Battling 'liberal' Church policies

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By Robert Pigott Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News, Jerusalem

Traditionalist Anglicans claiming to represent at least half of the membership of the worldwide communion, and more than a third of its bishops, have declared war on what they call the "false teaching" used to justify active homosexuality.

The Anglican Church is being destroyed by false teaching of the Bible on issues such as homosexuality The Rev Rod ThomasReform

They have set up what amounts to a church within a church in order to organise for a long struggle against the ordination of gay clergy, the blessing of gay relationships, and what they claim is a drift towards accepting other religions as offering "equal access to God".

The Rev Rod Thomas, of the conservative Church of England group Reform, helped to formulate the organisation's strategy.

He claimed that traditionalists had been forced to create a new alliance to prevent the Bible being rewritten by liberal Anglicans to suit their current lifestyles.

"The Anglican Church is being destroyed by false teaching of the Bible on issues such as homosexuality", he said.

"We are gong to stand against this trend, and spread the true message of the Bible with confidence."

Traditionalists believe the Bible rules out active homosexuality, for example.

Road to schism?

They met in Jerusalem to bolster their claim that they were in touch with the authentic teaching of the early Church.

The group emphasises its intention of staying inside the Anglican Communion, but the alliance's mission statement appears to be a significant step towards eventual schism.

It is ready to send bishops anywhere in the world if traditionalist Anglicans call for help in countering liberal policies which in the view of the "Primates' Council" undermine strict biblical teaching.

The Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, said the "revisionist agenda which we've seen in the same-sex agenda is a missionary one and will spread its views as much as it can.

Traditionalists want to counter liberal policies "So the rest of us have to do missionary work to defend the gospel and to promulgate it."

The American Church is likely to be the first target for intervention by the new alliance.

Traditionalists are breaking off relations with the liberal wings of the American and Canadian Churches, and intend to set up a new church for conservatives who have split away from them in protest at the ordination of an openly gay bishop in 2003.

Intervention

Dr Jensen said there was no reason why the Church of England itself would be exempt from intervention by the new Primates' Council.

"Theoretically, any church, anywhere, that did the same as the Americans could expect traditionalists to complain and the primates to act", he said.

Did that mean sending bishops in to minister to traditionalists? "Indeed it does…that's the way the Anglican Church works."

That is fiercely disputed by liberals who say Anglicanism has always been about mutual tolerance and inclusion, and a long tradition of non-interference in each other's territories.

The Dean of Southwark, the Very Rev Colin Slee, said the traditionalists had lost their nerve and backed away from leaving the Communion to set up their own church.

He said: "They've realised the Communion is a better boat to fish from".

'Jerusalem declaration'

Despite remaining inside the Anglican Communion, the traditionalist alliance will operate without reference to the Archbishop of Canterbury. It rejects his traditional role as arbiter of who can be defined as an Anglican.

The "Jerusalem Declaration" issued at the end of their week in the city, makes clear that they intend to grow.

But the Jerusalem traditionalists will have to be careful how they proceed.

It is partly to avoid the chaotic intervention in the United States by several different African churches, setting up parallel organisations that has led to their new strategy.

The battle now is for the support of moderate conservatives, the substantial body that is unhappy with the Episcopal Church in American and with Canadian dioceses that bless gay partnerships, but have a deep affection for the Communion and did not go to Jerusalem.

The alliance may be hoping to lie in wait, expecting more gay bishops in America, and officially sanctioned services of blessing for same-sex couples.

Archbishop Peter Jensen accepted that their behaviour was "unusual" for Anglicans. But he said "these are unusual times".