Africans decline funding

Church of England Newspaper ^ | 22 April 2004 | staff writer

[ahadams2]

Africans decline funding

Number: 5714 Date: April 22

The perilous state of the Anglican Communion was underlined last week when African Primates agreed to stop accepting funding from dioceses and churches which supported the consecration of a practising homosexual.

In their Nairobi meeting, the Archbishops also warned the American Church that they had three months to repent before they would begin to take such concrete steps of separating themselves from those American leaders and dioceses which had supported and taken part in the consecration of Gene Robinson.

For months spokespeople from the Episcopal Church in the United States have been accusing African leaders of ‘grandstanding’ on the issue of homosexuality by opposing their policies but still accepting funding and missionaries from America. But the African Primates meeting together in Nairobi last week declared their intention to aim for a self-sufficient African Church.

The Church of Nigeria has already been trying to raise funds in Africa to become self-sufficient but the ambitious agreement by Primates even from the poorest part of the continent will send out strong signals to Western churches.

Link relationships between dioceses in Africa and America could also be under threat. But there were indications this week that African Primates were thinking ahead to the vote by Canadian Anglicans next month on same-sex blessings and any future developments in the Church of England which could jeopardise Anglican unity.

African Primates agreed to forge ahead with an African Theological and Doctrinal Commission, and also reaffirmed the Lambeth Resolution of 1998. They expressed confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lambeth commission which reports in the autumn to resolve the crisis in the Anglican Communion, but their call for three months' repentance was said by liberal leaders to undermine the period of waiting for the report by the Lambeth Commission.

African Primates are hoping that the Commission will take steps to discipline ECUSA and perhaps the Anglican Church of Canada if they press ahead with same-sex blessings.

Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, Chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, said: “If we suffer for a while to gain our independence and our freedom and to build ourselves up, I think it will be a good thing for the church in Africa.”

He added: “We will not on the altar of money, mortgage our conscience, mortgage our faith, mortgage our salvation.”

[ahadams2]

Good overall recap ping.

[Between the Lines]

"We will not on the altar of money, mortgage our conscience, mortgage our faith, mortgage our salvation."

Amen

[r9etb]

Good overall recap

I think perhaps it's a bit more than a recap.

For example, this article contains the first specific reference I've seen to the African provinces "taking concrete steps of separating themselves" from apostate clergy and dioceses. (You and I had inferred as much from the Africans' statement, but that was just us speculating.)

It's also somewhat more specific in regards to the upcoming Canadian vote.

[Unam Sanctam]

Kudos to them for not compromising the faith for filthy lucre.

[Warlord David]

I think the sooner they cut off funding, the better. Because the liberal will try to seduce them into their own sins and abominations.

May God bless the the African churches, richly, in the word first and in wealth and materials things, they need.