Conservative Anglican Church leaders have expressed their lack of confidence in the leader of the Church of England (CoE) over his stance on same-sex unions. This comes after the CoE had set out proposals earlier this year to allow priests to bless same-sex couples in church after a civil marriage, while still not allowing them to get married in church. The global Anglican church, which comprises some 85 million people across 165 countries, has been deeply divided for more than two decades over issues such as ordaining gay clergy members and same-sex unions.
The conservative group, the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), made its statement at the end of a conference in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali. The group stated that “public statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other leaders of the Church of England in support of same-sex blessings are a betrayal of their ordination.” They further claimed that they had no confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury or the other Instruments of Communion led by him to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency, and authority of Scripture.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the head of the CoE and spiritual leader of the global Anglican communion, has urged Anglican church leaders not to victimize homosexuals. However, the conservative group strongly opposes the support for same-sex unions, and among those at the forefront of opposing it is Uganda’s Anglican church, which strongly supports stricter laws against homosexuality in the country.
It is noteworthy that homosexuality is taboo in Africa and illegal in more than 30 countries there. Uganda’s president on Thursday sent back to parliament “for strengthening” a bill he supports that contains some of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ legislation. While GAFCON has previously said that it did not intend to split from the Anglican communion, it would oppose what it saw as a “false gospel” being preached in liberal Western churches.
In conclusion, the issue of same-sex unions has created a deep division in the global Anglican church, with the conservative group, the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), expressing their lack of confidence in the leader of the Church of England (CoE) over his stance on the matter. While the Archbishop of Canterbury has urged Anglican church leaders not to victimize homosexuals, the conservative group, which opposes same-sex unions, strongly supports stricter laws against homosexuality in countries such as Uganda. The Anglican communion has been grappling with this issue for over two decades, and it remains to be seen how it will be resolved.