Anglican Church lacks leadership, say bishops

From The Telegraph (UK):

The Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to provide leadership in the Anglican Church's war over homosexuality, according to two of his bishops.


By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 10:52AM GMT 16 Nov 2008


In a speech to conservative evangelicals, who debated proposals for a new "church within a church", the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali said that there has been a lack of discipline.

Traditionalists have been upset that the Episcopal Church escaped punishment despite consecrating Gene Robinson as Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop.

The Bishop of Rochester told clergy that the new movement was equivalent to the Reformation in the sixteenth century, which led to the establishment of the Church of England.

He said that the Church has become too "wishy-washy" and urged evangelicals to stand against the liberal agenda.

"No Church can be effective without discipline," said Dr Nazir-Ali.

"That is what this situation is about. We are warned in the Bible about false teaching and persistent immorality.

"We are living at a time when the Church must be counter-cultural and strong. If we're not clear what we're about we haven't got a hope."

He added: "Whenever the Church has become worldly or faithless, it has been reformed.

"Now we need another movement to keep the Church faithful. I want to keep orthodox Anglicans together."

While the bishop did not name Dr Rowan Williams, delegates at the conference said that his message was a clear criticism on the archbishop's handling of the crisis.

His support for the new movement, which began this summer at a summit of conservative Anglicans, will be seen as a direct challenge to the authority of Dr Williams.

In an official document distributed at the meeting, the Rt Rev Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes, said that the modern Church is now "infested with liberal theological waywardness".

He added: "Erosion of apostolic truth and life destroys the Church. Sadly, this perspective is not clearly seen or expressed in the Archbishop's final address to the Lambeth Conference.

"No appeals for unity will help until the wayward have been disciplined and think again."

Around 400 evangelical church leaders gathered at yesterday's meeting, which discussed plans for a new "church within a church" that will have its own bishops, clergy and theological colleges.

Evangelicals insist they do not want to split from the Anglican communion, but are determined to reform the Church from within.