The Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) has denied speculation that its chairman, Bishop Chuck Murphy, has offered to step down in the wake its dispute with its parent church, the Province of Rwanda.Read the rest.
On 28 November 2011, a spokesman for the AMiA told The Church of England Newspaper that a report in the Christian Post that stated Bishop Murphy was going to retire was incomplete.
The resignation of AMiA Bishop Terrell Glenn coupled with a show of no confidence in Bishop Murphy over the planned reorganisation of the American church group by the Rwandan Church had led to speculation the American leader would step down. Sources in the AMiA told CEN they also had been briefed by senior leaders that Bishop Murphy was going to retire, however, the AMiA’s spokesman stated this was incorrect.
“While Bishop Murphy has indicated for quite some time that he plans to step down as Chairman of the Anglican Mission sometime around December 2013, he has not made any ‘formal announcement’ either internally or externally,” spokesman Cynthia Brust said.
Somehow I doubted that the American bishops who placed themselves under the authority of African archbishops were likely to have an easy journey, and it appears that the road is, indeed, a bit rocky at the moment.
The story was first published in The Church of England Newspaper which requires a subscription to read the online version.
Thanks to Ann V. for the link.
Now there's another letter (pdf) to AMiA signed by all the Rawandan bishops, which seems rather ambiguous to me.
I predict that the marriage of convenience between the American Christian right and Central Africa will come undone, not over religion, but over politics.
ReplyDeleteAmerican "interests" and African nationalism will inevitably collide.
To date the most interesting aspect of the AMiA business has been the extent to which the "reasserter" press and blogosphere, which normally marches in near lockstep when it comes to support of schismatic and quasi-schismatic groups (comparison to the party of Stalin will rightly invite derision), seem to be petty objective and open-minded when it comes to discussing and dissecting Chuck Murphy's failings. Not much liked, Bishop Murphy, it seems.
ReplyDeleteThe partnerships seemed to me doomed from the beginning. Apparently there were disagreements about finances, too.
ReplyDeletePlus, Counterlight, the dirty little secret that absolutely no-one, either side of the divide, talks about - that the roots of reasserter hostility to TEC lie not in its support of gay rights, or of women's ordination, but in the class treason that perverted the Republican Party at Prayer, positioning it in the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement's supporters. There is a rich irony in these people's initial and - I am as certain as you - brief marriage of convenience to the Central African provinces.
ReplyDelete[wv "pinizes"]
Indeed Rabbit, that thought occurred to me too. The irony of these offspring of the fight to save segregation and apartheid now playing the role of Champions of Downtrodden Africa is incredibly rich.
ReplyDeleteLester Maddox and Patrice Lumumba have risen up and kissed one another in someone's fevered dream of homosexual menace.
Oh, that dream is rich, Counterlight
ReplyDeleteHow did I get caught up in this story? Lapin, I blame you.
ReplyDeleteI added an update with a link to a letter to AMiA signed by all the Rawandan bishops, which seems rather ambiguous to me.
The Rwandan bishops letter is curious, not least for the two sentences that relate to Terrell Glenn.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the Spaghetti Night video yet?
ReplyDeleteLapin, I saw the video. Such kindly sharing amongst the 'lower creatures'.
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