Focus on Africa as 125 bishops support 1998 gay resolution

Anglican bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda, who boycotted the recent Lambeth conference in London because of the presence of pro-gay marriage provinces, are being asked to sign in support of re-affirming the traditional Lambeth resolution.

The 1998 Lambeth resolution, which describes homosexuality as “incompatible with scripture”, was discussed by bishops at the Lambeth conference.

But following backlash from liberal bishops’ voices within the Communion, the text was changed to omit certain parts of the resolution, and include those provinces in Scotland, Wales, and the United States who already bless same-sex marriage.

The changes resulted in the Global South Fellowship of Anglican churches (GFSA) issuing its own resolution affirming that only heterosexual marriage is compatible with Biblical scripture.

The 1998 resolution was reaffirmed on a vote and it remains official Anglican teaching on same-sex marriage..

A total of 125 bishops from 21 global provinces signed in support. Archbishop of Canterbury the Rev Justin Welby has accepted that the Biblical interpretation on marriage is the majority view within global Anglicanism.

The Church of Ireland continues to take a traditional view on marriage.

According to the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GFSA), the number is likely to have been higher if all the bishops from Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda had attended the conference. The Lambeth conference, which was attended by Church of Ireland bishops, concluded on Sunday.

For the GFSA group, the reaffirmation marks the start of a “resetting” of the Anglican Communion back to its Biblical roots.

Archbishop Justin Badi, primate of South Sudan and chairman of the GSFA, said: “I give thanks to God for all the bishops who have reaffirmed the Lambeth resolution in its entirety – as the official teaching of the Anglican Communion on marriage and sexuality.

“We have been encouraged by bishops throughout the world at this conference who have expressed their support, in whatever form, for the Communion to be governed by Biblical authority.”