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REACH-SA Statement in response to the Church of England General Synod vote on February 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
February 14, 2023
The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa notes with sadness the decision by the General Synod of the Church of England to endorse the Bishops' recommendation to include same-sex blessings in Anglican services.
In our view, the decision by the General Synod of the Church of England, undermines the very foundations of Biblical truth and endorses conduct which is clearly contrary to Scriptural teaching. The assertion that the inclusion of same-sex blessings in Anglican services does not contradict the Church's stance on marriage is plainly untenable. In practice, this edition will ultimately lead to congregations reflecting the moral values of society rather than God's Word.
We stand in solidarity with many orthodox Anglicans who, at great cost, have chosen to stand on Scripture rather than give in to populous theology and pragmatic morality.
It is our desire to be a church that properly ministers the truth of the Gospel to everyone. Jesus calls us to accept all people, but not all sin. Many of our same-sex attracted members have chosen to walk in obedience to God's teaching and hold to the Creator's design of sexual relations reserved for marriage between a husband and a wife. We continue to love our same-sex attracted brothers and sisters but like many Anglican leaders, we cannot ignore the disciplines of godliness and embrace the social conventions of the day. We are convinced that this is not only an affront to our God but the failure to hold out the true hope of eternal life for all who repent and believe in Christ.
We must each appear before the judgment seat of Christ. May God have mercy.
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Although the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa has been excluded from the Anglican Communion since 1870, we continue to remain in fellowship with like-minded Anglicans across the world. We also identify with the GAFCON Jerusalem Statement and have been participants in all GAFCON gatherings since its inception.
