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Church's Response to US Supreme Court Ruling on Lgbts PROVOST’S DESK Church’s response to US Supreme Court ruling on LGBTs By The Very Rev. Canon Sammy Wainaina ecently the US Supreme court ruled that same-sex couples can marry nationwide i.e. in all 50 states. For It can no longer be ignored that society has become so Rthe liberal Northerners and propagators of Lesbians/ perverse that persons of the same gender are now having Gays/Bisexual/Transsexuals (LGBT) rights this decision was sex and/or living in a union akin to marriage. In the welcome however in the conservative Southern states United Kingdom, Parliament enacted what they called Civil the decision was met with resistance. Some prominent Partnership Act which established a legal basis from which legislators have out rightly objected to this ruling stating, those who live in same sex relationships can achieve legal “…we have always believed in the Biblical definition of recognition and a status functionally equivalent or similar to marriage as being between one man and one woman. a marriage. That definition has been deeply rooted in our society for thousands of years. Regardless of today’s ruling by the The Anglican Church in North America responded as follows Supreme Court, we still believe in a one man and one to the US Supreme court’s ruling: woman definition of marriage.” {Statements issued by Archbishop Foley Beach of the Diocese of the South Similarly, the Attorney General “… no court, no law, and GAFCON leadership} of the State of Texas stated, “… no court, no law, no rule, and no rule, and no words To all the Clergy and Members of no words will change the simple the Anglican Diocese of the South: truth that marriage is the union will change the simple As you know by now the Supreme Court of one man and one woman. And truth that marriage is of the United States has ruled that gay nothing will change our collective and lesbian people have a right to get resolve that all Americans the union of one man “married” in every State of the Union. should be able to exercise their When the opinion was released, the faith in their daily lives without and one woman. And bishops of the Anglican Church in North infringement and harassment.” As nothing will change America were gathered in Vancouver it stands, some states have even for our College of Bishops Meeting. We sort suspension of the ruling so as our collective resolve have released a statement, a Litany for to seek redress before adhering to prayer in our churches, and a resource the provisions of the new law. that all Americans for you entitled, “Bearing Witness should be able to to Holy Matrimony.” I hope you will In our own Kenyan context the read, study, and use all three in your constitution defines marriage exercise their faith congregations. You can find them in as “the voluntary union of a one place here. man and a woman whether in in their daily lives a monogamous or polygamous without infringement This Church will continue to honor union and registered in accordance the Biblical definition of marriage as with this Act.” Homosexuality and and harassment.” between a man and woman. The lesbianism are prohibited by law clergy of this church are not allowed under the Penal Code (Sections by our Constitution and Canons to 162, 163 and 165 which provides perform same-sex unions or bless same- for Unnatural Offences and Indecent practices between sex marriages. Individuals with same-sex attraction are males. It states in part, “Any person who – has carnal welcome in all our churches; I have met many from around knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or the Province who do attend our congregations. But we permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him expect them to practice the same sexual ethic as we ask or her against the order of nature is guilty of a felony and all our other members - the Biblical mandate of abstaining liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.” from sex unless it is in the context of marriage - marriage between a man and woman. News & Views | July 2015 1 As the ramifications of the ruling begins to make it way In this context I cannot avoid mentioning a very disturbing to the various States, we will keep you updated on how it event in England. On Saturday 20th June, a Canon of York affects your congregation. Please be courteous, gracious, blessed a ‘Gay Pride’ march of homosexual activists, causing and Christ-honoring in your social media or press statements. a senior clergyman in the Diocese of York to say that the And lastly, let us continue to pray for the United States of “York Minister’s leading the way in the Gay Pride march America. is symbolic of what the Church of England’s leadership is doing generally on this issue – leading people away from Similarly, our own Archbishop and Chair of GAFCON the clear teaching of the Bible and the Gospel.” (FELLOWSHIP OF CONFESSING ANGLICANS) responded as follows: In the face of such challenges, GAFCON exists to encourage work that will strengthen the Anglican Communion to be My dear brothers and sisters: true to its biblical calling. One very promising initiative to help restore biblical truth in the life of the Church is the Grace and peace to you in the name of our only Lord and Anglican Church in North America’s recently announced Saviour Jesus Christ. It is a strange thing that in the Church Symposium on the ‘Domestic Church: Family Catechesis we can see both extraordinary strength and extraordinary in Contemporary Society (October 15-17 2015 at Christ weakness at the same time. Church, Plano). I am sure they are “York Minister’s right in their conviction that the The strength of Christian faith has leading the renewal of the Church in the twenty- been revealed in a most profound first century will not be deep and way by members of the Emanuel way in the Gay lasting unless the spiritual significance African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pride march is of the family unit is recognized and it Charleston, South Carolina following is given its proper place as a means of the shooting of nine of its members symbolic of what discipleship, teaching and growth in during a bible study by a gunman the Church the Christian life. obsessed with white supremacist ideas. Also in North America, next month The true Christlikeness of this historic of England’s our GAFCON Ambassador Bishop church, which has been no stranger to Bill Atwood will be speaking at the persecution in its past, was summed leadership is doing International Congress of Catholic up by a victim’s relative who faced the generally on this Anglicans. The GAFCON leadership gunman in court and said, “I forgive you is pleased to support this gathering and my family forgives you. Repent and issue – leading recognizing we all need each other. give your life to Christ”. people away from Our Anglo-Catholic brothers and sisters enrich our fellowship and In a different way, but also in the face the clear teaching strengthen our stand. of adversity, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali has of the Bible and noted the strength of Christians who We too in Kenya are seeking to have gone through terrible suffering at the Gospel.” equip our Christians with another the hands of the Islamic State. During his Divine Conference hosted by All recent fact finding visit to Iraqi refugee Saints Cathedral Nairobi 28th-30th camps at the invitation of the Chaldean Catholic Church August 2015 taking the theme ‘A Call to Holy Living’ (1 he found surprisingly high morale and that despite great Thessalonians 4:7) and international visitors will be most poverty, the church-run camps have worship, medical and welcome. One of our main speakers will be fellow GAFCON educational provision and these are open to all. Primate Archbishop Foley Beach from North America. Let us not neglect to pray for these communities and all GAFCON is also seeking to strengthen the life of its growing our brothers and sisters who are seeking to follow Christ number of branches and last week our General Secretary, faithfully despite deep trauma. Archbishop Peter Jensen, was the main speaker at a well attended meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the In contrast, there are too many examples in the Church of invitation of Irish members of the Fellowship of Confessing weakness in the face of the subtle challenges of cultural and Anglicans in the UK and Ireland. Many present became financial pressure. In Africa we are still too dependent in our GAFCON members. thinking on outside agencies. This makes us vulnerable to relationships designed to buy influence and damages the Archbishop Jensen spoke on the theme ‘What GAFCON integrity of our witness, while in the more economically means to me’. He reminded the meeting of the way that developed world there is too often a fear of being out of GAFCON had stepped-in to stand with orthodox Anglicans step with secular culture. as the Communion began to break apart and recognized 2 News & Views | July 2015 the sacrifices made by many of those who now form the with passion. It was the difference which made Anglican Church in North America. a difference; the difference with real content. It was the message that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He also praised the Church of Ireland House of Bishops he rules through the Scriptures, the word of God. for their courage in reaffirming the biblical teaching that The ancient Christians out-lived, out-thought and marriage is by definition between a man and a woman, out-loved their contemporaries.
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