What is going on in the Diocese of Southwark? When I worked there a while ago we used to have a standing joke on the Church Council, as we examined the diocesan annual report year after year to see if we could find any mention of Jesus.
Recently a large group of Anglican evangelicals signed a document called the Southwark Declaration which begins: ‘We affirm the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures and their supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. We affirm ... that “it is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God’s Word written”. We affirm the teaching of Scripture (Genesis 2.24, Mark 10.7, Matthew 19.5), the Book of Common Prayer, and Canon B30 (“Of Holy Matrimony”) that marriage is the union of one man and one woman for life.’
It continues: ‘We affirm it is the one God-ordained context for sexual intercourse. We affirm resolution 1.10 on human sexuality of the Lambeth Conference (1998). We call upon all the bishops... alongside all clergy..., to affirm these truths, live by them, and to teach in accordance with them. We call upon the bishops to appoint to positions of teaching authority only those who hold to these truths in good conscience.’
How would you answer Betty’s question?
There are some tunes which, once heard, are never forgotten. Unfortunately. One such melody occurs on an album of early …