From Archbishop of Kenya: The Most Revd Dr Eliud Wabukala
Statement on Anglican Consultative Council 16, Lusaka [Link at ACK]
It is a matter of regret that this Church’s delegation to the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) in Lusaka has been encouraged to disregard my spiritual counsel and attend this meeting.
In January, the Primates meeting at Canterbury agreed to curtail the participation of the Episcopal Church of the United States (TEC) in Communion bodies for a period of three years in view of its formal adoption of same sex ‘marriage’.
The provisions of this resolution, and the Primates’ authority to make it, have been rejected by Bishop Tengatenga, the Chairman of the ACC. As a result, the Provinces of Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and most recently Jerusalem and the Middle East announced that they could not attend.
Despite my public statement and my personal direction to them, the Kenyan delegation has informed me of their intention to be present, with air tickets purchased for them and assignments already given.
It seems that the rejection of the moral and spiritual authority of the Primates by the ACC Chairman, without public rebuke from the Archbishop of Canterbury, has become infectious and is encouraging further breakdown of godly order in the Communion.
The underlying cause of this particular problem, which is just one symptom among many, is the doctrinal confusion that has been allowed to take root in the Communion. The GAFCON movement, of which I am Chairman, is committed to the deep healing of the Anglican Communion by restoring the Bible to its rightful place among us and I remain entirely committed to that great cause.
The Most Revd Dr Eliud Wabukala,
Archbishop of Kenya and Bishop, All Saints Cathedral Diocese, Nairobi
6th April 2016
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The Archbishop confuses Godly order with obedience to his wishes. Only in times of tyranny have Anglicans, to their shame, interpreted them as the same.
Perhaps some members of the Church in Kenya would like to align themselves as a Province of TEC.
a little moral retribution is a good form of “comeupance”.
Keep in mind that the Anglican Communion Women, who were delegates to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, wrote a statement affirming that the sisters would stay in communion and walk together, no matter what the brothers do.
So mutiny is already well in place. The sisters vision of the Promised Land is walking together and Brother Wabukala is most welcome to walk with us, but no, we’re not following his “spiritual direction.” We’re looking to the Risen Lord instead.
Cynthia, blessings upon you and the Anglican sisters who are resolutely walking together. I did not comment earlier on the wonderful work you all did at the UN meeting so let me now say how deeply I appreciated that work, and your reporting on it here at the Cafe. This walking together restores rather than undermines “godly order”. There will always be those who are vulnerable to being trapped in a wrong understanding of that “order”, thinking that it is a matter of the bosses (usually men) wielding power over others. As we walk along rejoicing, let us continue to hold them in prayer as they wrestle with the breakdown of the order they thought was meant to be.
Wonderful news!
It seems that the Chair of GAFCON has little real authority in his own Province of Kenya. This could be an indication of the reality of GAFCON’s power over the people of its own provinces. It also goes to show that the G. Primates are in a minority of those in their provinces who are homophobic and sexist.
The Holy Spirit is still alive and working – because Christ IS risen, Alleluia!