wfn.org | Bishops call for end to ordinations of practicing homosexuals

["Lambeth98" <storm@indigo.ie>]

ACNS LC083 - 3 August 1998

Nine senior bishops call for end to ordinations
of practicing homosexuals 

By Allan Reeder
Lambeth Conference Communications

Conservative bishops are keeping up the pressure for the Lambeth
Conference to take a stand against the ordination of practicing
homosexuals. 

A group of nine senior church leaders has released the text of a
letter distributed to every bishop at the conference at the
mid-point in the three-week conference.

"Lambeth must call for a suspension of both the ordination of
practicing homosexuals and the blessing of same sex
relationships, linking this measure with maintenance of our
biblical standards for all clergy," the letter states.

The nine church leaders are: Archbishop Joseph Adetiloye of
Nigeria, Archbishop Harry Goodhew of Sydney (Australia),
Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, Archbishop Donald Mtetemela
of Tanzania, Archbishop Patrice Njojo of The Congo, Archbishop
Livingstone Nkoyoyo of Uganda, Archbishop Moses Tay of South East
Asia, Bishop Daniel Zindo of The Sudan, and Presiding Bishop
Maurice Sinclair of the Southern Cone (South America).

The 'Midpoint Letter'  was distributed in the lead-up to the main
Lambeth debate on sexuality scheduled for Wednesday 5 August.

In the letter, the bishops tell their colleagues that a "crucial
question is how we relate to the modern globalising culture . . .
(and) whether we are in danger of allowing this culture with its
philosophical assumptions, economic system, sexual alternatives,
and hidden idols to determine what we become."

While "in no way neglecting other areas of concern, we must
clearly reaffirm our historic teaching and discipline in relation
to marriage and to celibacy in the single state," the letter
states. "At the same time there must be renewed respect, pastoral
care and healing for all affected by whatever kind of sexual
brokenness." 

Voices of developing nations

In an interview later, Archbishop Goodhew said the letter came
from concerns by bishops from developing nations that their
voices weren't being heard during the conference. Archbishop
Goodhew said some bishops from developing countries "aren't
always happy with our synodical processes and don't always feel
they get the chance to speak the way they would like to speak."

The bishops' letter also supports moves at the Lambeth Conference

to "find ways of strengthening our instruments of unity so that
our 

provinces may effectively be accountable to each other." 

For further information, contact:

   Lambeth Conference Communications
   Canterbury Business School
   University of Kent at Canterbury
   Telephone: 01227 827348/9
   Fax: 01227 828085
   Mobile: 0374 800212

   http://www.lambethconference.org