The Living Church reports in Pro-American Provincial Dean in Central Africa Ousted that the Bishop of Botswana, Trevor Mwamba has been removed as provincial dean:
…The Rt. Rev. Albert Chama, Bishop of Northern Zambia, was appointed to replace Bishop Mwamba as dean by the church’s General Synod, which began meeting on Sept. 6 in Mangochi, Malawi.
The government-backed Harare Herald reported Bishop Mwamba was “relieved of his duties” due to his “pro-gay” and pro-American lobbying, and because he misrepresented “the province’s position on the issue of homosexuals.”
From Kenya, the Nation reports New Anglican priest in dilemma over gay family.
From Rwanda, the New Times reports Country to Anoint U.S. Bishops.
Addendum
Some further comments concerning the Central Africa situation can be found here at Episcopal Café.
And Bishop Mwamba’s remarks in England last January can be found here.
Here’s another report from news24 ‘We will not indulge gays’.
15 Commentspress release
“Covenant” Web Site Launched to Aid Thoughtful Reconciliation among Anglicans and Others
Durham, NC — September 5, 2007 – A group of American Episcopalians and Anglicans who call themselves “evangelical catholic” have today launched a new website and blog, “Covenant” (http://covenant-communion.com), that will focus on “the present struggles and gifts” of The Episcopal Church and other communities in order to emphasize the need for greater humility and reconciliation among Christians.
The founders of the site, who are students, teachers, and pastors from the Episcopal Church in the United States, are frustrated with the polarization and vitriol about sexuality and other hot topics that have divided so many Episcopalians (and Anglicans throughout the world) from each other. Similar debates are dividing Lutherans, Methodists, and others in the mainline churches.
Taking St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians as their theme, the founders of the site insist that all Christians are called by God to “agree” and “unite,” which is the literal meaning of the word covenant. This requires “waiting for one another,” the website proclaims, and reflecting more carefully about what “orthodoxy” means for Christians.
Visitors to Covenant can expect to find:
To reach Covenant, visit their website at http://covenant-communion.com
23 CommentsUpdated again Saturday morning
The following announcement has been issued from the Anglican Communion Office:
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has expressed deep shock at remarks said to have been made by the Bishop of Uyo, Nigeria, the Rt Revd Isaac Orama concerning gay and lesbian people.
The Archbishop will be contacting the Archbishop of Nigeria, Dr Peter Akinola, to seek clarification. Dr Williams said “The safety of people of gay and lesbian sexual orientation is a matter of concern for us all. The Anglican Primates, along with all other official bodies in the Anglican Communion, have consistently called for an end to homophobia, violence and hatred. If these reports are correct I would urge the bishop to apologise. Such comments are unacceptable and profoundly shocking on the lips of any Christian”.
To see the original remarks go here.
To see the latest press release from Changing Attitude about this, go here.
Update Friday evening
The Living Church reports that Reporter Apologizes for Misquoting Nigerian Bishop:
… A spokesman for the Church of Nigeria, Archdeacon Akintunde Popoola, told The Living Church the quote attributed to the bishop was false.
The Bishop of Uyo “denied making such a statement,” Canon Popoola said. While the bishop’s address to his diocesan synod did speak to the issue of human sexuality dividing the Communion, and the Church of Nigeria’s position on these issues, “he did not say that [gays and lesbians] are to be hated, nor that they are insane or unfit to live.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reporter has “apologized for the misrepresentation and promised a retraction,” Archdeacon Popoola told TLC.
Later
The original UPI report has now been removed from the UPI website.
Saturday
Stand Firm has published this email from UPI:
Thank you for your enquiry about the September 2 article that attributed some highly critical comments on homosexuals to Bishop Orama of Nigeria. This story was generated by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). UPI distributes stories from NAN and other African news agencies as a pass-through service. We cannot vouch for their accuracy. The UPI tag at the start of the story was added in error.
We do note, however, that there are reports of a statement from a spokesman for the Episcopal Church of Nigeria that Bishop Orama has denied making the statements attributed to him, and that the reporter concerned has offered a verbal apology and promised to publish a retraction. You would have to contact NAN as to whether the information about the retraction is true. In the meantime, UPI is taking down the story from our site and informing our customers of this action. If a retraction appears from NAN we will run it.
Sincerely,
Michael Marshall
Editor-in-chief
UPI
Note that this is not “United Press International reporter apologises” as claimed at present in a headline here.
64 CommentsThe Diocese of Fort Worth issued this announcement “From the Bishop”: The Realignment Moves Forward. It includes this:
28 Comments…As you know, in March the House of Bishops voted down a very workable proposal for alternative primatial oversight that the Primates’ Meeting had offered to provide for our expressed needs, and no other alternative plan has been suggested. This resulted in the declaration that the Standing Committee and I made on May 16th that we would now have to pursue our original appeal for APO – an appeal that was supported by an overwhelming majority vote at our Diocesan Convention last year – independent of the structures of The Episcopal Church. We have had some very encouraging meetings and conversations over the summer months with a number of Bishops and dioceses and Primates and Provinces that share our concerns and our commitment to Christian orthodoxy. The Archbishop of Canterbury has been kept informed of these developments. More about this will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
One of the most encouraging signs of the realignment that is under way is the first-ever Council of Bishops of the Common Cause Partners which is to meet in Pittsburgh during the last week of September. This is a gathering of all bishops exercising active ministry within the member bodies of Common Cause.* The purpose of the meeting is to explore ways in which we can work together for a biblical, missionary and united Anglicanism in North America. I will be among some 60 bishops in attendance, as will be the newly consecrated bishops serving those congregations here in the States that are under the Provinces of Uganda and Kenya.
By the end of this month, the House of Bishops will have decided the future direction of TEC, and as a result we too will have to declare our future as a diocese. I do not expect that TEC will comply with the requests of the Primates in their Dar es Salaam Communiqué. In that case, we will see further fraction and division in the Communion during the months ahead. We will then have to choose in favor of the Anglican Communion majority at the expense of our historic relationship with the General Convention Church…
Updated again Saturday
The Archbishops’ Council has issued a response, available here as an RTF file, to the UK government’s consultation paper, A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain.
The consultation paper, which can be found as a large PDF file via this link, sets out the government’s proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain. These proposals were developed as a result of the Discrimination Law Review, launched in February 2005 to consider the opportunities for creating a clearer and more streamlined discrimination legislative framework which produces better outcomes for those who currently experience disadvantage.
A Church of England press release about the response can be found here.
Ekklesia has reported on this, see Church of England concerned that equality bill will reduce its influence. Here is the concluding part of that report:
…The response claims that the Church of England has been consistent in its support for the use of the law to combat the manifestations of prejudice and to promote equality and fairness since the introduction of the first anti-discrimination legislation more than forty years ago.
But critics say that the Church has used its unelected representatives in the House of Lords and its lobbying muscle elsewhere to oppose or seek to water down equalities legislation and regulations, particularly in relation to sexual orientation. The desire for ‘opt-outs’ has also been challenged.
While many church groups have opposed the new Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs), the evangelical Faithworks network has called on Christians to recognise the need for equal treatment in spite of moral disagreement.
Simon Barrow, co-director of the independent Christian think tank Ekklesia, commented: “The comprehensive and integrated equalities agenda across Britain’s public institutions is no threat to freedom of religion or tolerance. On the contrary, equal treatment is a cornerstone of fair access and open expression for all – including people of faith and those of non-religious outlook.”
He added: “It is sad that some faith organisations seem fearful of equal rights, especially when it applies to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons. But there is a clear distinction to be made between the moral stipulations of a community of commitment, and the obligation on public institutions to ensure fair treatment. Religious bodies do not have to take public money, run schools and work in cooperation with community and public services. But if they do so, they need to occupy the same level playing field as others.”
Ekklesia argues that the churches need to pay more attention to the “radically egalitarian” strand of the Gospel message in developing their response to public policy, rather than defending their institutional interests over and against others.
Jonathan Petre reports on this at the Daily Telegraph: Church fears lawsuits over gay rights. He says in part:
…The Church of England, in its official submission to the Government’s consultation on the Bill, said the proposed harassment laws were unnecessary.
If such legislation was introduced, however, it would be “crucial” to ensure that a religion’s followers, and not just clergy, could continue “to express the views of their faith about homosexual conduct, including challenging people to lead lives consistent with the teaching of the Church.
“To deny Christians (and followers of other faiths which take a similar view) such a right would amount to an unjustified interference with the right to manifest religious belief.”
The Church added that the proposals “should not prevent church schools from continuing to teach in accordance with such a school’s religious ethos.”
Government plans to extend the same harassment laws to religion and belief were also criticised.
The Church said it could lead to people objecting to religious symbols such as crosses on hospital walls on the grounds that they were an affront to atheists.
It added that the proposals were in danger of undermining religious freedom.
“We have been concerned at what has seemed in some recent debates to be a trend towards regarding religion and belief as deserving of a lesser priority in discrimination legislation than the other strands where the law seeks to bring protection,” it said.
Religion and belief seemed to be treated as subordinate to other rights because they were deemed to be a personal choice, but this was “a false analysis”, it continued.
“Nor is religious equality achieved by the elimination of expressions of religious belief in public institutions such as schools or local authorities.
“This does not amount to, or achieve, equal respect for different religious groups and those of no religion; rather it amounts to an enforced secularism that fails to respect religious belief at all.”
Steve Doughty in the Daily Mail has Church of England: Labour’s equality law denies Christians right to oppose homosexuality.
8 CommentsAn OpEd column from the Ugandan Observer is titled Tolerance key in gay saga. Here’s a sample:
11 Comments…While it is understandable that many people, particularly in Africa, find homosexuality so revolting, churches are giving the issue more attention than it actually deserves.
Besides, some religious leaders seem to have forgotten the virtues of tolerance and forgiveness so well articulated in the Bible in their zeal to condemn and pass judgment on homosexuality.
As a result of this fixation, such religious leaders tend to keep a blind eye on other evils going on under their noses everyday but are quick to jump onto the gay bandwagon.
Every other day some religious leaders are cited in cases of theft, witchcraft or adultery, but they are not treated as outlaws as much as gays are. Yet the Bible clearly says that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory…
Michael Paulson of the Boston Globe who went to Africa to cover the recent consecrations has filed this further lengthy report giving a lot of background to recent events: African Anglicans try to transform US church.
7 CommentsUpdated again Friday
Not enough bishops in America it seems: Anglican Mainstream reports that the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda has just elected three more. Original announcement on AMiA site is here.
Rwanda elects three further Bishops for the USA
A Communiqué FROM THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS OF THE PROVINCE OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF RWANDA
The House of Bishops of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda (PEER) met in Kigali, Rwanda on the 4th day of September 2007. Acknowledging the significant growth of the missionary outreach initiated by PEER in the USA, the House of Bishops considered nominations for additional missionary Bishops to further the work of the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA). The House of Bishops elected three bishops and appointed them to serve in PEER’s missionary jurisdiction in North America committed to extending God’s kingdom. The bishops-elect are the Rev. Terrell Glenn, the Rev. Philip Jones and the Rev. John Miller. The date for the consecrations has been set for the 26th day of January in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 2008 following the Anglican Mission’s Winter Conference (January 23 – 26, 2008) in Dallas, Texas.
Provincial Secretary
PROVINCE OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF RWANDA
In the AM comment and listing of all the “American Bishops from other jurisdictions”, there is still no mention of the Southern Cone and Bishop Bill Cox.
Update
George Conger has some additional information at Religious Intelligence in Rwanda appoints more bishops for USA.
Almost half of the Church of Rwanda’s bishops will be former priests of the American Episcopal Church by the year’s end, the church announced today.
Three more American bishops will be added to the roster of the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMIA), the Church of Rwanda announced on Sept 5; increasing the size of the Rwanda House of Bishops to 16: seven missionary American bishops and nine Rwandan diocesan bishops…
Read his article for some biographical information about the candidates.
Updated Friday
Episcopal News Service has this: RWANDA: Three former Episcopal priests elected missionary bishops for North America.
Updated Thursday
The Bishop of Uyo, which is in south-eastern Nigeria, has said something that is causing a stir:
Cleric condemns homosexuals, lesbians
Sept. 2 (UPI) — Uyo, Sept. 2, 2007 (NAN) The Anglican Bishop of Uyo, Rt. Rev. Isaac Orama, has condemned the activities of homosexuals and lesbians, and described those engaged in them as “insane people”. “It is scaring that any one should be involved in a thing like that and I want to say that they will not escape the wrath of God,” he said. Orama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) today in Uyo, that the practice, which has worsened over the years, was “unbiblical and against God’s purpose for creating man”. Homosexuals – 2 “Homosexuality and lesbianism are inhuman. Those who practice them are insane, satanic and are not fit to live because they are rebels to God’s purpose for man,” the Bishop said. He noted that the Anglican Church in Nigeria had continued to lead the fight against the practice especially in the US where it led the opposition to same sex marriages. “The aim of such fight is to provide a safe place for those who want to remain faithful Anglicans and Biblical Christians,” he explained.(NAN) NS/IFY/ETS
Changing Attitude has issued this: Davis Mac-Iyalla challenges Bishop Orama’s attack on lesbian and gay people.
Fr Jake has commented here: Bp. Orama: “Insane, Satanic Gays Not Fit to Live”.
Update
This story has resulted in unusually strong editorial opinions from two conservative American Anglican blogs:
titusonenine Kendall Harmon: A Statement to be Condemned without Reservation and
Stand Firm Greg Griffith Unfit for the Episcopacy?
48 CommentsThe Episcopal Majority has published a paper by the Revd Canon Robert J Brooks which is titled Who Can Expel the Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion?
Lisa Fox writes in the Preamble there:
Much virtual and real ink has been spilled about what the Episcopal Church’s constitution does or does not allow. Canon Brooks shifts the focus to the Anglican Consultative Council [ACC], which has a written constitution, unanimously adopted by the provinces of the Anglican Communion. Given that the proposed new structures have Communion-wide ramifications, it makes sense to consider what the constitution of the ACC does and does not allow.
Canon Brooks concludes that only the ACC can expel the Episcopal Church, and it would require a constitutional amendment ratified by the General Synods of two-thirds of the provinces. In other words, 26 of the synods in Anglican Communion provinces would have to vote to expel the Episcopal Church.
This article has been linked to elsewhere and comments about it from a conservative perspective can be read here and from a liberal perspective here.
46 CommentsThe BBC Radio 4 evening rush hour news programme, named PM, carried a major item on this at 5.30 pm tonight. Christopher Landau reports and includes an interview with Bishop Guernsey among others.
Go here, and go forward 31 minutes or so. This link will last only for a week. The item lasts about 7 minutes.
The American National Public Radio also has coverage. Go here. For American conservative criticism of it, go here.
31 CommentsUpdated again Monday evening
Mail and Guardian Africa welcomes US gay-bashers
Sunday Nation Split in Anglican faith now inevitable
Jamaica Gleaner Behind the gay issue. This lengthy article reflects an interview with Chris Sugden who was recently in Jamaica.
Update Sunday afternoon
First reports of the Ugandan consecration:
Reuters Uganda consecrates U.S. conservative as bishop
BBC Uganda church to anoint US bishop
And the BBC Sunday programme has an item. Christopher Landau is in Uganda. Initial URL is this one, and go forward 32.5 minutes. Better URL tomorrow. Or you can download the podcast.
NEW URL: Listen (3m 54s) and the BBC blurb reads:
Anglican Uganda disagreement
White Anglican archbishops used to travel to Africa to consecrate black bishops. Last week, however, white American Anglicans have gone to Uganda to be consecrated by black Archbishops before returning to lead their congregations in the States.Does this mark another step in the disintegration of the Anglican Communion? Or is it a welcome diversity of approach for a strife-torn organisation consumed with disagreements about homosexuality and episcopal oversight? Christopher Landau was on the line from Mbarara in the West Ankole Diocese of Uganda.
Updated again Sunday evening
New Vision Gay row: Uganda consecrates American bishop
Daily Monitor Orombi consecrates anti-gay US bishop
And, reverting to the Kenyan consecrations:
Nation Kenya Anglicans and Episcopal Church pull apart over gay issue
The full text of Archbishop Drexel Gomez’s sermon in Nairobi is available here.
Monday evening
Episcopal News Service has UGANDA: Archbishop consecrates former Episcopal priest as bishop
A letter appeared in last week’s paper edition of the Church Times and is now on the web: Wycliffe Hall: doing very nicely, thank you by Richard Turnbull.
39 CommentsThe Church Times followed up on the 18 August report in the Independent Wikipedia and the art of censorship by publishing a short item last week, now on the web, authored by me, Jefferts Schori in the dark on Wikipedia edit.
Episcopal News Service picked this up and published Presiding Bishop unaware of Wikipedia edit; allegations discredited.
6 CommentsThe church’s preference for commitment over numbers has made it increasingly irrelevant, says David Self in the Guardian’s Face to Faith column.
Thursday’s Guardian carried this article by John Cornwell The importance of doubt which discusses Richard Dawkins.
The simple life is the way to tackle climate change says Mary Grey in the Credo column of The Times.
Christopher Howse writes about Mother Teresa’s crisis of faith in the Daily Telegraph.
Giles Fraser’s Church Times column is headed A real faith leads deep into the desert.
6 CommentsThe original Word document that was at the centre of this story last week was published on the web five days ago. The publication of this original file does not seem to have attracted much notice.
Go here and scroll down to find it. If you have the software to read an MS Word file, you can see the Martyn Minns and Chris Sugden entries for yourself.
Update
George Conger has written about this story for the Church of England Newspaper under the heading Archbishop Rebuffs Claim of Re-Written Pastoral Letter.
Ruth Gledhill has more on her blog about this: Speculation over whether Atwood et al to come to Lambeth
The Times had this report from Rob Crilly in Nairobi US congregations defect to Africa as schism over gay priests widens
Andrew Carey has published his CEN column, Anglican chaos.
Anglican Mainstream reports English General Synod members send congratulations on African consecrations. Those listed include the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali.
At Fulcrum Graham Kings expresses his reservations, see this discussion thread.
And the Associated Press reports US priests getting ordained in Kenya say American church has lost its way
Both sides of the argument say the issue goes deeper than simple acceptance of homosexuality. Liberal Anglicans say the Bible’s message of tolerance means there should be a place for everyone in church, but conservatives say that is bending the word of God to fit fashion.
“American males who are homosexually active have a life span that is three decades shorter than the norm,” Atwood said Wednesday. “How can a church say, ‘You are precious, we care about you, we love you, we want the best for you and now we want to bless behaviors that cause you to die three decades early’?”
See here for comment on the source of this claim.
Episcopal News Service has KENYA: Two former Episcopal priests consecrated as bishops for North America
The BBC’s Alex Kirby has written Kenya consecration deepens Anglican rift.
..So when one bishop (in this case Dr Nzimbi) acts in a way that undercuts the authority of another bishop, it is the clearest possible way of emphasising the church’s disunity.
What Dr Nzimbi is saying, in effect, is that he knows better than the US bishops about the pastoral needs of their people.
The two new bishops promised to “serve the international interests of the Anglican Church of Kenya, to serve clergy and congregations in North America under the Kenyan jurisdiction”.
It is a formula which ignores the fact that none of the Anglican Communion’s member churches has any international interests of its own.
All are – in theory – united in working for the interests of the Communion itself.
And the claim that there are North American Anglicans “under the Kenyan jurisdiction” is breathtaking in the way it opens the door to ecclesiastical anarchy.
No doubt Dr Nzimbi believes the consecrations are in the best interests of Kenyan Anglicans, and of their fellow believers elsewhere in Africa.
In fact they look very unlikely to be anything of the sort…
Boston Globe Consecration in Kenya widens a religious rift
Voice of America Kenya’s Anglican Church Ordains American Bishops
Church Times Archbishop of Kenya consecrates bishops to work in US
34 CommentsAs reported previously, the Province of Uganda will consecrate one American bishop on Sunday 2 September.
In addition to the links from that report, here is the full text of a letter from Archbishop Orombi to the Rectors, Clergy, and Lay Leaders of Ugandan Churches in America. A biography of John Guernsey is available here. A further report in the Church of England Newspaper is available here.
A second bishop will also serve: see this further press release about Bishop Andrew Fairfield.
83 CommentsUpdated Tuesday
The consecration of two American bishops by the Anglican Church of Kenya is scheduled for next Thursday. The latest Kenyan press reports on this:
The Nation Anglicans plan to send clergy to America.
East African Standard Nzimbi to Consecrate Two American Priests
And from America:
Reuters Africans woo conservative U.S. Anglicans in gay row
As previously reported, the official press statement of the ACK Provincial Synod in June said:
TWO BISHOPS FOR NORTH AMERICA
The ACK Province now provides Episcopal oversight to several dozen congregations in the USA through a number of Kenyan Bishops. By a unanimous vote of the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Kenya endorsed the selection of The Revd Canon Bill Atwood as Suffragan Bishop of All Saints Cathedral Diocese (Nairobi) to serve the international interests of the ACK including taking responsibility for care for the congregations and clergy in the USA under Kenyan jurisdiction. The Synod also unanimously approved the consecration of The Revd Bill Murdoch as Suffragan Bishop of All Saints’ Cathedral Diocese to work with Revd Bill Atwood in providing that oversight and Episcopal care. Consecrations are scheduled for August 30th in Nairobi. They will collaborate with others in the Common Cause network, chaired by The Rt. Revd Robert Duncan (Pittsburgh) to provide Orthodox Episcopal care and oversight, strategically uniting a broad conservative coalition that shares historic Anglican faith and practice. (end)
Here is the earlier (15 June) report from the Church Times Archbishop of Kenya to consecrate US bishop. And from the Church of England Newspaper there was Mixed Reaction to Atwood Appointment.
And here is Bill Atwood’s CV as a Word document (from the Kenyan website). Or, the Anglican Communion Network has this version.
More about William Murdoch:
Diocese, Congregation Announce Amicable Separation in Massachusetts from the Living Church. And the Anglican Communion Network has this short biography.
Update
Another Reuters article Africa gives refuge to rebel U.S. Anglicans
63 Comments…Benjamin Nzimbi told Reuters on Monday he would consecrate dissident U.S. clerics Bill Atwood and Bill Murdoch as bishops on Thursday at a ceremony in Nairobi. Uganda’s Henry Orombi is due to consecrate John Guernsey next week.
“Since the talk about gay marriage started, many congregations in America have been looking for oversight from overseas,” Nzimbi said.
In Africa, gay relationships are denounced as immoral and are outlawed in many countries.
The 77 million-strong Anglican Church has been split since 2003 when its 2.4 million member U.S. branch consecrated Gene Robinson as its first openly gay bishop.
The move enraged conservative Anglicans, who accuse the Episcopal church of flouting Biblical commandments. Nzimbi said Kenya had been approached by more then 30 congregations from across the United States asking for leadership since then.
“REPENTANCE IS KEY”
Liberals, who support a looser interpretation of scripture, say the African clergy are violating church rules by creating conservative outposts in the United States and deepening a crisis that threatens to split the Anglican communion — a worldwide federation of 38 churches.
“We are not invading other people’s territory as such but preaching the gospel, the way it was brought to us, the way it is written,” Nzimbi said.
And he said the only way to bridge the schism was for the liberal churches to repent: “The way we can have one understanding is through repentance, that is the key word.”
Rachel Boulding reports it in the Church Times headlined Be united and let Jesus smile again, begs Dr Tutu and Matthew Davies reports it in Episcopal News Service under Tutu urges full Lambeth participation.
91 CommentsTHE ARCHBISHOP Emeritus of Cape Town, Dr Desmond Tutu, has made an emotional appeal to the Primates of the Anglican Communion to accept one another, and agree to disagree.
In the open letter sent last week to his successor as Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane, he asks all the Primates to put aside their differences in order to deal with the world’s troubles.
He describes how, on a recent retreat: “I felt under considerable divine pressure to address this appeal to you and your fellow Primates.” Referring to Luke 15 and its parables of the lost sheep and the prodigal son, he writes: “We are most like this God and God’s Son when we are welcoming and inclusive. It is almost a defining characteristic of God to draw together, to unite. . . Sin, on the contrary, always divides. It is centrifugal by nature. It alienates, separates, like apartheid.”
After referring to unity and fellowship as “a gift from God”, he writes of the “bewildering diversity” of God’s creation: “None is self-sufficient, but all are made for interdependence, each making up what is lacking in the other. In a world where difference has led to alienation and even bloody conflict, the Church is God’s agent to demonstrate that unity in diversity is in fact the law of life.”
Dr Tutu admits: “I am not telling you anything new.” He continues: “Our Communion has always been characterised by its comprehensiveness, its inclusiveness, its catholicity
. . . We have been known to embrace within this one family those whose views were almost diametrically opposed. We said: ‘I disagree with you but we belong together.’”
He then addresses the Archbishop of Canterbury directly: “Please invite [to the Lambeth Conference] ALL those in Episcopal orders who are not retired, even those irregularly consecrated or actively gay; please, now I appeal to you all, do not excommunicate one another seemingly so easily. Be welcoming and inclusive of one another. Commune with one another and with our Lord, sacramentally and in other ways.”
Dr Tutu ends dramatically: “Our Lord is weeping to see our Communion tearing itself apart on the issue of human sexuality, when the world for which he died is ravaged by poverty, disease, war and corruption. We are one of God’s agents to deal with these scourges. God has no one but us. Please, I beg you all in our Lord’s name, agree to disagree, argue, debate; disagree, but do all this as members of one family. Accept one another as God accepts us, however we are, in Christ.
“Wipe the tears from our Lord’s eyes; put the smile back on God’s face. I beg you all on bended knee.”