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NIGERIA: Primate and HOB Standing Committee Nix Attending Lambeth 2020
Nicholas Okoh says ACNA and Anglican Church in Brazil must be invited
Nigerian leader applauds success of GAFCON 3
By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
September 26, 2018
The Anglican Province of Nigeria, the largest province in the Anglican Communion with 25 million adherents, have said they will not be attending Lambeth 2020 if Archbishop Justin Welby does not reverse his position and invite the Anglican Church in North America and Anglican Church in Brazil to the decennial assembly. The Communique was issued by the Standing Committee of the province at St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral, Minna, Nigeria recently.
"The Standing Committee rejoices in the success of GAFCON three held June 2018 in Jerusalem. It supports the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria in reaffirming the statement of GAFCON 2018 that the Archbishop of Canterbury should invite as full members to Lambeth 2020 the bishops of the province of the Anglican Church in North America and the province of the Anglican Church in Brazil and that he should not invite those provinces that have endorsed by word or deed sexual practices that are in contradiction to the teaching of scripture and resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth conference, unless they have repented of their actions and reversed their decisions," said Primate Nicholas Okoh.
"In the event that this does not occur the bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) unanimously resolved that they will decline any invitation to attend Lambeth 2020 and all other meetings of the instruments of the communion."
Other GAFCON African provinces have also indicated that they will not attend.
In previous statements, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda, the Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali, has said that his Church was not in communion with the Episcopal Church in the United States (TEC) or the Anglican Church of Canada, and that its Provincial Assembly had "resolved to not participate in any official meetings of the Anglican Communion until godly order is restored".
The primates of Kenya and Rwanda are also expected not to accept the invitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury until the restoration of godly order has been established in the Anglican Communion. Other African, South American and Asian provinces are also weighing their options.
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