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DAR ES SALAAM, February 20, 2007 – There was a cautious welcome to the communiqué issued late last night by the Primates of the Anglican Communion meeting in Dar Es Salaam from three Christian gay advocacy groups.
“We commend the work that the primates have done to further the mission of the church and to strengthen the bonds of the Anglican Communion,” a joint statement issued by Inclusive Church (UK), Changing Attitude (UK) and Changing Attitude Nigeria. “In particular we value the progress achieved on the listening process and the Anglican Covenant. The standard of teaching on human sexuality set out in Resolution 1.10 of the Lambeth Conference of 1998 has never been one that Christian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people have accepted. “It was drafted and agreed in our absence. The bishops who drafted the original version of the Resolution refused to meet us and hear our testimony. It is not possible for us to be bound by teaching drafted by a largely male, heterosexual body of bishops. “The Anglican Communion can never come to an integrated teaching on human sexuality until it has listened with open mind and heart to our experience and Christian testimony,” the statement continued. “We subscribe to a high Christian sexual and relational ethic. We object outright to the idea that it is possible to divide our innate sexual identity as lesbian and gay people from what the church insists on calling ‘genital activity’. “Like heterosexuals we believe the love between two mature adults should be expressed in a faithful, life-long partnership in which sexual expression is integral. “The Primates’ request that the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church ‘make an unequivocal common covenant with the bishops that they will not authorise any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in their dioceses or through General Convention’. “The request not to authorise any Rite of Blessing in the Episcopal Church will be an intolerable burden for LGBT Anglicans,” the three groups said. “The Episcopal Church is not alone in having many faithful lesbian and gay couples who seek God’s blessing on their relationship. “We know that in England, the USA and Canada – as well as other Provinces, priests will continue to find ways to bless such relationships. If the church can condone the blessing of so many inanimate objects, it is surely right to bless the love of two people of the same gender. We pray for the day when the church can support the authorisation of same-sex blessings. “The Primates also request that the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church confirm that ‘a candidate for Episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consent’. “There is no prohibition on a single or celibate lesbian or gay priest receiving the necessary consent. Dioceses who wish to nominate a partnered lesbian or gay priest and such priests themselves are being asked to make a great personal sacrifice. In England, priests who are gay will also continue to be nominated and consecrated as bishops, as they will in other Provinces,” the statement said. The Rev. Giles Goddard, chair of Inclusive Church, added that the arguments over human sexuality have been dominating the life of the Anglican Communion for too long. “We need, urgently, now to find a way to move on, so that the Gospel for all people can be freshly proclaimed in a changing world. The Primates meeting has begun to show us a way forward. “We trust that the Lambeth Conference will be allowed to be a restatement of the heart of Christ’s message of love for the world,” he said. The Rev. Scott Gunn, TEC representative to Inclusive Church, paid tribute to the Primate of the American Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. “I am grateful that Bishop Katharine is recognised as the legitimate ecclesiastical authority in the United States. My hope is that the Anglican Communion can return to its focus on mission and evangelism. I hope they will shift the focus of attention away from a legalistic examination of the Episcopal Church towards a Gospel life of hope, reconciliation, justice and love.” The director of Changing Attitude in England, Rev. Colin Coward, said that he was delighted that the Primates are committed to the continuing unity of our world-wide Communion of churches. “We LGBT Anglicans in Changing Attitude England and Nigeria are also faithfully committed to our church,” he said. “We know the pilgrimage journey to our promised land of full inclusion is going to be long and hard. “There are millions of Anglicans who have yet to learn about the deep faith of LGBT people in the Lord Jesus Christ and of our lives committed to prayer, worship, justice and evangelism. “We are present in every Province and country of the Anglican Communion and we want to participate in the listening process in order that our stories of faithful obedience to God can be heard. We have been misrepresented for too long. “Now is the time for people across the world to learn about LGBT Anglicans in Africa, Asia and South America.” Turning to the American Episcopal Church, Rev. Coward said he was “saddened” that they have been asked to carry the burden. “With the Episcopal Church and the Canadian Church, we in England are also seeking honesty in the ordination of priests who are lesbian or gay priests and the consecration of bishops who are gay. We look forward to the day when we can include our lesbian sisters among those who will be consecrated as bishops in England,” he said. Davis Mac-Iyalla, director of Changing Attitude Nigeria, pointed out that the presence of LGBT Christians at the Primates summit in Dar es Salaam showed their loyality to the Anglican Communion. “We are committed to participating in the listening process and we want to be heard,” he said. “We hope the Anglican Communion office and Canon Philip Groves, facilitator to the listening process, help us communicate our experience directly to them if the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) refuses to participate. “My own Primate [Bishop Peter Akinola] received me warmly the first time we met on Wednesday 14 February. I had hoped the next time we met we would have been able to develop our first meeting and have some conversation together, but it didn’t happen. “I hope we will meet again and he will be able to hear the voice of one of his own gay Nigerian members,” he said. Source: ukgaynews.org.uk |
