Brothers+ For those of you who do not have access to David Virtue’s website, you may be interested in the following article. Charles+ __________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 22:23:43 -0400 From: David Virtue <DVirtue236@...> Subject: INTERVIEW WITH KENYAN PRIMATE AN INTERVIEW WITH ARCHBISHOP BENJAMIN NZIMBI OF KENYA Exclusive Report By David W. Virtue Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi is the new Archbishop of Kenya. He recently took over from the popular and outspoken Archbishop David Gitari. Apb Nzimbi was the former Bishop of Kitui and Machakos before becoming Archbishop of Kenya. Kenya has 29 dioceses with 29 diocesan bishops and two assistants. There are more than four million practicing Anglicans in Kenya. All are in the Evangelical tradition owing to pioneering missionaries from the Church Missionary Society. VIRTUOSITY: Archbishop what is your reading of what happened in Gramado this week? NZIMBI: We had a very good meeting of the primates. We discussed the various issues and one of the issues was theological education, which is needed by our people. We would like our people to go to seminaries, which are sound and balanced theologically, because we would like to have the church continue as one holy, catholic and apostolic church. VIRTUOSITY: Where do you train your students? NZIMBI: For our training we send students to Limuru Theological College in Kenya, or to St. Paul's United Theological College in Limuru. But we also have students in different universities around the world: in Australia, South Africa, England with some even in the US both at universities and seminaries. VIRTUOSITY: The Pastoral Letter came down pretty hard against rites for same-sex unions in Gramado, yet last night Bishop Michael Ingham approved such a rite in East Vancouver. What is your reaction to that? NZIMBI: My reaction is that Lambeth 1998 said we should give pastoral care to homosexual people. Marriage between two men is wrong, only marriage between a man and a woman is acceptable. VIRTUOSITY: Will you break communion with Bishop Ingham? NZIMBI: It is up to the Primates to put their heads together and see the position we should take. If we want the Communion it must be a Communion of people who speak the same language. We must be guided by the word of God. What I am saying by his actions, that he does not regard the Primate Letters and Lambeth resolution, and therefore they are putting themselves out of the Communion. VIRTUOSITY: Will you come up with a statement to that effect? NZIMBI: It is very important that we are very clear on same sex unions. We are saying no. VIRTUOSITY: What can you do to help the Vancouver 8 parishes? NZIMBI: It is important that they be taken care of by their priests and they should stand on their own. It is high time the church put these 8 parishes under the care [of a bishop] with the same theology as them. VIRTUOSITY: Do you think the Primates will act to break communion if Western bishops and Primates go ahead and perform such Rites? NZIMBI: It is very important to think about that. We have a moral obligation to say what has happened is wrong. It is doing wrong to the whole Anglican Communion. VIRTUOSITY: What part does Western money play in manipulating the African bishops? NZIMBI: In the areas of training we would like to be given scholarships and also in the areas of development. We have been helped very much by the Presiding Bishops fund. But money should not make us move away from biblical truth. We will not compromise the gospel for the sake of money. Money comes into help us reach a certain destination. We follow the truth of the Word of God with or without money. We praise the Lord Jesus Christ and he will take us through hard times. It is very important for the Church to take care of the Word of God to guide us. Our own province is determined to strengthen the Anglican Church there. We want people to be grounded in the Word of God and be well equipped to the new Millennium. If the foundations of the Church of Christ are shaken. VIRTUOSITY: You have been very strong in your support of ACINW churches in Vancouver do you have a word of encouragement for them at this time? NZIMBI: I would like to tell them to remain firm in the word of God, and God is going to open a way for them. They need not be afraid and need not be dismayed. God is going to provide. END NOTE: If you are not receiving this from VIRTUOSITY, America's largest Evangelical and orthodox Episcopal/Anglican Online News Service, then you may subscribe FREE by going to: http://www.virtuosityonline.org. VIRTUOSITY is read by more than 80,000 readers in 38 countries. This story is copyrighted but may be forwarded electronically with reference to VIRTUOSITY and the author. No changes are permitted in the text. ____________________________________________________________ Get advanced SPAM filtering on Webmail or POP Mail ... Get Lycos Mail! http://login.mail.lycos.com/r/referral?aid=27005