A Message from Bishop David Anderson

From the American Anglican Council:

Beloved in Christ,

Bishop Anderson

In last week's Update, I made a remark about the pending appointment of a new diocesan bishop of Southwark, and I said that surely they would be careful and avoid the debacle that occurred at Reading. Then, a few days later, the news broke that the name of Dean Jeffrey John, prior appointee to Reading (he resigned), had been submitted to be the new bishop of Southwark. The news story implied that his appointment had been cleared by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and was all but dry ink from the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC). Then, just a day or so later, word came that the CNC would not select Dr. John. This raises a question - what was really going on here?

Did the Archbishop of Canterbury not want to take the heat from the gay lobby in turning Dr. John down, and therefore did he consider allowing his selection to proceed, knowing that considerable opposition all the way to petitions to the Queen would be immediately forthcoming, and that could give him cover for once again having Dr. John fall short? Make no mistake, the gay lobby, augmented by the American Episcopal Church and the empire-building Katharine Jefferts Schori, were working to pull off the Jeffrey John appointment, since it would put a homosexual activist bishop nearly next door to Lambeth Palace. It would have been a consummate flanking maneuver of Williams by Jefferts Schori. Or did the nomination fail at the last minute because Dr. Williams was furious that the fact of Dr. John's candidacy was leaked, and it made him look duplicitous? Is there duplicity involved, and if so by whom? Might Lambeth Palace have leaked the candidacy themselves in order to give the orthodox Anglicans a chance to mount opposition to which Dr. Williams could then give in, or might it have been leaked by Lambeth Palace so that Dr. Williams could be incensed that some unnamed source leaked it? Or was it leaked by someone else for some other purpose?

There are lots of questions, and not too many answers, except the really important one - Jeffrey John will not fill the seat at Southwark, and Jefferts Schori's attempt to flank Dr. Williams will have to wait for another day and another way. We will wait with some anticipation for the announcement of who the next bishop of Southwark will be, and how his episcopacy will fit into the unfolding crisis in the Church of England. For the time being, Dr. Williams will no doubt turn his attention to trying to prevent the ecclesiastical smashup that women bishops (with no provision for those who dissent) would produce. The first session of General Synod began today, and Dr's Williams and Sentamu don't have much more time to come up with a solution that both sides can live with and support.

Elsewhere in the Anglican Communion, there was a report days ago that a homosexual activist had been beheaded in Uganda and dumped in a hole. Immediately there was a blaming of Uganda and its leaders for the earlier proposed legislation (now changed) to seriously punish homosexual behavior and those who support such; the argument was that the reported beheading was caused by the lawmakers and leaders who were creating such a climate. Other gay supporters jumped in to blame the so-called American conservative groups who were allegedly aiding the previous legislation. After some fact checking took place, it now appears that many of the "facts" paraded as proof of anti-homosexual violence were false or at least unsubstantiated. Homosexual lobbyist organizations are quickly distancing themselves from what their cohorts were quick to publish. The AAC is saddened that someone had their life taken from them, and that another would recklessly use such a horrendous crime to advance their agenda. The obvious result of such hoaxes is that a further climate of fear and anger is interjected into the Ugandan and world situation with regard to violence against people because of their sexual orientation or behavior. We have said and continue to affirm that violence against people because they are perceived to be homosexual is completely unacceptable in every way.

I pray for the victim's family in Uganda, and that we will be spared any future hoaxes of this nature. Meanwhile, let's stay tuned to the Church of England Synod and see what developments take place.

Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,

The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council