More GAFCON Gaffes, Glitches, and Glimmers

GAFCON is in the news and on the blogs these days. The major story, which broke late yesterday, is that the Most Rev. Mouneer Anis, Presiding Bishop of the Middle East and Jerusalem will not be attending. You can read about it in this post on Episcopal Cafe. Father Jake has also written about it here. In his commentary Jake uses the term "Rejectionist Anglicans" for those organizing and attending GAFCON. It fits, and I will probably adopt it moving forward. Thanks, Jake!

I also like Mark Harris' title for his comments on Archbishop Anis: GAFCON: A richness of embarrassments. I just wish I'd thought of it first.

Canon Terry Wong of the Province of Southeast Asia has written this thoughtful commentary about the upcoming conference, in which he says

...there are many Anglican clergy/leaders who have felt isolated and ‘displaced” through this period of crisis. GAFCON provides an opportunity for such clergy and leaders to meet others to find encouragement, bonds of fellowship and mission partnership together.

Of course, lbgt clergy have never felt "isolated and 'displaced.'"

The bishops of the Common Cause Partnership have called for "40 Days of Prayer" leading up to GAFCON. "40 Days of Prayer" is a concept/activity that is popular in evangelical circles and brought to a higher level of visibility by Rick Warren. It is also at the root of the 40 Days of Discernment program developed by the Rejectionists in Virginia as they prepared to pull their parishes out of the Episcopal Church. While the original concept was good--and biblically based--it's become trite and just one more way of saying, "See, we're holier than you."

And then there's this news release from the GAFCON organizers: 1,000 Christian leaders, 280 bishops to GAFCON in Jerusalem.

Over 1000 senior leaders from seventeen provinces in the Anglican Communion, representing 35 million church-going Anglicans, have registered for the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem at the close of the online registration process. They include 280 bishops, almost all accompanied by their wives. Final attendance figures will depend on smooth processing of requested visas, and other factors.

So that's approximately 560 out of 1,000 who are bishops and bishops' wives. Of the remaining 440 one wonders how many are clergy and how many laity.

There's even a Wikipedia entry for GAFCON!

Peace,
Jeffri