In this issue:

• Message from the Presiding Bishop: Focus on Training for Ministry; Why are we Anglican? and “Cooperation not competition”.

• News round-up from the three Dioceses

• Report on New Wineskins conference

• Reflection on Scripture. Psalm 42 – our souls’ need for living water

message from bishop Andy Lines

It has been a busy year so far for many of us. The amazingly diverse and growing group of churches in our network are continuing to faithfully provide for the pastoral needs of their members, and reach out to those who don’t yet know the Lord with the life-giving message of Jesus. Each congregation is unique, responding to the Lord and to local needs according to the different contexts and the varied gifts of the members. Unique, but not independent, because we share fellowship together in our regional groups, our Dioceses, as a Network, and as part of a global Communion.

It has been exciting to see this fellowship and interdependence of our local churches being expressed in the meetings of the Synods, of ACE in June, AMiE in early July and AMC in late July. Each one dealt with important issues of governance, and also reiterated commitment to the vision to proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations of Europe at a time of turmoil and confusion. Then we can develop our calling as a network of churches offering a basis of discipleship for new believers, and a hope and a home for Anglicans and others who can no longer be part of church structures which have abandoned the gospel.

Many of us have been able to have a break over the summer, for which we give thanks. Mandy and I had a wonderful time in the Western Isles of Scotland with various family members and our dog.  It was a joy to visit Greenwood where an ACE family are keen to serve others in the Network. Now we’re in autumn and it’s back to work: most churches have begun new series of bible teaching on Sundays, and are already planning for special ministries and for various improvements. As we move forward together as a Network, there are three key areas I would like to focus on:

2. Being Anglican

It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one, or utterly like; for at all times they have been divers, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God's Word.

Article 34 of the Thirty Nine Articles

The past 20-30 years have seen a theological crisis unfolding in the Anglican Church worldwide, as many leaders, particularly in the secularised regions of the UK, US, Canada, Australia etc have abandoned the clear teaching of Scripture, replacing it with “another gospel”. This has led some to ask: is Anglicanism itself the problem? Perhaps it’s too tied to Catholicism, too tied to the ruling establishment of society, gives too much latitude of belief ie too “wishy washy”, gives too much power to leaders? 

In response we can point out that no denomination is immune from embracing unbiblical teachings or being seduced by association with sources of power and money. But more positively, there’s so much to commend our Anglican ethos and identity. All churches have their in-house jargon, and it can be confusing when we try to begin by explaining what is a Diocese, Province, Synod; what does a bishop do, and so on. Rather, here are some things which I and Anglicans around the world appreciate as helpful for gospel ministry, and which we should keep:

• Reformed continuity

The early Anglican leaders during the Reformation were committed to putting the bible and the great gospel doctrines back at the heart of the church’s life and message, much of which had been hidden in the trappings of medieval Catholicism. Some were even killed as they protected these truths. But as they set out the guidelines for how we “do church”, they were aware that they weren’t starting from scratch, but in a tradition going back to the early church and the apostles themselves. So it wasn’t necessary to throw out everything from the past. Bishops, building architecture, special clothing, liturgy and even candles are certainly not central to the gospel or essential to Anglicanism, but they have a history; if they are in themselves not inherently wrong and do not obscure or negate the bible’s teaching, they can be useful and can be retained. Just as  biblically-compatible innovations can be introduced for the sake of mission.

• Comprehensive orthodoxy

One of the wonderful things about being part of Gafcon, GSFA and ANiE is that we find immediate kinship with others who read the same bible and agree on the same basic message. We can worship, pray and witness together, and we have a shared denominational history, even if the way we do things in our local cultures and churches may be very different. A few years ago the phrase “generous orthodoxy” was largely hijacked by some in the “emerging church” movement who really meant blurring boundaries and opening the door to heresy on points where the bible is clear. That’s not what Anglicanism should be! We are orthodox in the sense of believing and proclaiming apostolic truth with the faithful church down the centuries, while being generous in allowing for diversity on secondary issues of disagreement.

• Successful polity

Sadly in the nations of Europe, many Anglicans have had bad experiences of bishops and of the structures of church governance generally. So some have concluded that the answer is to join a church which doesn’t have them! I would suggest that this simply re-locates the underlying problem of human sin and resisting God’s word to some other leadership position and system of accountability. While none of us in ANiE claim that episcopal governance is perfect, it has worked very well for centuries all over the world, especially when bishops are enabled to operate as pastors to the pastors and servant-leaders in mission.

3. Cooperation not competition

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.      

Romans 14:10

This follows on from what we’ve said about being “comprehensive” and “global”. Our unity should not just be in what we think and believe, but practical, in how we relate to and treat each other. Good relationships and harmony are essential, not an optional extra, or only possible when we’re with people of the same “tribe” who we’ve always trusted. It has been very fruitful to spend some time over the past few months looking at Romans 12-14 with a group of leaders in one of our Dioceses. We’ve been challenged by the seriousness with which Paul takes this issue of unity, and encouraged by the solutions he provides. When Christians who take different views on secondary issues break fellowship, or when there’s conflict within the same church as two sides both seem determined to “win”, or personalities and their followers fall out, something has gone wrong spiritually. Repentance and restoration of relationships are required. This requires forbearance, overlooking slights, proactively reaching out in genuine love. It is “gospel culture”: where our belief in the person and work of Jesus informs our understanding of salvation and our attitudes and actions towards other people, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ (Philippians 2:1-5). Let’s commit to getting better at this!

Here's a video recording of Bishop Andy's message for those who prefer it.

ANiE Monthly Prayer Meeting

Looking forward to the ANiE prayer meeting this Friday 3 October at 9am BST and the first Friday of every month.

Zoom meeting

• Date: Friday 3 October 2025

• Time: 9 to 10am BST

• Meeting ID: 895 8854 1950

• Passcode: 351629 

Click to join Zoom meeting

news from around the network

New Wineskins conference, ACNA

New Wineskins is a triennial global Anglican missions conference which takes place at Ridgecrest Conference Centre in the mountains of North Carolina in the United States. This year Bishop Josep Rosello and Rev'd Canon Philip de Grey-Warter were among the 1400 who attended, representing ACE and ANiE.

As a Network, not only do we immensely value our global Anglican connections through Gafcon, we are especially grateful to those who have relocated to Europe as workers in our corner of the harvest field and their sending mission agencies. There is no substitute for meeting face to face and being able to talk and pray together, both with those who have already joined us and those who are praying about the possibility, so the conference was a fantastic opportunity to renew old friendships, build new relationships and deepen mission partnerships. 

Bishop Josep and Philip had both been invited to give ‘Mission Awareness Presentations’ which raised the Network’s profile for our American ‘cousins’ and many others from the 50 countries represented, especially echoing the call from Paul's vision in Acts 16 which led to the gospel being preached on European soil for the first time: ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Amongst the many, many conversations, they were able to spend time with people planning to come to Spain, Sweden, Russia, and the Netherlands and they explored possibilities with various mission agencies for mission interns or short term mission trips. 

The conference included many testimonies from Muslim background believers (MBBs) and the persecuted church, as well as stories of mission on the frontiers with previously unreached people groups, but they were grateful to add the urgency of the gospel for Europe into the mix and pray that the Lord will use it to grow the gospel on the continent. For example, since global mission is from everywhere to everywhere, Philip was also able to catch up with Canon William Ongeng, the Provincial Secretary for the Church of Uganda, ahead of a visit by some of our Network bishops to Uganda in December this year, as they pray and plan towards sending workers to us in ANiE. Watch this space!

Photos - Plenary Session / Bp Josep & Philip at Ridgecrest Conference Centre /  Bishop Daniel Qampicha of Marsabit, Kenya & Gafcon Chairman, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda with Philip.

Reflection on Scripture

Psalm 42 – our souls’ need for living water

“My soul is downcast within me” is how the Psalmist feels. “My soul thirsts for God” is his diagnosis and prescription.

The Psalmist expresses feelings familiar to many of us: sadness, profound despondency, emptiness, isolation, depression.

If you are one of those fortunate people who never feel depressed and perhaps are tempted to judge those who do, the bible has a lot of it. It’s here, described by the anonymous Psalmist. Job felt it, as did Jonah, after the Ninevites repented. Paul said he was under great pressure, far beyond an ability to endure, so that that he despaired of life itself. Jesus in Gethsemane said “my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”. There will be people reading this right now experiencing something like this, and there will be loved ones who are. Let’s recognise the agony that is part of being human, summed up in these verses: “why are you so downcast my soul, why so disturbed within me?”

When we or anyone is in this position of feeling low, we often don’t diagnose our need properly, and take the wrong medicine. Someone might be suffering from chronic dehydration. They feel terrible. Internal organs start to be seriously damaged. “I feel I need …a paracetamol. Steak and chips! A sip of whiskey maybe!” These are false satisfiers. But actually this person needs water.

We’ve looked at how the songwriter of this Psalm, feels in himself. What’s the diagnosis? “My soul thirsts for God.” This is not how he feels. He feels downcast and in psychological distress, and actually God seems distant. But like a dehydrated person recognising what is happening, he realises the problem is spiritual dehydration. That powerful image of the deer, maybe chased by hunting dogs, desperate for a cool peaceful stream, illustrates how my soul thirsts for God himself.

We do not come to the Lord because an end to mental or physical distress is promised. Rather, we come because he is the Lord, and he does provide rest and "green pastures" even in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death. On the other hand, many people can testify to healing in various ways, and somehow we need to rejoice in this even if we and others may continue to suffer.

The cross of Christ has dealt  with our sin. The barrier has been torn down. Now we can enter into the Lord’s presence and drink of the living water. Why is my soul so downcast within me? There may be many reasons, and the feelings are real. What’s happening underneath it all is that my soul thirsts for the living God, and in Jesus it can be satisfied, in the quietness of our hearts. However we are feeling today, whether we are discouraged, or positive, or neutral, we have this wonderful privilege and gift. We can come to him and drink. Let’s all commit to do it more!