Updated twice Monday
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has a report, with pictures, of the episcopal consecrations which took place there today: Consecration: ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP CHARGES CHRISTIANS TO DEFEND THE FAITH.
Click on the pictures there, for larger versions.
Update Here is a Nigerian Sun newspaper report, dated Monday though apparently written prior to the service.
Gay bishop controversy: Church of Nigeria moves to save Nigerians in the US:
…According to Akinola: “The Anglican Church in America has been torn apart by the controversial ordination of an open gay Priest, Gene Robinson as a bishop of new Hampshire in 2003. The years following that unfortunate incident have been traumatic for the entire Anglican Communion. The recent decisions of TEC’s general convention held in June, has put US Anglican Churches on a seeming disintegration and a major re-alignment.
“Already seven dioceses in TEC depressed by the dangerous voyage of the Episcopal church, have requested for an immediate alternative primatial oversight and pastoral care. They include the dioceses of Central florida, Fort Worht (Texas) Pittsburgh, Springfield. (Illinois), san Joaquin (California) South California and Diocese of Dallas. Indications are that many more are itching to leave the Episcopal Church” the primate added.
Akinola who leads about 20 million of the 77 million Anglicans worldwide pointed out that “with the establishment of CANA in April 2005, and the sending of a missionary Bishop to Congo in October 2005, and the commencement of a non – geographic nomadic mission in August 2006, the power of God is working his purpose out.
“CANA was first announced after full consultation with the Nigerian congregations in America, with the enthusiastic endorsement of the Episcopal Synod and standing committee of the Church of Nigeria. The intention is not to challenge or intervene in the Churches of Ecusa and in Anglican Church of Canada, but rather to provide a safe harbour for those who can no longer find their spiritual home in those churches” he maintained.
Akinola stated that the church of Nigeria had deliberately held back from this action (sending a bishop for CANA) until now, because as according to him, “It hoped that the Episcopal church of USA would heed the cry of the Anglican Communion as expressed in the essential elements of the Windsor report and the dromantine communique, which recommended that the US Church halt the further election of openly gay Bishops. “But the actions of their (ECUSA) last convention held in June 2006 showed that they were far from turning back. Infact, they are even more committed to pursuing their unbiblical revisionist agenda. That is why a Bishop to America has become inevitable you cannot serve God and Mammon,” he asserted…
The NACDAP/ACN has a press release:Network Welcomes Consecration of Bishop Minns.
The American Anglican Council now also has a press release with pictures from Abuja of yesterday’s event: Nigeria Consecrations in Abuja Include Bishop Martyn Minns of U.S. The wording is the same as here, but the pictures are different.
This report from Voice of America Anglican Church of Nigeria Installs Bishop From America
From the article: “After praying, the primate presented each of them with a staff of office and a bible.”
I suppose this is the crozier – which is also the symbol of territorial jurisdiction. Exactly of which Diocese is Martyn Minns now bishop? If he’s a missionary bishop without a specific diocese – then I would expect him to not put his staff high on any spec of grouind in the USA, particularly in his home parish.
Many years ago, when I was a very young and holy college student, I went to a local Episcopal priest in New Haven, Connecticut, and asked about some burning theological issue. I had had a nasty argument with a friend over something, and was shocked by his heterodoxy. I was defending the faith. The priest wisely told me not to defend the faith, but to wrap myself up in it so well that it defended me. Since then, I have often wondered why people believe that they must defend the faith. It usually makes them act like self-righteous college students.… Read more »
Either Mrs. Minns has really odd taste in hats and how they do or don’t mesh w/ outfits and flatter one (presuming she chose that one in advance, stateside) or it hadn’t occurred to her that the Pauline injunction about keeping one’s head covered still apparently has some traction in her husband’s new diocese, and she procured that one in a hurry. Wonder what other surprises all parties are in for?
I like Alison’s priest’s quote.
My spin is “which faith? The one that stops at Leviticus, Romans and 1 Corinthians, or the one that includes the whole thing AND people?”…
Question: Were there any non-African bishops as consecrators? Non-Nigerian bishops from other African provinces? Is there a list of consecrating bishops?
Thanks Allison for a wonderful blessing story.
“Defending the faith” is a catchy and heroic statement that is loaded with pride and ego-driven shallowness as I try to ponder what kind of a REAL “faith” community could possibly defend and love heterosexual folk more than their homosexuals/GLBT neighbors. Should I “defend” a “faith” community populated with some feardriven and “closed” (closeted?) conservative thinkers who are “terrified” of more/newer truth being revealed in their already “faithful” and well ordered lives? Should I only “defend” MY faith in order to keep the “faith” open to the newer Biblical understanding/enlightenments that Church members of the “center” and “liberal” accept and… Read more »
Father Jones delivered an interesting speech at the recent Anglican Use Conference in Scranton. I have a dead-tree copy, but one can order a cassette from the Thomas More Society of St. Clare’s Parish, Scranton if one is interested. I’ve met Father Jones twice, and he struck me as a friendly, spiritual man. No doubt, Father Jones is right that one should normally internalize the faith before battling for the faith. On the other hand, Father Jones is/was no relativist and would recognize that principles matter and are worth fighting for. Not everyone is called to be a “defender of… Read more »
In another part of this site the interview with Archbishop Williams includes this quote: “I don’t especially want to see the Anglican Church becoming like the Orthodox Church, where in some American cities you see the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church. I don’t want to see in the cities of America the American Anglican Church, the Nigerian Anglican Church, the Egyptian Anglican Church and the English Anglican Church in the same street.” These actions on the part of Nigeria are the latest step toward this result the Archbishop Williams so fears, but it’s… Read more »
Well, Akinola’s oh so pious “you cannot serve God and Mammon” statement made me snort my coffee!