Monday 26 - Tuesday 27 February 2018 The Holiday Inn, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne Welcome Welcome to the Jesmond Conference 2018: Sexual Chaos – Causes and Counteraction. This is the fourth Jesmond Conference since reconvening in February 2015. Prior to Synodical Government, Evangelical Anglican clergy met annually for the Islington Conference, hosted by the vicar of Islington. That, however, was not unique. For it was the survivor of three such conferences, one of which was the Jesmond Conference. This, sadly, expired well before my time, having become theologically liberal. Much has changed since then in the Church of England and the wider world. A number of factors led me to reconvene the Jesmond Conference three years ago, but initially as a private invitation conference. First, the theological requirement for “credibility in our society” (Rowan Williams) rather than for biblical truth is leading the Church of England to the loss of a truly prophetic voice. Then, secondly, this theology deprives lay-people in their secular callings of adequate guidance from our (still) established Church. Many want the Church’s help in challenging hostile minorities that are seeking to subvert what is left of the Christian “sacred canopy” that (still) grounds those British Values that were the subject of our first conference. Last year our subject was Reformation in the Nation and the Church, as it was at the start of the year celebrating the 500th anniversary of the start of Luther’s Reformation. This year the subject of our invitation conference is the sexual chaos that is confronting Christian people in the Church and in the world. Going on and growing from the 1960s, many think it is time to begin a “repeal of the sexual revolution”. Once again I pray that our conference will be helpful to you personally and to your congregations as you face the challenges of the contemporary world and Church. David Holloway Vicar of Jesmond 2 TIMETABLE Monday 26 February Tuesday 27 February 12:30pm Arrival Bible Reading 2: 1 Corinthians 6 9:30am 1:00pm Lunch (Jonathan Pryke) and prayer 2:00pm Bible Reading 1: Malachi 2 (Jonathan Session 4: The Way Pryke) and Prayer 10:00am Ahead for the Church (and Society) 2:30pm Session 1: The Reason 11:00am Tea and coffee For, & the Cost of, the Chaos Final Session: Talk & 11:30am Panel 3:30pm Tea and Coffee 1:00pm Lunch and Depart 4:00pm Session 2: Marriage, the Problems & the Anglican Ideal Each of the four sessions 5:00pm Tea and Coffee includes a 20 minute introduction by David 5:30pm Session 3: Holloway, vicar of Jesmond, Homosexualism & followed by group Transgenderism discussion and feedback. 6:30pm Free Time 7:30pm Dinner 3 BIBLE READING 1: BREAKING FAITH Malachi 2 - Jonathan Pryke Introduction: Marriage matters 1) God’s people have broken faith with one another 2) When we break faith with one another we are also breaking faith with God 3) God finds breaking faith repulsive 4) God calls us to return to him 4 SESSION 1: THE REASON FOR, & THE COST OF, THE CHAOS 1) Sexual Chaos a) In the Church b) In the world c) A swing back? 2) Back to the 1960s a) Sexual liberation b) Needing a “slow repeal of the sexual revolution” c) The cost demographically 3) Liberty, Equality and Fraternity a) Women’s liberation b) Sharing humanity with the opposite sex c) The “Spirit of the Age” hard to challenge 4) Sheldon Vanauken a) Invented “sexist” and “sexism” b) Worried by neutering God c) The Titanic and male chivalry 5 5) Women are different a) Unacknowledged leadership b) Equal value but not identical c) Cf. a nut and a bolt d) 2014 the high point in the pendulum? Notes DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What needs further discussion? 2. Do we think there is “a swing back of the pendulum”? 3. What are the suggestions for action? 6 SESSION 2: MARRIAGE, THE PROBLEMS & THE ANGLICAN IDEAL 1) Subjective certainty needs social support a) “What the heart desires, the will chooses and mind rationalizes” b) Plausibility Structures c) 42% of marriages ending in divorce 2) Children suffer a) Divorced families – children 5x more problems than in intact families b) Single parent families – children 2x, step-families 6x more problems than in intact c) Multi-families - 10x more problems than in intact 3) Church of England a) Traditional teaching b) Matthew to be interpreted in the light of Mark and Luke, not vice- versa c) Pornë - the forbidden degrees (incest) d) Herod and Herodias e) Paul seems to distinguish (ESV) ‘enslaved’ and ‘bound’ 7 4) English Reformed tradition a) Erasmus liberalized b) Continental Reformers and others – the adulterer considered “as dead” c) English Reformers disagreed Notes DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What needs further discussion? 2. How can we recover the traditional Church of England marriage SESSIONdiscipline? 3: HOMOSEXUALISM & TRANSGENDERISM 3. What are the suggestions for action? 8 SESSION 3: HOMOSEXUALISM & TRANSGENDERISM 1) 1952 and the Church of England a) The Church of England study starts discussion b) Wolfenden 1957 c) General Synod working party opened the flood gates 1980, C of E board disagrees with working party 2) 1987 decision a) The official C of E position b) 1981 Issues in human sexuality ‘not the last word’ c) Section 2.29: “There is … in Scripture an evolving convergence on the ideal of lifelong, monogamous, heterosexual union as the setting intended by God for the proper development of men and women as sexual beings. Sexual activity of any kind outside marriage comes to be seen as sinful, and homosexual practice as especially dishonourable.” 3) Conscience – bishops wrong! a) Distinguish – “invincible” conscience (pathological) from “vincible” (persuadable) b) Vincible always in error when contradicting the Bible c) Vincible in error not to be followed when permits d) Vincible in error to be followed when forbids 9 4) Transgenderism a) A bridge too far? b) Mad and wicked c) Professor Butler of UCH, 1 in 20,000! d) Child abuse e) Cf. body integrity identity disorder (BIID) Notes DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What needs further discussion? 2. How do we discipline false teachers regarding these issues in the C of E? 3. What are the suggestions for action? 10 BIBLE READING 2: BODY & SPIRIT 1 Corinthians 6 – Jonathan Pryke 1) The Holy Spirit makes us heirs of God’s kingdom a) The great divide b) The great deception c) The great difference 2) Our bodies belong to Christ a) Our bodies are for Christ b) Our bodies will be raised from the dead c) Our bodies are members of the body of Christ d) Our bodies are for spiritual union with Christ e) Our bodies are lived in by the Holy Spirit 3) We should glorify God with our bodies a) We must not abuse our freedom b) We must flee from sexual immorality c) We must know our worth d) We must know that we belong to Christ e) We must use our bodies to bring glory to God 11 SESSION 4: THE WAY AHEAD FOR THE CHURCH (AND SOCIETY) 1) Romans 1 a) Verses 18-31 b) Denying God leads to sexual decadence 2) Time for action a) Making judgments different from judgmentalism b) Common grace and general revelation – keep in mind c) Three necessary orders – a domestic order (marriage and the family), a political order, and a spiritual order – “social calamity” when one fails 3) Agenda for action a) Recovery of marriage/sexual discipline in the Church of England b) Other issues c) Support of the Nashville Statement Notes 12 Notes DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What needs further discussion? 2. Of the suggested agenda points what are the priorities? (feminization, law and morals, structural reform in the C of E, managing Christian conflict, “free sex who pays?” at home, “free sex” and development, promoting British Values/Christian Education/Celtic Evangelism, a vehicle for this agenda, promoting the Nashville Statement) 3. What are other suggestions for action? 13 FINAL SESSION: TALK & PANEL Notes 14 15 Jesmond Parish Church Eskdale Terrace Jesmond Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2DJ [email protected] 0191 212 5123 .