Good to chat last night. I realized after the conversation that I felt sad about the state of the church in NZ. But when I thought about it, I wasn't really sad about motion 29 and it's associated changes. I'm sad about the lack of many good examples of effective mission and healthy growing churches. I really hope this becomes the focus of the Affirm Christian Community - a network of churches committing to being more effective in mission for the full biblical gospel, and willing to take risks. Imagine if the affirm Christian community became known as the church planting wing of Anglicanism in NZ. Like, the Christian Community, I think, has to push against the voices inside it which want to make the focus (in word, or in deed) to be preserving doctrine. Having good doctrine is a necessary pre-requisite of the mission, but it is not the mission. Many churches with correct doctrine have died. I think y'all should be saying, with one accord: 'we have an opportunity and authorization to come together and get serious about getting effective in the mission. Let's take that opportunity and see what God will do.

Peter Williamson
Chaplain at Harvard University
InterVarsity’s Harvard Team Leader for Post-grad Student Ministry

1. A team of up to 10 people met twice a day in New Plymouth to pray for the General Synod. Thank you to those of you who could not be present but prayed in support also.
   
2. Despite the Conservative / Orthodox voice speaking and voting against motion 29, the motion was passed by a majority at the General Synod on the 9th May 2018.
   
3. Bishops may, when asked, agree to clergy blessing same gender couples who have had civil union or civil marriage services.
4. The question of ordination was left deliberately vague and some Bishops will take that to mean that they can ordain someone in a same sex relationship who has been through a blessing service.
5. Despite this AFFIRM will remain as part of this Church and continue to bring our voice to any future debates.
6. The AFFIRM submission for new Christian Communities to be established has been accepted 
7. Most importantly any Parish that joins the Community will be assured that future clergy appointments to that Parish MUST have the same theology as the Parish when it joined the Christian Community.
8. A Constitution for the Christian Communities, already in draft form, is being completed.
9. The motion from Auckland to review Christian Marriage was defeated.
10. We will be sending more detailed information on 6 and 7 above shortly outlining where we go from here.
    
11. We will be calling meetings of the various AFFIRM groups around the country in the next few weeks to share in detail what AFFIRM will be doing.
12. In the meantime, if you have any comments or questions please feel free to contact Paul Williamson, Lorraine or Pete Lloyd.
13. It is of the utmost importance that we now turn our focus to how to reach this Nation for Christ and the Church. We know that this is at the top of the agenda for all of us. AFFIRM will now be able to focus on this and the Christian Community network will provide a strong new platform to unite and resource parishes in this mission.

The AFFIRM Team
11 May 2018

A series of talks given by Tim Harris, Assistant Bishop of Adelaide, at the AFFIRM Conference in August 2017:    
(Click on the titles to download the PDFs.)

1. Messy relationships: the way of Christ, and the righteous faith concerns of the Pharisees
   
2. The Gospel and One People of God: Paul and mission in Rome
   
3. Testing the spirits: 1 John 4 and the two key questions of faith
   

Response to the Interim Report of the Working Group I’m not certain whether this “accommodation” is “beautiful” or not. It is certainly an accommodation. That is to say, it is an organizational, and therefore political, solution to a perceived human problem. And as such, it might indeed have much to commend it (e.g. Orders of Consecrated Life; Respectful Climate). Whether it is also an appropriate and due Church solution - that is something else again, entirely.