Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and the Challenges of Missionary Diocese

For some years now the Anglican Church in Nigeria has been contending with the problems arising from the creation of missionary dioceses. Many retreats for the bishops in the missionary dioceses have been held from late 2000 to date, in an effort to find solutions to the problems, yet the problems have continued unabated. The situation provokes concern and interest in public discourse and intellectual circles. This study examines critically the problems of missionary dioceses and the effects of such problems on the workers and their families therein using a historical approach and both primary and secondary sources. The findings show that some of the missionary dioceses were created with poor funding and facilities as there was no adequate preparation for their creation. The study therefore recommends that the Church of Nigeria should support the missionary dioceses to stabilize.

Legacies and pitfalls amongst the African Evangelicals: A Kenyan experience from a historical perspective

The research study sets out to explore the contribution of the African Evangelicals in both the colonial and post-colonial Kenya to the social lives of the nation. Can’t it be viewed as a positive social influence or an ecclesiastical pitfall? In utilising a socio-historical design, it poses the question: how did the Evangelical European Missionaries demonstrate their theological and social influences in Kenya, and how did the post-missionary Evangelical-leaning leaderships play out? And was Muthirigu Dance an extremist reaction against the rigidity of the Evangelicals? Methodologically, this article will attempt to explore the Evangelical European Missionary Christianity, especially the Church Missionary Society that entered Central Kenya in the early 1900s, and assess the way in which they handled indigenous cultures of the local Africans. It has also attempted to critically explore their social influences in both colonial and post-colonial Kenya (1895–2021). The CMS has been given more emphasis in this article as an Evangelical society so as to help in bringing out the specific Evangelical activities in the Kirinyaga County of Kenya. Overall, the article has endeavoured to hypothesise that Eurocentrism was not the Evangelical problem, as there were diverse European missionaries, such as the High Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic and the Lutherans who were non-Evangelicals, and who were not necessarily dogmatic and rigid.Contribution: This study adhered to the HTS journal’s vision and scope by its focus on the histories of the Evangelical European Missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries, their interactions with the local religio-cultures, and how it later played out amongst the Africans.

The Constitutionality of Diocesan Legislation Relating to Same-Sex Blessings and Marriage in the Anglican Church of Australia: A Case Note

In November 2020, the Appellate Tribunal (the Tribunal) of the Anglican Church of Australia (ACA) provided its opinion on references as to the constitutionality of diocesan legislation relating to same-sex blessings and marriage. There were two concurrent references about a marriage blessing service intended for use in the Diocese of Wangaratta (the Wangaratta references). There were also two concurrent references about the Clergy Discipline Ordinance 2019 Amending Ordinance 2019 of the Diocese of Newcastle (the Newcastle references).

The Archbishop Strikes Back

This chapter focuses on how Elizabeth Stuart became the poor widow that she had always pretended to be. Her behaviour became less antagonistic, and it was not long before friend and enemy alike began to take advantage of the newly conciliatory exiled queen. Archbishop Laud, a man who might reasonably be placed in both camps, saw an opportunity to assert control over the religious proclivities of English expatriates in the United Provinces. Laud was particularly concerned with English Puritan practices in the United Provinces because their relentless unorthodoxy undermined his authority in a very visible manner, and did so very close to home. Laud reasoned that if he could gain control over Elizabeth's chaplain, he could influence the religious practices of a few hundred men and women in The Hague, and perhaps bring them back into the Anglican Church. As Archbishop of Canterbury, Laud was able to promote people out of harm's way, and so in 1638 he removed Elizabeth's chaplain of twelve years, Doctor Griffin Higgs, by making him Dean of Lichfield. Laud no doubt rejoiced at the thought that he had managed to influence Elizabeth's courtly personnel and thereby the services at the English Church at The Hague.

A Tribute to Gary Bouma

Emeritus Professor Gary Bouma was many things to many people. He was Australia's pre-eminent scholar of the sociology of religion. As an ordained Anglican priest, Gary was noted for his pastoral care of his parishioners and others who sought his counsel and spiritual support. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. Moreover, his deep commitment to social justice and harmony greatly influenced Gary's participation in interfaith dialogue. Gary contributed so much to scholarship and building bridges between religious communities that he was justly rewarded with an Order of Australia as a Member (AM) in recognition for his services to sociology, to the Anglican Church of Australia, and to interreligious relations in the 2013 Australia Day Honours.

‘In Quietness and in Confidence Shall Be Your Strength’: Vicesimus Lush and His Journals, 1850-1882

<p>From his arrival in New Zealand in 1850 until his death in 1882 Reverend Vicesimus Lush kept a regular journal to send to family back “home” in England. These journals chronicle the life of an ordinary priest and settler in the Auckland region, his work, relationships and observations. This thesis examines the journals as texts: their role in correspondence and maintaining connections with family. Using Lush’s record of day-to-day experiences, the thesis deals with his emotional attachment towards various expressions of “home” (immediate and extended family, houses, relationship with English land and customs) and explores his associated sense of belonging. Lush’s role as a priest within the New Zealand Anglican Church also informed his writing. Witnessing and participating in the “building” of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, Lush provided a record of parochial, diocesan and countrywide problems. Lush’s journals track the Anglican Church’s financial struggles, from providing stable salaries to financing church buildings. “Building” the Church required constructing churches and building congregations, adapting liturgical traditions and encouraging the development of a uniquely Māori church. This thesis also uses the journals to explore Lush as a social commentator. As a witness to the settling and building of the colony, Lush observed the Taranaki and Waikato Wars, the Waikato Immigration Scheme and the Thames Gold Rush, and their impact on the development of settler living. In addition, the final chapter deals with Lush’s changing perceptions of Māori, particularly during the Waikato wars compared with while he lived in Thames.</p>

“To Leaven the Lump”: A Critical History of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand

<p>This thesis is an interpretation of the history and character of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand (NZAPF). It focuses on accounting for the limited growth and influence of the Fellowship upon New Zealand’s largest Christian denomination, and on the continuing marginality of the pacifist position. Throughout its history, the organisation has sought to convince others within the Anglican Church that an absolutist, politically engaged and non-anarchistic pacifism is the truest Christian response to the problem of modern warfare. This has been attempted primarily through efforts at education aimed at both clergy and laity. The thesis argues that the NZAPF has been characterised by a commitment to absolute doctrinaire pacifism, despite ongoing tensions between this position and more pragmatic considerations. Overall, the NZAPF attracted only a small group of members throughout its history, and it exerted a limited demonstrable influence on the Anglican Church. This thesis analyses the reasons for this, focusing especially on those factors which arose from the nature of the NZAPF itself, the character of its pacifism, and the relationship between the NZAPF and its primary target audience, the Anglican Church in New Zealand. The research is based on literature and correspondence from the NZAPF as well as personal communication with extant members, where this was feasible. It additionally draws on a range of relevant secondary literature on Christian pacifism, and the history of the Anglican Church and the peace movement in New Zealand.</p>

‘In Quietness and in Confidence Shall Be Your Strength’: Vicesimus Lush and His Journals, 1850-1882

<p>From his arrival in New Zealand in 1850 until his death in 1882 Reverend Vicesimus Lush kept a regular journal to send to family back “home” in England. These journals chronicle the life of an ordinary priest and settler in the Auckland region, his work, relationships and observations. This thesis examines the journals as texts: their role in correspondence and maintaining connections with family. Using Lush’s record of day-to-day experiences, the thesis deals with his emotional attachment towards various expressions of “home” (immediate and extended family, houses, relationship with English land and customs) and explores his associated sense of belonging. Lush’s role as a priest within the New Zealand Anglican Church also informed his writing. Witnessing and participating in the “building” of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, Lush provided a record of parochial, diocesan and countrywide problems. Lush’s journals track the Anglican Church’s financial struggles, from providing stable salaries to financing church buildings. “Building” the Church required constructing churches and building congregations, adapting liturgical traditions and encouraging the development of a uniquely Māori church. This thesis also uses the journals to explore Lush as a social commentator. As a witness to the settling and building of the colony, Lush observed the Taranaki and Waikato Wars, the Waikato Immigration Scheme and the Thames Gold Rush, and their impact on the development of settler living. In addition, the final chapter deals with Lush’s changing perceptions of Māori, particularly during the Waikato wars compared with while he lived in Thames.</p>

“To Leaven the Lump”: A Critical History of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand

<p>This thesis is an interpretation of the history and character of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand (NZAPF). It focuses on accounting for the limited growth and influence of the Fellowship upon New Zealand’s largest Christian denomination, and on the continuing marginality of the pacifist position. Throughout its history, the organisation has sought to convince others within the Anglican Church that an absolutist, politically engaged and non-anarchistic pacifism is the truest Christian response to the problem of modern warfare. This has been attempted primarily through efforts at education aimed at both clergy and laity. The thesis argues that the NZAPF has been characterised by a commitment to absolute doctrinaire pacifism, despite ongoing tensions between this position and more pragmatic considerations. Overall, the NZAPF attracted only a small group of members throughout its history, and it exerted a limited demonstrable influence on the Anglican Church. This thesis analyses the reasons for this, focusing especially on those factors which arose from the nature of the NZAPF itself, the character of its pacifism, and the relationship between the NZAPF and its primary target audience, the Anglican Church in New Zealand. The research is based on literature and correspondence from the NZAPF as well as personal communication with extant members, where this was feasible. It additionally draws on a range of relevant secondary literature on Christian pacifism, and the history of the Anglican Church and the peace movement in New Zealand.</p>