Anglicans Plan to Send Clergy to America

The Nation (Nairobi)
AllAfrica.com

NEWS
24 August 2007
Posted to the web 23 August 2007
Nairobi

The Anglican Church of Kenya will ordain two bishops to serve in the United States of America.

The bishops will be ordained next week to minister to its faithful and clergy in the US in the wake of a split in the global Anglican community pitying anti-gay clergy predominantly in Africa against opponents in America.

Consecration and enthronement of Reverends Canon Dr Will Gillespie Atwood and William Leo Murdoch as Suffragan Bishops will mark ACK's first actual steps towards reinforcing its anti-gay stance and safeguard its international interests.

According to ACK head office, the two bishops will provide care and a safe haven to ACK's faithful and clergy living in US and Canada where church leaders have openly come out to support gay rights.

Preside over

The men of the cloth will be consecrated at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi at a special ceremony to be presided over by Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi on Thursday.

ACK's decision to spread its wings to America follows months of consultations with other Anglican Church provinces around the world opposed to gay relations.

The 72-member global Anglican communion is facing a split over gay rights. This follows moves in some countries to appoint gay and female priests. African branches have vehemently opposed gay clergy. In 2003, the Episcopal Church, the Anglican body in the US named Rev Gene Robinson who confessed to be gay, bishop of New Hampshire. The action was met with angry disapproval from church followers around the world opposed to gay relationships.

The division pits wealthy provinces notably in the US and Canada in North America against another group concentrated in Africa and Asia.