From the Anglican Conference in Jerusalem

News from the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) being held in Jerusalem.

The GAFCON Bishops object to the hijacking of God's Word by confused Anglican Bishops in the more "developed" world:

"'We grieve for the spiritual decline in the most economically developed nations, where the forces of militant secularism and pluralism are eating away the fabric of society and churches are compromised and enfeebled in their witness,' it said in a final statement . . .

In its statement, GAFCON accused churches in the West of proclaiming "a false gospel (that) undermines the authority of God's Word" and promotes a 'variety of sexual preferences and immoral behaviour', including same-sex marriages.

'We acknowledge God's creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family,' it said.

A Primate's Council -- a body of the heads of member Anglican churches -- would be formed to lead the conservative provinces and offer alternative leadership to conservatives in liberal 'churches under false leadership,' it said.

'The time is now ripe for the formation of a province in North America for the federation currently known as Common Cause Partnership to be recognised by the Primates' Council,' it said in a challenge to Anglicanism's usual geographical structure."

That's from Reuters.

And this, from a story in the Telegraph.uk:

"The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, said this week that the 'sheer existence' of the Gafcon movement posed a challenge to the existing Anglican Communion but insisted the liberals had brought the split upon themselves.

'The American revisionists committed a strategic blunder in 2003. I don't think they believed there would be consequences. It was a horrific strategic blunder they committed and there are consequences. The consequences are unfolding and our churches are divided.'

'Our churches are now divided and a permanent division exists around the world. The sleeping giant of evangelical and orthodox Anglicanism has been roused in Canada and the US.'"