The Anglican Archbishop of Kenya has consecrated two conservative US priests as suffragan bishops to take over the pastoral care of congregations that have broken away from the Episcopal Church in the US because of its pro-homosexual stance.
Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, leader of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), told the Rev Canon Bill Atwood and the Rev Bill Murdoch during Thursday's service at the All Saints Cathedral Nairobi, "As a bishop ... you are to maintain the Church's discipline, guard her faith and promote her mission in the world."
Hundreds of Christians, including around 10 primates from the "Global South", looked on as Atwood and Murdoch pledged their word to "serve the international interests of the Anglican Church of Kenya, to serve clergy and congregations in North America under the Kenyan jurisdiction," according to Reuters.
The Anglican Communion's 77 million members worldwide have been torn over homosexuality ever since the US Episcopal Church consecrated the openly gay Gene Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.
A number of American clergy and dioceses have since turned to African churches for oversight because they refuse to compromise on biblical teachings regarding homosexuality.
Speaking the day before his consecration, Murdoch said, "This is a missionary action brought to this point by four years of frustration."
Most controversially, the outspoken Archbishop of Nigeria, the Most Rev Peter Akinola, installed Bishop Martyn Minns of Virginia as the head of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America - the US missionary branch of the Anglican Church of Nigeria.
Bishops Atwood and Murdoch will now oversee 30 North American congregations that have turned to the ACK for leadership.
