Anglican Church tackles same sex marriage

The conference holding at the Christian Centre Abuja is follow up of its maiden edition last year. Announcing the conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Most Rev Nicholas Okoh said the conference will draw participants from the UK, USA, Kenya, Uganda and West African states. The primate […]

The conference holding at the Christian Centre Abuja is follow up of its maiden edition last year.

Announcing the conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Most Rev Nicholas Okoh said the conference will draw participants from the UK, USA, Kenya, Uganda and West African states.

The primate explains:  “One thing joins us together. That is biblical orthodoxy. This we mean people who uphold the teaching of the scripture and will want to promote it.

“It sounds strange that we will be talking about people who uphold the teaching of the scripture in church. The truth is that in some sections of the church, they’re riding rough on the message of the scripture. In fact, some are outright attacking and destroying it.

“This is why in 2008, the Church of Nigerian Anglican Communion and other churches like that around the world who strongly hold to the position of the scripture had their meeting in Jerusalem and adopted what is called the Jerusalem Declaration. Those who signed to that Jerusalem Declaration are the people who are free to participate in this conference.

“This conference is small edition of the universal one called GAFCON.

“We decided to do so because the attacks coming on the scripture are affecting the life of the people. If you believe wrongly, you’ll live wrongly.

“If you misinterpret the scripture to create allowance for homosexuality then you’re likely to accept it as a normal way of life. And then you’re likely to accept the radical redefinition of the family that a man and a man can marry and a woman and a woman can marry.

“That radical definition is unbiblical and unacceptable. People to attend this conference are people who do not subscribe to man-man marriage or woman-woman marriage. We are people who believe that the provision made by God is adequate.

“Two people in this universe, a man and a woman—even in the animal kingdom, we have male and female and in this way, they reproduce their kind to continue God’s purpose for their lives.”

He said the conference will set the standard for teaching of the scripture for the church of God and God’s children everywhere in the world.

He said during the conference, ills bedeviling the country will be tackled.

He lamented that many dioceses of his church have been badly affected by the floods that ravaged Nigeria.

He said members of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion all over Nigeria as well as those concerned about the ills bedeviling Nigeria will enter a seven-day fasting and praying which starts from 12th to 17th November 2012.

On police watching churches for worshippers to pray, he said, “It is very abnormal but it is forced on us by circumstances beyond our control.

“Not only that we’re being policed, we even have to get the police to check the church before we can go in. It is as bad as that.

“We’re not happy about it. But how do we stop it? Unless those who’re pursuing us will give up.

“We pray that they give up because if they don’t, they’ll push everybody to the edge. And if they push everybody to the edge, they too will be consumed in the whole thing including those people who’re promoting it.