Tension As Anglican Elects Lesbian As The Archbishop Of Wales

<h4>&NewLine;Tension As Anglican Elects Lesbian<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that the Church of Nigeria &lpar;Anglican Communion&rpar; has strongly condemned the election of Rt&period; Rev&period; Cherry Vann&comma; an openly lesbian cleric&comma; as the Archbishop of Wales&comma; describing the development as a &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;serious departure from biblical teaching” and a threat to the unity of the global Anglican Communion&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In a statement signed by its Primate&comma; The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba&comma; the Church said the election signaled &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;spiritual decadence” and &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Nigerian Church’s reaction underscores deepening divisions within the Anglican Communion over sexuality&comma; doctrine&comma; and church authority&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>According to Archbishop Ndukuba&comma; Bishop Vann’s elevation undermines the mission and credibility of the Anglican Church worldwide&comma; warning it could hinder evangelism and mission efforts&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He drew parallels between Vann’s election and the tenure of Most Rev&period; Katherine Jefferts Schori&comma; former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States &lpar;2006–2015&rpar;&comma; who faced similar criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Primate accused Bishop Vann of complicity in the &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;ongoing crisis” surrounding same-sex issues in the Church&comma; stating&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The recent election of Bishop Vann is a clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine&comma;” citing 2 Timothy 4&colon;3–4&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Church of Nigeria warned that unless the Church in Wales repents and returns to biblical teachings&comma; it risks becoming spiritually irrelevant&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The statement called on <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;vanguardngr&period;com&sol;">Anglicans<&sol;a> globally to reject what it termed &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;rebels” and &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;apostates&comma;” and instead align with conservative Anglican groups like the Global Anglican Future Conference &lpar;GAFCON&rpar;&comma; which uphold traditional scriptural values&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The Church of Nigeria &lpar;Anglican Communion&rpar; condemns&comma; unequivocally rejects&comma; and will not recognize the election of Rt&period; Rev&period; Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales&comma;” Ndukuba declared&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will build His Church&comma; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it&period; We should hold them in our prayers with a clear message that hope lies only in true repentance and godliness&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Otherwise&comma; this Church will lose complete relevance in the divine scheme for the people of Wales&comma; and the leaders in compromise shall not be spared in the time of judgment&comma;” he added&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;