Generosity!

Church in Wales bunch of bishops  (l to r): St Davids (sick), Llandaff (Ret'd), Swansea & Brecon, Bangor (Abp), Bangor
 (Asst Bp & Bp elect of Llandaff), St Asaph, Monmouth (Source: Church in Wales)

A comment dated 23 March 2023 under my entry An ACE Bishop for Wales referred to a letter sent to all clergy from the bishops of the Church in Wales following the decision of the Rev Stuart Bell, former Rector of the Rectorial Benefice of Aberystwyth to accept ordination to the episcopate from Archbishop Foley Beach of the Anglican Church of North America and others. 

The letter as reproduced concludes:

"We would like to be as generous and open in our relationship with former colleagues and brothers and sisters in Christ in the future but we have to recognise the reality of the step which has been taken." 

In short, the bench is introducing another ban to avoid any form of mutual flourishing.

'Generous' is not the word that springs readily to mind. 'Treachery' would be nearer the mark.

Referring to the decision of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales to permit same-sex couples to have a blessing on their civil unions they write: "although we have been clear that clergy, leaders and members of the Church in Wales have a diversity of opinions on this matter, [we] have sought to provide space in our common life for freedom of conscience and difference."

That is simply untrue.

Mutual flourishing in the Church in Wales died in 2017 along with bishop David Thomas. Society bishops are barred from entering Wales leaving 'traditionalists' to travel to England to exercise 'freedom of conscience and difference'. Only the right sort of 'bishop' in their view is allowed to officiate.

In their letter the Bench state: "No ministers affiliated with the Anglican Convocation in Europe should exercise ministry or leadership in a Church in Wales context, unless the explicit written permission of the appropriate Church in Wales diocesan bishop has been given."

That is generosity?

Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE) bishops. (l to r), Bishop Andy

 Lines, Bishop Stuart Bell and Archbishop Foley Beach (Source: Source ACE)

Postscript [26.03.2023]

ACE bishops reject claims of the Church in Wales’ bishops

"Contrary to what Archbishop John and his Bishops have said, it is the the Church in Wales which has placed itself out of communion with the majority of Anglicans worldwide by departing the historic, orthodox, biblical faith. Faithful Anglicans living under such failed oversight need a spiritually safe home and a hope for the future. We are grateful that Gafcon has provided this by authorising ACE as a genuine Anglican jurisdiction." Full story from Anglican Ink.

The future of the Church in Wales from the Archbishop in waiting?

Archbishop in waiting? the Bishop of Bangor. Picture: Church in Wales. Source: The National Wales

The future of the Church in Wales, or, more accurately, the future of the Church in Wales according to Andy John, Bishop of Bangor, is predicted in an 'exclusive' interview with The National Wales. 

Others insist the Church in Wales has no future. Not surprising given the mess created by the bench of bishops with their secular obsessions. 

In 2015 the Church Growth Modelling blog forecast that attendance figures for the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church of the USA (TEC), indicated extinction dates around 2040. 

Aged 57, if Buggins' turn prevails, Andy John will be the penultimate Archbishop of Wales leaving another to do the final sweeping up. Gregory Cameron, the next most senior bishop after Andy John is 62 so he is likely to miss out as is the Tory loathing bishop of St Davids, Joanna Penberthy who is 61.

At 68 the bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne, will soon be drawing her pension leaving only Cherry Vann, Bishop of Monmouth, who is 62.

Depending on his/her age the next bishop of Swansea and Brecon could also be the last Archbishop of Wales.

The new Bishop of Swansea and Brecon is to be elected this month* leaving the way for the election of the new Archbishop but if St Davids were to become vacant there would be a further delay. 

That may account for Andy John's extraordinary statement:

“I think the question whether Bishop Joanna resigns is done and dusted”, Bishop Andy states. “She made clear that she regretted what she had to say… I think if we cannot provide a way in which people can acknowledge wrongdoing, learn from their mistakes, and come back, then it begs questions about whether we believe people can change. Whether or not we think the Christian faith is about second chances. To me, fundamentally, it’s about that. And those who are baying and frothing at the mouth seem to me to be part of what I think is quite pernicious in society: which is that we dress up in virtue – or in the language of virtue – a kind-of campaign to persecute.”

Having found ''Biblical support for church gay marriages" the divorced and re-married bishop of Bangor can no doubt justify anything he fancies. 

In his interview for The National, Andy John was asked about the draft Bill which had been outlined at Governing Body (GB) in December. If passed by a two-thirds majority it would allow a five-year trial period for priests who would like to hold a service to bless a same-sex couple after their marriage or civil partnership.

Did the bishop of Bangor hope the motion will be approved? "Very much so", he replied before adding, "I think this will make us a more generous Church, which will make us a Church that provides space for people who demonstrate by their lives that they can be wonderful disciples of Jesus Christ when they want to live in love with a person of the same sex. I fail to understand… I fail to really understand why that is problematic.

Building up the pressure before the next meeting of GB, the former archbishop of Wales John Davies told ITV that it would be  a "slap in the face" for gay Christians if the church does not consider introducing services of blessing for same-sex couples.

"Simply to say", explained the archbishop, "that because it's always been so it must never change I think is a slap in the face to an awful lot of people who see something valuable in the church, but to some extent still feel rejected by the church."

That simply does not hold water. 

No generosity has been shown by the bench to an 'awful lot of people' who have been slapped in the face by a myopic bench of bishops, eager to impose their own liberal agenda at the expense of faithful Anglicans un-churched by the Church in Wales. 

As the recently retired Archdeacon of Llandaff, Peggy Jackson, a late convert to Anglicanism, put it with all the charity she could muster, "individuals with conscientious difficulties over women’s ministry will simply have to make personal decisions and individual choices, to find accommodation as best they can." (The naked truth).

There have been no 'second chances' for traditionalists who remain outside in the cold in what the bishop of Bangor refers to as 'a kind-of campaign to persecute'. It is clear why. The Church in Wales is at odds with the vast majority of Anglicans, let alone Christians. Anglicans in the Church in Wales who seek to practice their faith in common with the majority of Anglicans are an embarrassment to a bench of bishops preoccupied with fleeting secular fads and fancies.

As bishop Andy told his interviewer: "The pandemic has reminded the Church of its purpose: to serve. “Our job is to argue for a more humane, compassionate, loving society, and to be unafraid and to be unapologetic about that." His colleagues have “done remarkably well” during Covid-19 too. And it is hard to disagree. Even more so considering that – in his words – that the Church in Wales is “a bit like an oil tanker: it takes ages to turn us around”.

In a nutshell. The Church in Wales has set its course - to extinction.

The interview ends with: "A very confident and unapologetic message from a bishop who is very confident and unapologetic. With the possibility of him at the helm, perhaps this Welsh oil tanker will chart the right course, after all."

The interview started with the interviewer's confession: "I don't generally do God, I tell Andy John." Exactly the sort of people the bench look to for support and justification.

If ever the Church in Wales needed a transfiguration it is now.

* Correction: Election of new Bishop of Swansea and Brecon
 The election is to be held in September.
https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/election-new-bishop-swansea-and-brecon/

Generosity, inheritance and openness

New Archbishop of Wales John Davies after his election in 2017                                                                                                                Source: Church in Wales

The maxim Actions speak louder than words is not one that can be readily associated with the Church in Wales when observing the actions of its bench of bishops.

A recent Provincial press release advised readers: Archbishop endorses new Lent course, Generosity and the inheritance of Lent.

The course is designed to encourage participants to share their stories and thoughts on generosity and inheritance in relation to a number of different topics including the environment, the economy, justice and peace, openness to others and neighbourhood. [My emphasis - Ed.]

There was no openness about the bishop of Monmouth's absence from duty until his absence was picked up by the media. Seven months later the bishop of Bangor is rumoured to be overseeing events in Monmouth but there has been no official statement other than that mediation is taking place.

In the real world that is mushroom management: keep in the dark and shovel in manure when necessary.

Contempt for the faithful runs deep. The Bench uses loaded questions and farcical consultations to get their way while claiming democratic decision making by the Governing Body. No generosity has been shown to orthodox Anglicans dismayed that faith handed down from the Apostles has been set aside to satisfy secular whims. 

Although Governing Body rejected same sex marriage proposals favoured by the Bench the bishop of Bangor has issued an Episcopal Letter, presumably with the blessing of his colleagues, which again comes out in favour of same sex marriage even after admitting it would be contrary to scripture.

Bishop Andy's proposals have been firmly rejected by Dr Martin Davie, a leading Anglican theologian who served until recently as theological adviser to the Church of England’s House of Bishops.

As for inheritance, scripture and tradition have been rejected in favour of  moving with the times. The bishop of Bangor ends his letter with: "This debate cannot be ignored but neither can it take place without wisdom, generosity and grace."

There is no wisdom in extending generosity to other faiths and none when Christianity is under threat. A member of the House of Lords has expressed fears that telling other people about the Christian faith could soon become a crime. Also, it is beyond reason when the traditional family comes under threat not only for our children but for the continuity of church life.

Speaking after his enthronement archbishop Davies said that he wanted to "refresh" the Church in Wales. "It is not business as usual", he said. 'Refresh' has been "more of the same - but speedier".

On the heels of so-called gender equality promotion came the LGBTQIA+ chaplaincy in St Asaph followed by the first transgender priest. Meanwhile the Bench have renewed their push for same sex marriage.

First impressions given by the newly appointed women bishops in the Church in Wales were that the main thrust of their ministries was the advancement of the LGBT aganda - see Barry's gay legacy. We have since had ageism and misandry in St Davids and profligacy in Llandaff.

In Monmouth there has been rumour and speculation. The latest twist is the rumour that the bishop of Bangor has been given oversight of Monmouth. Interestingly the Rev Caroline John has been employed as a hospital chaplain by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in jolly June's diocese.

If the bishop of Bangor were to be translated to Monmouth it would leave open the way to amalgamate Bangor with St Asaph, one of the few recommendations of the Harries Review [Section 15] which has yet to receive attention.

As the next senior bishop to the Archbishop and ten years younger, if Buggins turn comes around bishop Andy would be well placed to become the 14th Archbishop of Wales.

Mixed messages

Bishop of Bangor Andy John prepares to deliver.                               Source: Twitter @BishopBangor

It is the time of year when bishops feel the need to send their personal messages to the declining flock that is the Church in Wales, their Christmas messages.

Hot out of the blocks was +Andy of Bangor who tweeted about his Christmas message preparations which he was building around thoughts of a White Christmas.

In his videod message +Andy speaks of Generosity, something conspicuously lacking in the bench of bishops unless you are in their club.

Next out was ♀ June of Llandaff praising the Emergency Services. They began their carol service in Llandaff Cathedral with "the familiar phrase, that the ‘people who walked in darkness have seen a great light’. " True but they have seen the light as shed by the bench and left in droves.

Following on ♀ Joanna of St Davids portrays the Son of God as an asylum seeker who 'began his life as a refugee', something she has been experimenting with by attempting to displace retired male clergy in her diocese.

Swansea and Brecon's ++ John picks up on the refugee theme (brownie point there for Joanna) when considering hush time, a period to recall "the vital importance of things like justice and truth, generosity and compassion, love and forgiveness" as taught by Jesus Christ but completely forgotten by the bishops of the the Church in Wales unless directed at their favoured minorities.

St Asaph's + Gregory opens his Christmas message with a reference to 'Aunty Maud' as he wonders "what messages you’re hoping to hear this Christmas....whether you need reassurance, comfort or hope." - see above!

Mixed messages have been coming out of the diocese of Monmouth for months. There is no Christmas message, just the Waiting.