Recife is famous for its Bishops.

The Roman Catholic Bishop Dom Helder Camara of Recife was known throughout the world for inspiring Christians to love and serve poor people. Now the Anglican Bishop of Recife, Dom Robinson Cavalcanti is well known throughout the world for being faithful to the Biblical teaching in the face of unjust harassment.

He is famous for having oversight of parishes in the USA, while being under the oversight of province in Argentina. This is a witness to the international fellowship of the gospel - who ever heard of the USA being under Brazil, or Brazil being under Argentina? Globalisation is the end of geography.

Bishop Camara and Bishop Cavalcanti are Bishops who stand for the apostolic faith once delivered to the saints. A Bishop is someone who inspires others to look to and follow Jesus.

What is the Role of a bishop?

A bishop serves the church - he does not create the church. We evangelical and charismatic Anglicans do not define the church by its clergy. This is because

1. We affirm the priesthood of all believers.
2. We affirm that the scriptures contain all things needed for salvation and faith is the means of receiving salvation.
3. We affirm that God creates his people by the ministry of his word in the local congregation. It is the presbyters and local ministers who are central to that. The bishop is the chief presbyter.

The role of a bishop is to be a teacher of the faith.

The bishop is also an instrument of order and mission in the church along with the local congregations and their ministry that he serves. He is a knot in the net that links Christian communities together. It is entirely part of Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti's ministry that he travels to the USA, the Bahamas to meet orthodox Anglicans in the Americas, the UK to meet orthodox Anglicans and to Egypt for the forthcoming conference of the Global South. The local ministry of building up the church is carried on by Archdeacon Miguel and others here in the parish.

Is the bishop a successor to the apostles? No. Continuity in apostolic faith is fellowship with the apostles, with their gospel, and with their true and lively word. We look with them at Jesus and seek to follow him as they teach us to. It is the local ministry of the word that is more directly and fundamentally apostolic. It brings the word of life to congregations. It is where the word of God is lived and taught and obeyed and builds up the people of God.

Who then are the successors to the apostolic faith? It is all of you as you remain faithful to the apostolic witness within scripture. Therefore attacks on your bishop are attacks on you. Attacks on his teaching are therefore attacks on you

Attacks are dispossessing people of their Anglican identity

The attacks on Recife, its bishop, diocese and clergy have sought to rob you of your Anglican identity: to say that you do not belong to the Anglican church as we the province understand it and therefore you will be deposed. (See further the article on www.anglican-mainstream.net Staying together or walking together, by Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden)

How do we affirm our Anglican identity?

By our faith in the primacy of the scriptures, in the creeds, in the two sacraments, and our acceptance of the role of bishops. This common faith links us with other Anglicans. It is our faith that creates our identity and also our relationship with other Anglicans which you have with the Southern Cone and with other orthodox Anglicans who affirm that you share their faith.

Your bishop has been faithful. And for our scripture this morning I want to bring to you the encouraging words of Paul in 1 Timothy 2 1-21

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

This morning Bishop Robinson as you give thanks for eight years in the ministry of a bishop, our word is Finish strong. Finish strong. You have completed 8 years. You have at least 4 more years. This is as long as many prime ministers and presidents have to do all their work. So finish strong.

Entrust what you have heard to reliable men - and we can say women

You have 42 reliable clergy to teach others also. They have proved their reliability

Endure hardship with us as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

You have endured hardship. We are soldiers in a war not tourists on holiday. To win the battle we must endure hardship.

No one receives the victors crown unless he competes according to the rules

You are an athlete. To win the race you must train hard and play fair.

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops

Your dedicated effort will be rewarded. You will see the gospel producing changed lives.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David

Death could not hold Jesus. The worst evil forces could do would not defeat him.

And remember Jesus is descended from David - he is the rightful king. No one can take that from him.

Remember Paul

Paul is in chains but God's word is not chained. Paul says that God is using his suffering.

Like Paul, Recife Christians feel bound and hampered - officially cut off and disapproved of by the province. But in the very process Recife is actually setting the chart for the new alignment in the Anglican Communion. You have affirmed your Anglican identity by affirming the faith, by affirming and caring for those who affirm the faith in Ohio, and by making yourself accountable to others who affirm the faith in the Southern Cone.

Globalisation is the end of geography and the old geographical jurisdictions. Parishes in the US are under the oversight of the Bishop of Recife who is part of the Southern Cone. This is what the Anglican Communion will look like all over very soon. You got there first.

So Paul gives Timothy reasons for enduring

I endure everything for the sake of the elect that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

No suffering is too great if it brings salvation to God's chosen ones who will yet believe. We are all standing firm for the gospel teaching for the sake of our children and grandchildren that they may have a church which ministers to them the word of God faithfully. Hardship is part of the deal, hardship is the effort needed for success.

Remember Jesus. Death could not hold him. Nothing can take away the fact he is the rightful king And remember Paul. The word of God cannot be deposed or silenced.

Then Paul ends with a chorus used regularly in his churches:

If we died we will live If we endure we will reign If we disown him he will disown us If we are faithless, he will be faithful

Then Paul warns about quarrelling about words

We will be provoked to quarrel about words The antidote is to correctly handle the word of truth - to bring people to new life and build people up. The antidote is also to avoid godless chatter - rumour mongering which makes those who listen to it and indulge in it more ungodly. Such godless chatter will spread like gangrene and destroys parts of the body.

We must expect this. But we take comfort that the Lord knows who are his and we must be ready as an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the master, prepared to do any good work.

END