Global South Anglican

A conservative prelate said that the 77-million member Anglican Communion does not have the structures needed to overcome the current split over homosexuality.

Ed: With a nice photo, showing the participation of a few other archbishops, including ++Gomez, ++Earnest, ++Malango, ++Venables, ++Orombi, ++Kolini etc. Thanks to Standing Firm for the caption.

Read the rest f the story at USA Today here

“The West used to send missionaries to Africa and the third world,” said Kenyan Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi as he consecrated Bill Atwood and William Murdoch. “But now the third world is sending its missionaries to the West.”

By Susan Anyangu, Nairobi

The Anglican Church of Kenya is today expected to ordain two American bishops in a bid to counter a splinter group advocating for gay marriage.

The head of ACK, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, said the conflicts in the church had left members without pastoral direction. Nzimbi told the Press at the ACK headquarters in Nairobi that the ordination of Mr Bill Atwood and Mr William Murdoch was the church’s way of providing a temporary solution.

Murdoch is rector of the All Saints Episcopal Church in Massachusetts, while Atwood is general secretary of the Ekklesia Society, a global group that promotes orthodox Anglicanism.

“The fabric of the Anglican communion has been torn by the actions of the Episcopal Church in the US. These conflicts affect us all and we have a responsibility to address the areas that we are able to impact,” Nzimbi said. 

An article from the Living Church

THE ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury’s Sept 20-21 meeting with members of the US House of Bishops in New Orleans will seek to manipulate Dr Williams into giving the Episcopal Church a clean bill of health so as to preserve its place in the Communion.

See also article by Living Church: U.S. Bishops Ask Archbishop of Canterbury for Clarity

Archbishop Peter Akinola writes to Nigerian Synods on the Journey towards Lambeth 2008. (This version has improved direct hyperlinks)

In an exclusive interview, Bishop Azad Marshall spoke of his journey to faith.

In an exclusive interview, Bishop Azad Marshall spoke of his journey to faith.

Some weeks ago, Archbishop Peter Jensen and the five Assistant Bishops from the Diocese of Sydney received personal invitations from the Archbishop of Canterbury inviting them to attend the 2008 Lambeth Conference. They were requested to reply to the invitation by 31st July, 2997. Dr Jensen and his Episcopal colleagues from Sydney Diocese (Bishop Robert Forsyth from South Sydney region; Bishop Glenn Davies from North Sydney; Bishop Peter Tasker from Liverpool; Bishop Ivan Lee from Western Sydney; and Bishop Alan Stewart from Wollongong) spent some days in discussion, reflection and prayer over this invitation.

In their discussions, they were not unmindful of the content of the Primates’ Communique sent to the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church from their meeting last February in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Two matters are mentioned in the reply sent from Sydney to Lambeth Palace.

First, the Archbishops and Bishop believed they could not send a final reply until they were aware of the TEC House of Bishops’ reply to the Primates’ Communique. That response is requested for 30th September.
Second, they wished to indicate to Archbishop Williams their hesitations “in joining with those who have consecrated Bishop Gene Robinson, and with others who have allowed the blessing of same-sex unions”.

“Given the significance of these events,” the Sydney Bishops said, “we feel we cannot give an answer to your kind invitation until later in the year.”

The complete text of the letter from Sydney Diocese to Archbishop Williams is as follows:

The House of Bishops of the Church of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East met in Iran on the occasion of the installation of Bishop Azad Marshall and issued the following communiqué.

Bishop Azad Marshall was installed as sixth Bishop in Iran in a multilingual and ceremony of many facets at St Pauls Church Tehran on Sunday August 5. Anglican Mainstream reports.

Archbishop of Canterbury greetings - Read here

Bishop Michael Nazir Ali’s sermon (a summary) - Read here

A statement from the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East - Read here

We rejoice to find that the Anglican Episcopal Church in Iran has been active since the announcement of the appointment of Bishop Azad Marshall as vicar-general of the Diocese in Iran in 2004. Bishop Azad has focused his early work on regathering those of the Anglican community who had been dispersed over the last years. In particular he has been able to welcome and encourage clergy to begin taking public services of worship again in churches. All those whom we have met have spoken of Bishop Azad’s welcoming spirit.

There is an exchange of views between Stephen Noll (Uganda Christian University) and Philip Turner (Anglican Communion Institute)

From Stephen Noll - An Open Letter to Network Bishops and Common Cause Partners Regarding the Future of Anglicanism in North America

From Philip Turner - An Open Letter to Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll

Response from Stephen Noll to Philip - Reply to Philip Turner

Delegates to the Network’s Annual Council voted unanimously to ratify the federating Articles of the Common Cause Partners, to clarify the relationship of Network affiliates to The Episcopal Church, and to restate the Network’s commitment to making space for different opinions about women in Holy Orders.

Gomez assailed opponents for characterizing fidelity to the consistent witness of scripture on homosexual practice as homophobia, bigotry, and fundamentalism. He said that he and co-religionist Anglican leaders would keep the Communion in line with the 2,000-year consensus of Christianity on same-sex relations, holding that the issue relates to “God’s ordering of life.” It is therefore - contrary the recent declaration by the Anglican Church of Canada - a matter of “core doctrine.”

The fourth annual council meeting of the Anglican Communion Network began July 30 with a somber address in which the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and moderator of the Network, stressed that reforming The Episcopal Church is a lost cause. Later, during a question-and-answer session, he criticized the Archbishop of Canterbury for not intervening more forcefully.

“The American province is lost and something will have to replace it,” said Bishop Duncan, who has served as the Network’s elected moderator for three and a half years.

More articles and videos on the Anglican Communion Network at Standing Firm