The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches issued a press statement on February 20, 2023 regarding the Church of England’s decision regarding the blessing of same-sex unions. The more the homophobic Anglican Primates, bishops and leaders pontificate about the un-Biblical horrors of equal marriage, the more LGBTQIA+ Africans are targeted within their churches and societies, abused from the pulpit, physically and emotionally attacked, denounced, humiliated, arrested, imprisoned and murdered. The GSFA leaders and their allies in other Provinces including England are directly responsible for this evil, wicked state of affairs. There is nothing in the Bible or in the Christian tradition of my youth on which prejudice against and abuse of LGBTQIA+ people can be justified.
Global South responsible for creating a homophobic and transphobic movement
Andrew Goddard claims in a recent Psephizo blog that revisionists are responsible for the decision of a number of Global South Provinces and bishops to stay away from the 2022 Lambeth Conference. The Lambeth Conference resolutions passed in 1978 and 1988 and the Global South conference held in Kuala Lumpur in 1997 show that the Global South movement itself is entirely responsible, organising a homophobic and transphobic movement to sabotage any progressive developments. Archbishop Justin worked to restore to Lambeth 2022 the Gospel vision of love, wisdom, justice and truth proclaimed by Jesus. I pray for the College and House of Bishops and for the members of General Synod, responsible for translating the deepest Christian faith in God’s infinite, intimate, unconditional love into the life and faith of the Church of England, making present radical new Christian inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people.
Revisiting the Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10 plenary session
The Lambeth Calls fiasco has broken the trust that LGBTQIA+ people had placed in the LLF process. It has shown that we cannot trust the bishops to act honestly and with transparency. It shows why the Church of England needs to change. The bishops of the church need to admit that homophobia and transphobia are endemic, systemically, in the structures of the church and the ethos of the LLF material and process.
It's time to tell a new story or, how do we get out of this mess?
Is it reasonable to hope for a better world? asks George Monbiot in an article in Saturday’s Guardian Review. George wrote that the answer to his question appears to be no. Four observations he has been making reveal that the current political failure is, in essence, a failure of imagination. I think the failure of the Church of England to give hope for a better world is also a failure of imagination, a failure to tell an inspiring Christian narrative. I believe the Church of England must do this if it is to remain a recognisably Christian, redemptive, transformative body of people, manifesting the unconditional, infinite, intimate love of God. We must, must become a diverse church. We must develop the ability to nurture people’s altruism, empathy and deep sense of connection, with self, other people, and the sacred.
The Primates' meeting - a busted flush?
Whatever disruption in the structure of the Communion occurs next week, there will be LGBTI people praying and longing, and in some cases working quietly and effectively, for our full, public, joyful inclusion in the life of the Church. The evolutionary trajectory of God in history makes this outcome inevitable. The Gafcon Primates are trying to reverse a movement which is irreversible.