ORTHODOX ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOPS AFFIRM COMMUNION IS "BROKEN AND FRAGMENTED"

By David W. Virtue
http://www.virtueonline.org

NEW YORK CITY (9/8/2005)--Four orthodox archbishops of the Anglican Communion meeting in New York to receive awards for their service to the church, lashed out at the Episcopal Church with Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola saying that the unresolved issues facing the communion will cause it to come apart.

"Let there be no illusions, the [Anglican] Communion is broken and fragmented. This communion will break," he told a press conference at the Hilton hotel.

Asked what would happen if the Church of England continued on its present course affirming civil partnerships and more, the Nigerian primate said, "what they do with it is up to them. No one can choose who my friends are supposed to be or who I listen to. If England adopts a new faith that is alien to the gospel they can walk apart."

Uganda Archbishop Henry Orombi echoed the Nigerian primate saying, "We are not unified in our faith or the particulars of our faith. We see a different direction taking place. One step follows another. We can only pray and hope that it [the Church of England the US Episcopal Church] is not going to walk away. Where we started from was a long time ago, the only conclusion is to take us further away from each other. I side with Akinola, who knows what the picture will be."

Southern Cone Archbishop Gregory Venables said the situation in the Anglican Communion was no longer just the Global South versus the rest of the world. "It is all those who are biblically faithful, those who believe Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. God has revealed His Word to us and we are in communion with those who share that truth."

Venables said the primates would have to rethink the present situation. "This is not a communion. Communion is when you are part of the same family and therefore you are united by faith in the Anglican Communion. What we have is not a communion, but who call themselves Anglicans. Who really is in communion are those in communion with Jesus Christ."

Archbishop Venables said the recent formation of the Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean (CAPAC) modeled after the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) was necessary because of the confusion and theological chaos that has been introduced in the region by the unilateral actions of the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada, who have departed from historic Anglican faith and practice. The ensuing conflict has drained huge amounts of energy and resources from the mission of the church around the world. CAPAC is being organized to re-energize mission and ministry in the region.

Venables called for a re-evangelism of the north going from south to north. "What has happened in the United States over the recent years began as it lost its foundation in the Word of God. Gradually they have turned their back on what was first done and taught. They are doing eisegesis which means you bring your doctrine to the word. Exegesis is the Word of God and its authority, not your mind or philosophy. We want to work with leaders of this country (the US) who are orthodox in faith and morals." He said the move had already begun. "Our people are on their knees praying that God would bring revival. We need to be available to God and pray God will move the church here," he said.

Archbishop Akinola said his own Nigerian synod which meets once every three years would deal with looking at the Body of Christ and how that relate to the larger communion and what it means to be an Anglican in this world. He said an upcoming meeting of CAPA (pan-African bishops) would look at ways they can grow by "looking inwards" rather than to the wealthier western churches. He said an upcoming meeting of archbishops in Cairo would look at the identity of the church and how we see ourselves as One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and what that means in the larger context of the universal family. "We will not deal with negative issues but focus on mission and evangelism."

Asked if the archbishops would meet with the ECUSA Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, one archbishop said "no", another said they were not in town long enough, but "we have not been invited over for tea."

Questioned on whether the new Archbishop of York, Ugandan-born Dr. John Sentanu would make a good leader of the orthodox faithful of the Anglican Communion with Archbishop Rowan Williams leading the liberals, the archbishops broke out in laughter and would not be drawn into the idea.

Questioned by this reporter about the AIDS situation in Uganda and the infiltration of the lesbigay ECUSA organization known as Integrity into his country, Archbishop Orombi said it was a "foreign infiltration which we are exposing for what it is and why it is not helpful for people".

Reflecting on his country's AIDS crisis, the archbishop said he continued to be vocal on the issues of morality which he takes very seriously. "We have never contradicted the Word of God. We urge our young people to abstain from sex before marriage, be married and be faithful. We have zero grace fidelity in marriage."

The Kairos Awards are the brain child of former chairman and president of American Standard Companies, Emmanuel A. Kampouris, publisher of an online Kairos Journal which makes annual awards to individuals who demonstrate exemplary fidelity to the authority of Scripture and exceptional pastoral courage in their efforts to restore the prophetic voice of the Church. All four primates praised the work of the Kairos Journal

One other archbishop, The Most Rev. Yong Ping Chung of Southeast Asia was also a recipient of the Kairos Awards.

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