Interview with Archbishop Ben Kwashi
By Gerald McDermott, Patheos Northampton Seminar.
[On the situation in northern Nigeria] “…Just like the early church, we are being persecuted. When I became bishop 26 years ago, I inherited a persecuted church. I had no intention then to let the church lose steam, and I don’t want that happening now. We must not be afraid or lose confidence, but plow ahead with mission in the midst of persecution.
There was never a time when the apostles handed over anything but a hot potato gospel, one that was sizzling with excitement and power. Woe unto us if we ever become lethargic. I will not let that happen in my Archdiocese.”
[On GAFCON’s greatest needs] “…I have not had time to assess all of its needs, but I can tell you one. We need to be understood. Recently there has been a campaign of calumny against it. No surprise in this, because this is an age of rebellion against God and His Word. But the media has snatched onto this negative campaign and fanned its flames. The press have used church leaders—ordained men of God—to label us as “homophobes” or “Islamophobes.” Unfortunately these church leaders are used by the media to criticize us. They have been intimidated by the strong pressures of the media, and they bow to the spirit of the age.
Some of these church leaders fear that we are schismatic. They do not explain clearly what they mean, but they have tagged us with that label. Yet we insist, as our GAFCON communique stated, that we are not departing from the Anglican Communion. Instead we are reclaiming its orthodox tradition.
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