American Anglican Council Applauds Lambeth Resolution on Sexuality Editor's Note: Nearly 800 Anglican bishops from around the world, including bishops from the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. have gathered in Canterbury, England for their 10-yearly Lambeth Conference. The following news release from the Institute on Religion and Democracy reports on reaction to the Lambeth Conference's resolution on human sexuality. Institute on Religion and Democracy Canterbury, England - "Lambeth has spoken clearly and forthrightly. The Anglican Communion upholds biblical Christian teaching on sexuality. This is good news for the American church and for our ministry in American society," said Bishop James Stanton following an afternoon of sober and heartfelt debate at the world-wide Lambeth conference of Anglican bishops. Bishop Stanton, the Bishop of Dallas, is the President of the American Anglican Council. The Lambeth resolution on human sexuality "upholds faithfulness in marriage between and man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage." It further urges, "While rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture, calls on all our people to minister pastorally and sensitively to all irrespective of sexual orientation." It specifically advised against blessing same gender unions or ordaining those involved in such unions. "The Western churches, and particularly the American church, has much to answer for. The willingness of so many American church leaders to try to legitimize homosexual behavior has foisted this difficult discussion on the world-wide church. It has sapped our energy from urgent tasks such as evangelism and justice for the poorest of the poor," Bishop Stanton observed. "It is time for those bishops and others who seek to revise orthodox Christian teaching to submit to the mind of the whole Church and to Scripture." "This will be an enormous boost to Episcopalians in our country," said Roger Boltz, Chief Mission Officer of the American Anglican Council. "It will give orthodox believers both encouragement and courage to stand for the truth in our own dioceses and parishes, because they will know that they stand with the world-wide body of Anglicans." "The Episcopal Church must now repent for failing to discipline those who have compromised the truth revealed by God in order to be attractive to a culture caught up in sexual sin," Boltz continued. "The united voice of bishops from diverse cultures around the world has brought into bold relief the extent to which much of the leadership in the American Episcopal Church has lost sight of the universal Christian faith." "The strong witness of the bishops at Lambeth will empower and embolden the witness of American Episcopalians. While so many Anglicans live in physical and material deprivation, American laypeople are called to outreach in a society marked by moral and spiritual confusion. Our brothers and sisters around with world are standing with us as we attempt to offer the wholeness of the gospel - with justice, holiness, and love," said Diane Knippers, a lay member of the AAC board of trustees and President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Bishop Stanton said, "American Episcopalians who share the faith and ethics overwhelmingly affirmed by the conference now have a renewed mandate to share the liberating good news of Jesus Christ in 21st Century America as unashamed Anglicans.

News From Around the Church

Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives · History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links