Pentecost is a good time for a little perspective on the GAFCON Synod’s decision to formally separate itself from the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England. I have been warning against liberalism and regressive “progressivism” since Canada’s bishops failed to defend the Faith and decided to accommodate the Church to the culture in the 60’s. This was the opposite of “proclaiming the Faith” to the culture. I was not of, but with the Anglican Network In Canada priests at Myrtle Beach in the U.S. when the African Primates (bishops) came to support the formation of the Anglican Church of North America, and again in Burnaby, B.C. when they received their new licences.Fast forward 20 years to London and a completely dead service in the Guards Chaple with about 80 people in the room. I was the youngest man present. The following Sunday at Holy Trinity Brompton, a New Wine (Alpha Course) Anglican church. We arrived on time and were seated in the back row of a full 500 seat church for a Holly Spirit drenched service. I was the oldest person in the room. My wife went for healing ministry and was given a prophecy. Behind me were 2 studio size TV cameras beaming the service to 2 satellite churches – another 1,000 people.
The division in the Anglican Church is not just about the ordination of women or blessing of same-sex unions. The Christian church began as a small community of men and women who had seen, or experienced Jesus’ walking into a town, healing those who were physically sick, casting out demons and give a teaching. Healing and deliverance ministry has been almost lost, and this has weakened churches in our time.
At Pentecost we celebrate the pouring out of Holy Spirit power and gifts on all believers. Believers are baptized into a spiritual union with Jesus. The Anglican division is over the gradual liberalism, intellectualism and politicization of Christian faith and worship over the centuries. There has always been conflict in the Church. Jesus warned “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12;51-52) All Christians have different experiences of the divine. Those who have not experienced divine forgiveness, the Holy Spirit or gifts of the Spirit have a different understanding. They cannot understand the reality of spiritual evil and the spiritual battle going on all around them in the supernatural dimension. Debate is futile.
Holy Spirit cannot be in an unholy person or church. My mentor the late John L. Sandford, taught me how legalistic things are in the supernatural dimension and how corporate sin, rebellion against divine holy rule can pollute a believer, church or organization. Christians and churches without Holy Spirit have lost their spiritual power to heal, receive words of knowledge and the gift of spiritual discernment.
J. Gresham Machin’s classic defence of orthodox Christianity, Christianity and Liberalism (1923) explains how vague liberal theological ideas, projected to their conclusion would result in a religion the opposite of Christianity. He was fired as Professor of New Testament at Princeton for questioning the liberalizing of Christian theology. In Recovering Truth, Freedom, and Democracy I show that projecting the implications of intellectualizing and liberalizing the Apostles Creed ultimately results in a religion that is the opposite of the Apostles Creed – and Christianity. This is apostacy, meaning the church is no longer Christian. Which is where the Global Anglican Fellowship thinks the Anglican churches in communion with Canterbury have been heading for 20 years.
This is why there is no point in calls for theological compromise and unity. We have had different experiences of the divine. We need to face reality, accept diversity and try and work together in practical ways. I find it helpful to see this as part of the lost divine process of creation where evolution (progressivism) leads naturally to small positive or negative changes. Over time those with the positive or more fit changes thrive, grow and are passed on the improvement. Those with the less fit changes do not thrive and eventually die out. The wonder of this process is that creation continues to become ever more perfect as a sign of God’s glory. We can already see this in England and America where the more Holy Spirit led New Wine (Alpha) churches and Anglican Church of North America are growing and thriving. The liberal / progressive Anglican churches are generally in decline. The good news s that God loves us enough to let us walk away and is always watching to see us “a long way off” like the Prodigal son coming home.
