Dear All:
Peace in Jesus.
The Rt Rev Dr Benjamin Argak Kwashi, DD, Dmin, OON, has asked me to share with you that the church fathers meeting today have elected him to serve as Archbishop of the Province of Jos, Church of Nigeria.
In Christ,
The Rev Canon Dr Leslie DG Martin
American Chaplain to the Archbishop-elect of Jos
THE first synod of the Anglican Diocese of Nike was concluded in Enugu yesterday with a strong condemnation of what it called the debasement of moral values exemplified in same sex marriage and homosexuality.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the synod, the church described same sex marriage as “devilish and a deviation from the Holy Scriptures” which it said is the anchor of the Anglican faith. It called on the Christian faithful to shun such practice in view of the punishments awaiting the perpetrators.
The synod also observed with satisfaction what it described as the stable leadership that had been entrenched at various levels of governance in the country, calling for prayers and support of the masses to enable the leaders succeed in their efforts to move the nation to enviable heights.
It is part of the present atmosphere in Anglicanism that people do not hear what others are saying clearly–alas. For only the latest example of this, read the Anglican Scotist’s piece here. This would be sad if it were not so serious.
Never mind that people such as Susan Russell and FatherJake–both known for not agreeing with the convenor of this blog–appreciated what I said. Somehow it isn’t good enough.
It would help if the Anglican Scotist would at least cite my argument in the order in which it is written. I cited the Primates first because they are Christian leaders and I believe they are speaking to a Christian standard in the Christian community which they lead. I only went on to the second point because it makes this offense all the more egregious. The argument is not instrumental at all, the first point is theological, and the second point goes further and undergirds it.
If the Anglican Scotist had the courtesy at least to check with me first and to ask–is this in fact what you are saying, have I fairly summarized your argument?–it would have helped–KSH.
I was very disgusted, upset and saddened to read the statement of Bishop Isaac Orama as quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria in a UPI story who, (if he is quoted accurately, and I am assuming that he is) said that persons involved in same sex behavior “are insane, satanic and are not fit to live.”
It was the Primates of the Anglican Communion who said at Dromantine:
We also wish to make it quite clear that in our discussion and assessment of the moral appropriateness of specific human behaviours, we continue unreservedly to be committed to the pastoral support and care of homosexual people. The victimisation or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex is anathema to us. We assure homosexual people that they are children of God, loved and valued by him, and deserving of the best we can give of pastoral care and friendship (vii).
They were quite right to say so, and to call us to a such good standard during a stressful time. By that standard, the statement from the UPI story utterly fails.
It is, however, worse than that. We are all in the global village now, like it or not, and the world is indeed flat. So what we say needs to take seriously the resonances that it may bring out in contexts other than our own. There could hardly be a worse statement in a Western context than to say of ANYONE that he or she is “not fit to live.” It immediately brings to mind the Nazi language of Lebensunwertes Leben (“life unworthy of life”) and in flood images and activities too horrendous and horrific for any of us to take in even at this historical distance from the events themselves.
These words are to be utterly repudiated by all of us–I hope and trust–KSH.
The Church of Nigeria has denounced as ”˜racist and demeaning’ suggestions that Archbishop Peter Akinola’s Aug 20 pastoral letter was ghost-written by his American bishop, the Rt Rev Martyn Minns.
The charges of American manipulation of African Archbishops were ”˜another attempt to divert attention’ away from the root causes of the crisis of faith and order in the Anglican Communion, it said.
On Aug 24 the Church Times reported that ”˜computer tracking software suggests’ the pastoral was extensively edited and revised over a four-day period by Bishop Minns. The article stated there were “about 600 insertions made by Bishop Minns, including whole new sections amounting to two-thirds of the final text.
There is also a sprinkling of minor amendments made by Canon Chris Sugden of the conservative group Anglican Mainstream.”
The Rev Colin Coward, director of Changing Attitude, charged that the Church Times report confirmed his suspicions that American conservatives, not African bishops were
driving the Global South’s calls for discipline of the US church.
The Church Times report “demonstrates that the most extreme demands being made of the Anglican Communion by the secessionists originate not with Archbishop Akinola in Nigeria but from Bishop Minns and other extreme conservatives associated with CANA.
“The conservatives who have been driving the Global South agenda have tried to present themselves as orthodox in contrast to what they claim is TEC’s heterodoxy. In their campaign to defeat those of us who support the full inclusion of LGBT people in the Anglican Communion, they are prepared to use methods which we believe to be abusive, dishonest and fail to embody Christian values,” Mr Coward said.
The Church of Nigeria’s director of communications, Archdeacon Akintunde Popoola, responded that it was “very insulting and racist to infer that the Primate of All Nigeria is
being dictated to.” Archdeacon Popoola stated work on the pastoral letter began in Abuja on Aug 6, as staffers gathered research for the letter. A first draft was read by Archbishop Akinola on Aug 9, but no corrections were made at that time.
Archbishop Akinola then travelled to the United States, and working in the offices of Bishop Minns, completed the letter. The charge that Bishop Minns wrote the letter was
nonsensical, Archdeacon Popoola said.
”˜I fail to see any issue if amendments are then made on Bishop Minns’ computer’ by Archbishop Akinola. “Apart from the fact that they were together during the period of the
amendment, the Archbishop, like many effective leaders who spend little time glued to a desk, often phones me and other staff to write certain things. Such remain his idea and anyone who knows Archbishop Peter Akinola knows you cannot make him say what he does not mean,” he said.
Bishop Minns told The Church of England Newspaper he served in a secretarial capacity as Archbishop Akinola’s amanuensis, and did not write the pastoral as claimed by the Church Times.
–This article appears in the August 31st, 2007, edition of the Church of England Newspapaer, page 7
On Aug 20 CEN received a copy of Archbishop Akinola’s pastoral from the Church of Nigeria written using Microsoft Word. A revised copy of the pastoral was sent out later that day. In its report on the pastoral the CEN noted that Archbishop Akinola was visiting his parishes in Northern Virginia at the time of the document’s release.
Using the Microsoft Word feature ”˜Track Changes’, changes to the original draft document as claimed by the Church Times can be observed, including the name of the registered user of the software used to edit the document.
While Bishop Minns is named as the registered owner of the software, there is no evidence that he was the author of the document ”” merely that it was typed on a machine whose copy of Microsoft Word was registered in his name.
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee has issued advice that the British Government, through Tony Blair in his new role, ought to be talking to Hamas. It is quite a risk. After all, Hamas has been responsible for encouraging suicide-bomb attacks against Israel. None the less: “We recommend that he engage with Hamas in order to facilitate reconciliation amongst Palestinians.”
This is the right thing to do, for it is just this sort of risky talk, often clandestine, that led to peace in Northern Ireland. No peace will ever come without a willingness to sit around a table and talk.
This is why the refusal of a number of Anglican bishops to accept the Archbishop of Canterbury’s invitation to the Lambeth Conference looks so childish and lacking in moral imagination (Press, 27 July). From Sydney to Nigeria to Winchester, there have been bishops toying with the idea that they might refuse to sit down and talk to other bishops. This is an out-and-out scandal, and has nothing whatsoever to do with homosexuality.
It is a scandal because church leaders might talk the talk about peace, but some just don’t walk the walk when it involves themselves.
If progressives want to know why so many orthodox Anglicans feel that they cannot remain in the Episcopal Church, they should look to a large degree at their own words and actions. The attribution of speculated, and damaging, motives to orthodox Anglican leaders; “glee” at seeming progressive victories; insults and statements that the departures are inconsequential — all of these things, and many more, contribute to orthodox Anglicans feeling that they cannot stay in the Episcopal Church.
The view of orthodox Anglican leaders is so negative and one-sided on the progressive end that people are left with a stark choice. Given that all of us, including godly leaders, struggle with sin daily and have our own weaknesses, are orthodox Christian leaders such as (but not limited to) Minns and Duncan to be respected and trusted? Do they have good ends in mind for the church of God, and for the body of Christ? Or are they nefarious leaders who have been plotting the destruction of one segment of the body of Christ for a decade?
This is not the same question as whether to leave the Episcopal Church. Orthodox Anglicans hold different convictions on that matter, and some are still working through that issue. Rather, the question concerns whether we essentially trust orthodox Christian leaders to have the good of the body of Christ in mind, even if we are not going to follow certain ones in either leaving or staying in (as the case may be) the Episcopal Church. To allude to a choice that Harry Potter must make in J.K. Rowling’s latest bestseller, this is a question of choosing what we believe amid competing voices. The times demand this when orthodox Christian leaders are slandered with abandon.
In response to this story, we have the following from Greg Griffith:
– Archbishop Akinola was in Virginia last week, when the statement was released. He and Minns spent much time together. It is entirely possible that +Akinola was using Minns’ computer to compose his statement. It is more likely that +Akinola was dictating the statement to Minns. It is far more likely that +Akinola was giving shape and form to the statement, while relying on Minns for the exact wording… in other words, exactly what a trusted confidant and Assistant Secretary of the Global South Steering Committee is for. Surely Jim Naughton, as a diocesan communications director who has no doubt ghost-written more than a few of John Chane’s statements, understands how that works.
– Any notion – asserted both by [Father]Jake and [Jjim] Naughton – that Martyn Minns “pulled one over” on Archbishop Akinola is absurd. There is simply no way the Anglican Church of Nigeria released a statement that was not approved by +Akinola.
– The idea – also asserted both by [Father]Jake and [Jim] Naughton – that Peter Akinola doesn’t possess the intellectual acumen or the command of the English language to compose “Agonizing Journey,” is equally absurd, and tinged with more than a touch of racism. The archbishop is a highly educated man (master’s degree from Virginia Theological Seminary) and is quite articulate.
The important point about the article is that the author has raced to a conclusion without evidence. If I have a word document on my computer written by Bishop Salmon with changes in it (if the Word software indicates so), the changes were made on my computer but by whom they were made is still not known. Indeed, on a number of occasions Bishop Salmon has called me and made changes to the document with me on the phone. He was speaking, and I was typing. Yes, you guessed it, this has happened on a number of occasions. I can think of several where both Bishop Salmon and Bishop Skilton made multiple changes to the final text, which of course they both then signed. Every change came through my computer, but was made by them because they were concerned about every word. This is called care and collaboration, and it happens all over the church all the time–KSH.
Update: Ekklesia [U.K., not to be confused with the U.S. version] has a piece on this which goes even farther over the top.
Further Update: Don’t miss the press release from The Venerable AkinTunde Popoola, Director of Communications for the Church of Nigeria, below in the comments (#41)
Couples must first take an HIV test before they will be allowed to marry, the Anglican Church in Nigeria has reaffirmed.
The church noted that the move was to help parishioners make “informed choices” when choosing marriage partners.
The BBC News website learnt that many Christian churches in Nigeria impose similar tests on their members as a condition for marriage.
The policy is being implemented in all Anglican dioceses across Nigeria, the church’s spokesman said.
“The aim is to help intending couples to make informed decisions because we don’t want anyone to be kept in the dark about their partner,” spokesman for the church Rev Akintunde Popoola told the BBC News website.
With about seven weeks to go, hope for a unified Communion is not any brighter than it was seven months or ten years ago. Rather, the intransigence of those who reject Biblical authority continues to obstruct our mission and it now seems that the Communion is being forced to choose between following their innovations or continuing on the path that the church has followed since the time of the Apostles.
We have made enormous efforts since 1997 in seeking to avoid this crisis, but without success. Now we confront a moment of decision. If we fail to act we risk leading millions of people away from the faith revealed in the Holy Scriptures and also, even more seriously, we face the real possibility of denying our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The leadership of The Episcopal Church USA (TECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) seem to have concluded that the Bible is no longer authoritative in many areas of human experience especially in salvation and sexuality. They claim to have ”˜progressed’ beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures and they have not hidden their intention to lead others to these same conclusions. They have even boasted that they are years ahead of others in fully understanding the truth of the Holy Scriptures and the nature of God’s love.
Both TECUSA and ACoC have been given several opportunities to consult, discuss and prayerfully respond through their recognized structures. While they produced carefully nuanced, deliberately ambiguous statements, their actions have betrayed them. Their intention is clear; they have chosen to walk away from the Biblically based path we once all walked together. The unrelenting persecution of the remaining faithful among them shows how they have used these past few years to isolate and destroy any and all opposition.
We now confront the seriousness of their actions as the year for the Lambeth Conference draws near..
Update: Simon Sarmiento has very helpfully provided a more user-friendly version of this document.
Another Update: Stephen Noll has a comment here in response which includes the following:
…In terms of the present crisis, I think he is clear that he sees it has culminating in seven weeks, not at Lambeth 2008. Indeed, he has been quite clear about this for at least 18 months since commissioning “The Road to Lambeth.”
I hope against hope that Canterbury will heed Abp. Akinola’s call and take the necessary disciplinary steps against those who have openly defied God’s Word in Scripture and the fundamental articles of the Communion’s identity. I say “hope against hope” because I fear Rowan Williams does not see the situation with the same eyes. But even beyond his personal views, I think he probably represents the Church of England’s inability to accept the reality that a new day has dawned, not ruled from the Anglo-American centers of power. As I have written elsewhere in “The Global Anglican Communion: A Blueprint,” I do not think the Communion can or should be governed as it has in the past. The sacred “Instruments” themselves are of relatively recent origin and overlapping in authority and function. A Communion Covenant is a good thing, but only if it addresses the issues and structures that have led to the present disruption.
Anglican Mainstream has posted a letter of thanks by Bishop Ben Kwashi of Jos, Nigeria, expressing his thanks to all who supported his family following the recent attacks on them.
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
Today is one of the days in the last eight days that there is clear evidence that your prayers for me, Gloria, the family and the diocese is being answered. I have gathered strength to be able to write this letter to thank each one of you for taking up and sharing our pain with us, for all your mails and phone calls, but most importantly, for praying to the Lord to assist us in our trials. We ourselves have been on our knees for our Korean brethren who have been held hostage by the Talibans in Afghanistan and we are also praying for the people in Darfur ”“ Sudan, Congo and the entire Middle-east region.
It is fairly clear that the unwanted visitors who came to our house on the 24th of July 2007 about 2:00am were clear about their target: they came in with a ladder, sledge hammer, digger and other weapons .They came specifically to the back door, and spent at least 20 minutes before finally breaking in. This gave us some time to call for help. They had a fair idea where my bedroom was, broke the door and met me on my knees praying. They told me that they had come for me and that I should come with them. The rest is what you all know: God intervened, for even though they took me out to the place where they were to carry out their plan, the Lord changed their minds. They brought me back to my bedroom where God’s final victory was demonstrated, as I knelt to pray and read from the Bible Psalm 124 waiting for my death; a little while later Gloria joined me and we were praying together; about 10 minutes later they were gone. They took away valuables, all our cell”“phones, laptop. jewellery and left behind massive destruction.
This letter is to appreciate you all for your prayers, for your support, care and concern. We are living in difficult times all around the world, and we must ensure that our faith in Jesus Christ is firmly rooted and grounded in the word of truth, the scripture, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Read it all here. (And please DO read it all. The best part is the final section which we’ve not posted here.)
For background on the attack and the attempt on Bp. Kwashi’s life, read here.
Episcopalians in the United States should spare a thought for Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who has objected to the ordination of a gay bishop by the American Episcopal Church in 2004. The American church acted, it says, to bear more faithful witness to the ministry of Jesus Christ, but the move has strained the church.
Some U.S. parishes have sought to align themselves with the Nigerian bishop’s diocese or with other churches in the Anglican Communion, rather than with the American hierarchy. The Communion, which is made up of churches with historic connections with the Church of England (whose archbishop of Canterbury is the Communion’s spiritual leader), has issued an ultimatum to the American church, telling it to cease from further actions that exacerbate divisions in the church, or face expulsion.
While some American Episcopalians may feel put upon, a look at the situation of the Nigerian archbishop’s flock, and the country’s Christian community generally, shows that they have problems, too.
In Lambeth Palace, we met as Primates, we could not share in the Lord’s Supper. It is as that bad. As Primates and Archbishops, we could not share in the Lord’s Supper – the highest and most important service in our church. So, what is left of the church then? It happened in two other places like that again and again, because the faith once delivered to the saints has been abandoned as far as we are concerned. All we are saying is that, look you don’t have a monopoly of homosexuals in your community. They are in Africa, they are in Abuja here and everywhere, but we don’t celebrate it for God’s sake. Our duty is to counsel people that are involve in it. To pray with them guide and advise them until they will come back to their senses. Many who have this problem have been healed world over. It is an acquired syndrome. But they say no, it is not an acquired syndrome, it is the way they are made. But we say no to that. God did not make a mistake in creation. God did not make a mistake in creating a man and a woman and they cannot re-create what God has already created.
So, when our brother, Rowan Williams, a man I admire so much, a man I respect so much for his intellectual ability, spirituality – and he knows that I love and respect him a great deal- but when it comes to this, his position is baffling and we cannot sweep it under the carpet. Communion must be restored first. We cannot go to Lambeth Conference to go and restore communion. We must do this before we can meet at the Lord’s table.
So, that is where we are and when we heard that they have given invitation to Lambeth Conference and one of our brothers was not invited, I had to write to them on behalf of our bishops to say that ‘not to invite one of our brother, is not to invite all the bishops in Nigeria. Because the man they refused to invite did not just make himself a bishop; we elected him, his election was confirmed by us and we gathered as the Church of Nigeria to consecrate him’. So what is his offence?
As soon as I did this, I called a meeting of our brother archbishops to tell them what happened – and on their behalf, what I had done; and my position was ratified by the archbishops, because I must carry them along with me in all this matter. I am now required by my brother archbishops to write a letter to Dr. Rowan Williams to tell him that whatever is going to threaten our unity as Nigerian bishops, we will not accept it. Because, not to invite one of us is to try to sow seed of discord among us and we won’t accept it.
Then, again – which is very important – the leader of the church in Africa- CAPA- (Conference of Anglican Provinces of Africa) which I had the privilege and honour of chairing, some time ago, we commissioned a paper titled: The Road To Lambeth. That paper looked into the entire Lambeth Conference history, and other things;
and made some recommendations among which are, we too in Africa have our problems, which need to be address. For instance, poverty, HIV/AIDS, the insurgent of Islam and all that. How do we contain all these? I have asked the committee to go and see how we can tackle these problems. But also, the papers say that until and unless those with whom we have a broken communion repent and communion is restored, the church in Africa may not go to the Lambeth Conference. This document was commended to all the provinces for further studies last year. So, when we met in Dar-el-Salam, Tanzania last February, eight of the provinces re-affirmed that they would abide by the position of the paper as far as the Lambeth Conference is concerned. Uganda, Kenya, West Africa, Nigeria have all endorsed it. So, this not a mere threat. We are simply saying that we cannot keep fire under our roof and go to bed. A problem such as this cannot be swept under the carpet.
Bishop Enyindah, in his sermon with the theme, “Salvation has come to our land,” drew the biblical encounter of Zacheaus, the tax collector with Jesus Christ at Jerusalem, saying that God is prepared to forgive those who repent and confess their sins like Zacheaus.
He noted that Zacheaus’ encounter with Jesus paved way for his new life and asked Christians to embrace Christ for turn around in their lives.
(ACNS)
The Most Revd Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the Anglican Archbishop of the Province of Kaduna and Bishop of Kaduna diocese, was installed as a Six Preacher yesterday during Evensong by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, and the Very Revd Robert Willis, the Dean of Canterbury. The appointment is for five years and may be renewed. Archbishop Idowu-Fearon replaces Canon Dr John Polkinghorne, who has retired as a Six Preacher. Recent Six Preachers include Bishop John Robinson and Prof A J Mason, the translator of many hymns.
Archbishop Idowu-Fearon was born in 1949 in Nigeria. Although he trained briefly as a soldier, he soon decided that he wished to serve God as a priest and was ordained in 1971, becoming a bishop in 1990. He has a doctorate degree in Islamic studies, with special interest in Christian-Muslim relations, and is married to Comfort; they have two sons, Ibrahim and Dquda, and a daughter Ninma.
“We have already come to know Archbishop Josiah as a friend from his time spent teaching in our International Study Centre to the Canterbury Scholars course” said Robert Willis earlier today. “This appointment ”“ one of the first from the wider Anglican Communion ”“ enhances the concept of the teaching ministry at Canterbury Cathedral that was so firmly laid down by Cranmer at the time of the Reformation”. “I feel humbled by this appointment” Archbishop Idowu-Fearon said yesterday before the service, “remembering that this ministry was founded by Archbishop Cranmer. Being a Six Preacher will give me a sense of belonging to the community at Canterbury Cathedral which has existed for over 1,400 years ”“ my own Diocese of Kaduna is only 50 years old! I hope that this recognition will help me to be an ambassador for Christ, not just within the Anglican Communion, but to my Muslim neighbours”.
THE BISHOP of Jos, Nigeria, the Rt Revd Benjamin Kwashi, was frogmarched out of his house at knifepoint and gunpoint on Tuesday, by a gang who threatened him with murder and beat up his teenage son, Rinji. They ransacked the house and stole what was initially estimated at about £3000-worth of possessions, including a laptop and mobile phones.
The gang overpowered the two security guards at the gates of the Bishop’s compound and locked up the four domestic staff. It is the second attack on the Bishop’s household in 18 months. In February 2006, in his absence from home, a gang beat up Bishop Kwashi’s wife, Gloria, and left her temporarily blinded (News, 24 February 2006).
The Bishop said on Wednesday morning: “The shock has gone, but now the reality is dawning, and we are discovering what was lost and what was destroyed. It is more than we thought ”” terrible. But we thank the Lord for life. I never thought that someone would negotiate my life so cheaply,” he said.
The attack was calculated and deliberate. “They came with ladders, a hacksaw, a sledgehammer, diggers ”” they came to remove the door. No ordinary thief who wants to steal would collect the stuff that way.”
For the second time in 18 months an attempt has been made on the life of Bishop Benjamin Kwashi, the Bishop of Jos.
Early on the morning of Tuesday July 24 at 2.15 a.m. a gang of men, more than five in number bound the two security guards at the gates of his compound and locked up the four domestic staff,
Armed with guns and knives, they then battered through the doors of the house, went upstairs and marched Bishop Ben Kwashi downstairs and outside.
They told Bishop Ben, they were going to kill him. Then, inexplicably the men changed their minds, gave up that plan, took him back inside and ransacked the house for valuables. They beat up his teenage son Rinji. Help came after about half an hour.
THE Diocese of Egbu, Anglican Communion, has warned its members to distance themselves from secret societies and cults or risk being slammed with commensurate disciplinary measures lined up by the diocese for its erring members.
The Bishop, Professor Emmanuel Iheagwam, read the riot act while presenting his presidential address during the 10th Annual Men’s Conference at Saint John’s Anglican Church, Naze.
While recalling the Biblical injunction that “no one can serve two masters” at the same time, the Anglican cleric lamented that there are a lot of people who profess to be Christians but at the same time belong to secret societies and cults.” Are there not people who profess to be Christians and at the same time belong to secret societies or cults? Are there not people who profess to be Christians and yet go to the shrines of lesser deities to swear or take oaths of allegiance to individuals or political parties?”, Iheagwam asked.
THE ARCHBISHOP of Nigeria has condemned the kidnapping of a British toddler in the Niger Delta, and has called for an end to the crime spree that threatens to destabilise the country’s oil producing region.
Archbishop Peter Akinola wrote that ”˜the spate of kidnapping’ was a ”˜worrisome trend.’ He expressed relief that three-year-old Margaret Hill had been released unharmed, but asked ”˜How long will this go on?’
Through [Samuel] Crowther’s consecration in Canterbury, the apostolic succession was assured. Apostolic succession, however will be ineffective and irrelevant if it is not followed with apostolic focus and success. The Bishop with apostolic succession must follow in the steps of the apostles as a leader in mission, ministry and community development, as a teacher and pastor. As Archbishop Peter Akinola would say at the consecration of bishops, “the days of ceremonial bishops are over!” Through Crowther and his successors has come the vital passion and drive for mission and evangelism today. The demonstration of the power of the gospel runs through our veins from head to foot. In Nigeria other great African Bishops and Archbishops have followed in the wake of Crowther, down to Archbishop Olufosoye in 1979 and Archbishop Adetiloye in 1988, and now our present primate, Archbishop Peter Akinola. In their time the Church of Nigeria has grown, and grown beyond human expectation. It has developed from being a part of the Province of West Africa, to being the Province of Nigeria, then three Provinces and now ten Provinces. From just a handful of dioceses, we now have 121 ”“ and more are on the way! The creation of missionary dioceses was an inspiration from the time of the Decade of Evangelism and has proved its value and effectiveness. Anglicanism in Nigeria is only Anglican in its true sense when it is missionary, evangelical and socially active in community development and community transformation. It was not actually an Anglican, but a Roman Catholic missionary to Africa who summed it up so well:
“Mission is the meaning of the church. The church can exist only insofar as it is in mission, insofar as it participates in the act of Christ, which is mission. The church becomes the mission, the living outreach of God to the world. The church exists only insofar as it carries Christ to the world. The church is only part of the mission, the mission of God sending his Son to the world. Without this mission, there would be no church. The idea of church without mission is an absurdity.” (Vincent J Donovan Christianity Rediscovered, London SCM 1978, p.102).
Kendall was very quick to get out the news of Ruth Gledhill’s interview with Archbishop Peter Akinola, posting the news the evening of July 3rd. When we saw the post the following morning, we added the update indicating that there was more info available on Ruth Gledhill’s blog.
We never, however, mentioned that there were several video portions of Ruth’s interview with Archbishop Akinola available. So, for those who might have missed them, or might not have had time to watch them yet and would appreciate a reminder, here are the links:
The videos
Archbishop Akinola talks about Lambeth 2008 (6 minutes)
Dr Peter Akinola, Primate of Nigeria (4 minutes, he talks about his call to ministry)
Archbishop Peter Akinola and a threat of ritual sacrifice (2 minutes)
The articles
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2026348.ece
http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2007/07/peter-akinola-w.html
[thanks to Scott at Magic Statistics for the nice roundup post which reminded us about the videos]
In spite of what Western church leaders fear, he has no ambitions to lead a breakaway church. “That has never been on my mind. This is the media thing. You see we have scripture. We have our traditions. We have not broken the law. It is your churches that are breaking the law. You are the ones breaking the rules. You are the ones doing what should not be done with impunity. We are saying you cannot sweep it under the carpet. Maybe in the past you could get away with it, but not any more. We have aged. So we are not breaking away from anybody. We remain Anglicans. We are Anglican Church. We will die Anglicans. We are going nowhere.”
Here is an excerpt from one:
Our problem is coming from American. Now Akinola is walking with someone named Martyn Minns but we know that Akinola is a puppet for Minns. Most of what Akinola says and his press releases are written
by Minns and coming from America. We want to attend the Lambeth Conference to make the presence of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in Nigeria known. TEC can help us with that. Now we need your help, your spiritual help and your financial help.”The question was asked, “If we speak out and come to your aid, we risk loosing our place in the Communion. That means you will loose our voice on your behalf. What do you say about that?” He replied, “That is a sort of black mail. If you are quiet and TEC doesn’t come to help us, we do not stand a chance.”
A second question came about his plans for the future. He replied, “I was frightened and had to leave Nigeria… I went to a conference in England and then demonstrated in Geneva. I don’t want to live in Europe. What I am doing is for my people in Nigeria. The Nigerian government is still pursuing me and they want to kill me. Colin (Changing Attitudes, England) gave me money to go to Dar es Salaam and I tried to confront Akinola. He said he was ill. ”
Several gay activists in the room started commenting, saying that Nigeria’s behavior towards gays violates international and human rights treaties and that Nigeria routinely kills gays.
The time allotted ended and Davis was embraced and encouraged as a hero. Both committees had confidential meetings. As of tonight, there is no decision on whether he will be allowed to address the full Council. He is still here. Davis plans to return to Togo in East Africa soon.
I have not had the opportunity to full research his claims….
I have received news of the proposed consecration of Canon Bill Atwood as Suffragan Bishop of All Saints Cathedral Diocese, Nairobi, in the Anglican Church of Kenya, to serve Kenyan related congregations in North America. Canon Atwood has worked tirelessly throughout the Communion for the sake of the Gospel and is well known to many of us in the Church of Nigeria.
This action demonstrates a growing recognition by Anglican provinces in Africa that the situation in North America continues to deteriorate because of the intransigence of the leadership of The Episcopal Church. This was made most evident by the response of their House of Bishops to the carefully crafted Primates’ Dar es Salaam Communiqué. We cannot sit quietly by while those who continue steadfastly in the ”˜faith once delivered to the saints’ are denied adequate pastoral care and made the targets of pernicious lawsuits.
We look forward to working with Archbishop Nzimbi, Bishop-elect Atwood and this new pastoral initiative from the Anglican Church of Kenya. We pledge our ongoing prayers and enthusiastic support and cooperation through CANA ”“ a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria already established in North America.
It should be noted that there are now more than 250 congregations in North America related to Global South provinces through a growing number of missionary and pastoral initiatives.
Our heartfelt desire continues to be that the Anglican Communion will find a way to move forward together. This can only happen, however, with a Common Faith lived out within the context of an agreed Communion discipline. We continue to pray that The Episcopal Church will heed the call to repentance and make a positive response to the request of the Primates’ in Dar es Salaam.
We continue to offer our prayers for all leaders in the Communion during these challenging times.
Signed
+Peter Abuja
June 13, 2007
Anglican Church Diocese of Enugu, at the weekend, said it was in support of the nationwide industrial action planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), adding that Nigerians have had hard times over the past eight years of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking to newsmen in Enugu, Bishop of the Church, Rt. Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma, said labour needs the support of Nigerians in the planned strike, explaining that this was the only way to be part of the condemnation of the bad policies of Obasanjo’s administration.
Chukwuman said protesting against bad policies was the only way to ensure that such policies do not continue, adding that “as far as I am concerned, Obasanjo’s administration made many bad policies in the past eight years. Time is coming when Nigerians will resist evil policies of our leaders. Whatever the NLC wants to do, the Anglican Church will support it as a Church to reduce the sufferings of our people. We cannot continue to suffer like this. Time has come for us to heave a sigh of relief. It is human to cry out.”
In May, Bishop Martyn Minns became head of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a conservative group with ties to Nigeria. Minns, 64, led 11 Virginia congregations to break ties with the Episcopal Church last year. For 16 years, he has been rector of the historic Truro Church, where George Washington’s father once served on the vestry. Now, Minns prepares for a battle with the denomination he left behind.
Why did you decide to leave the Episcopal Church?
I really do believe that the Episcopal Church kind of left me. They have moved to adopt positions and attitudes that are at odds with where the rest of the Anglican Communion is and where I am. And so in that sense, I’ve not really changed that much. But they have.
Why not stay put and practice your beliefs in your own church?
That’s obviously something I tried to do. But the problem I had is that most of the congregation here felt they could no longer continue in that mode, and in fact, we lost over 100 families. They voted with their feet.
What are the consequences of your decision?
We’re actually now facing potentially the largest lawsuit the Episcopal Church has ever initiated against congregations. They are trying to evict us and indeed to take all of our property and all of our resources away from us. … Our replacement cost is estimated at about $30-million, and we’re just one of the churches.
Apparently making reference to the accumulation of wealth by the former president, Akinola who is ranked among the 100 most famous people in the world, also charged Obasanjo to dedicate the rest of his life to the service of God and his poor neighbours. He said: “This is not an option. You are used to giving orders to people. Now we give you order and decree from this pulpit, that you must dedicate the rest of your life to the service of God and in humble service of your poor neigh-bours. Two, you must seek reconciliation with people you deliberately or inadver-tently antagonised these many years. By the grace of God, you have everything in life.
“What is left for you is to be humble and to shed off everything of that excesses luggage that you have, all those side attractions. Every political expediency.
“All those military adven-turism, all those unholy financial pursuit must go. They must go!.
“You must seek reconci-liation with people you deliberately or inadvertently antagonised these many years. What is left for you is to be humble and to shed off everything of that excess luggage that you have and all those side attractions”.
Many conservative Anglicans would agree with Nigerian lay minister Davis Mac-Iyalla that the summer of 2003””when the Episcopal Church approved the first openly gay bishop””left a gaping hole and wrenching pain in their hearts. But not for the same reasons.
For Mac-Iyalla, that summer was when the Anglican Church of Nigeria, in which he was born, baptized and became faithful turned its back on him because he is gay.
“God created me a gay man and put me in the womb of my mother. I was born into the church, baptized and sang in the choir,” Mac-Iyalla told parishioners Sunday at Trinity Church in Highland Park. “Now, the church rises against me when I speak who I am. The church is supposed to be a house of joy, a house of peace. It has become a place of fire.”
As the worldwide Anglican Communion of 77 million faithful spirals toward schism over issues of homosexuality, the leading Nigerian voice has been that of Archbishop Peter Akinola, who believes tolerating gays and lesbians violates Scripture. Akinola and other conservatives in the global communion have severed ties with the U.S. church. Last month, against the wishes of U.S. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Akinola consecrated a new bishop to oversee conservative dissidents on American soil.
The Diocese of Lagos West Anglican Communion has said that the poverty level in the country is unacceptable and called on political leaders to be God-fearing and build better communities by the provision of social amenities for the people.
The diocese at its Second Session of the Third Synod held at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, condemned ills associated with those in authority today, and criticised “those in, and those who aspire to leadership positions in government and other spheres of endeavour for their personal gains, rather than for service to the people, and called upon such people to have a change of heart.”
In a communiqué issued at the end of the synod, the church urged the incoming government of Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua “to urgently and seriously address the issue of security of life and property. The situation where no one is safe is unacceptable. Government should be more sensitive to the value placed on human life and property.”
The Synod themed: “Church as a Catalyst for Change,” commended the judiciary for its strong and firm decisions in the recent past and urged “the incoming administration to stem the tide of frequent and flagrant disobedience of court orders. It should continue to uphold its role as the last hope of the common man.”
Dear All,
In response to requests for comments on the Lambeth Conference invitations, Archbishop Peter Akinola reaffirms that the Church of Nigeria is committed to the CAPA commissioned report “The Road to Lambeth”
(link here for Road to Lambeth doc)
Since only the first set of invitations had been sent, it is premature to conclude who will be present or absent at the conference. However, the withholding of invitation to a Nigerian bishop, elected and consecrated by other Nigerian bishops will be viewed as withholding invitation to the entire House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria.
The Lord bless you as you remain in Christ
The Venerable AkinTunde Popoola
Director of Communications
Primate’s Office, 24 Douala Str., Wuse Zone 5, P.O. Box 212 ADCP, Abuja,
F.C.T., Nigeria.