Anglican Church Splits over Consecration of Active Homosexual as Bishop

WASHINGTON, November 4, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a statement on behalf of the Primates of the Global South representing some 50 million Anglicans in Latin America, Africa and Asia, Archbishop Peter Akinola, leader of the Nigerian Anglican Church, said he “cannot and will not recognise the office or ministry” of practicing homosexual Gene Robinson.  Robinson was consecrated a bishop in the Eopiscopal Church USA (ECUSA) Sunday.  Bishop Akinola said there was an “impairment of communion” between the Primates of the Global South and those bishops involved in Robinson’s consecration.  The leader of the Anglican Church in Kenya has formally announced a split with ECUSA.  “The devil has clearly entered the church. God cannot be mocked,” said Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi.  Asked if he was going to cut ties with the US church, Nzimbi said:  “That is exactly what we are going to do. We cannot be in the same communion with Robinson, his diocese and the bishops who were involved in the consecration”.  In the US, the National Clergy Council representing more than 5000 church leaders from Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox and Protestant traditions released a statement expressing “deep sadness over the actions of some bishops within the Episcopal Church to break with universal Christian moral teaching and in so doing close their doors to Christians who remain faithful to church and biblical tradition.”  The Clergy Council called on ECUSA to reverse the action saying also that Christian fellowship with hose involved is “now impossible.”  See local coverage and the full statement from Bishop Akinola from the BBC:  https://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/Today/News/News05112003122.html https://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1439816,00.html https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3238311.stm