The chorus of concern about the appointment of an openly homosexual Archbishop of Wales has continued to grow, with Anglican leaders in Pakistan penning an open letter to the Rt Rev Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.
The letter, published on Anglican Ink, has been signed by the Most Rev Dr Azad Marshall, head of the Anglican Church of Pakistan, and by the bishops and officers of the Church of Pakistan.
In it, the bishops say that the appointment of the Rt Rev Cherry Vann as Wales’ archbishop has generated “deep concern and grief” within the Church in Pakistan.
The bishops made it clear that they hold no personal animus towards Vann and that they respected the right of different provinces within the Anglican Communion to make their own decisions. However, they said that such decisions were not without consequences.
The appointment of Vann, they said, contradicts the teachings of the Bible on which the unity of believers worldwide is supposed to rest.
“Our partnership as global Anglicans is built on shared beliefs; when those foundations shift, our fellowship is shaken," they said.
They went on to say that the appointment of an open homosexual “feed hostile narratives” in a country like Pakistan, where homosexuality is illegal and Christians are an often-persecuted minority.
The letter concluded with a call to repentance, prayer and humility and a recognition of the role the Church in Wales has historically played in spreading the gospel worldwide:
“We write not from a place of condemnation, but with grief, humility, and earnest love—grief over a once-cherished communion strained by theological compromise; humility as fellow sinners in need of grace; and love for the Church of Wales, with its historic contribution to global mission and Christian witness. Even now, we do not lose hope.”
Other Anglican leaders to have expressed concern at the appointment include the Most Rev Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council, who said Vann’s election was an "act of apostasy" and a "failure in leadership".
The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama, Primate of South Sudan and Chair of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, also lamented what he called an ongoing "divisive rejection of the historic biblical and Anglican teaching on marriage and human”.
