We reject homosexual practice as contrary to biblical teaching and can accept no place for it within ECS. We strongly oppose developments within the Anglican Church in the USA and Canada in consecrating a practicing homosexual as bishop and in approving a rite for the blessing of same-sex relationships. This has not only caused deep divisions within the Anglican Communion but it has seriously harmed the Church’s witness in Africa and elsewhere, opening the church to ridicule and damaging its credibility in a multi-religious environment.
The unity of the Anglican Communion is of profound significance to us as an expression of our unity within the Body of Christ. It is not something we can treat lightly or allow to be fractured easily. Our unity expresses the essential truth of the Gospel that in Christ we are united across different tribes, cultures and nationalities. We have come to attend the Lambeth Conference, despite the decision of others to stay away, to appeal to the whole Anglican Communion to uphold our unity and to take the necessary steps to safeguard the precious unity of the Church.
Out of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we appeal to the Anglican Church in the USA and Canada, to demonstrate real commitment to the requests arising from the Windsor process. In particular:
– To refrain from ordaining practicing homosexuals as bishops or priests
– To refrain from approving rites of blessing for same-sex relationships
– To cease court actions with immediate effect;
– To comply with Resolution 1:10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference
– To respect the authority of the Bible
We believe that such steps are essential for bridging the divisions which have opened up within the Communion.
A clear and courageous statement by the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS). Clear because it it is well worded, concise and requires no interpretation. Courageous because the entire ECS is at this very moment undergoing horrific persecution because its members refuse to give up their following of “…the Faith once given…” despite of pressures that are almost impossible to viscerally perceive in the safety and wealth of North America.
The revisionists bishops of North America should be so ashamed of themselves as to be unable to look directly into the eyes of the Sudanese bishops. And if they they do look into those eyes they should be open to the messages transmitted by those eyes that speak of true Christian martyrdom. These eyes that have seen the suffering and death of parishoners who have refused to compromise their Christian belief.
However, all that I anticipate from North America’s revisionists is the cold arrogance of the ‘politically correct’ as they relentlessly pursue their revolutionary goals within their respective national churches.
Thank you to the Church of Sudan for a clear statement. It puts TEC and Canada on notice to do the right thing.
http://www.pwcweb.com/ecw
God bless the courageous bishops of the ECS. I’m sure TEC thought that by pouring money into Sudan they could buy the church there. The were wrong.
See my comment [url=http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/14572/#253737 ]here[/url] to better understand the distance that the TEO went to to try to buy off Sudan.
Even with all that is going on around them, the ECS is bravely standing firm and proclaiming the authority of Holy Scripture. I sincerely applaud them for this statement and I praise God for their witness.
As for TEC’s attempts to buy their favor…shame shame. But then again this is just one more proof that TEC is willing to do anything to get their way.
“Because we live in different cultural situations, not all biblical commandments or proscriptions apply simply or in the same way to any one person or situation.â€
Yeah, right. The Sudanese statement give the lie to this error.