The Australian Church Record, number 1885, October 2004, has been released.
The first African Anglican Bishops’ Conference (AABC) was held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 26 October to 1 November. The chairman of the conference, the Most Rev. Peter Akinola, Primate of All Nigeria, said in his opening address that Africa and the Church in Africa had come of age. It is time, said Akinola, for the Church to become more firmly rooted in African realities since it cannot be a spectator to the struggles facing the continent.
The president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, addressed the conference and reminded the participants of the corruption, discrimination and poverty facing Africa and the Church in Africa. Comparing Africa’s debt to slavery, he urged the Church to work for social justice in the continent as it had in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The Anglican Communion Network, consisting of 10 dioceses, 1000 parishes and 1200 clergy in America, was represented by the Most. Rev. Bob Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh. He reminded the conference that, “There are tens of thousands for whom I speak, who are at one with you in Africa, for whom our North American Primates do not speak.”
The AABC expressed their gratitude for the presence of the Anglican Communion Network representatives and said, “We grieve with those who are alienated within their own Province because of their stand for the historic faith and order of the Church. We pledge them the full weight and support of our ministries. We pray God’s favour on the Network as we look forward to many new and creative partnerships for the Gospel in the coming years.”
In a statement responding to the Windsor Commission, the bishops urged the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada to “move beyond informal expressions of regret for the effect of their actions to a genuine change of heart and mind.” They also rejected “the moral equivalence drawn between those who have initiated the crisis and those of us in the Global South who have responded to cries for help from beleaguered friends.” The African bishops expressed a concern to end the training of African clergy in western institutions, which they perceived as promoting values that were not in line with either African culture or Christian orthodoxy.
In a statement made at the conclusion of the conference, the bishops said that it was necessary for the Church in Africa to address the problems within theological education in Africa. These included the failure to relate to the socio-political, economic and religious challenges facing Christians in Africa. “We need well-resourced, highly rated and contextually relevant theological institutions that can engage intelligently with our peculiar challenges from an African perspective.” The conference resolved to meet every five years for continued fellowship, support and gospel witness in Africa.