FCA: United in the Gospel

Afternoon tea at the FCA conference, and time to take stock of all that has been said thus far. A variety of speakers have spoken on the big theme of being faithful. Indeed, we've seen speakers from both evangelical and Anglo-Catholic backgrounds standing together in the faith.

Greg Venables spoke on what GAFCON has achieved and why the FCA is necessary at this point in time. While society says that we cannot be sure of anything any more, Christianity says something very different. Christianity is not a man-made invented religion, but revealed by God through the Lord Jesus and his apostles. He pointed us to Hebrews 2, with the warning that we can drift away from what we have heard and received.

He went on to point out that FCA is not dividing the Church- that has already happened through the actions of the Episcopal Church in the USA as they proceeded against the will of the Anglican Communion to ordain Gene Robinson in 2003. We have not moved from the apostolic gospel once for all entrusted to the saints.

Keith Ackerman displayed his commitment to the gospel and affirmed that we need a Dependence Day, depending wholly on the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. Coming from an Anglo-Catholic position, he called for us to set aside issues of style and come together on the basics of faith. He attacked those who hold to a canonical fundamentalism, elevating canon law to a position above Scripture.

In one of the funniest quotes of the day, he criticised those who seek to change the Trinity to suit their own purposes, by reducing it to mere functionalism, those of Creator, Saviour and Sustainer, as if that was all God was. He said it was like him ringing his parents and saying to his mother "Hi life-giver, is the sperm donor there?"

Other speakers have included Bob Duncan, Peter Jensen, Vaughan Roberts, Vinay Samuel, and Wallace Benn. The afternoon has been taken up with reports of mission, ministry, money, fellowship and oversight in the local situations of the churches in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Later, the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali will preside and preach at a closing Communion service.

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is united in the gospel essentials. This is the resounding message coming from Methodist Central Hall in Westminster. Now to do the work of mission together, standig firm in the faith and being faithful.