Latest news published by the Anglican Church of Province of SE
Asia.
-----------------------------------
24 November 2003, Office of the Archbishop of the Province of the
Anglican Church in South East Asia
The Synod of the Province of the Anglican Church of South East Asia
(the Province) unanimously reject the purported consecration of
Dr Gene J Robinson (Robinson) on 2 November 2003 by the Episcopal
Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) in New Hampshire,
as a bishop in the Anglican Church. The Province views the
purported consecration as a flagrant disregard of the fundamental
teachings of the Bible and the long established doctrines of the
Church.
As Dr Gene J Robinson is a practising homosexual who had divorced
his wife and has for the last 13 years been living with a male
partner, the Province cannot and do not recognize his consecration
and ministry in the Anglican church.
In view of ECUSAs action in proceeding with the consecration
despite the warnings and pleas of a large majority of Anglican
churches worldwide, the Province regrets that communion with the
ECUSA as well as those who voted for the consecration and those who
participated in the consecration service is now broken.
This means that the Province no longer treats those in ECUSA who
carried out and supported the act of consecration as brothers and
sisters in Christ until and unless they repent of their action and
return to embrace Biblical truths. At the same time, the Province
remains in fellowship with the faithful believers within ECUSA who
rightly oppose and reject the erroneous actions of their
house.
This decision was made unanimously at an Extraordinary Meeting of
the Synod held in Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia on 20 November 2003. A
copy of the resolution is attached for general information.
For Media Inquiries, please contact:
The Most Revd Datuk YONG Ping Chung
Tel: 088-245846
Fax: 088-245942
Email: [email protected]
Background on the Province of the Anglican Church in South East
Asia
The Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia is a union
of all Anglican churches in South East Asia, with ecclesiastical
responsibility over 9 nations namely: Malaysia (West Malaysia,
Sarawak and Sabah), Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Brunei, Laos and Nepal.
Anglican churches are organized into dioceses, with each diocese
being headed by a Bishop. Each diocese is then part of a province,
which is led by its overall spiritual leader, known
ecclesiastically as the Primate. The Primate of the Province is
currently Archbishop, Most Rev Datuk Yong Ping Chung of the Diocese
of Sabah.
The Anglican Communion is a historical fellowship of Anglican
churches worldwide. They meet formally at Lambeth Conferences
(named after the Lambeth Palace, where the Archbishop of Canterbury
as Primate of the Church of England presides) once every 10 years
for fellowship and to discuss matters concerning church doctrines
and issues that may impact the church and/or society. Provinces are
represented at these Conferences by their bishops and Primates.
There are altogether 38 Primates in the Anglican Communion. In
between Conferences, Primates meet for consultations.
At the Lambeth Conference 1998, the attempt to authorize and
implement public blessing of same-sex unions/marriages was
defeated by a large majority of bishops despite strong lobbying
from ECUSA [Episcopal Church of the United States of America] and
some bishops in England, Canada and Australia. The Province of
South East Asia has consistently maintained that same sex unions
are against the course of nature, totally against Biblical
teachings and Church doctrines and an abomination to God.
extracted from
http://www.anglican.org.sg/break_communion_24nov2003.html