GAFCON doesn't start for a few weeks yet, but I thought I'd update you all after my visit to St John's Shaughnessy yesterday.
St John's has a lovely church building on the edge of the CBD. We visited with a small child, and found that they had great space for ministry, with a creche and Sunday School, offices and a library, as well as seating for perhaps 300. Those of you who know me might be wondering why I'm talking about their buildings rather than about the people I met or the service. Normally, I wouldn't have commented; I probably wouldn't have noticed. On Monday, though, the church received a letter from the Diocese of New Westminster ordering them to cease all ministry activity and vacate the building.
In this context, to hear David Short preach on the Church as God's dwelling place (Ephesians 2:11-22)was incredibly powerful. This has obviously been a long time in coming, and I know that they have done an immense amount of work to find alternative solutions over the last decade, but I was struck by how ready they are to walk away from the physical buildings and continue in ministry. Please pray for them as they make very difficult decisions, particularly that they will be able to continue in effective ministry whatever happens.
I was able to speak with several of St John's GAFCON delegates while I was visiting, and will look forward to meeting with them again in Jerusalem. Thinking about the awful experience that this group of faithful believers is going through now, I find my own approach to the questions facing the worldwide church being formed. Our worldwide church needs to be able to support faithful believers and correct wrong teaching, and we need to think seriously about the structures that can best ensure this.
Whatever GAFCON accomplishes, we are gathering to declare our solidarity and unity in the faith with churches like St John's, and support them and other like them in their persecution.
