Network Statement
Every theological college ought to produce godly pastors, humbly devoted to serving God’s people and teaching others to imitate them as they imitate Christ. Through faithful teaching and proclamation, vocational pastoral work is at the centre of meeting our Lord’s call to make disciples of all nations.
In 2017, Gafcon recognised the power and potential of a network for supporting and promoting theological education, so as to produce pastors and ministers of this standard, and resolved the following:
“We endorse the Gafcon Primates’ principles of theological education, and enthusiastically support the formation of a Gafcon theological education network.”
The purpose of this network would be to give every bishop in the Anglican Communion access to excellent theological education. There are many and varied challenges that face our colleges as we seek to raise up the next generation of leaders:
- the challenge of finding godly, servant-hearted candidates for training;
- the challenge of raising up well-trained and godly faculty who remain in place for the long term; and
- the challenge of providing experiences of fellowship generated by the Word of God, by which students may be formed into the Christlike leaders the church needs.
Gafcon, thanks be to God, now has the resources to staff a network with dedicated experts who can turn possibilities into realities. And Gafcon is in a position to ensure that the members of this network are orthodox, subscribing to the Jerusalem Declaration; and principled, submitting themselves to a common vision for theological education.
A prayer for the Theological Education Network
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have not left us in ignorance and darkness but have given us the light of your word.
We thank you, too, for the gift of evangelists, pastors and teachers which our Saviour Christ bestows upon his Church.
Please grant that all those involved in the training of evangelists, pastors and teachers will help them to mature in their knowledge of you through your word and be further equipped to bless your people.
In particular, we pray for the colleges and other institutions which have joined the Gafcon Theological Network:
In these times of difficulty, grant that they will have the resources and the technical skills to continue to teach the students;
Grant that they will soon be able to meet again and have personal fellowship;
Grant that the members of the network will be fervent in their prayers for each other and concerned to care for each other;
Grant that there will be a good supply of students in the next semester.
We pray for these mercies so that your name may be glorified and your people blessed. In the Name of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Bishop Peter Jensen, first General Secretary of Gafcon and former Archbishop of Sydney, has a deep commitment to theological education. For 16 years, he served as Principal of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He has a special interest in Christian doctrine and continues to lecture in this area.
He regards the sharing of theological resources and wisdom as being a top priority for the Gafcon movement as we seek to preach Christ faithfully and make disciples of all nations. Since 2019, he has served as Editor of Churchman in succession to Professor Gerald Bray, in addition to his work as joint Editor of The Reformed Theological Review. He is married to Christine and they have five adult children.
Contact: [email protected]
Resources
Gafcon Theological Education Network Reaches Out click here >>
Task Force on Women in the Episcopate, Interim Report (2019) click here >>
Dr Ashley Null speaking at G19 about the importance of Theological Education:
Our Mission is to guard the unchanging, transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim Him to the world.
