The ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson continues to divide the Anglican communion as this AP Report shows. That thirty-five church leaders would ask U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, active in the support of Robinson and gay unions, to withdraw from a major Council is encouraging to conservatives, but, Bishop Griswold of the US Episcopal Church stated the action of the primates still left matters open to "many views". The likelihood of a split appears to be enhanced, even though the unwillingness to make a final decision on the part of the Bishops is intended to allow time to find a way to retain unity.
Christianity Today has a web page that tracks the reaction of many of the 39 Anglican Provinces to this issue, and it is fascinating to see how the African leaders are the staunchest voices for traditional Biblical morality. Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya, is quoted as saying, "The devil has clearly entered the church. God cannot be mocked" and insisting his church will not even accept missionaries from the U.S. Episcopal Church.
It is clear that amid all the talk of "unity" and "not breaking the Communion", conservatives in the Anglican Church believe the Communion is already broken. Fascinating that The Anglican Mission in America has been founded by Bishops of Africa and Asia as a missionary effort to America because of both the loss of faith in this country and in part because of the biblical infidelity of the U.S. Episcopal church.
Last year's Windsor Report talks of sensitivity regarding the issue of same sex unions by urging, "an ongoing process of listening and discernment, and that Christians of good will need to be prepared to engage honestly and frankly with each other on issues relating to human sexuality."
On the other hand, the report is fairly strong in it's criticism of Anglican Bishops who have sought to provide Biblically conservative leadership for those churches which have found the consecration of Robinson repulsive:
"We call upon those bishops who believe it is their conscientious duty to intervene in provinces, dioceses and parishes other than their own:
to express regret for the consequences of their actions
to affirm their desire to remain in the Communion, and
to effect a moratorium on any further interventions.
We also call upon these archbishops and bishops to seek an accommodation with the bishops of the dioceses whose parishes they have taken into their own care.
Bishop Akinola of Nigeria, responded to the language of Report,
"It fails to confront the reality that a small, economically privileged group of people has sought to subvert the Christian faith and impose their new and false doctrine on the wider community of faithful believers....Why, throughout the document, is there such a marked contrast between the language used against those who are subverting the faith and that used against those of us, from the Global South, who are trying to bring the church back to the Bible? ...Where is the language of rebuke for those who are promoting sexual sins as holy and acceptable behaviour? ... The Episcopal Church and Diocese of New Westminster are already walking alone on this and if they do not repent and return to the fold, they will find that they are all alone. They will have broken the Anglican Communion.
As I read both Scripture and church history, there can be no unity that does not include doctrinal unity, and there is simply no precedent in scripture or church history that would allow, much less condone, the consecration of a bishop who is not only living with another man, but who left his living wife and two daughters to do so. I would hope that Christians of many backgrounds can stand together on this issue.
Certainly, Christians of the last 2000 years have been united on this issue. That a few "progressive" bishops in an upscale northeastern United States location should feel comfortable repudiating not only the rest of their own church, but the consensus of all Christians for 20 centuries is rather breathtaking.
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