African Anglicans Oppose Dr Williams’ Covenant Proposals

The largest Anglican Church in Africa has criticised recent proposals made by the spiritual head of the worldwide Communion, Dr Rowan Williams, which called for a new two-tiered system which could allow at least some degree of unity amongst the warring factions of the Church.

|TOP|The Anglican Church has been at crisis point since the Episcopal Church in America ordained the first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in 2003.

A majority in the worldwide Anglican Communion support the traditional teachings based on Biblical Scripture, that are firmly against homosexuality. However, others, and a majority within the ECUSA, believe that homosexuality is compatible inside the Church.

In an attempt to keep some degree of unity within the worldwide Church the Archbishop of Canterbury last month called for a two-tiered system of membership. The “covenant system” proposes that Churches should be asked to sign a formal covenant, which would allow some to be fuller members of the Anglican Communion than others.

A dual system is proposed, whereby there would be full “constituent” members to the Communion that have conformed to the traditional Biblical views of the Church, but also another section of “associate” members which will incorporate rebel and more liberally-viewed Churches.

The move has come following the ECUSA’s failure to “repent” for its actions to liberalise the gay agenda of the Church at its General Convention in Columbus, Ohio earlier this month. In addition, the ECUSA also failed to vote through a moratorium on any more gay consecrations.

|AD|However, Africa's largest Anglican Church is criticising the proposal. The bishops who lead the 17.5 million-member Church of Nigeria announced their position in postings published on Sunday in two separate Anglican websites.

The Nigerian bishops said Williams' “brilliant” concept sought to “preserve the unity of the church by accommodating every shred of opinion no matter how biblical, all because we want to make everyone feel at home.”

They also seemed to hint that the total exclusion of the Episcopal Church may be required: "A cancerous lump in the body should be excised if it has defied every known cure. To attempt to condition the whole body to accommodate it will lead to the avoidable death of the patient."

The statement said of Dr Williams’ plan that it was a "novel" design that is "elastic enough to accommodate all the extremes of preferred modes of expression of the same faith." However, they suggested that Dr Williams should urge churches that chose to "walk apart" to return to authentic Anglicanism.

The Nigeria Church is the biggest Anglican denomination outside the Church of England, and is seen by many as a leader among Anglican provinces in the developing world.

Nigeria's church now plans to consecrate Canon Martyn Minns, rector of a prominent conservative parish in Fairfax, Va., as its bishop to lead a United States mission that serves Nigerians in America as well as others who were dissatisfied with the Episcopal Church.

Six Anglican Episcopal dioceses in the USA that are firmly against the consecrating of gay bishops have now voted to reject the authority of the denomination’s newly elected presiding bishop, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

They have appealed to Dr Williams for oversight from a bishop outside the Episcopal hierarchy.

Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan has said that he and his diocese object to the 18th June election of the Episcopal presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori of Nevada, who voted to confirm Robinson in 2003, and has already openly spoken about her support of ordaining gay clergy and blessing same-sex relationships. She will officially be installed on 4th November.