On Friday a strong majority of the SEC's general synod passed the first stage in the process to change the Church's teaching on marriage and remove the understanding it was between "one man and one woman".

In a letter released after the vote, the Gafcon UK Panel of Bishops said they offered "to provide alternative episcopal oversight, and thereby your recognition as faithful Anglicans by the worldwide Gafcon movement, which represents the majority of Anglicans worldwide".

The letter was signed by four bishops on behalf of Gafcon UK's panel and four other Anglican clergymen.

Written before the vote, it was released by the traditionalist Scottish Anglican Network in the immediate aftermath of the decision. It said the SEC was "dividing the church" over the issue of gay marriage and promised to "stand united with faithful Anglicans in Scotland seeking to uphold the plain doctrinal and moral teaching of the Holy Scriptures".

Bishop John Ellison, one of primary signatories to the letter, told Christian Today he was in contact with "orthodox Christian leaders in Scotland" in light of the synod's vote and any split would be up to them.

"We want to stand alongside them," he said. "What form that will take we can't say at this stage. Being Anglicans we are concerned that people are under proper oversight." He said Gafcon UK would facilitate alternative oversight, should Scottish Anglicans wish to switch.

"The wider Anglican Communion is deeply concerned about what is happening in Scotland and we will act on their behalf," he said.

"There is a two way perspective. We will wait to hear from Scottish Anglicans and then make contact with other leaders in the wider union."

The prospect of a split in loyalties among Anglican clergy in Scotland comes after the leader of Gafcon warned the Church of England had crossed a "line" recently with the appointment of a pro-same-sex marriage bishop in Liverpool.

In his first pastoral letter since he became head of Gafcon, the Most Rev Nicholas Okoh, the Archbishop of Nigeria, said the "focus of concern" for conservative Anglicans had been the "heresy" of North American episcopal churches but said:

"Now our concern is increasingly with the British Isles.

"A line has been crossed in the Church of England itself with the appointment of Bishop Susan Goff, of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, as an Assisting Bishop of Liverpool.

"The false teaching of the American Episcopal Church has been normalised in England."

*****

GAFCON offers alternative oversight to Scottish Episcopalians

June 10, 2016

Bishops of the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) are prepared to provide episcopal oversight for Scottish Episcopalians who believe that this morning's vote by the Church's General Synod in favour of same-sex marriage is unbiblical.

The offer came in a 'Letter to Faithful Anglicans' sent last week and released today by the Scottish Anglican Network.

It reads:

We are saddened and appalled that the Scottish Episcopal Church will next week debate amending its Canon C31, so as to adopt a wholly unbiblical approach to human sexual relationships. To so amend the canon would sever the church from the teaching of Christ and His Apostles, and also the considered and expressed conviction of the vast majority of the bishops of the Anglican Communion at Lambeth 1998, which was reinforced by the Anglican Primates Gathering only months ago.

We stand with you and pray for you as you resist this unhelpful and dangerous innovation.

Should the church decide to follow the revisionist approach, disobey the clear teaching of Scripture, and thus cause a break with orthodox Christian teaching, the Gafcon UK Panel of Bishops offers to provide alternative episcopal oversight, and thereby your recognition as faithful Anglicans by the worldwide Gafcon movement, which represents the majority of Anglicans worldwide.

We remind the Scottish Episcopal Church of the cautionary words of Jude that unbiblical standards in sexual ethics "....deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ". This is an issue over which the Scottish Episcopal Church is dividing the church , and we will stand united with faithful Anglicans in Scotland seeking to uphold the plain doctrinal and moral teaching of the Holy Scriptures.

Warmly in Christ,

The Rt Rev John Ellison,
The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali,
The Rt Rev Wallace Benn, and The Rt Rev Ken Barham, on behalf of the Panel of Bishops, GAFCON UK
The Rev Paul Perkin,
The Rev Michael Ovey, on behalf of the Exec Committee, GAFCON UK
The Rev Canon Andy Lines,
Mr. Dan Leafe on behalf of the Anglican Mission in England