The debate over homosexuality has raged-on in the Church for a number of years, but the Anglican Church was plunged into crisis when the ECUSA consecrated the first-ever openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire in 2003.
Most worldwide Anglican archbishops affirm to the faith that gay relationships violate Scripture, and many have now broke ties with the U.S. Church over Robinson.
However, despite the archbishop’s clear efforts to keep unity, Bishop Murphy believes that the proposals do not fully appreciate the serious divisions within the Communion over the authority and role of Scripture.
He said, “I understand why he has this desire to hold together the family of churches in the broadest possible sense, but I am convinced that it will ultimately prove to be a failed strategy that will not hold. The plan being suggested seems to ignore Jesus’ very clear teaching that a ‘house divided against itself cannot stand’.”
The ‘Anglican Mission in America’ website tells that for Bishop Murphy, the Anglican Communion is in the midst of a realignment that is now working its way toward a final resolution, and any attempt to hold together two points of view that diverge on so important an issue as loyalty to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of Christ as this church has received them, will ultimately fail.
Bishop Murphy said, “These struggles are nothing new. Each age has had to choose to remain loyal and faithful to “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” [Jude 3]. I am planting my flag with the patriarchs, prophets and apostles, and those giants in the church’s story that have chosen to be faithful to the historic faith.”
The American bishop, did one year of his theological training in England, will participate in a number of speaking opportunities, including preaching at a parish church in London and addressing national leaders of ‘New Wine’, a renewal movement that draws thousands to its events.
Canon Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream, and the Venerable Michael Lawson, Archdeacon of London invited Bishop Murphy to the UK, and testified that the Bishop was “the best speaker I have heard on the topic of church planting, bar none.”
The Anglican Mission in America, formed in 2000, describes itself as a missionary movement based in Rwanda that is reaching out to the 130 million un-churched in the United States. Now numbering around 100 churches and fellowships, it is intentionally raising up missionary networks of churches to plant new congregations to draw people to Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
