jQuery Slider

You are here

Episcopal and Anglican Progressives say GAFCON Communique is Toothless

Episcopal and Anglican Progressives say GAFCON Communique is Toothless

By David W. Virtue DD
www.virtueonline.org
April 24, 2016

Liberals, progressives and out and out revisionist Anglicans and Episcopalians say that the GAFCON communique released in Nairobi this past week was "toothless" and will be ignored by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Consultative Council.

"They have no ability or stomach to fight us, and with the culture wars on our side over homosexuality and gay marriage, they are fighting a lost cause. We will win, we have the money, time and, if Hilary Clinton succeeds President Obama, she will continue the policy of tying money and business to African nations with the full inclusion and rights of LGBTQI persons," a progressive priest told VOL. "The churches will be forced to follow.

"The very fact that three Kenyan bishops defied their own archbishop and came to ACC-16 in Lusaka shows there are cracks in the African evangelical armor. Even Archbishop Nicholas Okoh admitted in one of his rants that we are winning.

"Every time they draw a line in the sand, we walk right over it. Welby might be an evangelical, but he is on our side. If he shows any signs of weakening, we simply yell homophobia and he grovels before us. He is actually more on our side than Rowan Williams was. He said he would affirm his son if he said he was gay and attend his marriage. Rowan never said that."

US Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said as much in Canterbury earlier this year. He said he would continue his church's policy of full inclusion of LGBTQI persons to all offices in the church, and he would move to implement his policies beyond America. "What do you think he meant?"

"The Episcopal Church has lots of money and we can pay to have reconciliation talks and Indaba talks till Kingdom come. We can support sending pro-gay Anglican theologians like Bishop Graham Kings as Mission Theologian in and to the Anglican Communion. Philip Groves is thoroughly on our side with his London-based "Listening Process". We will simply wear the other side down, and with the culture going our way, those homophobic Anglican Africans don't have a prayer. The LGBTQI has too many influential people from presidents, archbishops and bishops to be resisted. Even the Roman Catholic is fighting an uphill battle on homosexuality with so many scandals and a pope who seems weak on the issue.

"It was clear to us that when The Episcopal Church openly defied the language of the Canterbury communique with the full support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, that we had won the day and TEC would never be excluded from the councils of the church. There was no resistance in Lusaka, none, it was a lovefest all the way (to use your word). Conservative Anglicans were deluding themselves to think that TEC would ever be excluded from decision making, and we were able to push our socio-economic program and The Five Marks of Mission as defining doctrine for the Communion of the future.

"GAFCON primates can rant and rave, but they cannot stop the flow of history which is with us. Clearly God is speaking to the Church a new truth about human sexuality that will not be denied or swept under the rug."

The rise in support for same-sex marriage over the past decade is among the largest changes in opinion on any policy issue over this time period, according to a Pew Research report. A new national survey finds that much of the shift is attributable to the arrival of a large cohort of young adults -- the millennial generation -- who are far more open to gay rights than previous generations. Equally important, however, is that 14% of all Americans -- and 28% of gay marriage supporters -- say they have changed their minds on this issue in favor of gay marriage. The growing acceptance of same-sex marriage is occurring as broader attitudes about homosexuality are changing.

"There is no doubt in our minds that this will filter across to Africa, and influential leaders will pick up on this. How can the Church turn its back on LGBTQI persons and continually persecute them for being gay?"

The GAFCON primates meeting this week in Nairobi released the following statement:

We went to Canterbury out of a desire for unity. In our hearts we desire to see the tear in the fabric of the communion mended. The sanctions passed at that meeting were the mildest possible rebuke to only the worst of the offenders, but they were one step in the right direction. Regrettably, these sanctions have not been upheld. This is disappointing, but sadly not surprising.

This is an important time in the life of our churches. The grassroots outpouring of messages of support has shown the strength of our movement, and we are deeply thankful for the prayers of our laity and clergy over the last few months. We are a global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion. Please continue to pray for our global Anglican future.

Questioned about this statement, a progressive Episcopalian said this statement would do nothing to stop the flow. "They won't break away from Canterbury. Colonial ties are too strong, and they always want to be attached to Canterbury and Lambeth whoever the archbishop is. After all, they tolerated Rowan Williams, who was definitely not an evangelical, so why would they blow off Welby who claims to be one!"

Questioned on whether the new chairman of GAFCON Nigerian Archbishop Nicholas Okoh could be a game changer from the gentler Kenyan Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, the source said the Nigerians are not liked even by their fellow Africans, and if they start to roll out the big guns and push people around, they could meet resistance even on African soil.

Asked about the obvious slow death of TEC and the growth of the Anglican Church in North America, a socially progressive Episcopalian said that change is always difficult, but "The Episcopal Church is adapting and we will come out ahead in time. The culture is with us and people are reading the Bible differently with new sets of glasses and interpretations of old Scriptures."

END

Subscribe
Get a bi-weekly summary of Anglican news from around the world.
comments powered by Disqus
Trinity School for Ministry
Go To Top