You are here
The Promotion of a Different Gospel
Will Irish neutrality on the sexuality issue jeopardise our links with the Global South?
Reform Ireland welcomes the biblical stance being taken by the provinces of the Global South on the issue of human sexuality. Their statement of intent to create a network of biblically orthodox provinces within the Anglican Communion is to be commended and supported.
Reform Ireland would highlight the mutual blessing from the many strong diocesan and parochial links between the Church of Ireland and Anglican churches in the Global South. We fear that these links are now being jeopardised by the apparently 'neutral' stance which was taken by the Church of Ireland representatives at the ACC concerning human sexuality. One of the Irish representatives, Canon Michael Burrows stated that the Church of Ireland "did not intend to break or impair communion" on the issue of 'same-sex affection'.
This leads us to ask,
* Who gave Canon Burrows such authority to speak for the whole of the Church of Ireland? * Is this now the official Church of Ireland policy concerning ECUSA/Canada and the issue of 'same-sex affection'?
Our concern is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is being compromised by ECUSA/Canada and those within the Church of Ireland who advocate the departure from biblical and historical church teaching in the area of 'same-sex affection.' This departure from biblical orthodoxy is nothing but the promotion of a different gospel and we wish to stand alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ from the Global South who are no longer prepared to accept this revisionist agenda.
We are concerned that those links which many Irish parishes and dioceses have developed with the Global South may now at best be impaired and at worst broken if the Church of Ireland remains uncommitted to the biblically orthodox position as stated in Lambeth 1.10 concerning human sexuality.
Reform Ireland once again humbly calls the people of the Church of Ireland to prayer at this time for our brothers and sisters in the Global South who are facing financial hardships because of their biblical stance on this issue and to thank God for their courage in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We also humbly ask that those within the parochial, diocesan and provincial leadership of the Church of Ireland now publicly take a stand for biblical orthodoxy. For too long the biblically orthodox voice has been silent at all levels of the Church of Ireland. Now, more than ever, we need biblical leadership and biblical leaders to speak out. May God grant our parochial and diocesan clergy the grace, the strength and the courage to take a stand.
END
