Archbishop Henry Orombi, Primate of the Anglican Church in Uganda, issued a statement on September 23, 2004 announcing that churches in Uganda were withdrawing grant requests from the United Thank Offering (UTO) sponsored by the Episcopal Church Women. Archbishop Orombi wrote that ECUSA Executive Council member Louie Crew’s open letters accusing Uganda of hypocrisy, while “condescending and imperialistic” in tone, had been ultimately helpful in insuring that they could “walk in the light regarding our financial accountability.” “Were it not for the information revealed in these open letters, we would not have known that the UTO grants of the Episcopal Church Women were part of the official ECUSA structure,” he continued.

Uganda has also requested that Episcopal Relief and Development not send grants to “any Church of Uganda diocese or institution”.

The Ugandan statement ended with praise for the Anglican Communion Network. “We continue to rejoice in the formation and growth of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes in the United States under the leadership of Bishop Bob Duncan, and thank God that there is a faithful remnant of Anglicans in American with whom we can remain in communion. We look forward to deepening our ties and mission partnerships with those parishes and dioceses that are part of this Anglican Communion Network.”

“God has created and grown the Anglican Communion Network in ways we could not have asked or imagined,” said Bishop Duncan. “Our leadership is thankful for the momentum and strength of the Network illustrated by statistics released September 20, and we are humbly grateful for the support and recognition of the Anglican Communion and its leaders, such as Archbishops Kolini and Orombi.”

The vast majority of the Anglican Communion stands in either impaired or broken communion with the Episcopal Church. According to the Rev. Canon Gregory Cameron, Secretary to the Lambeth Commission on Communion, “the leaders of twenty-two of the thirty-eight provinces of the Anglican Communion, representing about forty-four million Anglicans, have pronounced that they reject the moves in New Hampshire and in New Westminster as incompatible with the Gospel and with the Christian fellowship of which they are part. They have said that these developments tear the fabric of the Communion at its deepest level, and a state of broken Communion now exists between ECUSA and some twelve to eighteen provinces of the Communion."

In a statement issued February 6, 2004, less than a month after its organizing convocation, fourteen Primates of the Global South extended recognition to the Anglican Communion Network. “We offer our support and the full weight of our ministries and offices to those who are gathering in a “Network of Confessing Dioceses and Congregations” now being organized in North America. We regard this network as a hopeful sign of a faithful Anglican future in North America. We invite those who are committed to the preservation of historic Biblical faith and order, to join that work and its essential commitment to the Gospel.” Archbishop Kolini’s statement of recognition brings the total number of Primates who have announced recognition to fifteen.

The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion await the October 18, 2004 release of the Lambeth Commission Report which will offer recommendations regarding the current crisis. In a statement issued recently, Archbishop Eames said, “While the commission has not been asked to pronounce on sexuality issues, it is expected that its report will recommend radical changes in the ways Anglicanism relates to its different constituencies.”

END

Statement from the Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Uganda

23rd September 2004

One of the hallmarks of the East African Revival in the Church of Uganda is “walking in the light.” On 20th November 2003 the Church of Uganda broke communion with ECUSA until it repents of its actions in approving and consecrating as bishop a man in an actively homosexual relationship. Furthermore, we have taken the position that, as a result of broken communion, we will not take any financial gifts from ECUSA.

We want to thank ECUSA’s Executive Council member, Louie Crew, Ph.D., D.D., D.D., D.H.L., for helping us to walk in the light regarding our financial accountability. Despite its condescending and imperialistic tone, his two recent open letters to me and to our House of Bishops shed considerable light on things we had not known.

For many of us, the internal workings of ECUSA are a mystery. Were it not for the information revealed in these open letters, we would not have known that the UTO grants of the Episcopal Church Women were part of the official ECUSA structure. Nor would we have known that women in the Episcopal Church support the recent heretical and immoral actions of the General Convention, which have caused ECUSA to separate itself from the historic church and the vast majority of the Anglican Communion and Christendom. We are grateful to have this information, and respectfully request that UTO not send us any more funds – even if grant requests have been submitted.

Accordingly, the Bishop of West Buganda is withdrawing his diocese’s request for a UTO grant and has asked that UTO not send the wire transfer for the recent grant request from his diocese. Likewise, in the spirit of “walking in the light,” the Bishop of Luweero has notified UTO that he is returning the $30,000 recently received from a 2004 UTO grant to his diocese. At the same time, the Church of Uganda is committed to carrying through on these projects. We believe that God will honour our commitment to His Word and will provide more than we could ask or imagine for the people committed to our care, especially those who are most vulnerable.

Furthermore, we respectfully request Episcopal Relief and Development to not send any grants to any Church of Uganda diocese or institution, including remaining installments on multi-year grants awarded prior to ECUSA’s 2003 General Convention. Likewise, please do not raise any more money on our behalf. The Church of Uganda did gratefully receive ERD grants in 2001, 2002, and 2003 – prior to the consecration as bishop of a man in an actively homosexual relationship. According to our records, and confirmed by Don Hammond, Vice President of ERD, the Church of Uganda has refused the remaining installments of a four-year grant that was approved prior to the 2003 General Convention of ECUSA.

This state of broken communion saddens us because of the loss of relationships and partners, and we believe it also grieves the heart of God. We continue to pray that ECUSA will repent of its actions so healing can begin, reconciliation be pursued, and communion be restored. We continue to rejoice in the formation and growth of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes in the United States under the leadership of Bishop Bob Duncan, and thank God that there is a faithful remnant of Anglicans in America with whom we can remain in communion. We look forward to deepening our ties and mission partnerships with those parishes and dioceses that are part of this Anglican Communion Network.

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi
ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA