The African Anglican Bishops' conference
THE Conference of Anglican Bishops in Africa, hosted by the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion in Lagos, the other week, was a landmark event, the unity of purpose that was demonstrated by the participants is commendable. Their Lordships focused on issues that are relevant not just to Christendom but all of humanity. They have given Africa a stronger voice in the Anglican Communion worldwide by taking a courageous stand on the issues, especially, of same-sex marriage and gay ordination in the church.
Speaking on behalf of the Bishops, the chairman, Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, the Most Reverend Peter Akinola, said that the church in Africa has come of age. Specifically, he directed that the Church must proclaim the gospel in its fullness and make it relevant to the fight against poverty, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other health concerns, corruption, conflicts and other human rights abuses. In this regard, the Bishops expressed concern about the social and material condition within the continent.
This is no doubt, an enlightened response that should gladden the hearts of the Anglican congregation, seeing the Bishops addressing the critical issues that affect them in their private lives, and speaking up on their behalf. For the church to continue to grow, it must indeed remain relevant to its members. But perhaps the more substantive resolution of the Bishops is their objection to homosexuality which was hailed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, who described it as "unbiblical, unnatural and unAfrican".
Whilst noting a recent moratorium imposed by Lambeth Hall on same-sex marriages in Canada and the appointment of a gay bishop in the United States, the Anglican Bishops insisted that that there could be no compromise or dilution of the Biblical position that God created male and female, with definite biological roles. Unlike Lambeth Hall, the Bishops said that they could not condone homosexuality which in any case is criminalised in the majority of African countries. They further observed that any attempt at tolerating homosexuality would lead to the massive flight of their members to other faiths.
The remote and immediate causes of the Lagos conference was a perception that the Anglican Church aided by sustained campaign in the Western press was weakening on its disapproval of homosexuality and same sex marriage. The situation has most recently been aggravated by the ordination in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire of Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, a divorcee and father of two; a man who on the day he was consecrated Bishop was co-habiting with his male partner of many years.
Thus with all rules of Biblical injunction and morality broken by the Episcopal Church of America, it was inevitable that there would ensue a collision between the conservative views of the Africans and the liberal views of the Western world. Opponents of the consecration have argued that the union of man and man is a veritable sin condemned by the Bible whilst those who support the iconoclastic and unrepentant Rev. Robinson say that a liberal church must in some way find accommodation with those whose sexual preferences are different from the norm. They argue that they too are children of God in need of salvation.
African Anglicans account for more than half of the 77 million Anglicans worldwide. The position of Nigeria is even more intriguing. Nigeria's 17.5 million Anglicans are the largest congregation outside of England. But whereas the 26 million adherents in the mother church are declining, the Anglicans in Nigeria are still growing. It is only a matter of time, perhaps in this decade, that Nigeria overtakes Great Britain as the world's largest Anglican Communion.
The Anglican Communion in Asia is also opposed to homosexuality and same sex marriage. Even in the United States of America, as became evident in the last election, there is a substantial body of moral opinion against homosexuality. The Roman Catholic Church has remained a bastion against homosexuality and same sex marriage and has warned the Archbishop of Canterbury about the dangers of bowing to the considerable pressures of proponents of homosexuality and same sex marriage.
The position of the Anglican Communion in Africa is understandable. The pursuit of homosexuality can only lead to the destruction of the family as we know it, and create social and moral complications. The two dominant religions in Africa, Christianity and Islam, condemn homosexuality. African communities have no word for the concept. The Bible condemns it unequivocally. The Bishops have made the clear point that although Africa may be poor, ravaged by disease, governed by tyrants, but beyond all these difficulties, there still remains the quintessential core values that distinguish African communities from the western world which should be preserved.
The Anglican Church in Africa should not be ashamed to proclaim its antipathy to deviant sexuality. Whilst we do not support a schism in the Anglican Communion, it must be stated that the pandering to the pseudo science of an evolutionary form of sexuality in the West may constitute the biggest threat to the Anglican Church in the years ahead.
