Here is a brief video report from Sky News correspondent Mike McCarthy. Interestingly, it includes a report of many priests (even of at least 6 bishops) believing this is the last straw of an arrogantly erring denomination and who will probably convert to Roman Catholicism. It also has the frank analysis of Mr. McCarthy, "The real test now is how many people will leave. There are certainly going to be many individuals...wrestling with their conscience, asking of themselves in the months and perhaps years to come, 'Do I have a place within the Church of England?'"
The Synod's decision isn't a big surprise, of course; the drift towards modernism has, in recent years, denigrated into a dramatic lurch leftwards with an ever-increasing hostility to tradition, to the Bible's authority, and even to polite dissenters within their ranks.
One such dissenter is perhaps the foremost orthodox theologian in the Anglican Church, Dr. J. I. Packer. Packer, a prolific writer and lecturer, seminary professor, an executive editor of Christianity Today, named by Time Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America, and and the author of one of the late 20th Century's most influential religious books, Knowing God was, in fact, booted out of the Anglican Church because he would not cave in to modernist revisions.After having his ministerial license revoked by a liberal Canadian bishop, Packer became a part of the Anglican Network in Canada, an alternative (no, make that rival) organization which decided that persuading the Anglican Church to hold the line against secular acculturation just wasn't working. Believing Christian orthodoxy too precious a thing to waste, they, like other Anglicans who retain a deep respect for the Bible's instructions, created a structure more in keeping with traditional Anglican teaching.
Dr. Packer recently made a public call for Dr. Rowan Williams, the controversial and wildly heterodox Archbishop of Canterbury, to resign. Packer explained that Williams has grievously helped lead the Anglican Church into the deep, dangerous waters of heresy. But Williams isn't alone. Indeed, Packer said that the Anglican bishops leading the Church are no longer just theoretical heretics, but are heretics in practice.
In this article, David Virtue summarizes a presentation Dr. Packer recently gave at Holy Trinity in Eastbourne, England. At that gathering, Packer delineated the specific errors made by the Anglican hierarchy in four issues: Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Liberalism and Homosexuality. Virtue posts a link at the end of the article to a MP3 recording of Dr. Packer's remarks but, even if you don't have the time to listen to the sermon, Virtue's summary will leave you with several important points to ponder. Here are a couple:
* On Anglicanism, Packer highlighted two different views - those who saw Anglicanism as being bound up with historical practices (defined by traditions) and those who saw it being defined by principles contained in the Creeds, Prayer Book, The 39 Articles etc. Packer made it clear he stood in the second camp - Anglicanism is based on principles. He also stated that he believed Anglicanism is "the richest version of Evangelicalism that the world has seen".
* On Liberalism, Packer used the 4 S's to define liberalism.
Subordinates Scripture to the culture and individualistic Christian experience;
Sanctifies the Secular;
Scales down the Supernatural; and
Sweeps away Biblical Standards On Homosexuality
