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St John's Shaughnessy Anglican Church, Vancouver is a community of Christians dedicated to the exposition and teaching of the Word of God, to the spreading of the good news of the Gospel at home and abroad, and to the application of God's purpose in our own lives and families.

 

worldwide Anglicans > GAFCON reflections

Reflections on GAFCON

By Dr. Terry Chang

Having had the privilege to attend the GAFCON 2008 conference in Jerusalem I can reflect on what I have seen, experienced and felt to be part of a very important movement within Anglicanism.

Firstly, we are part of a huge, loving Worldwide Anglican Family. It is akin to a massive family reunion where everyone enjoys coming together, breaking bread together and supporting each other, despite the apparent differences in our geographic backgrounds. It was so re-affirming that the majority of the Anglican Communion (approximately 70%) accepts the bible as a complete, God inspired scriptural work from Genesis to Revelation that we must continuously study to understand in its entirety and not “cherry pick” to match our taste. We received godly erudite teaching daily that help underline the gospel shape of the entire bible.

The complete joy in Jesus exudes from our African brothers and sisters. It was infectious and we want to spread this throughout North America.

It was apparent that God was gathering his people from all continents to the Holy Land. It was God working through the Global South Primates that brought 1,241 people from 35 different countries to come together, study his word and come together in unanimity to contribute to and affirm the Jerusalem Declaration. A conference like GAFCON usually takes years to plan and execute, but it only took 5 months from conception to fruition. It bridged the whole of orthodoxy from Evangelical to Anglo-catholic wings. It focused on what we all believe in and what binds us together, rather than what separates us.

We are all standing firm in the Gospel and the traditional teaching of the scriptures. We remain in the Anglican Communion. We are not breaking away. When introducing ourselves, everyone told us they were praying for the faithful remnant in Canada and New Westminster.

We need to remind ourselves that we are a church with a mission heart and we need to support and expand our mission efforts both locally within our city and country as well as abroad. It was abundantly clear that the African churches have taken this to heart and so should the Canadian churches. We should all prayerfully consider how we can contribute our time, talent and treasure to further our mission efforts now and going forward.

By Manya Egerton

I would sum up my impression of GAFCON in one sentence– “It was about people, not programs, people who were waiting on the Lord”. Now, that’s not to say there weren’t wonderful scheduled programs; times of worship led by Ugandans, Nigerians, Asians and Argentinians – with extraordinary congregational singing (and yes, dancing), expository sermons by many fine preachers including David Short, and talks on a wide range of subjects.

But everyone, bishops, clergy and laypeople together, met twice a day in small discussion/prayer groups. Our fellowship as followers of Jesus was truly remarkable! In those groups, we shared quite openly about our life as Anglicans in very different parts of the world. For instance a Nigerian lay leader in my small group said. “We evangelize well in Nigeria, but we need more discipleship, more going deeper in Jesus”. The wife of a Kenyan bishop asked that we pray about the tribal conflict that has divided their church. Two members of the Ugandan band (which led us in music each morning) who were in my small group, talked about the ways they are using new music (“because our music isn’t as exciting as it is in Nigeria”, they said) to keep young Ugandan Anglicans in church. I learned that the East African Revival which started in the 1940’s is ongoing and bringing great blessing to the Anglican Church. I was moved by stories of extraordinary courage and sacrifice in the face of the medical challenges of AID’s and with the ever growing spiritual challenge of Islam.

But the small groups, wonderful as they were, were not the only place of blessing. Every single meal was, and I do not exaggerate, a taste of the fellowship of heaven! At mealtime, I met (and in many instances prayed with) a priest from Melbourne (yes, that’s Australia), from New Zealand and Ireland, three missionary bishops to Muslim Northern Nigeria and one to the Congo, several bishop’s wives responsible for the care of all AID’s orphans in their diocese, the bishop of Bolivia, Jim and Amber Salladin’s former rector, and the coordinators of Living Waters in England…to name only a few. And every time I said that I was from “New Westminster”, they would say “Ah, we have been praying for you”.

The 1,200 people who attended GAFCON, a few of whom I was privileged to meet, are only a small part of a faithful Anglican family spread around the world. This is a family that depends on God, convinced that He is able to do what He has promised. It is my hope and prayer that we will grow closer to this family in the months and years ahead. Then you will be blessed just as I was!