The Archbishop of Uganda yesterday issued a lenten appeal to pray for Uganda and the Anglican Communion. It is almost entirely devoted to the Communion and includes this:
As you know, the Church of Uganda’s Provincial Assembly has resolved that the Church of Uganda will not participate in meetings of the Anglican Communion until godly order is restored, including demonstrating that it is capable of restoring godly order. This has not yet happened. The Church of Uganda, therefore, will not be participating in the upcoming April meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) in Lusaka.
Ruth Gledhill reports on the letter for Christian Today: Archbishop of Uganda condemns ‘deep betrayal’ of biblical standards in Anglican Communion.
So much for the Archbishop’s report of a unanimous agreement to walk together.
You can only spin so much. Then the facts catch up with you.
“I think the death penalty is not acceptable. I think taking someone to jail for a period of time would be sufficient.” Stanley Ntagali, October 21st 2009. He has also called for more substantial consequences for TEC over their support for gay and lesbian Christians. Should there be equivalent consequences for Archbishop Ntagali, if he doesn’t retract this statement? Is the Archbishop of Canterbury happy to mandate the leader of an Anglican Province who supports the imprisonment of people for being gay and lesbian and having sexual relationships? Or should we simply let different provinces live out their own faith… Read more »
The ¨Pearl of Africa” is losing its lustre for me: What other challenges for “Godly Order” around our Anglican world provinces include child sacrifices, witch burning, vertical corruption, Albino Canabalism, despotism (Museveni presides again) and the LEGAL (Church endorsed) persecution/prosecution of LGBTI Anglicans/others?
It’s hard for me to look toward the Church of Uganda (Anglican Communion) for spiritual direction=validation when my thoughts go directly to their harming of fellow human beings via superstition, injustice and greed.
I Pray for Uganda.
So much for Justin’s spin that the Primates were all “Shiny Happy People”
Fr Paul
Failing exclusionism, there is always separatism.
Would getting out of the Anglican Communion be a form of Brexit that should be contemplated?
Keep it up. The sooner the Communion is shot of Uganda (or Canterbury shot of the Communion, doesn’t matter to me) the better.
Given that virulent homophobia’s assumed the status of credal truth in the province, and will likely retain it for centuries to come, I enthusiastically welcome schism. They want a pure church, well fine, let them have it, without a red cent from the provinces they condemn.
Frankly the only answer that should be given to this statement is ok good bye and let us know when you feel able to live in accordance with Christ’s message of love rather than being judgmental humans
I think it’s sad. I guess my take away is that Ntagali is a dictator in his province. There’s no democratic process that requires him to listen to diverse voices. In the global realm, he seems to have missed the point that the primates had no authority to impose sanctions/consequences. The authority to do that was voted down by a democratic process (when the Anglican Covenant failed). It’s sad that he believes that Biblical authority rests within himself, that Biblical fundamentalism is the ONLY legitimate reading, and that democratic processes can’t contain revelation (or require respect, even in difference). That… Read more »
I don’t know who is pulling Stanley Ntagali’s strings. I met him before he was consecrated Bishop of the new diocese of Masindi-Kitara and rather liked him. He comes to Primates’ Meetings as a delegate and not as a representative and therefore is in a straight jacket as to what he can agree to. The reality for these GAFCON archbishops and bishops is that ++Justin is going to challenge them on criminalisation of homosexuality in their countries, even if he supports them (which he currently does) on current teaching on marriage. This is an ominous sign for those who think… Read more »
Cynthia, I don’t know what evidence there is that Ntagali’s a dictator: at the recent “gathering,” he acted under instructions from his provincial assembly. Even if more democracy is needed in Ugandan Anglicanism, given that the overwhelming majority of Ugandans condemn homosexuality (we’re talking figures that’d do a Soviet election proud), I don’t see what difference it’d make. “Diverse voices” on sexuality in Uganda run a high risk of being murdered. The country is endemically homophobic and, barring some unhinged attempt at “liberal intervention,” will remain so for a good long time to come (I’d put good money on us… Read more »
It may help, please God, to keep the GAFCON lot still within the Anglican Communion and keep the pressure on ABC, ABY and their ilk, not to mention GAFCON’s supporters and string pullers in the UK, Australia and elsewhere. At least this may help to reduce if not prevent the isolation or persecution of LGBTI and other people of all ages in those troubled and troubling jurisdictions.
Remember also, carefully support and pray for courageous ministries like that led by Bp Christopher Senyonjo who was expelled from the Ugandan Anglican Church.
As we say here in the States: “Bye Felicia!”
God bless TEC, and LGBT equality throughout the AC!
Somehow, this does not seem surprising. What does seem surprising is that Canterbury has not sought to correct the un-Christ like support, overt and complicit, of the Churches of Uganda and Nigeria, for hostile actions against their own people. At the time that Pope Francis was in Mexico criticizing many bishops and priests in the RC Church there for failing to speak up for the people, including the diversion of national wealth from aiding the poor and instead enriching powerful individuals as well as the human rights abuses of the people by drug cartels & corrupt police & corrupt politicians,… Read more »
From the Lenten letter: “The overwhelming majority of Primates voted that there should be relational consequences…”
Hmm where have I heard that phrase ‘relational consequences’ before? But the Primates meeting didn’t really reference the Anglican Communion Covenant did it?
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/007208.html#comments
Now we all know why Ntagali left the Primates Meeting early. He could not stomach the ABC’s castigation of Churches in the Communion who went along with the criminalisation of LGBTI people in their Provinces.
A lot will depend on whether the other Primates of the GAFCON will follow suit. If they do, then it seems likely that something substantive may happen at the next GAFCON Meeting in Chile, which will no doubt be attended by ex-Sydney Primate, Peter Jensen, one of the chief architects of dissension within the Anglican Communion.
If the Church in Uganda leaves the Anglican Communion will the Archbishop of Uganda have to return his purple Canterbury Cap which he is often seen wearing to Lambeth Palace?
I do think we should look at the wider society and eschew a narrow focus on the misdeeds of the Church.
However, one is bound to ask about the roles of the Anglican Church and RC bishops in this legislation and the mind-set that spawned it….
I am very sorry my last comment here, should have included an url, but I forgot to press the button. Here it is :—
http://nostringspodcast.com/uganda-president-yoweri-museveni-signs-harsh-law-restricting-lgbt-organizations/
Many thanks
Fr. Ron: Surely “Primate” was not your intention for Peter Jensen.
thank you, Richard. Of course, Peter Jensen ws never a Primate’. He only acted like one. However, he was always present at the GAFCON Primates’ Beanfests. That’s where his malign influence was most noticed.
In the 19th Century, the bishop (later archbishop) of Sydney was ex officio Primate of Australia. Then in the first half of the 20th Century only one primate was not from Sydney. However since 1966 only Marcus Loane 1978-82 (a more tolerant evangelical) has come from Sydney. I think today most of the Australian church would prefer anyone but Sydney.
“Let Uganda go.” – Jerry Hannon –
I thought he’d already gone – before the official Primates’ Report condemning anti-gay Activists!
And yet; he hasn’t been assigned to purdah, like TEC
“And yet; he hasn’t been assigned to purdah, like TEC”
Of course not!
I told you all the crocodile tears from Justin Welby and the band of merry primates were just that – a lie. The “commitment” to ceasing dehumanization of GLBTI’s by the primates was a bit of sleight-of-hand, public relations preservation.
Canterbury will freeze over before Uganda and the rest of their ilk are penalized under the same rules.