RELIGION: Gay Controversy Spreads to Other Churches

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Joyce Mulama

NAIROBI, Aug 18 2003 (IPS) - The controversy surrounding the Anglican Church over homosexuality appears to be spreading to other churches.

An assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Winnipeg, Canada, recently found itself in the same furore when Scandinavian delegates insisted that recognition of homosexuality and gay marriages should be included in an LWF resolution to be adopted at the end the meeting.

LWF holds an assembly every six years that brings together the 136-member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The delegates wanted same sex unions to be recognised as a form of family. Their suggestion was rejected by their African and Asian counterparts, who maintained that the practice was unlawful and evil. They even threatened to walk out of the federation if the clause was accepted.

Concerted consultations followed and a consensus was reached with delegates committing themselves to tread on the issue carefully.

"We commit ourselves and call on member churches to encourage and support one another in a study and respectful dialogue on issues of marriage, family and human sexuality, in a manner appropriate to the needs of each member church and advocate for the human rights and the dignity of all persons regardless of gender or sexual orientation," said the adopted resolution.

A working paper from the Theological Committee of the Church of Sweden, titled Homosexuals in the Church, which was intended for discussion at the meeting, was later discarded.

A copy of the document, made available to IPS, calls on the church to break the silence engulfing homosexuality.

"The church should continue to break the culture of silence that has so commonly surrounded homosexuals in society and church. There are now many homosexuals in the church. Some live openly in partnership, others do not wish to go public in the same way. For those who are in the church ministry, there is no more reason than for anyone else to continue to promote this silence," says the document, which fully supports ordination of homosexuals in the church.

"Homosexual orientation or a life in partnership should not be a general motive for being refused ordination. The homosexual person should be tested in the same way as other candidates for ordination," it argues.

Ordination of homosexuals almost caused a split in the Anglican Church when earlier this month, the Episcopal Church of the United States approved the appointment of openly gay clergy, Rev. Canon Gene Robinson, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire.

Robinson has for the last 13 years been living with his male partner.

African Bishops have threatened to severe links with member churches practising homosexuality, but a crisis meeting, involving all the African churches, is expected to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, next month to try resolve the crisis.

Some 38.6 million Anglicans live in Africa where homosexuality is largely regarded as a taboo.

Namibia’s President Sam Nujoma and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe have been some of the most vocal critics of gay practices on the continent. Mugabe has described gays and lesbians as being "worst than pigs and dogs".

Only South Africa has changed its legislation in favour of gays and lesbians. In June, when the church was split over the possible appointment of a gay bishop in Britain – Cannon Jeffrey John – and over the approval of same-sex marriages by an Anglican diocese in Canada, South Africa’s Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane urged his church to openly discuss homosexuality.

Former South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu said he did not see the ‘fuss’ over the gay debate, but urged gays and lesbians, seeking high offices in the church, to remain celibate.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, leader of the world’s 70 million Anglicans two weeks ago summoned church leaders to London for a meeting in mid-October to discuss problems surrounding the appointments of gay clergy. The meeting is expected to seal the crack that has emerged in the church.

The biggest threat, however, come from Nigeria, where Archbishop Peter Akinola, leader of 17.5 million strong Anglican Church in this powerful West African nation, has accused the churches in Europe, Canada and America of using "their wealth to intimidate the financially weak churches in Africa".

Reports from Australia also indicate that the country’s third largest church, the Uniting Church in Australia, could face a split by the end of this year over a decision to ordain gay ministers.