Government leaders in Nigeria have chastised Archbishop Nicholas Okoh and the Church of Nigeria over the consecration of Mary Glasspool in Los Angeles. The Governor of the Rivers State in the Niger Delta this week told the Archbishop that the consecration of a lesbian bishop by the Anglican Communion diminished the moral authority of the Church in Africa and weakened its spiritual and social witness.
Enthroned as Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Communion’s largest province earlier this year, Archbishop Okoh has begun a tour of the national Church, meeting with Diocesan leaders and local officials. During the Archbishop’s meeting in Port Harcount with government officials a spokesman for Governor Rotimi Amaechi said the Glasspool consecration was a symbol of western moral decadence.
The governor told the new Archbishop, “Primate, you have a lot in your hands; the times are not good and the challenges are daunting.” By adopting the standards of the world and turning a blind eye to “moral laxity” the church was in danger of losing its prophetic voice, he said.
Provincials! Who do they think they are? Imposing cultural standards willy-nilly on all the world. EcUSA/TEc, of course, not Nigeria.
It was bound to come to this. I think the ‘love’ that liberal churchmen have for their co-religionists of a more orthodox persuasion is amply demonstrated by this story.
This is a purely political move by the government of Nigeria. ++Okoh is strongly advocating Nigeria’s withdrawal from the UN. The government does not wish to withdraw, so they are saying that ++Okoh does not have the social authority to question UN membership. Nothing more than that is at play.