Anglican Conservatives say US Bishops Failed to Repent

ChristianToday, UK ^ | January 29, 2005 | Eunice K. Y. Or

[schaketo]

"We are talking about theology, we are talking about scripture."

A weeklong meeting of Anglican conservatives held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi concluded that the U.S. Episcopal Church have failed to repent for the consecration of a homosexual bishop.

Ending on Friday 28th January, the gathering drew more than 30 conservative Anglican archbishops and bishops from Africa, Asia and Latin America. At the meeting they discussed their reactions towards the recommendations made by a commission for resolving the current rift between conservatives and liberals over homosexuality.

The Lambeth Commission published the Windsor Report in October 2004, which aims to find out the solution for the crisis. It urged the Episcopal Church not to elect any more gay bishops and called on conservative African bishops to stop meddling in the affairs of other dioceses.

However, all archbishops and bishops in this recent meeting declared that an apology from the U.S. Episcopal Church did not go far enough to heal the rift in the Communion over the consecration of the denomination's first openly gay bishop.

Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola explained that the U.S. bishops apologised to individual church members in a letter issued earlier this month expressing "sincere regret" for consecrating the gay cleric Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire without full consideration of other Anglicans' objections. However, they still failed to repent for an act he said was contrary to their faith.

"We are talking about theology, we are talking about scripture," he added. In fact, previously the Nigerian Archbishop has also criticised the Windsor report for not using proper languages to rebuke those who are promoting sexual sins as holy and acceptable behaviour.

"That gives us a very big question mark whether we are together or not," said Malawi's Archbishop Bernard Malango.

The Windsor Report is going to be put forward to the General Synod of the Church of England for further discussion. The Synod will begin on 17th February in Ireland where all the archbishops and bishops are expected to attend. Therefore, now they are all very circumspect about their views on the recommendations, saying they did not want to pre-empt the General Synod next month.

[starfish923]

Oh dear.
Schism-o-rama.

ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, KING HENRY?! Are you satisfied with what you did to England...all in the pursuit of a SON?

Dumbass. NOW he knows that the MALE establishes the gender of a baby. What an arrogant fool.

Pardon my hindsight ravings. Breaks my heart to see these schisms in the Church of England, a.k.a. Anglican Church, a.k.a. Episcopalian Church (both high and low).
All from the arrogance, vanity, pride, greed and hunger for power of one person. What an enormous waste!

[Stoat]

Related article:

US must repent - angry bishops

US must repent - angry bishops
28/01/2005 19:01  - (SA)

Nairobi - Conservative Anglican bishops on Friday demanded that the US branch of the church repent for ordaining an openly gay bishop and reverse the action ahead of next month's worldwide meeting of congregational leaders in Northern Ireland.

Nigerian primate Peter Akinola, a spokesperson for Anglican bishops from Asia, Africa and Latin America who met here this week, said the US Episcopal Church must "repent" for ordaining a homosexual, Gene Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire in November 2003.

"America must repent, they must put a stop to that practice," Akinola told reporters here. "If God says (homosexuality) is an abomination, they should say it is an abomination... if God says it is wrong, then it is wrong."

"Homosexuality is a non-issue to us," he said. "Sexuality is God's gift to man and is what you enjoy between man and woman in the comfort of their room (or) house.

"We do not advertise sex in Africa," said Akinola, who has led vocal opposition to the ordination of gay bishops in the past.

Anglican leaders from around the world are to meet in Belfast from February 20 to 26 to discuss a report commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, after several conservative provinces threatened to split in the wake of Robinson's ordination.

Asked whether they would permanently split if the US branch fails to reverse course, Akinola replied: "When we get to the bridge, we shall cross it."

But one bishop attending the five-day meeting of Global South (Africa, Asia and Latin America) Anglican bishops in Nairobi said: "We will go Belfast, but we are not ready to compromise on homosexuality, whatever the price."

The threat of permanent schism in the Anglican church is especially great in developing countries, where many church leaders stick to the scriptural precept that the practice of homosexuality is a sin.

The Anglican faith has about 70 million adherents worldwide.

Last month, Jayne Ozanne, senior advisor to Archbishop Williams, warned that the deeply divided worldwide Anglican communion could "implode and self-destruct" over gay clerics and other sensitive issues.

Edited by Schalk Jonker