Posted on 09/12/2005 6:55:43 PM PDT by sionnsar
An Anglican split may begin much sooner than anticipated as orthodox Anglicans appear to be ready to shake Canterbury's dust from their feet:
Africans say they have had enough of the Church of England’s endless discussions over the ordination of gay vicars and same-sex blessings. With help from their colleagues in Latin America, African primates, bishops, priests and laymen are getting ready to strike out on their own and establish a new Anglican Church based in Egypt.
A conference that could turn the Anglican community on its head takes place in Alexandria, Egypt, next month, organised by angry Africans and Latin Americans who say they are "sick and tired" of endless debate about same-sex blessings and the ordination of gay Christians. "We’ve had enough," the Archbishop of Central Africa, Bernard Malango, said last week.The Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) and the recently formed Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean (CAPAC) will represent up to two-thirds of the world’s 77 million Anglicans.
In a new African-based Anglican community they plan to replace the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams as their spiritual leader with the Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Jasper Akinola, and exclude homosexuals from full church life.
Presumably meaning they won't ordain homosexuals and certainly won't give them pointy hats.
A leading gay vicar - who asked not to be named - said: "I fear for Rowan Williams if he attends the Alexandria Conference. Anglican dissidents will publicly announce that Archbishop Akinola is their new spiritual leader and that there is no place for the present Archbishop of Canterbury in the new community based in Alexandria.
"I also hear that African Anglicans plan to place a throne in a conference room and ask Archbishop Akinola to sit in it - while Dr Williams is supposed to stand by and watch.
"Where will that leave the man, and where will that leave the Queen, who is head of the Church of England?"
How "a leading gay vicar" intimately knows what's going on in the conservative Anglican world is unclear. But a split no longer bothers many on the Anglican left.
However, Richard Kirker, general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said: "Personally, I’d rather see a split within the ranks of the Anglican community than for people of principle to bow to the demands of homophobic Africans."
From the CAPAC press release:
Following a conference July 6-8 in Nassau that gathered dozens of leaders from across North and South America and the Caribbean, plans for a new body committed to the historic Anglican faith and formularies have been announced. Inspired by the effective witness of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), Archbishops Drexel Gomez and Gregory Venables announced plans for the formation of the Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean (CAPAC).
Initial steps organizing CAPAC were taken by the two Archbishops and the Moderators of the US and Canadian Networksleading to the creation of a body that will “enable coordination, cooperation, collaboration, and communication, and to encourage mission as well as resource theological education and ministry of the Gospel in the Caribbean and the Americas.” It has become necessary because of the confusion and theological chaos that has been introduced in the region by the unilateral actions of the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada, who have departed from historic Anglican faith and practice. The ensuing conflict has drained huge amounts of energy and resources from the mission of the church around the world. CAPAC is being organized to re-energize mission and ministry in the region.
The Covenant of Understanding signed by the four leaders will be shared with their provinces/organizations for discussion and ratification. Archbishop Drexel Gomez said, “This is important for the future of the faith. As we move ahead, it must be on an agreed theological foundation. We envision CAPAC not only to build on the theological foundation of Anglicanism, but also to seek to collaborate with structures like the Instruments of Unity and the Panel of Reference.”The Episcopal Steering Committee is hereby established incorporating the Bishops who lead the first four organized entities entering into this Covenant:
The Primate of the Southern Cone
The Primate of the West Indies
The Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network in the USA, (and Chair of Common Cause in the United States)
The Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada
So the US and Canadian Networks would appear to be involved in the Alexandria meeting and their Moderators will, I suppose, attend it. Which brings up some questions: are Third World Anglicans finally fed up with being lied to again and again? Have conservative Anglicans in the West finally seen the light and decided that it is time to move on? Will this meeting begin the long-anticipated split?
I don't know. Over the past two years, I've been burned several times while making Anglican predictions so I hesitate to make one here. Canterbury is an empty church and if a new Anglican communion emerges from Alexandria, I will be the first to celebrate. But I am a Missourian. And they don't call us the Show-Me State because that phrase looks good on license plates.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. a BIG BUMPEROOSKI for the "homophobic" African Bishops...maybe the AofC will drop by the conference and speak of the "white man's burden."
Lose have the congregations and see what you're left with. I'll pray for bankruptcy if you don't mind thank you?
For heaven's sake, I thought that title was for Jennifer Lopez's maternal clock ticking out it's last few seconds.
African primates???? Shouldn't that be prelates?
Inquiring minds want to know?
Regards,
GtG
PS I checked the source and it's not a typo. Pretty funny as a Freudian slip though.
Nope. The top leader of each of the 38 Anglican national Churchs is entitled as it's "primate". Frank Griswold's ecclestiacial (sp!) title is "Presiding Bishop" (as opposed to most national Churches, where he'd be "Archbishop"), but his administrative title is "primate" of the ECUSA.
Yes, 'tis an awful burden educating these ungrateful primitives on how much more modern and sophisticated our homo-loving western societies are, compared to their backward ways. < \ sarcasm-->
Funny though, last time I checked African countries are at least reproducing themselves (compared with Europe's deathbed demographics) and the United States is being taken over by Latin Americans. Demographics is destiny, and the West seems to be on a suicide mission.
Dear Gandalf_The_Gray,
Primate is also a title that has been used in the Catholic Church. The Primatial See is the oldest or most highly-honored See in a country. In the United States, the Primatial See is the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In Poland, I think it's the Archdiocese of Warsaw. The Ordinary of the Primatial See is the Primate.
However, as far as I know, the title of Primate in the Catholic Church is now only honorary, where once, it held some real power and privileges.
sitetest
Thanks for your correction, most appreciated.
Regards,
GtG
Tsk tsk tsk. Such intolerance of African indigenous culture.
Where does one begin with such as this?
1. The split's become unavoidable, so claim it?
2. He thinks the queers are 'people of principle'?
3. He thinks the queers are bowing to demands? To anything?
4. Does he include the Holy Bible as homophobic? Should anyone bow to The Word?
The Africans need to openly and bluntly blast the false teachers.
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