Posted on 10/31/2003 5:59:44 PM PST by ahadams2
Letter to Rowan Williams and the Primates of the Anglican Communion
The Association for Church Renewal
October 30, 2003
The Most Reverend Rowan D. Williams
Lambeth Palace
London, SE1 7JU
October 29, 2003
Your Grace:
As a fellowship of renewing and confessing movement leaders within mainline Protestant denominations in the United States and Canada, the Association for Church Renewal notes with sadness the decision of the Episcopal Church USA to confirm the election of The Rev. V. Gene Robinson, an unrepentant practicing homosexual, as Bishop and to recognize liturgies celebrating and blessing “same-sex unions.”
By these radical actions, the Episcopal Church USA has severed its ties with Scripture, with two millennia of Christian moral teaching, with the great majority of Anglicanism’s 77-million members worldwide, and with the larger Christian community around the world. We do not believe and cannot accept that this is Christ’s will for His Church.
Our Association for Church Renewal is an ecumenical fellowship that represents millions of Christians who continue to live in faithfulness to God’s Word. With Scripture and the historic teachings of the Church, we understand marriage to be a covenant between one man and one woman, the only appropriate context for sexual intimacy.
We are weary of divisive and destructive actions being taken by those seeking approval and even sacred blessing of homosexual behavior. Their relentless pursuit of this agenda has deeply damaged the Body of Christ. Already, we observe the results within your own communion, including massive membership losses, financial redirection, the departure of clergy, and threats of disassociation being made by Global South provinces.
It has been said that the acceptance of homosexual behavior by the Church is a necessary accommodation to Western culture. We reject this claim. As Christians who live in the United States and Canada, we know, first hand, the fragmentation of the family, plague of sexually transmitted diseases, and loss of human dignity that have resulted from our culture’s sexual mores. We repent of these practices, and we ask forgiveness of every non-Western culture to which we have exported our culture’s licentiousness. We believe Christians are called not to accommodation, but to the transformation of culture.
We respectfully request that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the 37 Primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion, heed the pleas from biblically faithful Christian churches in North America and around the world. In the event that the Episcopal Church USA proceeds to “consecrate” Rev. Robinson’s election as Bishop, we ask that you declare publicly your refusal to recognize this act, and that you exercise appropriate fraternal discipline by declaring that the Episcopal Church USA has alienated itself from the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Such faithful leadership would bear powerful witness to Christian churches everywhere – and to a watching world – that the Body of Christ continues in fidelity to the Biblical foundation of the one holy, catholic and apostolic Church as the only norm for faith and life.
In Christ,
Rev. James V. Heidinger II, ACR Chairman President and Publisher Good News United Methodist
Mrs. Diane Knippers, ACR Co-Chair President Institute on Religion and Democracy
Rev. Parker Williamson, ACR Co-Chair Editor The Presbyterian Layman Presbyterian Church USA
The following is a partial listing of ACR Members
Ms. Sara L. Anderson Vice-President Bristol House, Ltd. United Methodist
Rev. Karen Booth Executive Director Transforming Congregations United Methodist
Rev. Mark Chavez Executive Director WordAlone Network Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Rev. Susan Cyre Executive Director and Editor Theology Matters Presbyterian Church USA
Rev. Ira Gallaway Associate Director The Confessing Movement United Methodist
Dr. Christopher Hershman Evangelical Lutheran Confessing Fellowship Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Ms. Linda Huntington Administrative Coordinator American Anglican Council Episcopal Church USA
Mr. Jim Kushiner Managing Editor Touchstone Journal
Mr. Bruce Mason Media Officer American Anglican Council Episcopal Church USA
Pastor Gerald Miller Member, WordAlone Network Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Sen. Patricia Miller Executive Director The Confessing Movement United Methodist
Rev. Bill Nicoson National Coordinator American Baptist Evangelicals American Baptist Church
Dr. Tom Oden Chairman Institute on Religion and Democracy Dr. Oden is United Methodist, the IRD is ecumenical
Rev. David Runnion-Bareford Executive Director Biblical Witness Fellowship United Church of Christ
Mrs. Terry Schlossberg Presbyterians Pro-Life Presbyterian Church USA
Mrs. L. Faye Short President RENEW Network for Women United Methodist
Mr. David M. Stanley and Mrs. Jean L. Stanley Chairman and Board Member United Methodist Action United Methodist
Rev. Vernon Stoop, Jr. Executive Director Focus Renewal Ministries United Church of Christ
Mr. Mark Tooley Executive Director United Methodist Action United Methodist
Rev. Todd H. Wetzel Executive Director Anglicans United (Formerly Episcopalians United) Episcopal Church USA
Mr. Geoff Wilkins National Chairman National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations United Church of Canada
Are these the last orthodox folks in these denominations?
Wow. That sounds quite odd. I have a cousin who's a conservative Quaker. We always have very interesting discussions. Strangely enough, he understands exactly where I'm coming from on the ECUSA controversy. I explained it as a church discipline plus church constitution plus institution of marriage issue, and he had no trouble with it.
Of course, he wants to ban all guns, but as I told him he's one of the few that walks the talk, and I can respect that.
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