The Chairman of the Church of England Evangelical Council this week spoke at the annual meeting of the Anglican Evangelical Assembly at St Helen’s Bishopsgate, London. According to the Church of England newspaper, Paul Gardner, the Archdeacon of Exeter said, “The gloves are off as we fight for the gospel now. The liberals see this as a fight to the death – and think we will lose.”

|TOP|At the Assembly, Rev Gardner was critical of the theological courses offered for ordination. He stated, “It is impossible to give students [on the courses] a full biblical and systematic approach to their future ministries. Ethics is not linked with Biblical studies and pastoral practice is not linked with doctrine and so on. Such atomism is catastrophic.”

The situation of the Church in Brazil was a major focal point of discussions at the Assembly. Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti from the Recife Diocese was one of 33 clergymen deposed by the Archbishop of Brazil. He said, “The great danger in a situation like ours is to spend all energies in the conflict in its several areas: theological, political, legal and paralyse the life and mission.

“Since the beginning the diocesan leadership was aware of that, and following the model of Israel in the post-exilic reconstruction, be ready for the war and at the same time work on constructive actions,” he said.

The Annual Assembly was revealed to be a time where the international dimension and the diversity of the Anglican Communion was shown clearly. The members of the churches were able to learn from others from other parts of the world and embrace their differences.

The Chairman of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion, Bishop Samson Mwaluda, as well as Bishop of Taita Taveta in Kenya and Canon Anderson from the US addressed the Assembly. Anderson told how Christians had to now defend the faith by being bold in mission and in being witnesses in the modern era.

|QUOTE|Canon Anderson said, “The presenting issue is human sexuality. The core issue, though, is basic to Christian belief – the inspiration and authority of the Holy Scripture and the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is a ditch I am prepared to die in, to put my family and career at risk for."

He went on to reveal his discontent with the way that certain church tactics had gone. According to the Church of England newspaper he said their tactic was to take a few liberal people, declare they were the true church, and so give them a bishop so that they can be designated the true church,

He stated, “In ECUSA we are up against a Church determined to eradicate us. Let [US Presiding Bishop] Frank Griswold go his own way. The hand of God will not prosper him. We can be set free from Pharaoh.”

The Anglican Evangelical Assembly is a representative body for the national meeting for members of the Diocesan Evangelical Fellowships as well as other evangelical Anglican groups.

As Dr Paul Gardner steps down as Chairman of the Church of England Evangelical Council, the Rev Dr Richard Turnball, Principal of Wycliffe Hall in Oxford has been elected as his successor.

It is expected that the next National Evangelical Anglican Assembly will take place in 2008.