GLOBAL SOUTH ANGLICAN CHURCHES COME OF AGE
CONN/711005
EGYPT, OCTOBER 31, 2005-Eight years after their last meeting and five years after the planning of one was foiled due to denial of funding by the traditional western backers, the mostly orthodox Anglicans in the South graphically demonstrated the coming of age of the Church of the Global South with an exiting encounter
Themed ‘One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”, the week long Encounter released a communiqué at the end titled TRUMPET III – A Third trumpet from the South. This followed the pattern of the first two of such meetings.
As done in the two previous encounters (Nairobi; 1994, Kular Lumpur; 1997), the gathering seemed to find that their bond is basically their belief in the supremacy of the Holy Scripture as traditionally held to be the standard of human life, belief, doctrine and conduct.
Against the backdrop of sharp disagreements over human sexuality in the wider Anglican body and indeed in some other denominations, the Encounter emphasized their commitment to the unity of the body of Christ but noted that such unity must not be a premise for a denial of the truth of the Scriptures. “The boundary of family identity ends within the boundary of the authentic Word of God.”
Having thus established the boundaries of the oneness of the Church, the encounter, went on to affirm the holiness of the church as being derived from God through belief and obedience to Christ as revealed by the Scriptures. “Through repentance the Church can regain her rightful position of being holy before God.”
For the Global South, “Catholicity carries with it the notion of completeness and wholeness. Thus in the church catholic when one part suffers, every part suffers with it.”
They therefore reached out hands of fellowship to recognize some sections of the church especially in the West that seem to be under persecution to give up their beliefs in God and the Scriptures in return for a lifestyle they believe can lead to separation from God.
The build up of theological structures which many see as a precursor to a worldwide Anglican realignment was also embraced and encouraged.
To the revisionists bent on enthroning immorality in the church, the communiqué regretted that they are yet to show any evidence of repentance and may thus end up walking apart.
Having earlier implied that holiness is worth dying for, and repeating the call for appropriate discipline, the future of the Communion remains an important point of prayer.
The Youths whose provincial leaders were delegates to the encounter sounded just as tough as they implied success in moral purity in the face of the rising influence of immoral values and practice, and they stated a readiness to “give their lives to the ministry of the Church if she gives them exemplary spiritual leadership and a purpose to live for.
The communiqué pledged a commitment to the development and support of leaders who are role models for the faithful.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Encounter, Most Rev. Peter Akinola used the occasion of his sermon at the opening to affirm the Christian identity as stated in 1Peter 2:9 – A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.
Building up from the call, deliverance, disobedience and exile of Israel, he summarized that being Anglican without obedience to God of Scripture and the pursuit of holiness is a precursor to exile
