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Anglican Church

Conservative Anglicans form new group

Article published on the 2008-06-30 Latest update 2008-06-30 15:54 TU

Conservative Anglican leaders attend last day of conference in Jerusalem(Credit: Reuters)

Conservative Anglican leaders attend last day of conference in Jerusalem
(Credit: Reuters)

A new conservative Christian orthodox movement stemming from the Anglican church was formed following a conference in Jerusalem. The new group rejects homosexuality and claims to represent half the world's 80 million Anglicans. This new fellowship plans to distance itself from the main churches in North America. The US Episcopal Church ordained an openly gay bishop in 2003, a controversial move that initiated the calls for a change in the global Church structure, as initiated by the conservatives.

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The fellowship  maintains it has members primarily from churches in the southern hemisphere, including Africa, Asia, Australia, South America. Evangelicals in Canada, England and the United States angered by the homosexual ordination have also joined the new "power bloc."

"I think it's rhetorical but it doesn't make much sense... in the context of the Anglican Communion. It's exactly the opposite of the how the anglicans have gotten along in the past," said Pierre Whalen, bishop of the Episcopal Church in Europe.

Bishop Pierre Whalen, head of the Episcopal Church in Europe

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30/06/2008 by Susan Owensby

 

The new 'power bloc'  has issued a 14-point declaration, accusing the US church of proclaiming "false gospel".

"We acknowledge God's creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family," according to the declaration.

"We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married," it added.

The group was formed from the breakaway Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) held in Jerusalem June 22 to 29. It was convened before the official Lambeth Conference, which starts 16 July.

A number of bishops at the Jerusalem conference said they would boycott the Lambeth Conference.