Encouragement in Wales

Bishop Stuart Bell of the GAFCON-affiliated Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE) writes: Archbishop Ben Kwashi, General Secretary of GAFCON, the global Anglican movement, was the guest of the Evangelical Fellowship of the Church in Wales meeting with Anglican leaders for 24 hours (28-29 September) at the Hookses, the retreat of the late John Stott in Dale, Pembrokeshire.

In one session he spoke of what God is doing more widely in the Anglican communion and in another he gave encouragement from the Scriptures and from his own experience that we should stand firm. ‘We have nothing in Nigeria’, he said, ‘so if we give up Christ then we would have less than nothing; whereas if you in the West were to give up Christ you still would have your comfortable lifestyle.’

‘The church has delegated the care of persecuted Christians to other organisations.’ It seems so wrong that the church should pass motions about climate change and human sexuality but at the same time seem to ignore the suffering of fellow Christians who are being persecuted around the world.