Loading ...
More than 400 African Anglican Bishops have reiterated their stand to sever links with Anglican churches in the West that embrace homosexual practices.This message was clearly conveyed in Uganda recently, during a one week 2nd All Africa Anglican Bishops Conference in Entebbe, which attracted a number of foreign Bishops.
Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, whose government has frequently criticized gay movements in the country, hosted the bishops for dinner at Imperial Resort Beach where he called on the spiritual leaders to focus on economic empowerment of their believers.
Prelates ignored concurrent calls by local and international gay activists who petitioned them to speak out forcefully against the pending anti-homosexuality.
“We are not gathered in Uganda to discuss about homosexuality. This has not been our agenda and will never be one. Homosexual lifestyle is not part of our biblical ideology nor Christian teachings, Bishop Benea Salala Mumias who attended the conference told Behind the Mask.
Bishop Salala added that, African Anglican leadership have categorically stated a long time ago that the Africa province of Anglican does not subscribe to homosexuality practices.
The bishops, he said, were in Uganda to discuss and come up with issues that will help reduce poverty among Christians and maintain peace and tranquillity in the continent.
Among the issues discussed at the conference were good governance, war against HIV/AIDS and war and strife in Africa as well as the role of the church in development.
The conference was officially opened on 24 August by the Arc bishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams who heads the church in the world.
In his speech in Kampala, Williams asked the African bishops to be focused on issues that afflict the mankind.
He avoided commenting on homosexuality, which has divided the Anglican Church since the consecration of a gay Bishop in America more than seven years ago.
The are allegations of the church also being rocked by homosexual scandals in the West among its high ranking priests, some of whom are calling for the recognition of gay marriages by the church.
Kenya’s Anglican Bishop, Dr. Eliud Wabukala, said Anglican churches have resolved to cut links with any church abroad that supports same sex marriage.
“It does not matter, even if it is our mother church at the Canterbury headquarters in England that is embracing homosexuality. We shall cut links and be independent. What unites us with the Canterbury is Anglican Christian faith nothing more”, Archbishop Wabukala stated.
Asked how the Anglican church in Africa plans to cut links with pro gay Churches from the who are major providers of financial support to Africa Wabukala said Anglican churches in Africa can do without the funds from the West.
He added “Africa is rich with natural resources, we shall mobilize our faith in agricultural production and engage them in business to generate money for their churches and for their families.”
The conference ended on 28 August with a resolution that African Anglican Churches will not work with any churches from the West that subscribe to same sex marriage.
Article by: Ken Were (BTM Correspondent)
This entry was posted on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 9:06 am and is filed under Breaking News, Uganda. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
[...] Behind the Mask the African LGBT website reports in an article written by Ken Were, African Anglican Bishops are ready to sever ties with the Anglican Church in the West over the issue of homosexuality. [...]