Primate says Nigerian intervention in US prevented Anglican split

Updated

The new Archbishop of Nigeria, Nicholas Okoh is in Herndon, Virginia for CANA's annual council.

The Christian Post interviewed him Tuesday. In a motion for rehearing to the Virginia Supreme Court the nine churches in dispute with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia over church property earlier this month reversed field and instead of claiming they are a branch of the Church of Nigeria now claim that CANA is not a branch of the Church of Nigeria. The primate of Nigeria, previously Akinola now Okoh, has attended many if not all of CANA's annual councils.

Extracts from the Christian Post article entitled Breakaway Groups Prevented Anglican Split, Nigerian Primate Suggests:

Okoh is in the Washington Metropolitan Area this week for the annual council meeting of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America – a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria which, along with other similar initiatives, Okoh believes solved the Anglican crisis at the time and prevented a split. CANA consists largely of Anglicans who broke from The Episcopal Church. This is Okoh's first U.S. visit since becoming head of the Church of Nigeria.
...
It's been three years since the Anglican Church of Nigeria "crossed borders" into the United States to establish a new home for conservatives who were unhappy with the liberal direction of the U.S. Episcopal Church. ... According to Okoh, the Church of Nigeria received the same sanctions as The Episcopal Church this year, which include removal from the Anglican Communion's ecumenical dialogues and from a body that examines issues of doctrine and authority.

Emphasis added: That is news to us although it was intimated in Okoh's address to the Nigerian press last week reported here.

Asked about whether Okoh had sought permission to be in the diocese, Henry Burt, a spokesperson for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, said "Bishop Johnston received no request from Archbishop Okoh to exercise any ministry in the Diocese of Virginia. Unfortunately, the circumstances of this visit do not aid the process commended by the Windsor Report."

UPDATE: Bishop Martyn Minns says members of CANA have dual citizenship, in The Church of Nigeria and in ACNA.

Posted by John B. Chilton on July 21, 2010 2:20 PM | |
Comments (4)

We had to bomb the village to save it? Sounds like twisted logic from my perspective.

Posted by Jason Wells [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 21, 2010 3:05 PM

I wonder when LGBTI ¨pastoral care¨ will become a priority at CANA or at The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion? The Anglican Church of Kenya is finally cracking open the ¨listening process¨...++Okoh might try ¨listening¨ to the persecuted LGBTI Anglicans in Nigeria instead of pontificating about his faux purity ideals in The United States.

http://leonardoricardosanto.blogspot.com/2010/07/anglican-church-of-kenya-making-lgbti.html

Posted by Leonardo Ricardo [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 21, 2010 9:35 PM

Bishop Martyn Minns says members of CANA have dual citizenship, in The Church of Nigeria and in ACNA.

CANA Council 2010: Being Church in the World Agenda
...
July 22, 2010
...
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Bishop Minns: CANA's Dual Citizenship in the ACNA & Church of Nigeria Clergy and congregations in CANA carry 2 passports: one that says we're full fledged founding members of the new Anglican province called the Anglican Church in North America, and one that says we're full fledged members of the most vibrant province in Anglicanism, the Church of Nigeria whose 20 million active members account for at least 25% of the active membership of the Anglican Communion. Leader: Bishop Martyn Minns.

Posted by John B. Chilton [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 22, 2010 4:26 PM

Minns continued, "That 'Jesus' chap was wrong: we CAN serve two masters!"

JC Fisher

Posted by tgflux [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 22, 2010 5:07 PM

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