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Christianity Today, November, 2007 |

Tidings

Bowing to Kigali

Importing orthodoxy—and cultural baggage.

Ted Olsen | posted 11/05/2007 08:47AM

Ask members of the Anglican Mission in America (AMIA) what they like about their association of churches, and you're likely to hear two answers. It's orthodox—unlike much of the Episcopal church ...

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SHS	Posted: November 06, 2007 10:26 AM


We don't need to know what historic creeds say about human sexuality - we know what the Bible says about it. I don't blame the churches for splitting from the Episcopal Church at all. I am however alarmed at the idea of bowing to a prince.

Kevin

Posted: November 06, 2007 10:20 AM

Ted Olsen is actually showing his cultural ignorance here, about as much as some in the article. Paul Kagame is either one of the best statesmen African has known or a tyrannical leader, and there is plenty of evidence on both side to support a position. One element that should be noted is we are all products of our environment and it was the political factions that allowed the genocide as one party played on rivalries of three others also that the Congo basin is currently unstable again. We may be quick to judge instead of leaning and attempting to influence for the good, yet the Lord will hold us accountable for we don't give thanks for the peaceful governance we have and I bet most who throw stone will not even vote today. Finally, I'd like to ask the author to list the most pressing issue in the sub-Serra and what is he doing to met them?

Bill Bray

Posted: November 05, 2007 8:37 PM

What an amazing time this is for American Anglicans, both from a missiological perspective as well as culturally and theologically. While the ECUSA schism seems on the surface to be mostly about ordainining unqualified homosexual and lesbian "Christians" to ruling positions in church leadership, it goes much deeper than that. The rise of dozens of orthodox Anglican movements like AMIA who are seeking apostolic succession through churches in the global south is not about ordaining practicicing homosexuals or women but far more fundamental heresy. That the impact of this schism would spread so quickly to vibrant young evangelical churches proves that is about far more than the heretical ordination of women and homosexual bishops. The American Episcopal church is determined to split the worldwide Anglican communion and is making quick work of it.

Chris B.

Posted: November 05, 2007 7:09 PM

This is repulsive. The Anglican church in Rwanda is a tool of the government; the closest comparison is to the German state church of the WWII era. The government is suppressing the gosel reconciliation THROUGH the church by silencing the people who point out the government's ongoing oppression of Hutu's; by silencing people who stand up against the government's rule by an ongoing culture of fear; and by silencing people who point out the government's continued perpetration of atrocities in Eastern Congo. Reconciliation in Rwanda will never come with church and state being so closely related. The Rwandan church has demonstrated almost no ability to be a prophetic, critically distant voice. Now is the time for the American church to be a bit more American and refuse to blindly submit to authority. They won't submit to their own archbishop. Why are they submitting to someone else's?

Tom Fralinger

Posted: November 05, 2007 5:28 PM


I wish you would all stop using the term orthodox. There is only one Holy Orthodox Church, The Eastern Orthodox Church, all others are heterodox or offshoots. This is the truth. People do not have to like it or agree with it, but it's still the truth. Christos Anesti

Tom	Posted: November 05, 2007 4:41 PM


"Global Church", "Worldly Church", "Orthodox Church", "Christianv Church", it is sad that you can't tell the difference any more.

Greg	Posted: November 05, 2007 1:35 PM

Though not mentioned in the article, the split is really about gay and female competition in a more egalitarian access to church authority, in other words, greed. This isn't about "orthodoxy" that has led to the split. Orthodoxy is to love the one God triune, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, baptism, communion, and most important of all, to try to practice the Golden rule as best one can. Gay baiting , scapegoating, the coveting, if not theft, of gay jobs, earned influence and property, is an unseemly tradition that can be discontinued without challenging real orthodoxy one bit

Jim	Posted: November 05, 2007 1:06 PM


It sounds like the AMIA congregations have gone from the fat to the fire... Perhaps they are getting what they deserve. It strikes me as ironic that erudite up-scale Americans who would likely balk at having a balck or woman serve as their priest are bowing in deference to an 8 year-old African prince. Is there a strange irony in this?

Josh Oxley

Posted: November 05, 2007 12:55 PM


HP says it right... this constant, nagging assurance by Christianity Today that these so-called "orthodox" congregations are bringing Gospel truth to Truth-starved former Episcopalians is misguided and poorly executed. This article, while helping to make clear that no church can exist outside of some form of cultural baggage, just keeps that unfounded assumption alive. Shame.

Alain Maashe

Posted: November 05, 2007 12:21 PM

Brad Ryden, what do you know about Africa? have you ever been there? have you visited all or most African countries to know what is prevalent there? I am African and I am deeply offended by your racist and ignorant remarks. I do not claim that African societies are perfect, like all societies, they have their ills and sometimes such worldliness affects the Church who copies elements from the culture. this was true in the New Testament this is true all over the world today, and the West is no exception. Worldliness in the church takes various expressions in different countries and continents. This is why such interactions are crucial as Christians from the West have things to learn from those of the South and vice versa. The issue at hand it this article is that while the Rwandan Church (which does not represent the Church in Africa) provides an umbrella for orthodoxy in the midst of the Anglican crisis, such alliance also has drawbacks that the US congregations did not foresee

Brad Ryden

Posted: November 05, 2007 11:53 AM

I gave this article five stars for the simple reason it exposes what is kindly referred to as cultural baggage. In reality this is nothing more than hatred, moral and social bankruptcy that is so prevalent in African society as a whole. If these American congregations have chosen to dance with the devil then they will have to accept the consequences. If these congregations had any integrity or intelligence at all then they should do a pastoral exchange for at least five years and have members of the congregations also in exchange programs for a season. These decisions to align are made to quickly, are uninformed and utterly emotional. This is sad indeed. bnr

HP	Posted: November 05, 2007 10:33 AM

It's ironic that Johnson states: "The bigger reality for us is having to accept the whole concept of obedience, and that is a harder cultural pill to swallow than I realized. I'm forced to encounter my own resistance and bias." Especially when such groups as the AMIA have little respect for "obedience" and encountering their own "resistance and bias." It's also disconcerting to see that Christianity Today continues to perpetuate the unthinking assumption that these rogue Anglican congregations in the USA somehow embody orthodoxy just because they say so. Remind me again which of the historic creeds gives a firm position on human sexuality?

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