AFRICAN PRIMATE DENOUNCES NEW WESTMINSTER BISHOP Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 00:22:06 EST Reply-To: DVirtue236@... Sender: David Virtue <VIRTUOSITY@...> From: David Virtue <DVirtue236@...> Subject: AFRICAN PRIMATE DENOUNCES NEW WESTMINSTER BISHOP Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" AFRICAN PRIMATE DENOUNCES NEW WESTMINSTER BISHOP "We wont stand idly by. Sexuality threatens to divide the Communion" By David W. Virtue ATLANTA, GA--The Bishop of New Westminster has been told that he is on a disaster course and if he follows through with his agenda, he will be left standing out in the cold in the [Anglican] Communion. "He is putting salvation at risk," said the Primate of the Province of Central Africa. "Why would anyone do that? The same course is being followed in dioceses in ECUSA. They will meet with the same fate. Anyone who thinks we will never speak out or act because Canada and ECUSA have so much money does not understand what it means to be poor and faithful," said Archbishop Bernard Malango to some 300 bishops, clergy and laity at the U.S. Anglican Congress. "We would rather do without in this life than have it easy now and miss out in eternity. We know what it means to do without. We will choose the right course, even if it is costly. Faithfulness cost Jesus everything." "I have been outspoken about the situation in New Westminster. What you may not know is that many primates have been communicating. We talked about the situation in Hong Kong. This issue of human sexuality threatens to divide the communion," said Malango. The Primate said talk of homosexuality "offends our culture; but the true problem is that it is a salvation issue. We cannot stand by while people are being led away from the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. It is not loving to be silent and let the children be led astray. That is why it is so important that we address this situation." Malango said that we are living in cultures that are increasingly at war with the Gospel. "Here in the West, postmodern thinking afflicts the church. In Africa, the pandemic of HIV/AIDS and abject poverty grip the two-thirds world. The circumstances that surround the church are overwhelming many Christians." The Primate said the seduction of the culture it is not just outside the church. "Even in the church the devil walks about looking to see whom he can trap. Sometimes it is with misconduct. Far too often it is the institution itself that is the tool. The acclaim and influence of high-church office can be like a drug that has a craving that seems impossible to satisfy. Far too often, the seeds of ambition are sown in people who seek office for personal power rather than serving." Recognizing that both Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics had come together for this Congress, Malango said that in the creation of a new Diocese in Zanzibar, Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics were cooperating together in the creation of a new diocese. "Where we have learned to work together with other Christians, the church has grown dramatically." Malango said that his own diocese was suffering with clergy functioning without paid salaries. "There has not been any money to pay any of us, but the gospel is being preached and people are being brought to Christ." A recent cholera outbreak claimed 1,000 lives, he said. Malango also praised the work of EKKLESIA, a networking organization for Anglican Primates and bishops who stand for Christian orthodoxy, saying that its leader, Canon Bill Atwood had been very effective in bringing people together around the world. "There really has not been anything like it in history. Networking is its greatest strength. A threefold chord is not easily broken." The Primate pointed to the Province of Nigeria that had grown dramatically from four million in 1972 to 18 million today, "See what can happen when we work together." END _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail