How is it that the glory of Jesus is recognised in the Church today? As Peter was speaking out of his ignorance about making shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus, the voice of God the Father interrupts him saying “This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to him”. The same is true today. We must listen to him. But we can be much more interested in our ideas than God’s Word. We must listen to the voice of Jesus as it comes to us through the whole of the Scriptures, but the recent decisions of the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) and the Episcopal Church of the United States (TEC) to amend their marriage canons to accommodate so called ”˜gay marriage’ remind us that parts of the Church are becoming increasingly bold in speaking what they have learned from listening to the world rather than listening to the Scriptures and the witness of the Church through two millennia.
The problem TEC in particular continues to pose for the rest of the Communion was highlighted by another but less reported resolution from its 2015 General Convention, A051, ”˜Support LGBT African Advocacy’ which mandates that Church to spread its ideas to Africa. In the light of this resolution it is increasingly difficult to see what purpose the dialogue of Continuing Indaba and associated projects such as Bishop Graham Kings’ ”˜Mission Theology in the Anglican Communion’ project can serve except as a means, even if unintentional, by which TEC can promote further confusion and division around the Communion.
Rather surprised that this has not drawn comment. Thanks be to God that some bishops and primates of the Anglican Communion remain faithful to our Lord and Savior, and continue to provide guidance and leadership to those of us in the Americas and Europe where the “official” Anglican leadership has become heretical.
“…mandates that Church to spread its ideas to Africa.”
I, for one, am confident that the leadership of the Anglican Communion will put a prompt end to this nefarious border crossing, right ABC?
Archbishop Wabukala can write such straight forward statements about TEC’s latest developments as he knows that none of TEC’s progressive left will ever read his words. Even if they did, they would simply ignore them as the musing of simple-minded homophobic bigoted bishop in Africa. TEC no longer cares what Anglicans in Africa think about their latest and greatest developments and how it may affect Anglicans elsewhere. Reality is that TEC is not particularly interested in what anyone outside their “church” thinks of anything. Even the Cof E is there to be taken advantage of whenever possible. JMHO as always.
Lest it not be obvious, I do appreciate Archbishop Wabukala for being incredibly honest in his letters. I am so grateful for his leadership and that of all the other GAFCON primates. I think one reason he is so honest is so those of us in North America will not fall for the usual “they have no idea what goes on” statements put forth by TEC. Well, actually the Africans *do* know what is being decided and promoted by TEC. However, TEC has no idea what GAFCON is doing and what is going on in the various Anglicans churches in Africa. Huge difference in attitude for which I am incredibly grateful! Thanks be to God for GAFCON!
Indeed, thanks be to God for GAFCON, its current and its past leadership. It comes so close to home; our parish exists only due to African leadership manifested in the USA.
Please excuse some pedantry and some differing opinions.
“Honest” is like “unique”; it needs no modifiers. As with pregnancy, one either is, or is not.
I am convinced, for several reasons, that ECUSA knows, as rapidly and as thoroughly as anyone else, exactly what is going on at/in GAFCON, or in ACNA.
Whether or not E changes its direction on any given topic because of G is, of course, a different question completely. And, of course, E is never going to admit that G’s very existence means anything to it.
Luke,
Perhaps it would be better to write, “TEC does not care what GAFCON does”. If TEc does know, their typical parishioners have no idea what GAFCON is and what it does. So perhaps that theirs audience for their ” They have no idea what we do” sort of statements are their own parishioners. Keep the pew sitters in the dark about what the leaders know and they will be happy. Anyway, anyone can be as badly misinformed as anyone else if they don’t really try. Fortunately, the GAFCON primates are not misinformed and are willing to state that they know what is happening and even more importantly willing to let others know that what TEC is doing is very bad news for the WWAC.