Other African archbishops including Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola and Kenyan Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi will not only not entertain homosexuality in their provinces, the latter has called for the expulsion of ECUSA from the global communion and Akinola recently said the Church of England should be suspended from the communion.

Only one province on the African continent and its primate Southern Africa Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane has heeded the siren call of pansexuality and believes that archbishops and bishops should not interfere in other provinces on this issue. He has also blamed the church for its "destructive theology" on AIDS. He also has an openly homosexual American priest "missionary" the Rev. Ted Karpf sent by the ECUSA to assist in the AIDS crisis on his staff.

But the most insidious invasion on the African continent and clearly the most dangerous is the recently elected Church of England vicar, the Rev. Nicholas Henderson, a priest in London, to be the next Bishop of Lake Malawi.

Archbishop Bernard Malango, under whose authority Lake Malawi diocese resides, got wind of Henderson's theology and morality and, despite gifts of $400,000 over the years to the diocese, challenged his election and raised a number of critical questions with him. He promptly postponed his consecration.

Specifically he asked if as the General Secretary of the Modern Church People's Union, whether he believed that the doctrine of the Virgin Birth was an essential doctrine, comparing it to the debate concerning creation of Darwinism. "Do you believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived supernaturally by God the Holy Spirit, with no human father's conception, causing the Virgin Mary to bear Jesus?"

Henderson had written a letter to the Times (August 9, 2002) stating that the "Historical formulations such as the Nicene Creed or the Thirty-Nine Articles are attempts at regularizing our common faith for our common good. Inevitably, they suffer from being their own time. We must be careful not to let them lose their point and become context less symbols of conformity, ways of playing games about being "more old-fashioned than thou".

Malango responded saying "The documents such as the Nicene Creed and the Thirty-Nine Articles are not simply theological photographs snapped at a moment in history; they are foundation stones which must be affirmed. Are you willing to state clearly and without equivocation that you fully accept, believe and practice the faith described in the classic Anglican formularies including the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, the Thirty-Nine Articles, the Creeds, and the Ordinal?"

The Central African Primate said that it would cause disastrous conflict in the diocese and the Province if he was unable to affirm and commit to the faith as described in them, without exception.

Then Malango said this: "It has been reported that you currently live with (or have in the past lived with) a male "lodger". Because of reports of your advocacy of the gay and lesbian movement I am constrained to ask a very awkward question. Are you prepared to assure me and the members and leaders of the church in this province that your conduct conforms to the historic teaching of the church that sexual intimacy is restricted to be within the marriage of one man and one woman, intended as a lifelong union, and that you are not in (nor have you been in) a sexual relationship outside marriage? Is there anything I should know that would make my work difficult if you took up this position?"

To date Henderson has not answered the bishop's questions.

When VirtueOnline phoned the priest in London, he picked up the phone and when I announced who I was, he said the office was closed and hung up. When I called an hour later, a recorded message with a woman's voice came on saying the office was closed and to call back later. Clearly the vicar was in no mood to answer my questions.

Within hours of his first statement, Archbishop Malango announced, in a second release, that he would postpone the Court of Confirmation because of the letters of protest he had received from both local and overseas people, and he would wait till he had heard back from Henderson.

Malango also took issue with Henderson as he is the Chairman of Modern Church people's Union whose liberalism is well known.

On hearing the news, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Noll, an Episcopal priest and theologian residing in Mukono, Uganda, wrote VirtueOnline to say he was greatly relieved that Apb. Malango was now aware of the mind of the person who was elected in his Province. "Surely he has shown courage and grace in slowing down the process toward consecration and demanding an explanation of Henderson's theological views. It may well be instructive to see what kind of response Henderson makes to the questions posed to him."

Said Noll, "I am a little uneasy. Forked-tongued revisionists are quite capable of cloaking their views and affirming things they appear to have denied (e.g., affirming the "greater meaning of the Virgin Birth"), especially when episcopal purple is at stake. I wonder if it would not have been better for the Archbishop simply to refuse to consecrate him under any circumstances based on Henderson's public record."

Noll then cited two Scripture passages to support his case. "I Timothy 3:2 Now the bishop must be above reproach...I Timothy 3:7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap."

"The notion of a bishop being "above reproach" might disqualify Henderson even if he manages to wiggle around the questions about his previous statements. In a culture like Africa, as in the NT, matters of shame and reputation are very important," he wrote VirtueOnline.

"The possibility of Henderson "explaining" his position on the Virgin Birth in a satisfactory way is not possible short of a confession of error. And even if he did fully repent his former views, he should quite likely disqualify himself for having misled the church for many years. But of course we have no evidence at all that he has gone through a conversion of heart and mind," concluded Noll.

Indeed we do not.

Veteran Los Angeles columnist Douglas Wilkie wrote saying that diocese now finds itself confronted by a stealth Gene Robinson. "The mere fact that Henderson was domiciled with another man would make him unfit for the position. It will be interesting to see how Henderson avoids and attempts to deflect questions regarding his personal moral behavior. Should he refuse to respond to the questions put to him based upon some specious notion of indignation or invasion of privacy, the diocese of Lake Malawi should send him packing back to the two CofE parishes for which he serves as vicar!"

Wrote Wilkie: "The publicizing of the letter from Malango was obviously designed to 'smoke out' Henderson who apparently had gamed the electoral process by flying under the orthodox radar of the Central Africa province. The firestorm that will result from Henderson's rejection will resonate throughout the Communion. That rejection will serve to reinforce the crucial principal that mission and economic assistance predicated on false doctrine is tainted and should be rejected. Over the years, Henderson has apparently endeared himself to the diocese by coordinating and facilitating significant financial assistance to the diocese. However, the churches of the Global South, as well as other provinces within the Anglican Communion, have made it abundantly clear that they will not be bribed nor duped by such maneuverings and manipulation."

There can be little doubt that Henderson will not be allowed in despite his years of financial generosity to the Diocese of Lake Malawi, and just as clearly Apb. Malango will not succumb to the siren call of filthy lucre and let him in.

This writer knows the archbishop well and he will hold his ground. Unless Henderson can persuade the bishop of his orthodoxy in faith and morals he is dead on arrival.

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See the following links

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2917
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2915

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