Bishop of Rochester will boycott over gay ordination
A senior bishop in the Church of England has confirmed he was to boycott the Lambeth Conference following the controversy over the ordination of Anglicanism’s first openly gay bishop.
The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, said he would change his mind about staying away from the 10-yearly meeting of Anglican leaders in Canterbury, Kent, if those who ordained the Bishop of New Hampshire, the Rt Rev Gene Robinson, repented.
Bishop Robinson, a divorced father-of-two, has a gay male partner and his consecration in 2003 in the US sparked uproar and threats of a split amongst traditional Anglicans.
Bishop Nazir-Ali said the Windsor Report on the crisis over gay clergy in the Anglican Communion recommended those who have gone against Church teaching should not attend representative Anglican gatherings.
“As I said in October, my difficulty in attending the Lambeth Conference has to do with being in eucharistic fellowship with and teaching the common faith alongside those who have ordained a person to be bishop whose style of life is contrary to the unanimous teaching of the Bible and of the Church down the ages,” he said in a statement. “I agree with the Windsor Report’s recommendation those who have gone against Church teaching should not attend representative Anglican gatherings.
“We all need to repent of what we have done wrong and if those who have gone against the clear teaching of the Bible and the Church are willing to repent that would certainly change the situation. Again, as I have said before, I am very willing to repent of anything I may have done that is wrong or which has hurt anyone.
“My views have not changed on this matter and I continue to pray for both those attending and those unable to attend.”
Bishop Nazir-Ali’s statement came as he was due to fly to the Gafcon conference of traditionalist Anglican leaders in Jerusalem.
He will give an address to the gathering today on the nature and future of the Anglican Communion. The week-long Gafcon (Global Anglican Future) meeting with 300 Anglican bishops, has been billed as an alternative to the Lambeth Conference. The conference will hear from the Archbishop of Uganda, the Most Rev Henry Orombi.
