TRADITIONAL ANGLICAN COMMUNION
(A Statement issued by the Very Reverend Canon Pierre Dil, Dean Emeritus, Lusaka Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Zambia, in which he defines reasons for transferring allegiance to the Traditional Anglican Communion)
We feel the Canterbury Anglican Communion is terminally ill. As things stand now, we feel it has lost its claim to being a biblical Church. Our reasons are :-
(a) The decline of BIBLICAL FAITH demonstrated by the teaching of anti-Christian doctrines by many of its bishops, and the lack of doctrinal discipline which accepts even unbelievers among its clergy. Bishops and priests and seminary lecturers freely function in the Church even when they deny core, Christian doctrines, including : the Triune nature of God; the concept of sin; the Fall of Man and necessity for his Redemption; the Virgin Conception and Incarnation of Our Lord; the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God, Lord and Saviour; His miracles; Atonement on the cross; His resurrection, and Second Coming; the existence of heaven and hell and the reality of Judgement, and even the very existence of God Himself.
(b) The weakening of BIBLICAL MORALITY, particularly demonstrated by the condoning and/or promotion by many clergy of homosexual conduct, fornication, adultery and divorce as morally acceptable "alternative life styles". Many bishops now ordain openly active and unrepentant practitioners of sexual immorality, both homo- and hetero-sexual, support the blessing of same sex "marriages", other non-marital sexual relations, and divorce - and refuse theological training or ordination to devout, biblical Christians with a vocation to the ministry who regard these practices as sinful. The recent Lambeth Conference 1998 resolutions condemning homosexual activity are openly and officially rejected in many dioceses.
(c) The unilateral departure by provinces of the Anglican Communion from the apostolic BIBLICAL MINISTRY, shared with other branches of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, by the "ordination" of women as priests and bishops. Thus, a vital mark of our catholicity was removed, and this validity and efficacy of its sacraments cast into grave doubt. This has created serious divisions and impaired communion among its remaining members, and also brought about grave ecumenical consequences. Also, in some provinces of the Communion, devout Christian men who are called by God to the priesthood are denied ordination because they believe Christ did not authorise women to be priests or bishops.
(d) In many Anglican churches traditional, BIBLICAL LANGUAGE AND LITURGIES have been replaced by feminist and pagan alternatives. Some of these refuse to call God "Father", despite Jesus Himself using that very name some 170 times - and Jesus "Son", and avoid using "He", "His", and "Him" for either the Father, the Son or the Holy Ghost. Other "approved liturgies" - address God as "She" and deliberately avoid Trinitarian formulae. Many now project pantheistic "creation spirituality", worshipping the "Earth Mother" and the god/goddess within us", and performing blasphemous mockeries of the Holy Communion with milk, honey, and even blood.
(e) Many bishops and senior clergy responsible for these "innovations" in Christianity, ACTIVELY DISCRIMINATE against those who oppose them in still more ways. Advancement to senior positions in the Church is denied to orthodox clergy, "positive discrimination" in favour of women "priests" is practised regardless of ability, biblically faithful clergy are threatened with withdrawal of their licences, orthodox parishes are down-graded to mere "missions", or deprived of their property and other material assets and expelled from dioceses altogether.
Many African Anglicans may either not be aware of the fact that their Church has been hijacked by half-believers and unbelievers, or may feel that while all is well at home, there is no need to be concerned. They are reminded of Paul's warning in 2 Cor. 6:14,15. Furthermore, our own bishops are in fellowship with bishops who preach another gospel; they accept funding from them. We believe that biblical Christians can no more be in communion with false Christians than Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the truth and the Life, can be in communion with the Father of Lies.
The truth is that the much boasted about Anglican "comprehensiveness" has in fact led to spiritual chaos and outright paganism. Anyone who doubts this should read Bishop Jack Spong's "Twelve Theses to reform Christianity" - anyone who says that Spong's brand of Christianity is exceptional must realise that hundreds of Anglican bishops agree with him privately or publicly.
Anglicans in the Diocese of Lusaka have not only the spiritual burden of belonging to a Communion that allows so much unfaithfulness in its midst - they also have to contend with serious anomalies in the local church.
Zambian Anglicans are therefore now called upon to give their allegiance to the "faithful remnant" of Traditional Anglicanism For further details contact :
The Very Revd Canon Pierre J. Dil
Dean Emeritus Lusaka Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Private Bag RW304X,
LUSAKA, Zambia.
E-mail mecdil@zamnet.zm