Charles Njonjo, a former Cabinet minister, and described by the paper as “a staunch member of the Anglican Church” has written a commentary article for the Daily Nation headlined Failing to attend the Lambeth Conference is cowardly.
MEMBERS OF THE ANGLICAN Church in Kenya would like to know why our bishops are not attending the Lambeth 2008 Conference.
Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi is reported as reasoning thus: “Lambeth 2008 should have been about a return to God in view of these realities, yet it’s obvious that won’t be the case. Canterbury has sanctioned homosexuality. We cannot be going there to keep up with its theological gymnastics.”
Is this not missing the point of Lambeth? Isn’t this cowardly?
And later, he writes:
…We know that already, some bishops who do not take the same position as the Archbishop have courageously registered for the conference. Yet others, maybe from fear, are attending as observers
SHOULDN’T WE HAVE BORROWED a leaf from the House of Bishops of the province of South East Asia, who made the following resolutions:
1. Encourages the bishops of our Province to participate in the Lambeth Conference 2008, yet also fully understands and respects the decision of some who for their own principled reasons, may choose not to attend the conference;
2. We should demand of our bishops to show leadership in the Church now that we are the focus of world Christianity.
I find it impossible to keep quiet when people are frequently hounded, vilified, molested and even killed as targets of homophobia for something they did not choose — their sexual orientation.
Where is our Christian charity?
How sad it is that the Church should be so obsessed with this particular issue of human sexuality when God’s children are facing massive problems — poverty, disease, corruption and conflict!
Charles Njonjo is a highly respected lawyer with a long and distinguished record in the Anglican Church and in civil society in Kenya. He has given careful thought to this matter, and has suggested a way forward for bishops who are unhappy with their Archbishop’ stance.
I wish him and them well
Mimi mdimi Mwalimu na Padre wa zamani katika Tanzania
Graeme Watson
Oh God, for your own name’s sake, delay your wrath. Do not cut us off so we can sing your praise, do not allow your name to be defamed, do not yield your glory to another (see Isaiah 48). Matthew 7:3 “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” James 2:13 “judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” See also Romans 2, James 4:11-12, Ezekiel 22:2-8 Son of man will you judge this priesthood… Read more »
“We should demand of our bishops to show leadership in the Church now that we are the focus of world Christianity.”
Did the Church in Southeast Asia actually say this? A trifle grandiose, no? I mean, I sincerely doubt there are many in this country who would even register what’s going on in the Anglican Church other than to be aware that a bunch of deluded people are at one another’s throats proving how little they actually practice what they are trying to force on everybody else. Otherwise, though, the article is a good push for accountability.
“I find it impossible to keep quiet when people are frequently hounded, vilified, molested and even killed as targets of homophobia for something they did not choose — their sexual orientation. Where is our Christian charity?
How sad it is that the Church should be so obsessed with this particular issue of human sexuality when God’s children are facing massive problems — poverty, disease, corruption and conflict!”
Bless you, Mr. Njonjo. The Love—and Justice—of Christ radiates through your words. 🙂
Gee, wow, an alternative African voice. Imagine that. Everybody is not simply an Akinola or Tunde clone in Africa, even among Anglican believers?
Gee. Wow. Good to hear a wider range of real African views and angles. Thank goodness, thank God.
These comments resonate very strongly with me, and I too echo the final line in the posting from JCF.
The Anglican Communion is a family in all its diversity.
Families work things out; having our disagreements and differences and yet we are still able to live together in Christ’s love.
My thoughts and prayers are with all who are contemplating their attendance at Lambeth with trepidation. May it be a joyful, truly familial and forgiving gathering.
Families with God work things out.
Families outside of God try to hide the evidence of their dead and outcaste. Cain was not unique.
Priests might flatter and compliment each other, but God knows the truth of what dreams and covenants they have desecrated.
This adds to my skepticism whenever central African primates claim that millions stand behind them on the gay issue. Maybe so, but clearly a lot of people do not, including some of their own bishops.
Perhaps what we should ask ourselves is this: Why has the ordination of women not attracted condemnation from African Bishops as the gay issue has? Let us remember that most Africans are male oriented and almost take women as second class citizens – yet Africa now boasts of more women priests that even England has! And the church grows by day. The ordination of gay clergy on the other hand has met with condemnation – let us ask ourselves why.
So, Enoch, what is the answer to your “why?”
Um, Fr. Mark and Enoch, I’m wondering about that “why” too.
Enoch, Fr. Mark, and Ren, I’d like to say that I am also wondering why, but we all think we know the answer. Liberals think it is because Africans are such utter homophobes that nothing else matters to them, that while they think women are second class citizens, at least they think they’re human, which is more than can be said for gay people. I suspect “the other side” believes that it is because Westerners are immoral hedonists who will claim anything is from God so they can justify doing it. I also think there’s no small amount of “those… Read more »
To denounce lgbti people is to denounce the love of God to the world which is represented by Jesus Christ in John 3:16. The next verse, 17 is as important.That the Gospel is not about condemning those who are differently created.
I Cor.13 ends thus,Now these three abide, faith, hope and love, but the greatest is LOVE.
“Liberals think it is because Africans are such utter homophobes that nothing else matters to them…”
There is some truth to this statement. I’d say that is a common perception of many of us here in the US. But I am not certain it is so much the tendency among liberals toward reductionism as it is the failure of any voices other than homophobes to be reported as speaking for Africa. This man’s comments were refreshing. But it is very different from the common representation of Africa we see in our media here, most notably personified by Abp. Akinola.