Sentamu urged delegates to re-examine "if we aren't being challenged in our application of canon (church) law and gracious magnanimity in relation to the question of human sexuality."

God, said Sentamu, is "the supreme example of the one who is graciously magnanimous and who deals with others with gracious magnanimity." He offered the example of the adulterous woman who was brought before Jesus. "He could have applied the letter of the law according to which she should have been stoned to death; but he went beyond justice," he said. "As far as justice goes, there isn't one of us who deserves anything other than the condemnation of God, but God goes far beyond justice."

For a church to be "graciously magnanimous," he added, it must have "a responsibility to both affirm moral standards and to ensure that its rules don't seem rigorous to the point of inhumanity."

Anyone with half a brain knew exactly where the Anglican Church of Canada was heading long before this Synod. It was a forgone conclusion that fooled nobody who has been reading and watching Canadian Church history for the last 30 years (this writer holds joint US/Canadian citizenship and once wrote religion for Canada's third largest morning daily newspaper in Vancouver, BC) or read Dr. Marney Patterson's books or even the more recent book, 'Battle for the Soul of Canada' by award-winning author the Rev. Ed. Hird. It was, as they say, a no brainer.

The General Synod elected the liberal PEI and Nova Scotia Bishop Fred Hiltz on sexuality issues to succeed the equally liberal outgoing Archbishop Andrew Hutchison. The Synod bishops narrowly voted down the approval of the blessing of same sex unions, after it amended a resolution to accept the conclusion of the Primate's Theological Commission's St. Michael Report that the blessing of same-sex unions is a matter of doctrine but not core doctrine in the sense of being creedal, and that it should not be a communion-breaking issue. You can be sure it won't stop New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham. "I am not upset. The tide is moving (toward approval)."

One can only imagine Our Lord, St. Paul, St. Peter and St. John smacking themselves over the head wondering how such fine theological distinctions failed to cross their sacred minds.

It was also not surprising that revisionist New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham, who first forged ahead with approving same-sex relationships in 2002, welcomed the election of Fred Hiltz, as the new archbishop. It saved him having to give a lecture to Edmonton Bishop Victoria Matthews whose Affirming Catholicism might have made her compromise on sodomy had she won the church's top post. Ingham, as you know, is the Jack Spong of Canada and just as nasty.

One wonders why the Archbishop of York did not engage Ingham over sirloin and Merlot on the subject of "gracious magnanimity" towards the dozen or so parishes that have fled his jurisdiction. Not a single one was allowed to negotiate to keep its property. Perhaps he should have asked him how he got the name for being a bully and what his plans are for the four or five more remaining orthodox parishes that wait under his radar screen for the bishop's iron fist to fall on them. One of those parishes happens to be the largest in Canada!

Sentamu, a former barrister apparently doesn't learn from history. As a lawyer you would have thought he could make the not so subtle distinction between someone who says they have homosexual attractions and controls them for the sake of the kingdom (did he ever "listen" to any of the Zacchaeus folk - former Canadian homosexual priests who had left the lifestyle?) and those men who rut around in Toronto bath-houses and then want to settle down with one partner because of the fear of HIV/AIDS!

In fairness to the Ugandan-born Archbishop, he did say the church had "a responsibility to both affirm moral standards and to ensure that its rules don't seem rigorous to the point of inhumanity."

Canadian Anglicans weren't listening. Perhaps the archbishop could have further engaged Ingham on the "inhuman" way he has treated fleeing priests in his diocese who want to keep and proclaim biblical "moral standards". Why did he not publicly shame Ingham into confessing the abysmal way he has treated orthodox priests in his own diocese? It's not inclusive to do that of course, so he kept silent.

So in keeping with VOL's high standards for archbishops who should know better we offer the following sermon Dr. Sentamu should have given the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada.

*****

My dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you for your warm invitation to come to your General Synod. I realize this is a momentous day in your history. You will elect a new archbishop. (Brief applause)

I have the honor of being the second most powerful leader in the Anglican Communion after the Archbishop of Canterbury, and even though I am originally from Uganda I promise you I am not Idi Amin and I am definitely not the last King of Scotland. (Roars of laughter).

As some of you know I attended the American Episcopal Church's General Convention last year and what a tumultuous time it was. They elected a woman Primate who seems to be to the left of former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold (if that's possible). She spends most of her waking hours traveling the world pushing Millennium Development Goals. In and of themselves these are noble goals to save humanity, but I have been troubled by what seems to be a complete absence of any talk of the Great Commission and our Lord's command to go into all the world, preaching the gospel, calling people to repentance and faith and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Perhaps I have missed some of the ENS press releases where those sermons can be found. (Laughter)

At that time I must confess to you, I dropped the ball. I could have and should have come out more declaratively against same-sex unions, the blessing of such unions and the consecration of a homosexually active bishop, with the possibility of more coming down the turnpike. I believe that's an American expression. (laughter). I didn't of course, I kept silent and since that fateful convention things have gone from bad to worse in the United States Episcopal Church.

Thousands of Episcopalians are walking away from their local Episcopal churches. Dozens of priests have left and more than 300 new offshore congregations have arisen with a number of former American priests being consecrated bishop by a bevy of African Primates. MY OWN COUNTRY UGANDA has just announced that a certain John Guernsey will oversee some 26 Uganda-American congregations! Hands will be laid on him by Ugandan Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi! What is the American Episcopal Church coming to, I ask you. (Stony silence).

As I watch and read alternative Anglican news services and various blogs I am aware that in a few short weeks things will reach a crisis point in The Episcopal Church with something called Common Cause and an Anglican Communion Network possibly announcing the formation of a new province.

If this happens it will shatter the Episcopal Church forever.

I also want to say how saddened I am by the endless lawsuits of Episcopal Church lawyers against orthodox parishes and their priests. I always knew that Americans were a litigious lot, but this has the makings of being the worst public relations disaster in modern ecclesiastical history. Somebody called David Booth Beers will spend millions of church dollars in legal fees going after parishes; money that could better be spent on MDG's. What sort of insanity is this, I ask you?

And all this over sodomy and the failure to uphold biblical standards of morality! I ask you what sort of state have we come to? I am sure that God's heart must be breaking as He sees what is going on.

Now no one is talking about excluding homosexuals from our midst. We are all sinners, but nowhere does Scripture enjoin us in accepting homoerotic behavior or for that matter adultery or fornication. If your leaders accept homosexual behavior and same-sex unions how can you ultimately reject polygamy. Logically you can't of course, and many of you think that African Anglican leaders endorse and accept polygamy. That too is a lie by the way. I have been married to one woman for more years than I care to tell you (laughter) and I know Archbishop Orombi has been happily married to one woman, even though his father and grandfather had numerous wives. Those men ended up sleeping alone. (Laughter).

Reflecting on my own ministry, I have learned to care, hear and listen to those who describe themselves as gay or lesbian. They, like me, are called to redeem humanity in Christ; I have called them to a holy celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom and their own souls' salvation. To do otherwise might condemn them to an eternal existence without God. I cannot in conscience do that.

So today you can stop and take stock of where you are and where you want to go. If you choose to continue to go down the pathway you have been treading for the last 30 or 40 years you will head towards your own extinction. You will follow other mainline denominations in this country and the U.S. (and England as well).

But if you turn around, and that really means to repent, and call upon the name of the Lord and humble yourselves, God will do a miracle and save you. If you don't believe me look what He is doing in Africa. The continent is poor and getting poorer, yet God is pouring out His Spirit and millions are finding Christ and trusting him in the midst of their poverty.

So I ask you, choose ye this day whom ye will serve. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Amen.

END