Are Orthodox Anglicans in Danger of Tearing Apart over Limits to Homosexual Acceptance?

Mar 1, 2021 by

by David Virtue, Virtueonline:

A damaging rift in the Anglican communion between two Anglican jurisdictions, the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Church of Nigeria threatens to tear apart orthodox Anglicans under the banner of GAFCON; even as many provinces have accepted, and many seem ready to ratify homosexuality within the Lambeth Conference of bishops including the Church of England.

A statement put out by the ACNA College of Bishops this week, attempted to put a non-judgmental, but compassionate face on the place and life of homosexuals within the North American Church. The statement tried to be loving, but without compromising strong scriptural prohibitions on homosexual behavior. This statement drew the ire of the Nigerian Anglican province and its primate who tore the statement apart.

The ACNA statement outlined three questions:

• What should our biblical and pastoral response be to those within our Church who self-identify as Christians with same-sex attraction? This raises two more related questions:
• What is the biblical vision for transformation with regard to same-sex attraction?
• What is the most helpful language to employ in describing the reality of same-sex attraction?

It should be noted the statement was primarily pastoral not theological in nature. The College of Bishops further declared the decision as to how this should be implemented would be left to the discretion of each bishop. That statement was a red rag to the Nigerian bull.

Read here

See also: Gay Christians and the Anglican Communion, by Andrew Goddard [strongly opposed to the ACNA and Nigeria positions]

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