Anglican Communion and homosexuality

Is this the end of the Church of England’s influence in Africa?

COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | The Anglican Church is in disarray following a decision reached by hundreds of conservative Anglican Church leaders during a conference held April 17-21 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON brought together 1,302 delegates from 52 countries, including 315 bishops, 456 other clergies and 531 laity. The leaders took the drastic step to withdraw their recognition of the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as its leader over disagreements related to the blessing of same-sex couples. This year’s conference was held under the theme: “To Whom Shall We Go? (John 6:68).”

“We have no confidence that the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the other instruments of communion led by him are able to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of scripture,” the clergies said in a joint statement.

The Anglican Church Leaders, majority of whom are from Africa and the Global South, accused successive archbishops of Canterbury the de facto seat of the Anglican Church of failing to guard the faith by “inviting bishops to Lambeth (official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), who have embraced or promoted practices contrary to scripture.”

This failure of church discipline, the leaders said, has been compounded by the current Archbishop of Canterbury who has welcomed the provision of liturgical resources to bless practices contrary to scripture.

“This renders his leadership role in the Anglican Communion entirely indefensible,” a communiqué prepared by the leaders and read out on the final day of the conference stated. The Church of England, which is led by the Most Reverend Welby, for the first time approved in February, this year, prayers of blessing for gay couples, a move strongly criticized by conservatives.

Rev. Dr. Michael Mead, the Bishop of South Sydney who is also the chair of GAFCON noted on the final day of the conference that: “It is clear… that most of the world’s Anglicans have lost confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of scripture.”

GAFCON describes itself on its website as a “global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the communion.” Since its formation in Jerusalem in 2008, the movement has been working to “guard and proclaim the unchanging, transforming gospel through biblically faithful preaching and teaching which frees churches to make disciples by clear and certain witness to Jesus Christ around the world.”

Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, has led the charge in repudiating the “progressive ideas” being advanced by the Church of England.

In February this year, Rev. Kaziimba almost immediately responded to the Church of England’s decision to bless same-sex marriages saying “the Church of England had become very good at making contradictory statements and expecting everyone to believe both can be true at the same time.”

“That’s what they have done with this decision,” Bishop Kaziimba noted in an open letter published on Feb.11 on the Church of Uganda website.

“On the one hand, they say that the Church of England has not changed its doctrine of marriage, namely that marriage is a lifelong union between one man and one woman.”

“On the other hand, they are giving clergy permission to preside at services of Blessing for same-sex unions, especially for gay couples who are already considered “married” by the British government. In other words, a gay couple joined together in a civil marriage would then go to the church to receive prayers of blessing.”

Although the Most Reverend Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury was commended by most bishops during last year’s Lambeth Conference for his contention that the Anglican communion contained people with honestly held, theologically argued views on homosexuality that differed in fundamental ways, the GAFCON meeting dismissed the notion of “walking together in good disagreement.”

Homosexuality is a departure from God’s word

The participants at the conference in Kigali reiterated their position on homosexuality saying the issue is a “departure from the authority of God’s word.”

“The latest of these departures is the majority vote by the General Synod of the Church of England to welcome proposals by the bishops to enable same-sex couples to receive God’s blessings,” noted the communiqué read by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Reverend Henry Ndubuka.

The clergy meeting in Rwanda blamed the current confusion in the Anglican communion to the failure of church discipline, thanks to the current Archbishop of Canterbury who has welcomed the provision of liturgical resources to bless these practices contrary to scripture. This renders his leadership role in the Anglican Communion “entirely indefensible.”

“It grieves the Holy Spirit and us that the leadership of the Church of England is determined to bless sin. Since the Lord does not bless same sex unions, it is pastorally deceptive and blasphemous to craft prayers that invoke blessing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” the clergies said.

Canterbury response

In response, a Lambeth Palace Spokesperson told Church Times, a British publication that Archbishop Welby agreed that Anglican structures are always able to change with the times and have done so in the past but that “no changes to the formal structures of the Anglican Communion can be made unless they are agreed upon by the Instruments of the Communions.”

“We note that the fourth Gafcon communiqué makes many of the same points that have previously been made about the structures of the Anglican Communion. As the Archbishop of Canterbury has previously said, those structures are always able to change with the times and have done so in the past.”

This had been stated at the recent ACC-18 meeting, attended by Primates, bishops, clergy, and laity from 39 of the 42 Anglican provinces, where there was widespread support for working together patiently and constructively to review the Instruments of Communion so that our differences and disagreements can be held together in unity and fellowship.

“The Archbishop continues to be in regular contact with his fellow Primates and looks forward to discussing this and many other matters with them over the coming period. Meanwhile the Archbishop continues to pray especially for Anglicans who face poverty, conflict, famine, discrimination, and persecution around the world, and Anglican churches who live and minister in these contexts.

“Continuing to walk together as Anglicans is not just the best way to share Christ’s love with a world in great need: it is also how the world will know that Jesus Christ is sent from the Father who calls us to love one another, even as we disagree.”

“At the ACC-18 meeting which was attended by Primates, bishops, clergy, and laity from 39 of the 42 Anglican provinces there was widespread support for working together patiently and constructively to review the Instruments of Communion, so that our differences and disagreements can be held together in unity and fellowship.

Key priorities going forward

Going forward, the participants came up with seven priorities articulated by the General Secretary and endorsed by the GAFCON Primates. The participants agreed to engage in a decade of discipleship, evangelism and mission (2023-2033).

“We will devote ourselves to raising up the next generation of leaders in GAFCON through Bible-based theological education that will equip them to be Christ-centred and servant-hearted,” the clergies said.

“We will prioritise youth and children’s ministry that instructs them in the Word of the Lord, disciples them to maturity in Christ and equips them for a lifetime of Christian service. We will affirm and encourage the vital and diverse ministries, including leadership roles, of GAFCON women in family, church and society, both as individuals and as groups.”

They also pledged to demonstrate the compassion of Christ through the many GAFCON mercy ministries, raising and supporting bishops’ training that produces faithful, courageous, servant leaders.

“We will build the bonds of fellowship and mutual edification through interprovincial visits of our Primates. Arising from our conference we encouraged the Primates Council also to prioritise discipleship for boys and men.

In order to pursue these priorities and to grow the work of the GAFCON movement, the leaders endorsed the establishment of a foundation endowment to become financially self-sufficient, not only to advance mission but also to avoid being vulnerable to economic manipulation.

“Most importantly of all, we commit ourselves afresh to the gospel mission of proclaiming the crucified, risen and ascended Christ, calling on all to acknowledge him as Lord in repentance and faith, and living out a joyful, faithful obedience to his Word in all areas of our lives. We will explore fresh ways to encourage each other, to pray for one another and to hold each other accountable in these things,” the leaders said.

“We commit ourselves into the hands of our almighty and loving heavenly Father with confidence that he will fulfil all his promises and, even though a time of pruning, Christ will build his church.”