That's interesting bearing in mind that the Church of England in Southern Africa (CESA)(which is not in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury) has been conducting services since the late eighteenth century when an Anglo-Catholic Bishop was appointed to lead the Church even though there were those who preferred to follow the Reformation principles and teachings of the Church of England. They have been presenting the evangelical voice in Southern Africa for over 175 years. CESA is the theological equivalent of the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). Makgoba has no more interest in making peace with CESA than Mrs. Jefferts Schori has with ACNA.

His comments took the US Presiding Bishop by surprise. She is still trying to find Christ in the face of Bishop Robert Duncan, but has yet to locate Him.

Makgoba continued, "This may be painful to you and to some of us here, and it is painful to me, but I would rather say those concerns openly than behind your back," he said. "It sometimes seems to me, and to some people in our province and in the Global South that, though many have failed to listen adequately to the Spirit at work within the Episcopal Church, at the same time there's the perception that within your province there has not been enough listening to the rest of the Anglican Communion, particularly of the Global South."

These were the toughest direct in-your-face words to date that Mrs. Jefferts Schori has heard. They did not come from a white heterosexual male she could label as homophobic or from a "schismatic" bishop like Bob Duncan or the Archbishop of Canterbury. They came from THE most liberal African Anglican Archbishop on the African continent.

Makgoba continued, "People had hoped that those of your bishops who were at the Lambeth Conference would have grasped how sore and tender our common life is," the archbishop said. "We had hoped that even those who, after long reflection, are convinced that there is a case for the consecration of individuals in same-sex partnerships, might nonetheless have seen how unhelpful it would be to the rest of us for you to proceed as you have done.

"There are times when it seems - there's a perception - that your province, or some within it, despite voicing concern for the rest of us, can nonetheless act in ways that communicate a measure of uncaring at the consequent difficulties for us," he added. "And such apparent lack of care for us in the Global South increases the stress. Much as I understand on a personal level, and much as we understand that you are in all sincerity attempting to discern the best way forward within your own mission context, the plea is: be sensitive to the rest of who are still drinking spiritual milk and are not yet eating solids."

It was a humbling moment for the ultra-liberal Episcopal bishop. If Jefferts Schori went after him, he could accuse her of racism. Disagreeing with his observations could get her labeled as intolerant and lacking inclusion which, of course, she is.

There is, however, a major irony in his rant against Jefferts Schori that should not be missed.

Archbishop Makgoba is not known for his orthodoxy. He is not on the same page theologically as either archbishop Henry Luke Orombi of Uganda or Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria on faith and morals. Not for a moment. He is theologically closer to Jefferts Schori than he is to either of his African brothers, so his words must have stung the American bishop.

A controversial resolution passed in August of 2009 by the synod of the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town "affirmed a pastoral response to same-sex partnerships of faithful commitment". The move drove a further wedge between the revisionist six-nation Anglican Province of Southern Africa and other African provinces, most of whom are firmly traditionalist in faith and morals.

In December of 2008, Makgoba drew criticism after saying Jesus is like a "bucketful of God". "We can learn an awful lot about God from looking at Jesus," Makgoba said. "Of course, one person, in one place and one time, is not identical to the fullness of God, eternal, beyond all time and space." Conservatives contended that Makgoba's statement ran contrary to scripture.

So Jefferts Schori had to listen to a liberal African Anglican Primate tell her off about her intolerance and divisive ways in TEC and she had no option but to take it.

The archbishop of course did take a swing at cross border "violations" calling such visitations and other moratoria violations by certain unnamed archbishops as undermining their own polity before the face of the watching world.

However, Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, admitted that the moratoria on cross-border interventions was not of the same moral equivalency as the moratoria on same-sex blessings and the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians. The Windsor Report and the Windsor Continuation Group Report in 2009 agreed, but said they are equally damaging.

Makgoba did concede that Mary Glasspool's longstanding lesbian relationship was an impediment to her suitability for consecration by South Africa's Fellowship of Confession Anglicans (FCA).

The US Presiding Bishop did not respond to his remarks in her address to the USPG.

END