This new warning comes over the Anglican Communion as the African Archbishops continue to push the American Episcopal Church to show both repentance and restraint over homosexuality consecrations and same-sex unions. The Nigerians have indicated that total exclusion of the Episcopal Church is the only way forward.

"We therefore call on the leadership of the Global South and Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) to do everything necessary to put in place a Conference of all Anglican Bishops to hold in 2008 should all efforts to get the apostles of 'revisionist agenda' to repent and retrace their steps fail."

If in fact the African provinces decide not to attend Lambeth and have their own "Lambeth" on African soil, it will be the end of the Anglican Communion as we know it.

The African Anglican Church will simply not compromise on Biblical faith and morals and neither will those who remain faithful to Scripture do the same either in North America or anywhere else. The CAPA bishops have fired the final warning shot across the bows of the Anglican Communion, the next shot they fire will be fatal.

Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) told VOL in an exclusive interview in Nairobi that he did not totally rule out the possibility that the Africans will have their own Lambeth in 2008, because of the recent actions of the American Episcopal Church's General Convention in Columbus, Ohio and its failure to obey the demands of the Windsor Report.

The recent communiqué from Kigali recommended that there be a separate ecclesial body within the Episcopal Church to meet the spiritual and ecclesiastical demands of orthodox bishops, priests and parishes under siege by liberal and revisionist TEC bishops. A new "structure" was promised for orthodox Episcopalians.

In July, 2006 the Nigerian province through its leaders threatened not to attend Lambeth 2008 if the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams does not come down hard on the American Episcopal Church and expel them from the communion for its pro-gay policies, and for electing a known non-celibate homosexual to be the bishop of New Hampshire.

Archbishop Akinola said in a statement following The Episcopal Church's General Convention, that total exclusion of the Episcopal Church may be necessary: "A cancerous lump in the body should be excised if it has defied every known cure. To attempt to condition the whole body to accommodate it will lead to the avoidable death of the patient."

The archbishop said he was more than ready to have a parallel Lambeth on African soil if the homogenital Bishop of New Hampshire is invited to Lambeth 2008.

Recently the Nigerian archbishop called for the Church of England to be suspended from the worldwide Anglican Communion over its backing of civil partnerships.

Archbishop Akinola ridiculed the policy by asking the Church of England bishops if they were intending to place cameras in the bedrooms of their clergy and said that Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and his church should now face disciplinary action.

"I believe that the temporary suspension of the Church of England is the right course of action to take. The church will be subjected to the same procedures and discipline that America and Canada faced".

In a rare personal jibe against Williams, he said: "Lambeth Palace upholds our common historic faith. It will now lose that place of honour in the world. Must I come to Lambeth Palace in order to go to heaven. The answer is no!"

At the HOB retreat this past week the bishops said they were delighted that the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) - an outreach initiative of the Church of Nigeria was taking "giant strides to other parts of world." They reaffirmed their commitment to the Great Commission, and elected 19 new Bishops for newly created missionary dioceses in different parts of the country. They deplored the concept of power as an avenue for "personal enrichment."

http://www.anglican-nig.org/communique_2007bpsretreat.htm

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A Church on the Move - Church of Nigeria elects 20 new bishops in one night!

The vision is clear ... we are to make disciples of all peoples. However, as he traveled along many rural highways it became clear to the Primate, Archbishop Peter Akinola, that large sections of his own country of Nigeria were without any significant Anglican presence. "It was a disturbing indictment of our ministry," said Archbishop Akinola, even though with 19 million members, it is the largest Province, in terms of active membership, in the Anglican Communion. This became a personal challenge for the Primate, Archbishop Peter Akinola, whose passion to bring all people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is well known around the world. He has shared this vision throughout the Province and a number of missionary dioceses have already been established. This next unprecedented step was approved by the Standing Committee, when they met in Port Harcourt in September 2006, and so detailed preparations began that culminated in an amazing night of back-to-back elections.

"It was a truly historic event and one for which I am very grateful to God," said Archbishop Akinola, who along with Archbishop Maxwell Akinwenwa, Dean of the Province, presided over this remarkable night. Ninety-three Anglican bishops most wearing traditional purple cassocks gathered in the chapel of the Ibru Ecumenical Retreat Center at Agbarha Otor. The Retreat Center is a sprawling complex of modern air-conditioned buildings surrounded by palm trees in the middle of the farmland of the Delta State in the Niger Delta region approximately 6 hours drive from Lagos. The theme for this annual retreat was "Empowered Leadership" a title that seemed most appropriate in light of the events that were about to unfold.

They began with an hour of energetic intercessory prayer for the nation and the church that was punctuated by spiritual choruses and loud shouts of praise. This was followed by a traditional service of Holy Communion and then the work began. Earlier in the meeting large maps of the various regions had been carefully examined and twenty new strategic areas for mission reviewed. A committee had worked with neighboring dioceses and regional leaders to choose a location for the new work and also gather the necessary resources for housing, transportation and financial support - 3 million Naira per annum for the first three years (approximately 12,000 pound sterling). Each area was then briefly described and the particular dynamics discussed - for example some of the areas are situations where there is virtually no Christian presence, others are places where new universities have been established, and still others where an influx of refugees present a unique challenge. Nominations were then made.

All of those nominated were clergy who had a demonstrated aptitude for dynamic evangelism and church planting. In some cases as many as four candidates were proposed and then the ballots distributed. As a team of election monitors including Bishop Martyn Minns, one of the newest missionary bishops, carefully counted the ballots there was a time for prayer and vigorous hymn singing before the results were announced. This pattern was followed for the next five and a half hours until 3:30am! By which time all twenty new bishops had been chosen - nineteen will serve in new missionary districts and one will fill a vacancy in an existing diocese. "You have taken three of my best clergy!" exclaimed Bishop Ben Kwashi of the Diocese of Jos where three new missionary districts have been established. His big smile however made it clear that he was proud to be part of this remarkable night.

Finally, there was an election for a new Archbishop for the Niger Delta Ecclesiastical Province - Bishop Ugochukwu Ezuoke of the Diocese of Aba - and ninety-three tired but jubilant bishops walked out into the moonlight aware that they taken part in a historic event. "This is a dream unfolding!" declared an exuberant Archbishop Akinola. Now they had to make plans for an unprecedented consecration that will have both national and international, significance. No one could think of a similar moment in the history of the Anglican Communion. This truly is a church on the move.

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