Haase_UZ_x007E_DTh (2).pdf - South African Theological Seminary
Haase_UZ_x007E_DTh (2).pdf - South African Theological Seminary Haase_UZ_x007E_DTh (2).pdf - South African Theological Seminary
156 States, Australia and Canada combined. More Ugandans attend church yearly than in the United Kingdom, even though more than 25 million in the UK identify themselves as Anglican (Isichei, 1995:1). Continental Africa has grown from some 9 million Christian adherents c.1900, to nearly 400 million today. Put another way, about 9.2% of the total population were Christian c.1900, but today some 46.5% of the total. Several studies suggest that if current growth trends continue, African Christianity could approach 600 million adherents by 2025. The current rift within global Anglicanism has been swelling for years, largely a clash between Conservative non-Westerners and Liberal Westerners. Tensions swelled enormously following the 2003 consecration of practicing homosexual Gene Robinson to Bishop of New Hampshire (USA). Canadian Anglicans, under Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, sided with the EC-USA, affirming the “integrity and sanctity of committed adult same-sex relationships” (LeBlanc). Nigerian Archbishop Peter Jasper Akinola, Henry Luke Orombi and others stand fully opposed to this apostasy, and are openly critical of their Western counterparts. In routine meetings that occurred shortly after Robinson’s consecration, Akinola and about a dozen other Anglican primates refused to participate in the joint Eucharist, meant as a show of Anglican unity and toleration. Bishop Akinola said “unity of doctrine preceded unity of worship” (LeBlanc). Some Liberal Westerners consequently called for the excommunication of Archbishop Akinola, because he challenged the traditional authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury -- who has no formal authority outside the UK. In Anglicanism, the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered the primus inter pares, or first among equals. The stand Bishop Akinola took was supported by many around the world. This is another indication that the long Western hegemony over global Christianity is coming to an end. Hence, as Archbishop Akinola said: “We do not have to go through Canterbury to get to Jesus” (LeBlanc). Bishop Akinola has worked faithfully inside the Anglican Church for years attempting to bring unity and orthodoxy; but obviously to no avail. Dozens of US churches have asked for ‘alternative oversight,’ and two of the nation’s largest and wealthiest Episcopal congregations, Truro Church and The Falls Church, both located in the Virginia suburbs University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
157 of Washington, D.C., have now done the same, asking to come under the oversight of the Anglican province headed by Akinola. Archbishop Akinola began pushing for a more independent Nigerian church increasingly distanced from those he and his fellow Africans believe are apostate, yet gladly welcome all who seek to faithfully follow Christ with him. The African primates know that money from the West has been crucial to their existence, but are determined not to sacrifice integrity for money. They would rather suffer financial strain for a while, than compromise the integrity of the faith. Akinola and the other African primates now encourage their African brethren to stand united, depending on God to supply their needs, not the heterodox Westerners. They believe the present crisis signals that it is time to stop depending on the West, to begin trusting God as never before, to see Him establish a strong indigenous African church. Rwandan Bishop John Rucyahana of the Diocese of Shyira said, “To be honest, there is not enough money for the needs we have in Rwanda after the [1994] genocide, but if money is being used to disgrace the Gospel, then we don’t need it” (Duin). The Anglicans of Uganda report a similar situation, adding that the conservative American churches have partially filled the void created when the Africans refused funds from the Liberal churches. “Bill Atwood, general secretary of Ekklesia Society, an international Anglican network, just returned from a tour of Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda and called the lack of money for Africans ‘scandalous’” (Duin). Independent reports attest to the fact that African Anglicans are literally starving to death, rather than accept funds from heterodox Anglican groups. Rwandan and Tanzanian bishops will apparently soon join with the Anglican archbishops of Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda -- who alone oversee more than 30 million adherents to the faith. At last years African primates meeting, the archbishop of Congo told his fellow primates that his people were starving, many eating as little as one meal per day. Western Anglicans have tens of millions of dollars in available funds, but the Africans are more determined than ever to stay the course. Kenyan Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi said recently, in effect, that he and his people would rather starve to death than compromise the integrity of the Christian faith as the Western church has done. University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Page 105 and 106: with relativism, pluralism and no a
- Page 107 and 108: 107 our first love -- Jesus Christ
- Page 109 and 110: 109 and the life. No one comes to t
- Page 111 and 112: Those who truly know Jesus Christ a
- Page 113 and 114: future was no longer heaven, but a
- Page 115 and 116: 115 An Apologetic Response Beyond t
- Page 117 and 118: uilding constructed on a shifting s
- Page 119 and 120: component of the overall package, b
- Page 121 and 122: irrelevant. The postmodernist, like
- Page 123 and 124: 123 terminate this inquiry with the
- Page 125 and 126: consider the spiritual truths the B
- Page 127 and 128: people are to effectively participa
- Page 129 and 130: witness among the Gentiles, by usin
- Page 131 and 132: 131 Chapter VI Postmodernity and th
- Page 133 and 134: Postmodernism enhances the process
- Page 135 and 136: 135 Yet, with few exceptions, the W
- Page 137 and 138: 137 Rome, ‘The Way’ (i.e., Chri
- Page 139 and 140: were the changes made to the clergy
- Page 141 and 142: of transforming it... Christendom i
- Page 143 and 144: society. State authorities quite of
- Page 145 and 146: “The subtle assumption of Western
- Page 147 and 148: The church should instead take a Ch
- Page 149 and 150: 149 Christendom West. For example i
- Page 151 and 152: not know what it means to be indepe
- Page 153 and 154: creative times has been, about doin
- Page 155: 155 Ours is not a faith rooted in i
- Page 159 and 160: says, “Homosexual practice is inc
- Page 161 and 162: the position held by the non-Wester
- Page 163 and 164: 163 Chapter VII Postmodern Spiritua
- Page 165 and 166: With the dawn of the Enlightenment,
- Page 167 and 168: contemporary West look not to the c
- Page 169 and 170: adherence overall declined from 86.
- Page 171 and 172: 171 (Johnson, 2004). Contemporary n
- Page 173 and 174: 173 The postmodernists undertook th
- Page 175 and 176: deconstruction leads to a foundatio
- Page 177 and 178: 177 postmodernity has opened the do
- Page 179 and 180: Pagans are usually worshippers of t
- Page 181 and 182: most Catholics in Brazil. Many Musl
- Page 183 and 184: which is one of the key factors tha
- Page 185 and 186: 185 1980:viii). For example, when t
- Page 187 and 188: 187 the higher religions. The pleth
- Page 189 and 190: whose wrath has been and will be di
- Page 191 and 192: in the movies, further fulfilling t
- Page 193 and 194: to ancient Greek writings, the post
- Page 195 and 196: 195 more, the atoning work of Jesus
- Page 197 and 198: 197 to develop. Even after several
- Page 199 and 200: 199 excesses of scientism and reduc
- Page 201 and 202: Carson, D.A., ed. (2000). Telling t
- Page 203 and 204: Grudem, W. (1994). Systematic Theol
- Page 205 and 206: McMichael, P. (2004). Development a
156<br />
States, Australia and Canada combined. More Ugandans attend church yearly than in the<br />
United Kingdom, even though more than 25 million in the UK identify themselves as<br />
Anglican (Isichei, 1995:1). Continental Africa has grown from some 9 million Christian<br />
adherents c.1900, to nearly 400 million today. Put another way, about 9.2% of the total<br />
population were Christian c.1900, but today some 46.5% of the total. Several studies<br />
suggest that if current growth trends continue, <strong>African</strong> Christianity could approach 600<br />
million adherents by 2025.<br />
The current rift within global Anglicanism has been swelling for years, largely a clash<br />
between Conservative non-Westerners and Liberal Westerners. Tensions swelled<br />
enormously following the 2003 consecration of practicing homosexual Gene Robinson to<br />
Bishop of New Hampshire (USA). Canadian Anglicans, under Archbishop Andrew<br />
Hutchison, sided with the EC-USA, affirming the “integrity and sanctity of committed<br />
adult same-sex relationships” (LeBlanc). Nigerian Archbishop Peter Jasper Akinola,<br />
Henry Luke Orombi and others stand fully opposed to this apostasy, and are openly<br />
critical of their Western counterparts.<br />
In routine meetings that occurred shortly after Robinson’s consecration, Akinola and<br />
about a dozen other Anglican primates refused to participate in the joint Eucharist, meant<br />
as a show of Anglican unity and toleration. Bishop Akinola said “unity of doctrine<br />
preceded unity of worship” (LeBlanc). Some Liberal Westerners consequently called for<br />
the excommunication of Archbishop Akinola, because he challenged the traditional<br />
authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury -- who has no formal authority outside the UK.<br />
In Anglicanism, the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered the primus inter pares, or<br />
first among equals. The stand Bishop Akinola took was supported by many around the<br />
world. This is another indication that the long Western hegemony over global<br />
Christianity is coming to an end. Hence, as Archbishop Akinola said: “We do not have to<br />
go through Canterbury to get to Jesus” (LeBlanc).<br />
Bishop Akinola has worked faithfully inside the Anglican Church for years attempting<br />
to bring unity and orthodoxy; but obviously to no avail. Dozens of US churches have<br />
asked for ‘alternative oversight,’ and two of the nation’s largest and wealthiest Episcopal<br />
congregations, Truro Church and The Falls Church, both located in the Virginia suburbs<br />
University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, <strong>South</strong> Africa
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