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CAIRO: ACNA Archbishop, TEC Communion Partner Bishop and Canadian Archdeacon Affirm Faith at GS6
Albany Bishop apologizes for the harm done by the Episcopal Church to the Anglican Communion
By David W. Virtue in Cairo
www.virtueonline.org
October 6, 2016
Three North American Anglican leaders, including an archbishop, bishop and archdeacon spoke out defending the faith and apologizing for the harm done by the Episcopal Church to the wider Anglican Communion.
TEC Albany Bishop, Bill Love, brought greetings from the six (remaining) Communion Partner bishops in The Episcopal Church, and he told some 100 delegates to the 6th Trumpet Global South conference meeting here in the Anglican cathedral that there were still those in TEC who are theologically conservative and orthodox in their faith. "You need to know that we value our greater relationship with the wider Anglican Communion. We honor Lambeth resolution 1.10, but we have not felt called out of TEC. The Lord has called us to stay where we are at the moment and to preach the gospel faithfully and speak his truth as lovingly as possible. It is such a blessing, honor and privilege to come and be with you."
Bishop love said he was proud of the Global South's strong witness.
"We live at a time when the storms could destroy us and fill us with 'woe is me', but when we think how bad things are, we need only study church history. There is no golden age. Every generation has had its struggles and heretical teachings. Thank you for your faithfulness."
"I want to apologize for the harm that some of the decisions that TEC has made to the widening communion. They were done in the name of justice, but not all agree with that. These are difficult times. I recognize the harm done and the great divisions the actions of our church has caused and I apologize for that."
Love called for prayers for TEC and the Communion Partner bishops. He asked for the Lord to keep them and help them remain faithful, to keep their focus on Christ and to preach the gospel truthfully. These are difficult times and there is so much to give thanks for.
The Bishop said that in a world of 7.4 billion people, only two billion considered themselves as Christians. Roughly five billion in the world don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
"In the US, we have not experienced martyrdom, but that day might not be far ahead. Christianity is under attack. I don't look forward to the attacks we might have to go through. Christians need to wake up and stop sleepwalking."
While much of TEC have done those things which have caused pain to the communion, not all the Church has done so and some of us [still] uphold a traditional understanding of marriage and the authority of scripture, he said.
Love said that there six Communion Partner bishops, including Albany, Central Florida, Springfield, Dallas, North Dakota and Tennessee, plus out Province IX Latin American brothers and sisters in Christ. "Together, the 15 bishops make up 10 percent of the church that roughly identify as Communion Partners. There are others who are sympathetic. In liberal dioceses, there are faithful Communion Partner people."
ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach praised Global South Primates who gave spiritual cover in 2004, when the Global South provinces took in thousands of spiritual refugees and gave us spiritual solace, giving leadership and spiritual direction in order to find out what God was doing with us.
"In 2008, the provinces of the Global South called for a new province. ACNA was born and all the provinces released us into North America. ACNA was officially formed in 2009. God continues to bless and grow us," said Beach.
"We are a partner province now fully recognized, giving us seat, voice and vote at the meetings. We take this as a huge honor. It is spiritually invigorating."
Archdeacon Kimberly Beard, from Wycliffe College in Toronto, Canada, said that 50% of students are non-Anglican. Aboriginal clergy are the most faithful bishops and have made a clear stand for orthodox faith, he said.
"My diocese is 80% liberal, but evangelical parishes are the largest in the diocese," he said.
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