TANZANIA: DEAN REJECTS ECUSA FUNDS

Special Report By David W. Virtue

The Dean of Christ Church in Arusha, Tanzania, has written a letter to the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church Frank T. Griswold rejecting an offer of funds, citing ECUSA's stand on human sexuality and the recent Robinson consecration.

The Very Rev. Jerry A. Kramer, Jr, Diocese of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the Anglican Church of Tanzania, said in his letter to Griswold that his offer to support he and his wife as Volunteers for Mission of the Episcopal Church here in Tanzania were unacceptable. The letter came unsolicited.

Kramer wrote: "While we are Episcopalians in good standing in the Diocese of Texas, and very much love and respect our dear Bishop Don Wimberly, we cannot accept your offer at this time. When first arriving in Tanzania, we were told in no uncertain terms that we would be asked to leave had we come here affiliated in any way with The Episcopal Church Center. Neither can we represent the ECUSA, in conscience, having denied the truth of scripture and the Church's traditional beliefs on issues of human sexuality. We categorically reject the consecration of Gene Robinson as an act that is not of God and whose Office we will never recognize."

"Our ministry here has been hampered from day one by deep suspicions directed at any one coming in the name 'Episcopalian.' We can tell you first hand that African Christians feel utterly and brutally betrayed by the Church in America. The consecration of Gene Robinson has caused enormous harm here and emboldened persecution and violence against the Christian Community."

Kramer concluded saying, "our ministry here in Tanzania simply cannot be credible, nor would it be accepted, if affiliated publicly with the ECUSA. In fact it would put us at greater jeopardy than we are at present. Nor can we represent the ECUSA officially because of its sinful actions that are tearing the bonds of our Global Communion. Please keep us in your prayers and be assured of ours."

A copy of the letter was sent to Texas Bishop Don Wimberly and to Charles E. Jenkins, Bishop of Louisiana.

This week in Nairobi, Africa's pan Anglican bishops rejected any further funding from The Episcopal Church USA citing the recent consecration of V. Gene Robinson, an openly divorced, homosexual to the episcopacy.