By Stephen Mbogo
September 12, 2007
Nairobi, Kenya (CNSNews.com) - Some sections of the global Anglican Church opposed to the consecration of homosexual bishops will stay away from next summer’s Lambeth Conference, a once-a-decade meeting of bishops from around the world, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya has confirmed.
The conference in England is where policy issues that will guide the Anglican Church for the next decade are decided.
“Some provinces [country branches] are saying they will not attend a meeting where decisions are agreed upon but are not implemented,” Nzimbi told Cybercast News Service in an interview. “We agreed [at the last Lambeth, in 1998] that we should delay the consecration of gay bishops but the American church went ahead and did it.”
He said the reason given by those thinking about or planning to stay away is that the homosexuality issue has splintered the unity that bound the Anglican Communion together. “Our unity is based on common faith in Jesus Christ but gay priesthood has broken that so we may have nothing in common.”
Nzimbi did not name the countries or regions that may refuse to attend.
He said the Anglican Church in Kenya would make its decision by December. He did feel, however, that participating and having dialogue would be better than declining to attend altogether.
Church leaders opposed to the ordination of homosexuals would be eager to meet with like-minded bishops at the conference and decide the way forward on the issue, he added.
“The main issue is interpretation of the Bible. The Anglican Church needs revival because of many issues [in dispute], but consecration of gay bishops was the breaking point,” Nzimbi said.
Nzimbi was a leading critic of the 2003 ordination of Gene Robinson, an openly homosexual Episcopal clergyman, as bishop of New Hampshire. The Episcopal Church (ECUSA) is the U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion.
The debate has continued since then, with African leaders’ remaining firm in their opposition to ordination of homosexuals and church blessing of same-sex unions. American clergymen opposed to ECUSA’s liberal stance have been looking for leadership elsewhere.
Two weeks ago, Nzimbi consecrated two U.S. priests, Bill Atwood and William Murdoch, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in the presence of other conservative bishops from mostly southern hemisphere countries.
The two will now serve their congregations in Texas and Massachusetts under the jurisdiction of Nzimbi. The action defied an appeal by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams—the titular head of the world’s Anglicans—who worries that such steps could cause the already fragile Anglican Communion to shatter.
The last Lambeth Conference, in 1998, was dominated by the homosexuality row. Although Williams, who hosts the gathering, says he wants the 2008 conference to focus on training for effective mission, the unresolved sex issue is promising to feature strongly.
In an apparent attempt to prevent this, Williams has not invited to the 2008 conference either Robinson or an American priest who leads a splinter group of conservative American Anglicans under the leadership of the Archbishop of Nigeria.
Conservative American priests have already been consecrated in Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria too. Of 77 million Anglicans, about a half of them are based in developing countries, in many parts of which homosexuality remains taboo.
ECUSA bishops said last March that the involvement in U.S. church affairs by foreign churches’ bishops had “violated our provincial boundaries and caused great suffering and contributed immeasurably to our difficulties in solving our problems.”
A religious scholar here said the African churches’ position would be good for the church’s missionizing work in Africa.
Dr. Wafula Muyila, a teacher in the department of philosophy and religious studies at the University of Nairobi, said the African Anglican leaders’ stance sends a message to the denomination around the world.
“The African leadership of the church seems to be telling the world that religious issues are conservative, not dynamic as some would like to say,” said Muyila.
He said African Anglicans are also indicating that they are ready to forgo financial and other support from parts of the church that they feel are not respecting biblical teachings.
“This boldness and commitment is good for increasing the spread of the religion in the continent,” he said. “People respect that and will support it.”
Outside the Anglican Church, meanwhile, debate rages on in parts of Africa where governments are working to reform legal systems to decriminalize homosexual behavior, which currently is legal only in South Africa. Pressure groups are emerging in countries like Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to promote a homosexual-rights agenda.
Prisicah Nyokabi of the Kenya chapter of the International Commission of Jurists said it was wrong for African Anglican leaders to discriminate against their homosexual colleagues.
“Human rights issues are not divisible,” she said. “The church has a right to decide what is good for the congregation but should do that without interfering with the rights of an individual.”
13 September 2007 at 4:02 pm
Bravo Archbishop Nzimbi! Perhaps the Holy Spirit can be discerned by your observation that the matters under dispute at the moment in the world-wide Anglican Communion might better be served by a full attendance of those bishops who have been invited to attend.
Only by face to face dialogue, and an acceptance of a modern interpretation of the Bible, can we ever hope to dispel the mythology surrounding issues of gender and sexuality - to the point where each and every Christian person is welcomed at the Eucharistic Feast of Christ.
I well Remember Archbishop Tutu’s inspiring message: ‘And Jesus said: “I, when I am lifted up, will draw ALL people to myself”. Here is an African Church Leader with the mind of Christ, and a feeling for the real needs of God’s world.
Do not let this Lambeth Conference pass you by, otherwise, the Anglican Communion will have to manage without you. However, whatever you decide to do, please remember, it is God’s Church!
13 September 2007 at 7:05 pm
Want to know why Homosexuals are always in the News, and front and center in news stories-it’s called seeking out Homosexual Journalist.
“The president of an Illinois-based pro-family group says many fans of the Fox News Channel would be surprised—and perhaps even upset—to know that the network, which describes itself as “fair and balanced,” supports a conference for homosexual journalists.”
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/fox_news_channel_blasted_for_s.php
When will the perverted News Channels seek out Polygamous, or Pedophiliac Journalist?
13 September 2007 at 7:20 pm
Jesus was also Masculine:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2956152
Thank you Global South for your Masculinity.
14 September 2007 at 6:46 pm
California’s Socialist, Marxist, Progessive(Communist)PTA endorses demand to show ‘gays’ positively Supports law banning content reflecting adversely on homosexuality:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57623
Government Schools are nothing more than Social reenginneering centers, used by the Socialist Liberals to change society into their idolatry image. Hitler knew that to advance his cause he had to indoctrinate the children. Those same Marxist-Leninist ideologies are being thrusted upon our Christian Children in Government indoctrination Center throughout the Western World.
What does Homosexual Indoctrination have to do with Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic?
14 September 2007 at 6:50 pm
Why so many Americans today are ‘mentally ill’
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57143
14 September 2007 at 7:03 pm
Here we go again, Million voters overruled by 54 Socialist Liberal lawmakers, and one Socialist Liberal Governor have rejected the expressed will of the people in another state(Oregon):
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57638
You see, Socialist Liberals know what is best for the Peoples. We are just too stupid and ignorant and unenlightened to know what is best for society. They will break laws, Constitutions and the will of the people to advance their agendas.
Don’t be suprised, if one day a Civil War breaks out in this country again.
14 September 2007 at 7:30 pm
Will marriage survive?
Book shows disastrous results if detractors get their way:
http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=6&SUBDEPARTMENT_ID=94&ITEM_ID=1958
14 September 2007 at 7:49 pm
There is an answer to Sociaist Perverted indoctrination Centers(Government Education Centers):
http://www.mfc.org/contents/article.cfm?id=1422
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42704
http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=1771
http://www.hslda.org/orgs/
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2007/05/28/focus2.html
15 September 2007 at 3:33 am
Home schooling expert says churches ‘missing in action’
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/home_schooling_expert_says_chu.php
17 September 2007 at 9:51 am
re - Posting 3 (Gary Morrow)
Quote: “Jesus was also Masculine”
Another Garyism which defies reason!
Surely Jesus was not just representative male”
Was he not Fully Human, which means, surely, that Jesus also represented the Female of the species of which he was fully representatvie?
If this were not so, then the Humanity of Jesus was not effective for the women of our world!
17 September 2007 at 11:17 pm
Smith, as usual—right over your head.
Don’t alway turn the other cheek. Don’t always be meek and timide.
People have this image that Jesus was always meek and mild.
18 September 2007 at 8:02 pm
Special-interest groups control public education, says attorney:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/special-interest_groups_contro.php