Caroline Wafula
3 September 2007
Nairobi — Protracted differences in the global Anglican Church over gay relationships have finally seen the Kenyan province ordain its own bishops to serve in America.
The Rev Canon Dr Will (Bill) Atwood and the Rev William Murdoch's ordination last Thursday was a response to the action taken by the Protestant Episcopal Church to openly ordain gays as priests, a move vehemently opposed by a group of the Anglican Communion concentrated in Africa and Asia - also referred to as the Global South.
In 2003, the Episcopal Church - the Anglican body in the U.S. - ordained the Rev Gene Robinson, who is a gay, as the bishop of New Hampshire. The action was met with disapproval from church followers around the world opposed to gay relationships.
The division threat in the church pits some wealthy provinces in the Communion - notably USA and Canada in North America - against the Global South. The latter carefully guards the traditional Anglican faith which views homosexuality as sin.
The group bases its uncompromising stance on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and maintains that God only approves intimate relations between man and woman.
Suffragan bishops
In ordaining the two American clergymen as suffragan bishops, the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) was saying it could no longer trust its flock in the U.S. to remain safe in the hands of American Anglican priests who seem to possess unorthodox faith.
According to Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, who presided over the ordination ceremony at the All Saints Cathedral, American bishops rejected a proposal by primates (heads of churches in various countries) to have a pastoral council to support Anglican traditionalists, leaving Kenya with no options but to seek measures of safeguarding its flock in the U.S.
Explaining his disappointment against the U.S. church, Archbishop Nzimbi said the global church has since 1844 when the Anglican missionaries started planting the Anglican seeds, rejoiced in the trustworthy testimony of the Holy Scriptures.
The Kenyan archbishop said the fabric of the 72-member Anglican Communion worldwide had been torn by the actions of the Episcopal Church. It was evident, he stated, that the conflicts in the communion affected all Anglican followers in the world and they had to respond.
Eleven heads of the Anglican Church in various provinces (countries/regions) attended the ceremony. Their participation was a clear testimony of the opposition the Global South communion is wielding against its American counterpart over the gay issue. A team of 39 from the US including families of the two bishops also flew into the country for the ceremony. Nineteen ACK Bishops were also present.
Uganda's Anglican Church is also set to consecrate a second bishop this weekend, also to serve its interests in America.
But it has emerged that the church lacks clear authority structures to address the problem. Archbishop Greg Venables of the province of the Southern Cone of America said the church was facing a major crisis because of lack of official authority structures.
The situation, he said, had caused the Anglican Communion to reflect and seek a resolution to the problem. He explained that he supported the decision to consecrate the two bishops because he believed faithful in America were entitled to receive proper Episcopal care.
ACK's top most decision making body (the Provincial Synod) consisting 34 ACK bishops and over 180 priests and lay persons approved the consecration in June.
The synod reaffirmed its stated position on same sex union noting that it only recognised marriage between a man and a woman and that homosexuality was unbiblical. The body rejected what it described as heretical teachings recently witnessed in the Episcopal Church.
ACK also bases its arguments on the 1998 Lambeth Conference, a meeting that is held once in 10 years by primates from all over the communion. It condemned gay relationships.
ACK's action was based on a request from its congregation in the U.S. In a meeting between Archbishop Nzimbi and the clergy and lay leaders of 17 American ACK congregations in January, they appealed to the archbishop to create a missionary diocese for the 30 US-based congregations of not only Kenyan expatriates but also American traditionalists under Kenyan jurisdiction.
The archbishop did promise the group that he would consult with other primates before taking any action, explaining to them that they had to move slowly and every step be made for the glory and honour of God.
At a press briefing held a day before the consecrations, the Rev Nzimbi said ACK had consulted broadly "to fulfil the Gospel of Jesus Christ and seek to pursue the highest level of unity that is possible." It had been concluded that an American coalition would provide a safe haven for those who maintain historic Anglican faith and practice, he said.
Some clergy in the USA are said to have been among the first organisations to welcome the bishops' consecration decision.
Major shift
In an interview with journalists, Archbishop of the West Indies Drexel Gomez said there has been a major shift in some parts of the world in the traditional understanding of the scriptures, particularly in the U.S. where a number of Anglican leaders are supporting gay relations.
Archbishop Gomez later delivered the sermon at the consecration service, attacking the US revolutionary church which he accused of corrupting the Gospel of Jesus and exchanging the truth for lies.
The primate said homosexual intercourse was an exchange of the truth for lies.
The two new bishops will be required to give sound and dedicated leadership to the ACK flock in the US and further the church's unity. They will collaborate with others in the common cause network to provide orthodox Episcopal care and oversight, strategically uniting a broad conservative coalition that shares historic Anglican faith and practice.
Their main mandate will be to support ACK's international interests including supporting the Kenyan clergy and congregations in North America. They are also expected to guide and strengthen the deacons and all others who minister in the church.
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