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Queen's Address Sends Coded Message to Global South Primates
By Julian Mann
Special to VIRTUEONLINE
www.virtueonline.org
November 28, 2015
It would be impertinent to try to open a window into Her Majesty the Queen's soul following her address to the Church of England's General Synod this week. But what she said does reveal the aspiration of the CofE hierarchy for a managerial solution to the current conflict over human sexuality:
'The last Synod will be particularly remembered for the way in which, after prolonged reflection and conversation, even in the midst of deep disagreements, it was able to approve the legislation to enable women to be consecrated as bishops.
'This new Synod too will have to grapple with the difficult issues confronting our Church and our world. On some of these there will be many different views.
'And I am sure that members of the Synod will pray earnestly that the gathering in January of the Primates of the Anglican Communion will be a time when, together, they may know what is God's will.'
So, heartened by the unblocking of the perceived logjam over women bishops in the General Synod, the CofE establishment hopes and expects 'good disagreement' to break out over sexuality.
And note the coded message to the Global South Primates as they prepare to face Anglican revisionist leaders from the United States and Canada at Archbishop Welby's summit in January. That message is encapsulated in the key word 'together' and thus translates: 'Don't spoil the party; instead come prepared to discern God's will in a collegial way.'
Please God, the Global South leaders will firmly reject the institutional approach encoded in the word 'together' because of their firm conviction that Almighty God has already revealed his will on human sexuality in the Holy Scriptures. And that divine will is that the expression of sexual love should be reserved exclusively for heterosexual marriage.
In assessing the conflict in the Anglican Communion over human sexuality, it is important to note that the biblical will of God for sex was upheld by the Apostolic Council that met in Jerusalem to resolve the disagreement over whether Gentiles should be circumcised (Acts 15v1-21). Rejecting this alleged requirement, the Jerusalem church leaders stipulated that Gentiles must nonetheless refrain from sexual immorality (v19-21).
Therefore, in the light of the Jerusalem Council ruling, Anglican Provinces that teach that sex outside heterosexual marriage is acceptable for Christians have gravely departed from God's will.
The Global South Primates know that and God willing they will act on their knowledge by upholding God's revealed truth apart from which there can be no true Christ-honouring unity but instead a false managerial unity constructed for human convenience.
Julian Mann is vicar of the Parish Church of the Ascension, Oughtibridge, South Yorkshire, UK - www.oughtibridgechurch.org.uk
