Fw: ACNS 4227 Statement from The House of Bishops, Tanzania

 

ACNS 4227     |     TANZANIA     |     12 DECEMBER 2006

Statement from The House of Bishops, Tanzania

A statement concerning the current situation in the Episcopal Church
(USA), in light of their June 2006 General Convention.

1. Mindful of the fact that the Anglican Church of Tanzania issued
statements in 2003 following the election, confirmation and eventual
consecration to the Episcopate of Gene Robinson a practising homosexual
clergyman, whereby we declared that henceforth we are not in communion,
namely, communio in sacris, with:

i. Bishops who consecrate homosexuals to the episcopate and those
Bishops who ordain such persons to the priesthood and the deaconate or
license them to minister in their dioceses;

ii. Bishops who permit the blessing of same sex unions in their
dioceses;

iii. Gay priests and deacons;

iv. Priests who bless same sex unions;

2. And because in their June 2006 General Convention, the Episcopal
Church (USA) did not adequately respond to the requirement made to them
by the Anglican Communion through the Windsor Report by their failure to
register honest repentance for their actions that were contrary to the
dictates of the Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Anglican Church
as expressed in Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference and
thereby indicating that they were deliberately choosing to walk apart
from the rest of the Anglican Communion;

3. Therefore after its meeting on 7th December 2006 in Dar es Salaam,
the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania hereby declares
that its communion with the Episcopal Church (USA) is severely impaired
but the Anglican Church of Tanzania remains in communion with those who
are faithful to Biblical Christianity and authority of Scripture who
remain in the Episcopal Church (USA) or have left or are considering
leaving that church body for the same reasons that we have stated above.

4. Further to the consequent state of the severely impaired communion,
the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania declares that
henceforth the Anglican Church of Tanzania shall not knowingly accept
financial and material aid from Dioceses, parishes, Bishops, priests,
individuals and institutions in the Episcopal Church (USA) that condone
homosexual practice or bless same sex unions.

5. The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania declares that
we are committed to concerted prayer for renewal in the Anglican
Communion that will further the mission of Jesus Christ and will render
greater glory to God.

6. Finally, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania
hereby mandates the Primate of the Anglican Church of Tanzania to
forward this statement to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
(USA), to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to all the Primates of the
Anglican Communion.

Dar Es Salaam

>From The Anglican Church of Tanzania

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