MINISTRY UPDATE REPORT                                                          April - May 2003

This Issue:       Note From Ed - Underwear vs. Armor - Church of England and the Masons

In an attempt at soothing the ruffled feathers of the English   Masonic Brotherhood, The New Archbishop of Canterbury tries to recover from a case of foot in mouth disorder.

Several years ago, the Church of England issued a statement declaring the rituals and practices of the Lodge were incompatible with Christianity. This was in spite of the large numbers of Masons who were also members of the church.

"There are a number of very fundamental reasons to question the compatibility of Freemasonry with Christianity."
(High Anglican Church of England Synod, official publication "Freemasonry & Christianity: are they compatible?" page 40, July 1987).

While Archbishop Williams was reluctant to give in on his statement of the incompatibility of the Lodge to Christianity, this apology has given the Masons a tool to use in regaining controls of local parishes.

We would pray that the Archbishop would review how his ‘apology’ is being twisted and make a Godly, strong stand on the principles of his faith. – ED

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has been forced to apologize to Britain's 330,000 Freemasons after he said that their beliefs were incompatible with Christianity and that he had rejected them from senior posts in his diocese.

Dr Williams has written to Robert Morrow, the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England, in an attempt to defuse the row prompted by comments he made last year. In his letter, the Archbishop apologizes for the "distress" he caused and discloses that his own father was a member of the Craft.

Freemasons, many of whom are active members of the Church of England, reacted angrily to his disclosure that he "had real misgivings about the compatibility of Masonry and Christian profession" and by his admission that, as Bishop of Monmouth, he had blocked the appointment of Freemasons to senior appointments……….

He Continued….: "I have been sorry to learn of the distress of a considerable number of Freemasons . . . In replying to private correspondence, I had no intention of starting a public debate nor of questioning the good faith and generosity of individual Freemasons and I regret the tone and content of the media coverage."

He added: "The quoted statements about the 'satanic' character of the Masonic ceremonies and other matters did not come from me and do not represent my judgment. Since my late father was a member of the Craft for many years, I have had every opportunity of observing the probity of individual members." Dr Williams does not, in his letter, deny that he has misgivings about the role of Freemasons within the Church.

He wrote: "Where anxieties exist, however, they are in relation not to Freemasonry but to Christian ministers subscribing to what could be and often is understood [or misunderstood] as a private system of profession and initiation, involving the taking of oaths of loyalty."

In an earlier article in the Official Church of England Newspaper, The Evangelical Alliance praised Williams’ earlier stand opposing Masonry. Number: 5642 Date: 11/21/02

EA support for Dr Williams

The Evangelical Alliance has supported Rowan Williams’ statement on freemasonry. The Archbishop of Canterbury-designate questioned the “compatibility” of freemasonry with Christian teaching in a letter to Hugh Sinclair, an author researching the subject.

The EA sent out a statement in which they “welcome and support” Dr Williams’ views on the subject of freemasonry within the church.

Dr Williams, in a personal letter, makes clear his opposition to the appointment of freemasons within the clergy. He said, “I have resisted the appointment of known masons to certain senior posts. I have real misgivings about the compatibility of masonry and Christian profession.”

The EA has concerns about the teachings and rituals of freemasonry. David Hilborn, the theological adviser to the Alliance, believes that freemasonry compromises “the unique revelation of God in Christ. In freemasonry it seems that there is an attempt to go beyond this specific revelation to a more general view of God”. There were further concerns about the “mysticism and Gnosticism” of the masonry system. Mr Hilborn feels that freemasonry reduces the importance of Christ, making him into a “reformer” comparable to Confucius or Zoroaster. The EA also sees freemasonry as a “works” religion. “In freemasonry at the end of the day salvation is through good works”.

The EA is keen to stress that the Archbishop’s remarks were “a personal response to a personal letter”, and do not want to get embroiled in an Anglican dispute. “The EA is a pan-evangelical body and we have never interfered with appointments,” he said.

That said, he makes it clear that the EA is “very keen to critique the Archbishop” when that is right. For example, the EA clearly opposed Williams’s attendance at a druidical ceremony earlier this year.