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GAFCON UK's response to the lobby group OneBodyOneFaith
GAFCON UK
February 14, 2017
GAFCON UK welcomes the publication of the OneBodyOneFaith statement "A time to build".
The statement is admirably clear in its wholesale abandonment of any pretence that OneBodyOneFaith has any respect for Biblical authority or any interest in the wellbeing of global Anglicanism.
While "A time to build" suggests that it seeks "theological diversity" it in fact requires that the whole Church worldwide submit to a view that God has not spoken clearly in his Word about the nature of humanity and human sexuality.
The authors of the statement suggest that they are wiser than 4,000 years of Biblical revelation, 2,000 years of Christian theology and the overwhelming majority of Christians down the ages and around the world.
We note with a degree of amazement that OneBodyOneFaith's attempt to discredit GAFCON, which represents the majority of the world's Anglicans, relies entirely on an ad hominem attack which entirely misrepresents the position of a Primate whom the authors have never had the pleasure of meeting. We trust that the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion will use his comments to General Synod tomorrow to distance himself from the manifest nonsense asserted by OBOF concerning Archbishop Okoh, Primate of Nigeria.
It is a remarkable thing that a tiny English campaign group sees fit to be so disrespectful to the Godly leader of a vibrant, growing Church of many millions. As we hope OBOF is aware, at the present time, rather than criticism the Church of Nigeria desperately needs our prayers given the price many are paying for their commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
GAFCONUK is content to contrast the hubris and divisiveness of the leadership of OBOF and with the humble and clear leadership of Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Primate of Nigeria. As well as being Chairman of GAFCON, he is also Vice-Chair of the Global South movement, representing the large majority of Anglicans worldwide, standing for unity under a shared confessional basis of faith, and committed to serving Christ in contexts much more challenging than anything seen in this country.
The members of the GAFCONUK Task Force wish to put on record their immense gratitude to God for His provision of the servant-hearted leadership of ++Okoh, the GAFCON Primates and their bishops. Our own renewed commitment to Anglicanism is in no small measure due to the refreshment derived from re-experiencing episcopal leadership which is unequivocally Biblical both in character and in action. The growing strength of GAFCON both numerically and organisationally bears elegant testimony to Archbishop Okoh as a worthy successor to Archbishop Akinola and Archbishop Wabukala.
On Wednesday 15th February the General Synod of the Church of England will debate whether to "Take Note" of GS2055. Whatever the outcome of the vote we anticipate that the debate will reveal serious divisions within the Church of England, with voices of revisionism louder and more confident than orthodoxy. Unless the House of Bishops has the collective will to reassert the historic biblical understanding of marriage and publicly explain it, a trajectory that takes the Church ever further way from its own foundation documents seems inevitable. The ever growing number of orthodox Anglicans abandoned by the Church of England as is embraces secularism in the futile pursuit of popularity will find a warm welcome in the global, confessionally Anglican fellowship which is GAFCON.
