Posted on 01/15/2007 6:45:32 PM PST by sionnsar
The House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria meeting at their annual retreat (January 9-13) have issued a communiqué warning Anglican Communion leaders that they will break fellowship with those provinces that do not repent of their apostasies and submit to the authority of Scripture.
"We stand by our earlier endorsement of the recommendations of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) document: "The Road to Lambeth" and maintain the posture that we cannot claim to share fellowship with member-Provinces that denigrate the authority of Scripture on the life of the Church. Our participation in this worldwide fellowship is contingent on genuine repentance by those who have chosen to walk away, for two cannot walk together except they are in agreement. Christian unity must be anchored on Biblical truth," said the statement signed by Archbishop and Primate, the Most. Rev. Peter Akinola.
This new warning comes over the Anglican Communion as the African Archbishops continue to push the American Episcopal Church to show both repentance and restraint over homosexuality consecrations and same-sex unions. The Nigerians have indicated that total exclusion of the Episcopal Church is the only way forward.
"We therefore call on the leadership of the Global South and Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) to do everything necessary to put in place a Conference of all Anglican Bishops to hold in 2008 should all efforts to get the apostles of 'revisionist agenda' to repent and retrace their steps fail."
If in fact the African provinces decide not to attend Lambeth and have their own "Lambeth" on African soil, it will be the end of the Anglican Communion as we know it.
The African Anglican Church will simply not compromise on Biblical faith and morals and neither will those who remain faithful to Scripture do the same either in North America or anywhere else. The CAPA bishops have fired the final warning shot across the bows of the Anglican Communion, the next shot they fire will be fatal.
Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) told VOL in an exclusive interview in Nairobi that he did not totally rule out the possibility that the Africans will have their own Lambeth in 2008, because of the recent actions of the American Episcopal Church's General Convention in Columbus, Ohio and its failure to obey the demands of the Windsor Report.
The recent communiqué from Kigali recommended that there be a separate ecclesial body within the Episcopal Church to meet the spiritual and ecclesiastical demands of orthodox bishops, priests and parishes under siege by liberal and revisionist TEC bishops. A new "structure" was promised for orthodox Episcopalians.
In July, 2006 the Nigerian province through its leaders threatened not to attend Lambeth 2008 if the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams does not come down hard on the American Episcopal Church and expel them from the communion for its pro-gay policies, and for electing a known non-celibate homosexual to be the bishop of New Hampshire.
Archbishop Akinola said in a statement following The Episcopal Church's General Convention, that total exclusion of the Episcopal Church may be necessary: "A cancerous lump in the body should be excised if it has defied every known cure. To attempt to condition the whole body to accommodate it will lead to the avoidable death of the patient."
The archbishop said he was more than ready to have a parallel Lambeth on African soil if the homogenital Bishop of New Hampshire is invited to Lambeth 2008.
Recently the Nigerian archbishop called for the Church of England to be suspended from the worldwide Anglican Communion over its backing of civil partnerships.
Archbishop Akinola ridiculed the policy by asking the Church of England bishops if they were intending to place cameras in the bedrooms of their clergy and said that Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and his church should now face disciplinary action.
"I believe that the temporary suspension of the Church of England is the right course of action to take. The church will be subjected to the same procedures and discipline that America and Canada faced".
In a rare personal jibe against Williams, he said: "Lambeth Palace upholds our common historic faith. It will now lose that place of honour in the world. Must I come to Lambeth Palace in order to go to heaven. The answer is no!"
At the HOB retreat this past week the bishops said they were delighted that the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) - an outreach initiative of the Church of Nigeria was taking "giant strides to other parts of world." They reaffirmed their commitment to the Great Commission, and elected 19 new Bishops for newly created missionary dioceses in different parts of the country. They deplored the concept of power as an avenue for "personal enrichment."
http://www.anglican-nig.org/communique_2007bpsretreat.htm
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. I think he means business.
It is good that someone is "contending for the faith"
LOL! That's a new one. A little too apropos, if you get my meaning.
WOW! What a lot of issues this church faces! I was considering becomming an episcopalian when I left the ELCA church. When I found out they were in communion with the ELCA, that made my mind up to go back to Rome.
Our rector had considered that church too, but changed his mind. He joined our Continuing Anglican province, went to seminary, served (and grew) a mission while he got his PhD... and, well, is now our rector.
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