You are here
KENYA: Anglican Primate of Kenya Blasts "Living Reconciliation" as False Road for Reconciliation
By David W. Virtue DD
www.virtueonline.org
February 28, 2015
A Church that is no longer able to say "it is written" has placed itself in great spiritual danger, but that is where the Anglican Communion is headed, according to Kenya Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and GAFCON chairman in his Lenten letter.
Citing a review of Living Reconciliation, by CofE theologian Dr. Martin Davie, a book written to promote the "Continuing Indaba" project, Wabukala said the book is not faithful to the Bible's teaching that reconciliation has evangelism at its heart. What the writers are really concerned about is institutional unity; they simply assume that the deeply divisive promotion of same sex relationships by such Churches as the Episcopal Church of the United States is not a barrier to full and continued fellowship.
According to Dr. Davie, "The New Testament's emphasis is not on people learning to live with what divides them, but learning to live out what unites them." The New Testament teaches that reconciliation with one other flows from reconciliation with God through repentance and faith in the gospel message. It does not make sense to call for reconciliation in the Church while, at the same time, accepting behavior the Bible says excludes people from the Kingdom of God unless they repent.
He concludes that the path recommended by the authors of Living Reconciliation is "effectively a blank check for the acceptance of any and every possible form of deviation from New Testament Christianity."
Late last year, the Kenyan Primate said the realignment of the Anglican Communion is a done deal with the old institutions of the Anglican Communion dying. He added that the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) is a sign of the future. He also noted that rebuilding, developing institutions, and networks must aid in gospel proclamation.
The archbishop believes this rebuilding reflects the new thing God in his mercy is doing in the Anglican Communion.
"We must remember that the fundamental reason for this is doctrinal. We are divided because the Faith is threatened by unbiblical teaching. In contrast, GAFCON 2 demonstrated that we are emerging as a new and effective 'instrument of unity' for the Anglican Communion."
An introduction and link to the review is given on the GAFCON website at http://gafcon.org/news/living-reconciliation-deeply-problematic
END
