In Depth:  Andrew Symes

The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE), approved by conservative Anglican network GAFCON last year, was formally constituted and commissioned at an online service in April.

It was led by Bishop Andy Lines (see photo) with Archbishop Foley Beach as the preacher. Music was provided by the Glasgow-based New Scottish Hymns Band, and there were many messages of support from around the world, including, movingly, from Stephen Than, Archbishop of Myanmar.

Is it true that Jesus said nothing about homosexual practice? Can we be sure that the children of same sex couples suffer no disadvantages from their parents’ lifestyles and ideologies? Is ‘transgender’ mainly about individuals receiving compassion, or an altering of reality for all of us? Should Christians spend time analysing and countering the effects of the sexual revolution, or does this detract from gospel ministry?

These were some of the questions being asked at ‘The New Normal’, a conference organized by Christian Concern which took place at the Emmanuel Centre, London on 11–12 November.

An interdenominational conference entitled ‘Our Bodies Proclaim the Gospel’, took place 14 –16 January at the Emmanuel Centre, Westminster.

The main speaker, Christopher West, is a Roman Catholic, but his core points were biblical. He began by noting that human desires are created by God to propel us upward towards ultimate union with Christ, of which the pleasurable, creative union of covenant faithful heterosexual marriage is the physical picture.

Evangelicals from different denominations based in the north east of England were joined by Church of England evangelicals from the rest of the country for the 24hour Jesmond Conference in Newcastle in late February.

David Holloway, vicar of Jesmond for more than four decades, has given considerable thought to the decline of Christian influence in Western culture and his reflections provided the basis for the discussions and the final conference statement.