Do you want local churches to flourish?

Ven Cherry Vann, bishop elect of Monmouth               Source: Church in Wales

From a Diocese of Monmouth jobadvert appearing in the Church Times:

"Do you want local churches to flourish?

"Monmouth Ministry Area is looking for 2 Ministry Area Leaders to share Ministry Area Leadership for the whole area and each to be incumbent of a group of parishes within it. One incumbency has a more urban base.

"The whole area has18 churches (6 looked after by House for Duty priests) A team of 13 active retired priests and a Reader Focal Ministers in most churches."

There are some sad average Sunday attendance figures in the Monmouth Ministry Area Profile which no doubt account for the advert headline. Granted they serve many small rural communities but with ageing congregations it is difficult to see how these churches are to flourish.

The average Sunday attendance figures are:

The Monmouth Town Group: Mitchel Troy 18, Monmouth Priory Church 51,Overmonnow 46, Rockfield 8, Wonastow 6.

The Monmouth Rural Group: Cwmcarvan 3, Dingestow 9, Llanfihangel Ystern-Llewen 12, Llangattock-Vibon-Abel 12, Penyclawdd 10, Tregaer 8.

The Llanishen Group: Llanfihangel Tor-y-mynydd 15, Llanishen 5, Llansoy 7, Trelleck Grange 5.

The Llandogo and Tintern Group: Llandogo with Whitebrook 42, Tintern 7 (Estimated)

The problem extends beyond the Church in  Wales. TheMail Online reports that a typical Anglican congregation in England numbered just 27 worshippers last year. "Over a decade congregations fell by 15 per cent, church marriages by a third, and fewer than one in ten babies were baptised."

Churchgoing is becoming increasingly unpopular. Why?

Responding (@18.27) to a LBC questioner in my previous entry Justin Welby said he was "deeply, deeply sorry" that "the Church has historically been deeply intolerant, with society as a whole, but the Church has no excuse. Jesus said to someone caught, someone dragged up in front of Him, 'those without sin cast the first stone' and we shouldn't be throwing stones" as if to imply that Jesus condoned sin.

The Christian message would have been much clearer if Welby had quoted Jesus when asked by the woman caught in adultery: "Has no one condemned you?? ?No one, Lord,? She answered. ?Then neither do I condemn you,? Jesus declared. ?Now go and sin no more.?

Biblical teaching has become so selective that for many people sin has been abolished so there is no need for redemption.

Welby also said: "People have to realise the reality of people's lives. The reason he is a Christian is because God came into the middle of the complexity, he didn't simplify it, he embraced it. It's what we need to dodanquot;.

Hate the sin but love the sinner has become love the sinner so never mind the sin implying that Christ died on the Cross in vain.

Churches cannot be expected to flourish by surrendering the faith of Christ crucified to a 'do-as-you-please' society.

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Tongue in cheek!

The Right Rev Cherry Vann is enthroned as Bishop of Monmouth.           Source: South Wales Argus

In an extraordinary moment of candour as the Dean of Monmouth, Lister Tonge, welcomed visitors to Newport Cathedral for the enthronement of Cherry Vann as the 11th bishop of Monmouth he said, "Don't be overwhelmed by any of the solemnity, we're certainly tongue in cheek about certain parts of it."

All of it would have been more appropriate. It sums up the Church in Wales.

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Second-class Christians

Preparations are underway to celebrate what has become one of the major festivals in the Church in Wales, Gay Pride week, 'giving a voice' to those who claim to be persecuted.

As Archbishop Barry Morgan said way back in 2008: "There are a huge number of gay clergy and gay partnered clergydanquot; adding that "there?S no reason why they shouldn?T be bishops and they will be. We?Re not arguing about if, we?Re just arguing about when."

Now that the Church in Wales has appointed an openly lesbian bishop, claiming to be persecuted while running the show has a hollow ring. It is more about tactical advantage than persecution as outlined in Would I Lie to You?

As part of their 2020 LGBT campaign thediocese of Llandaff is launching their first ever LGBT prayer writing competition to celebrate LGBT History Month 2020: "We?Re inviting you to write an original prayer based around the theme Power of Prayer. Your prayer could feature in our forthcoming LGBT prayer book and may be spoken at the Faith Tent Eucharist at Pride Cymru."

The diocesan press release invites readers who may be looking for inspiration to watch the above Prayer for Pride video. In fact it is another propaganda tool claiming discrimination while twisting the meaning of love.

News from Wales has announced a special service in North Wales "celebrating diversity and the legendary Ladies of Llangollen" which takes place at St Collen’s Church in Llangollen on Saturday 22nd February, including a blessing of the tomb of the Ladies of Llangollen.

According to the report: "The service is timely following a recent report issued by the bishops of the Church of England on same-sex marriages. This report has hurt, disappointed and discouraged many LGBT Christians...This service will send out a powerful message of inclusion, hope and welcome to all LGBT people across the land."

That is, inclusion, hope and welcome for an alleged oppressed minority but exclusion, no hope and goodbye to Anglicans who are among the majority of Christians who remain faithful to the teaching of the Apostolic Church.

Following the statement by the Church of England's House of Bishops that for Christians marriage is the lifelong union between a man and a woman and remains the proper context for sexual activity, trendy bishops started to break ranks, distancing themselves from the guidance.

Quick off the mark, the bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek, issued a statement saying that she was ?Deeply frustrated and saddened? At the guidance. "I recognise that it has fanned into flame unnecessary pain and distress and I wish to acknowledge my part in thatdanquot;, she said.

Again using love to justify her stance Treweek added, "The word ?Love? Emanating from the generous love of God is one that needs to be heard and lived, and I am extremely sorry that it has not been heard in the publication of the House of Bishops".

In the House of Commons civil partnered vicar's son Ben Bradshaw questioned the Second Church Estates Commissioner on the guidance. Alleging that the Church "still treats its LGBT members as second-class Christiansdanquot;, he told the House that "serious questionsdanquot; will be asked about the Church of England's established status if it stands by its position on opposite-sex civil partnerships.

Justifying her enthronement as the first openly gay bishop in the Church in Wales the bishop of Monmouth, Cherry Vann, said, “God has given us a world teeming with difference and diversity".

That is their own diversity, soon to be enshrined in the forthcoming Church in Wales LGBT+ prayer book.

It is not difficult to identify the real second-class Christians in the Anglican Church.

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The Bishop of Monmouth and partner

Bishop of Monmouth, Cherry Vann .  Source: Twitter

The Church in Walestweeted an invitation to find out more about the new Bishop of Monmouth, Cherry Vann, in an interview on BBC Woman's Hour broadcast on February 20th.

Out of curiosity I tuned in on catch up. There was nothing spiritual, just sex

There was a nervous quiver in the bishop's voice as though her participation was part of  an organised campaign that had thrust her into the limelight. Her part of the deal was speaking frankly about her situation, thus enhancing the LGBT+ credentials of the bench of bishops.

Straight in, the interviewer explained that Cherry Vann's appointment had coincided with the statement issued by the Church of England suggesting sex should take place only within heterosexual marriage but bishop Vann is 'the first openly gay female bishop and the first to be in a civil partnership in the UK'.

Vann explains how she hid her sexuality out of fear: "Like a lot of other gay and lesbian people it is not an easy place to be in the Church and fear means it is easier to keep silent rather than the risk of being rejected, or losing your job or losing friends."

Has she not noticed that the only people rejected in the Church in Wales are orthodox Anglicans!

Bishop Vann said that she and her partner decided to make their civil partnership public when Vann was first invited to have her name put forward for the post of bishop. They decided that this was the time to be more open and honest.

However, The cover-up was maintained until after the Sacred Synod confirmed her appointment.

It is all out in the open now. Vann says the Church in Wales is "more accepting as an institution of gay and lesbian people". The Church in Wales is a "different Church".

She claims that the Church as a whole is on a journey with 'stiffened' resolve to work 'positively and creatively' until we get to a place where "everyone is accepted and welcomed irrespective of their sexuality".

Vann continues, the Church in Wales is more open with the courage to take a positive lead enabling bishop Vann and people like her to be honest and open about who they are - unlike the Church in Wales which has pursued its agenda by stealth. - Vann is sure that same sex marriage in church will come in time.

The reason she was appointed is made clear in her interview. It is to further the gay rencana of the bench of bishops leading to same sex marriage

There is no mention of the Gospel or of salvation, only that we are all sexual human beings.

The clearest message yet from the bench.

Postscript [26.02.2020]

More self justification with some dangerous views from Cherry Vann in an 'acast' interview recorded with Martin Shipton, Chief Reporter for Wales Onlinehttps://play.acast.com/s/9b06ea45-4ded-49de-9368-7590ce8c831f/038a13f8-b566-4c13-9d73-d37731ea2f03 .

On religion she talks about the 'multiplicity of faiths' [@ position 11] . At their best she thought there was an awful lot of congruence between the different faiths and particularly between the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism Christianity and Islam: "There is a lot in common, a lot about respect for one another. A lot about mutual tolerance. A lot about living in harmony and I think that is what I would urge us all to aspire to. The very best."

Her views do not sit comfortably with the Quran: "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Q 9:29)

Presumably the bishop failed to listen to Anglican Unscripted edition 570

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=679&v=Q5x_ZO-6GKw&feature=emb_logo

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