The post GSFA Chairman’s 2023 Christmas Message and Year-end Review appeared first on Anglican Mainstream. By The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama, Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches. A FAITHFUL WITNESS IN ALL SEASONS “There was a man...
The post GSFA Chairman’s 2023 Christmas Message and Year-end Review appeared first on Anglican Mainstream.
By The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama, Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches.
A FAITHFUL WITNESS IN ALL SEASONS
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.”
John 1:6-7
To be a faithful witness to the light of Jesus Christ is GSFA’s self-identity under God.
The work of a person who is a witness is to establish the truth beyond a reasonable doubt. May all of us continue to be strong witnesses of the God who has revealed Himself in the holy scriptures. John the Baptist was the faithful witness and the voice in the wilderness who announced the coming of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings who rules and defends us, and restrains and conquers all of his and our enemies.
In the week when we are about to celebrate our Lord’s incarnation, let us resolve to be like Him by giving ourselves sacrificially in service to those in need. Let us all resolve to share what God has given us with the poor, the suffering, the destitute as well as with all our fellow men and women who have yet to confess Jesus as Saviour & Lord.
The Year in Review
In many ways, 2023 was a momentous year for GSFA. The Lord gave us three special blessings:
1. Courage to stand for the truth
We thank God for the luminosity and the courage He gave to the primatial leadership of GSFA to stand for the truth by issuing the GSFA Ash Wednesday Statement. The Statement declared that by taking this action, which followed closely on several revisionist-leaning actions by Canterbury since Lambeth 2022, the Archbishop of Canterbury had forfeited his role as primus inter pares (“first among equals”) of the Communion.
The Ash Wednesday Statement emphasised that despite this departure from the ‘faith once for all delivered’ by the founding Province of our Communion, GSFA is not abandoning the ship. We are not leaving the historic Anglican Communion. We are stewards of all the good gifts the Lord has given our Communion through the centuries. We are therefore prepared, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to help re-set the Communion on its biblical foundation and continue our common life as God’s faithful people, rooted in the Word of God and expressed in common worship, distinctive liturgical formation, mutual care and accountability, and collective mission and ministry.
Events that have unfolded since the February 2023 Church of England General Synod Resolution, including prayers of blessing for a same sex couple for the first time on 17th December confirm GSFA’s reading of the situation and the timeliness of our response. A similarly dangerous innovation in pastoral practice on same sex blessings just announced by the Roman Catholic Church only serves to underline the depth of the spiritual crisis.
2. Love to build unity with other orthodox leaders
Looking back, I am grateful to God that He was pleased to use the Ash Wednesday Statement as a catalyst for unity. GSFA was privileged to host the gathering of Anglican Orthodox Leaders (AOL) in Cairo from 17th-19th October 2023 in which a total of 13 orthodox Primates participated, and they were joined by 10 Anglican leaders who were invited as Observers.
The post GSFA Chairman’s 2023 Christmas Message and Year-end Review appeared first on Anglican Mainstream.
