Beginnings, the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans

I have received the following from Dr Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney, Honorary Secretary of FCA

Beginnings

The GAFCON movement has given birth to the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA). Over two hundred people, parishes and organizations have signaled an interest in membership – and this is only the beginning.

We now have much to do. You are receiving this letter because you were one of the two hundred. We need to tell you what is happening, what the plans for the future are and tell you how to activate your membership.

Purpose, Why have an FCA?

The language of GAFCON was that it was a movement, not a moment. The movement has two big goals. The first is missional. It is the proclamation and defence of the gospel throughout the world, especially in and through Anglican churches. We need to preach the biblical gospel so that all over the world people will have the transforming experience of coming to know Christ through repentance and faith by the power of the Spirit. It is this which the ‘inclusivist’ gospel has lost. We therefore also need to defend the gospel and the people of God against their spiritual adversaries, notably the liberal theology which has become so prevalent in the West.

The second goal is a consequence of the first. It is to provide aid to those faithful Anglicans who have been forced to disaffiliate from their original spiritual homes by false teaching and practice. They need recognition and authentication. They need to be kept in the Anglican family. Obviously, it is mainly the Primates’ Council that is involved with this work, beginning with the situation in North America. The FCA membership assists through prayer, through being informed and by expressing support when the moment arrives. For this reason we would hope for a widespread and numerous Anglican membership

The special task of the FCA is to help attain the first goal through a joyful and energetic fellowship of people from all around the world.  We thank God for modern communications which mean that we can network easily and effectively. We thank God that the GAFCON movement has been arrived as a movement of the Spirit amongst all Anglicans, not just Bishops or clergy. We thank God that our work amongst Anglicans has already been an inspiration to people of other churches and denominations who are faced with similar struggles against a worldly Christianity.

Communications

The old GAFCON website will be revamped and resited. It is to become the main site for communications from and about the FCA. We hope to have this work done by the end of the year.

In addition, we will communicate by way of email with members, keeping you informed and developing the ways in which confessing Anglicans from all around the world are going to help each other to live for Christ.

Structure

Following the Jerusalem Conference and in accordance with the GAFCON document, seven Primates have formed themselves into the Primates’ Council. Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria is chairman and Archbishop Greg Venables of the Southern Cone is deputy chairman. They have also created an international Advisory Board to assist them in their deliberations. The Primates Council met in London in August.  They appointed Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney as secretary and asked him to help constitute an international secretariat to create and sustain the work of FCA.

There is no present intention of creating paid positions or an office.  It is likely that the FCA will create Networks of people with similar interests and Commissions to work on key areas such as Theology, Mission and Development. Regional groupings are also a possibility as are Conferences and publications. These developments still lie in the future and may be modified according to need and the sense of the GAFCON movement.

Membership

You will shortly be receiving online an application for membership.  There will be categories of membership – individuals, churches, dioceses, provinces, organisations. Our present intention is to publish –with permission – the names of members on the website. You will be asked to agree to the Jerusalem Declaration and to the goals of the FCA.  There will be no membership fee as such, but we will ask that members donate generously to its ongoing costs.

Prayer

Welcome to the Fellowship!  May the Lord look upon this work with his favour and may it prosper for the glory of Christ, the good of his Church and the salvation of peoples from all around the world. Amen.

Dr Peter Jensen
Archbishop of Sydney,
Honorary Secretary of FCA.