The Evangelical Church of What’s Happening Now

Recently, in reflecting upon the plague of “social justice” agitation in historically evangelical churches, even the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), it occurred to me that this is part of a bigger picture of evangelicals being prone to be carried away by fads and “new things.”  It is not just the Athenians of Acts 17 who are habitually obsessed with whatever seems to be “something new.”

And I have to confess that in my evangelical days, from my conversion to sometime into my Anglican years, I, too have been caught up in an evangelical fad or two . . . or three . . . or – well, lets just say my knowledge of several evangelical fads is up close and personal.

You may have already read between the lines and surmised I no longer consider myself an evangelical, and you would be correct.  It’s not that I am less committed to orthodoxy and the authority of scripture; my commitment continues hot.  It is that I have become influenced by Anglo-catholicism and that evangelicalism has evolved into something I for the most part no longer wish to be associated with.

And evangelicalism has evolved, devolved really, in part because of its tendency to be carried away with “every wind of doctrine” and practice.  Yes, many evangelicals resist this devolution and tendency doggedly sometimes with temporary success even.  But “Big Evangelicalism” is going and is too close to gone, is more The Evangelical Church of What’s Happening Now (TECoWHaN) than a church old school evangelicals and other traditional Christians can stomach anymore.

Thus TECoWHaN not only erodes orthodoxy; it erodes unity.  Watch the Southern Baptists to see that.

But I am necessarily painting with a very broad brush here.  And not all evangelical fads have been bad.  I still think the WWJD bracelets were a good idea for one thing. Yes, mock me if you wish.

Still the evangelical tendency to be The Evangelical Church of What’s Happening Now, to give itself over to fads and “new things” big and small, is so deep seated and has done so much harm that I am starting a series on it.  Yes, I will be critical, but I will be self-critical as well.  For I have oft been an enthusiastic participant in TECoWHaN with very mixed results.  And I hope my experiences will assist in being a warning not to go and do likewise.

Stay tuned . . . perhaps wearing a hard hat.

CANA East Decides to Stay in ACNA, Change Name

Matt Kennedy, though his Sunday School class (which he usually has live on Facebook. I recommend it and sometimes listen as I get ready for church.), informs that the CANA East Synod voted overwhelmingly to stay in the Anglican Church in North America rather than to remain in the Church of Nigeria.

You may recall that the Church of Nigeria and ACNA earlier agreed that the three dioceses in both provinces would separately decide which province to remain in forthwith.  Kennedy expects the other two dioceses, Trinity and CANA West, to leave ACNA and stay with the Church of Nigeria.

Since CANA East will no long be in CANA, an arm of the Church of Nigeria, the diocese will change its name to the Diocese of the Living Word.

George Bell Group Decries “Disgraceful” Conduct of ++Welby & +Warner

The George Bell Group under the name of its Convenor, Andrew Chandler, has issued a statement calling for the Church of England clearly to declare the late George Bell innocent of accusations of sexual abuse.

I urge reading the statement itself as quoting from it would not do it justice.  I will say that, especially when one considers the English penchant for understatement, the statement is very strongly worded.

Further, Mr. Chandler calls out Archbishop Justin Welby and the current Bishop of Chichester, Martin Warner, in no uncertain terms.  And their conduct as well as the conduct of others in the George Bell matter is “disgraceful” indeed.

Again, read the statement.

What the Church Needs Now Is Some Lancelot Andrewes

Yes, the church, in America especially but everywhere, needs an old fashioned REVIVAL!

No, not the rolling around, running around, barking, or (gag) holy laughing kind.  I am talking really old fashioned.  We need a revival along and within the lines noted by Bishop Lancelot Andrewes:

One canon reduced to writing by God himself, two testaments, three creeds, four general councils, five centuries, and the series of Fathers in that period – the centuries that is, before Constantine, and two after, determine the boundary of our faith.

Yes, we need some boundaries, these boundaries, instead of chasing after every cloying putrid “wind of doctrine.”

What prompts this brief rant will become evident in due time. Stay tuned.

Why the Temporary Quiet?

I am being quiet for the moment.  Trust me when I say that it is not because of any lack of things to rant about.  Oh, no.  I am being provided with so much ranting ammunition.

But I am preparing for a fun yet scholarly talk.

Those in South Texas, particularly take note.

More Clarification Needed about CANA and ACNA

I have a confession to make.  I was about to post on the agreement between The Church of Nigeria, its CANA and ACNA.  It sounds like CANA is leaving ACNA but that their dioceses can vote to stay in ACNA if they wish.

Anyway, I was working on the post, then I read something that if true (and it probably is) would make my post look foolish and alarmist. There goes a lot of work down the drain, but then that’s where it needed to go.

I’m posting this confession not just because confession is good for the soul, but to illustrate that ACNA and CANA need to clarify matters. There is confusion and opinions flying about that do not reflect well on ACNA and on the Church of Nigeria.

Personally, I think the situation is not as bad as some think. But it’s obvious there is unhappiness out there.  ACNA and the Church of Nigeria may wish to clarify matters further.

That is all.

Charlottesville Revisited II: Dilbert Debunks a Hoax

This week, I did my humble part to debunk the hoax of Trump loving those Nazis just revived by Lying Joe Biden. But now Scott Adams of Dilbert fame has done better with a doggedly logical and detailed takedown of the Charlottesville Hoax.  At the same time he notes that hoaxes can be hard to kill due to the commitment of useful idiots (not his term – he is more polite than I) to believe them.

I doubt any further summary on my part can do his work justice, so get thee hence and read it for yourself.