensed as pastor by Diocese of the Southern Cross‘ Bishop Glenn Davies on the weekend.
“We are delighted to welcome New Beginnings Church into the Diocese of the Southern Cross. It is the fourth member church and the first on the West Coast,” Michael Kellahan, the executive office of Gafcon Australia, tells The Other Cheek.
MatthewsWant was previously a minister at Church of the Way, a charismatic evangelical Anglican church in Mandurah. The Diocese of the Southern Cross has been clear it will have women rectors (the Anglican word for minister heading a church) from its inception last year. More churches are expected to join, the diocese.
The Gafcon movement is a global family of Anglicans who seek a Bible-based future for their churches. It includes a majority of the world’s Anglicans.
Image: Linley-MatthewsWant and Bishop Glenn Davies
I like a woman mi ist er- at last!
What I do not like in view of what Jesus says about unity, is that the Anglican Church has split, when I cannot see a reason why.
Anglicans choose what they follow of Jesus commands. It saddens me so much!
Any Gafcon movement in Adelaide?
My assumption is that the role of being a safe place for (evangelical) conservatives is taken up by the Trinity network.
I suspect John is right in regards to new church plants in Adelaide. I would anticipate any/most new church plants would go with Holy Trinity. Of course it’s possible that Holy Trinity could choose to switch affiliation from the Diocese of Adelaide to Southern Cross.
I would expect the Archbishop of Adelaide to be on his best behaviour at the moment.
Paul Harrington was pretty critical of the Adelaide Archbishops when he spoke to me last year.
https://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/ambition-harrington
I am informed there is tension between Trinity and the diocese over assessments (church tax)