Brad Drell – TEC have lost any moral authority they had

Read it all here

The archbishop, known as an expert in the field of reconciliation said, “I am here talking to my brothers and sisters in America. We have experienced offense by their actions. I am not trying to offend them in return but tell them that I love them. We have had a painful experience and they must ask for forgiveness so we can go on together.

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“This issue of homosexuality in the Anglican Communion has a very serious effect in my country. We are called ‘infidels’ by the Moslems. That means that they will do whatever they can against us to keep us from damaging the people of our country. They challenge our people to convert to Islam and leave the infidel Anglican Church. When our people refuse, sometimes they are killed. These people are very evil and mutilate and harm our people. I am begging the Communion on this issue so no more of my people will be killed.

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“We will not talk to Gene Robinson or listen to him or his testimony. He has to confess, receive forgiveness and leave. Then we will talk. You cannot bring the listening to gay people to our Communion. People who do not believe in the Bible are left out of our churches, not invited in to tell us why they don’t believe.

“I have just come from a meeting of the African and Global South bishops who are here. There were almost 200 bishops there. They support the statement my Church made yesterday. That’s 17 provinces.

“The Authority of the Bible is always the same. You cannot pull a line out or add a line to it. That brings you a curse. We are saying no. You are wrong.”

Realize that this comes from a bishop that has not violated Diocesan boundaries, has not boycotted Lambeth, and has nothing to gain and everything to lose in helping TEC. He has people dying because of what we did at GC2003. Because, despite our asseverations of provincial independence, we are a part of a family – His family – which includes Sudanese Episcopalians. What we do in America affects our brothers and sisters over there. We as the American Episcopal Church have been completely unmindful of that. Moreover, Bishop Deng kept referring to Anglicans as a family. That is how he sees Anglicanism, and that is how those outside of Anglicanism see it as well. Provincial independence does not fit into family. Moreover, how could we not see that what we do as Anglicans in North America affects the people with whom we sit at the same spiritual table in Sudan?

Whatever moral authority the Archbishop of Canterbury had, whatever moral authority TEC had, has been lost this day. Lost to a diminutive bishop from the Sudan who asked for reconciliation and to help us. All he asked was for one country bishop to resign so 300 bishops who preside over Dioceses that contain people and parishes that dwarf most Episcopal dioceses, could be present at Lambeth, and he said he loved us and would help us.