GAFCON 3...2...1...

People really need to be more careful about their use of acronyms. Take, for example, the latest initiative coming from a recent meeting in Nairobi of conservative (for lack of a better term) bishops, many of whom are active in the "Global South Anglican" movement: The Global Anglican Future Conference, or GAFCON. GAFCON? The first thing I though of when I saw the acronym was how similar it is to the U.S. military's DEFCON (Defense Readiness Condition). GAFCON? Mark Harris' closing thought in his post on the conference is, "The gaffe in GAFCON is a growth industry."

Then I ltook a look at the conference's web site. Featured on the opening page is a two paragraph excerpt from Sydney (Australia) Archbishop Peter Jensen's article written for sydneyanglicans.net:

A Global Anglican Future Conference is planned for June 2008. The aim of the Conference is to discuss the future of mission and relationships within the churches of Anglican Communion. Those who wish to retain biblical standards especially in the area of sexual ethics have spent much time and effort in negotiations on these issues in the last five years. They want to move on together with the gospel of Christ’s Lordship, a gospel which challenges us and changes lives. Israel is planned as a venue because it symbolises the biblical roots of our faith as Anglicans. I want those in the fellowship of our Diocese to know what this is about and why I am involved.

In 1998, the Lambeth Conference made it clear that the leaders of the overwhelming majority of Anglicans world-wide maintained the biblical view of sexual ethics – that sexual relationships are reserved for marriage between a man and a woman. Five years later, however, actions were taken in Anglican Churches both in Canada and the United States of America which officially transgressed these boundaries in defiance of the Bible’s authority.

There it is in black and white. All of their cries to the contrary, it really is all about power with sex as the presenting issue.

GAFCON? Looks like "Gay Fear Condition" to me, and the fearful "biblical" bishops have just upped their "Fear" status.

Peace,
Jeffri