I await a statement from Colin Coward on this. It is now up to him and his organization to investigate and get to the bottom of these charges and counter charges. Frankly, I do not trust a statement from Davis Mac-Iyalla.

This seems to run and run... at least there are now some agreed facts regarding the location (if not behaviour) of Mr Iyalla at Otukpo a couple of years ago.. and claims of current membership at two churches that can be verified!

Plus has anyone spoken to the NYTimes reporter yet ?

The comments by officials in the Church in Nigeria regarding this man appear to be complete rubbish and amount to making the leadership out as narrow minded and bigoted.

They have no right to kick Davis out of the church for being gay as their "release" tries to suggest.

This church in Nigeria would be doing better work if it focused instead on living up to its responsibilities and taking clear action to address its nation's serious problems.

Or are they suggesting that only 6 years out from military dictatorship their most pressing concern is gay and lesbians Anglicans in Nigeria?

Given that country's practically zero experience with democratic institutions I wonder how well poised its church structures are to provide any kind of leadership outside its own borders.

It seems hard pressed to provide meaningful leadership within it.

RMF, you must have read a different press release than I did. I didn't see anything about kicking Davis out of the church because he is gay.

All I see is a claim that he has been known to con people in the past. The Church of Nigeria has very little to gain but much to lose if their information is innaccurate. Can the same be said for Davis? That is why I think it is incumbent upon Colin Coward to come up with some information, sooner rather than later. If he has been conned, he would apparently be in good company (with a Bishop in Nigeria and some tabloid reporters and perhaps a NYTimes reporter), and he needs to admit such and move on. It would cause some loss of face in the short term, but I think most would not hold it against him.

Dave C,

Give me a break.

So much for 'innocent until proven guilty'.

Let's see, who do I trust? The bigoted and partisan Church of Nigeria (a while back, when Tunde new NOTHING of Mac-Iyalla, he was keen to cast doubt on his integrity simply because he was a Nigerian and Anglican gay activist - this from an official and ordained representative of the Nigerian Anglican Church, I find truly appalling), or a New York Times staff reporter? I'm not convinced Tunde knows anything more about the man now.

Given the nature of the opposition's tactics, I would urge Changing Attitude Nigeria to work hard at ensuring that all events (and people) are easily and authoritatively verifiable from as many sources as possible in the future.

If these claims by the Church of Nigeria do turn out to be spurious, then I would like a very full explanation as to how Tunde et al justify deliberately conspiring to break one of the ten commandments (bearing false witness, der) and internationally slandering a brother in Christ to further their own agenda.

I expect Changing Attitude to see it as a matter of urgency to direct resources to the answering of each of the CofN claims with authoritative and external sources. I'm afraid, as is evidenced by the above posts, simply posting a contrary opinion on the CA website isn't going to cut it.

Innocent until proven guilty only seems to apply if you are heterosexual or at least in agreement with neo-puritan theology. If you are neither of these things in Nigeria, then God help you, because the Church won't.

To me, this is just another good reason why it is simply impossible to have any meaningful relationship with the church in Nigeria, and why genuine support and development would be much more meaningful given by an Anglican presence without Akinola and his henchmen.

Fantastic!

It seems to me the way to proceed must be for Mr AkinTunde Popoola to verify his accusations, not for Mr Mac-Iyalla (and even less for Mr Coward) to prove them wrong.

Proofs!

It appears that the Church of Nigeria has learned "smear" from the American Anglican Council. Remember the 11th hour sensationalism at the ECUSA 2003 general convention, and the bizarre charges against Bp. Robinson? Lord have mercy on us.

"To me, this is just another good reason why it is simply impossible to have any meaningful relationship with the church in Nigeria, and why genuine support and development would be much more meaningful given by an Anglican presence without Akinola and his henchmen." Merseymike

Absolutely right! It's impossible to eveb think of having any kind of honorable relationship with Akinola and/or his BADNEWS thugs until the Church of Nigeria is restored in TRUTH!

Deceit, ignorance and fear/hate injure and kill LGBT people everyday. Akinola and his propaganda spewing accomplices continue to be shameless and dangerous to other human beings.

The detractors of CA-Nigeria insist that that the burden for disproving charges of criminality and wrongdoing rests on the accused--they offer us a presumption of guilt.

Is this what the leadership of the Church of Nigeria has to offer its people and the greater communion when confronted by the reality of its people, presumptions of wrongdoing and guilt?

Their methods align very closely with undemocratic and dictatorial fiats, not surprising given the culture they are based in but sorely disappointing nonetheless.

What a stark contrast to the sort of leadership exemplified by Archbishop Tutu over many, many years, he is a truly great man and African!

I am surprised that any body would hold up these sorts of leaders and their institutions as models for any sort of wider leadership or direction when they have shown again and again that they do not seem up to the job in their own jurisdictions and when they show how quickly they default to cruelty and nearly outright lies.

The hands of friendship and communion and process have been offered to them again and again. In fact it is they, by (1) removing any mention of Canterbury and its communing bodies from their constitutions and canons, and (2) their attack letter on ++ Canterbury, that have begun to distance themselves from wider fellowship and communion.

I would suggest that it is now difficult to believe anything that comes from the mouth of Akinola, yet alone his henchmen?

Many of us urged Rowan Williams not to go to Egypt, we had certain intelligence that there would be an attempt to discredit him and that in a bid to weaken his status as head of the Anglican Communion, Akinola would be elected as head of the new Global South version of the Anglican Communion.

Peter Akinola denied this in a Press Statement, telling us this gathering was a Bible study and not a “business meeting”.

This proved false, Akinola was installed as “President” and a leadership team was put in place. Then a letter containing a scathing personal attack on Rowan was published at Akinola’s instruction. This deception went too far even for some of the newly elected leadership team who denounced its release as a “scandal”, while other bishops made it clear Akinola had falsely included their names as signatories.

The Primate of Nigeria and his team has lost any claim to credibility – they are deceivers.

Davis and those he traduces should wear his condemnation as a mark of honour.

Even in techo-savvy New York I think it would be difficult to prove that person "X" is not enrolled in some parish or other somewhere in the diocese with any degree of dispatch. In every parish I have served, clergy have neglected to maintain the index portions of their parish rolls, making it very difficult to locate a name, much less prove that one does _not_ exist. When the number of parishes increases from 200 to 6,000, and the number of names to the millions, the task becomes all the more difficult, and the assertion of a thorough search very very hard to believe.

CA seems to have cleared the air in their press release. There is no such church as St Philips Kermo in the three dioceses in the FCT. There is however a St Andrew's Bakana and but it is over 600km from where Davis resides in Abuja. He had been claiming Otukpo before which is also over 250km from both places.

The press release is a warning. He that has ears let him hear.

And Yes! We surely have better things to do than to keep up on this issue.

Thanks folks.

Right. In a country where gays and lesbians are imprisoned and killed, Davis is trying to defraud by calling for the province of Nigeria to end its discrimination against its own gay and lesbian members.

Now the church's website in Nigeria has posted the same rubbish about him that was in the press release, including how it canvassed all 6,000 parishes and determined he never belonged to any of them.

This is simply not credible.

It offers zero proof for any of its slanders against him, whereas Davis' points about the church in Nigeria, are supported by the province's leaders themselves in deed and words.

The leadership of the Nigerian province, if it can even be said that it in fact is still part of the Anglican Communion now that it has called the mother church evil, removed references to it in its constitution, and attacked ++Rowan, is displaying for all the world exactly what it offers the greater communion.

Tunde ; as I have pointed out to you before, I have no particular axe to grind with regard to this individual. I haven't a clue as to whether he is telling the truth or not.

I do, though , have a problem with your church, its attitude towards gay people, and the way that you have mounted this campaign.

It shows all too clearly that you and your church are not prepared to listen unless we accept your view.

Well, we won't, and we don't. So when are you going to go off and do us all a favour, and start your own communion. You can take 20% of the CofE with you, and I'm sure you'll be very happy in your new gay-free, liberal-free zone.

Titus 3:1-2 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

I started to contribute to this debate after the "honourable" global south launched a public paper against Rowan Williams, knowing he was busy on other matters. A paper that was later found to have at least two peoples' names associated without their full knowledge or consent.

This kind of dirty politics led to my leaving Perth during the America's Cup. It is the kind of thuggery we expect from corrupt labour movements, governments or big business. It is not tolerable in a church hierarchy e.g Obadiah 1:10-14.

"We surely have better things to do than to keep up on this issue. Thanks folks." Tunde

Tunde has better things to do than worry about reality and actual TRUTH (not to mention being concerned about the REAL Akinola speciality issues of deceit, discrimination, exploiting and hatemongering against LGBT fellow Christians) from the Church of Nigerias press release(s).

"Busy is as busy does" they say. Or, in the always eyeopening words of my dearly beloved (and departed) friend Charles Benjamin "nobody really knows where the nose goes."

It isn't easy for me to respond to the requests for evidence in support of the Changing Attitude Network Nigeria press release, but I am beginning to collect material together.

I am grateful for AkinTunde for directing me to the Nigerian Church web site in an email sent to me this morning.

I have now searched the web site and found both parishes at which Davis is a member.

The first is the parish of St Philips, Agwanshaho, Kermo Archdeaconry, Diocese of Kubwa, Province of Abuja.

The second is the parish of St Andrews, Bakana, Kalabari North Archdeaconry, Diocese of Niger Delta, Province of Niger Delta. Davis gave me the name of the Vicar - Rev O.E.Waribo.

When in Abuja, Davis was staying with his brother and attending the church at Agwanshaho. He has been living, since leaving the diocese of Otukpo, with his mother who is a member at St Andrew's Bakana. Davis was confirmed there by the late Bishop the Rt Revd Fubara, 10 years ago when St Andrews was celebrating her 100 years anniversary. His first communion was given by the Revd I.O.Samuel.

AkinTunde challenged me in an email this morning to ask Davis all these things: "For proof, ask Davis for the name of the priest, archdeaconry, diocese and bishop. I doubt his ability to give you correct answers." I have, and Davis has given me the answers, including the fact that the parish of St Philips, Agwanshaho is vacant at the moment.

AkinTunde also told me that Davis's "whereabouts in Abuja is known but the Church is not interested in persecuting him nor arresting him for a crime committed hundreds of miles away." As I replied to AkinTunde, in the UK a crime committed anywhere would be prosecuted, if it is as serious a matter as stealing church records and absconding with church funds.

I have never met Davis. I have never met AkinTunde. I have in my possession photographs and evidence from other gay advocates in Nigeria that demonstrate to my satisfaction that Davis exists and that everything I have been able to check against evidence with him reveals that he is telling the truth.

I think that Davis has confronted the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) with a reality that it will do everything to deny, including persecuting Davis - that the Nigerian Church has no gay members who are self-identified as gay, have been baptised and confirmed into the church, and are active members. In the UK, we know this fantasy well, and now live in a church which is considerably more honest, though not yet to our total satisfaction. The church in Nigeria is now being forced to confront the same reality. Canon Popoola, in emails to me, has gradually conceded that opening denials he made about Davis were not true. He will end up having to confess (and I mean confess) that his press release was based on no evidence at all. I challenge him to produce the evidence against Davis.

I have asked Davis to scan and send me his confirmation certificate, and diocesan records from Otukpo that show him still listed in 2004. Changing Attitude believes in arguing truthfully and will gather the facts that demonstrate Davis's honesty and integrity, as people have challenged us to do.

Where are my proofs?

Colin, I think these people who are willing to deceive the Archbishop of Canterbury and the whole Anglican Communion will hardly blink at defaming one of their own.

If there is justice and you are able to demonstrate these allegations are nothing but the lies of corrupt and deceitful people, I hope you are able to take legal action against them for such willful libels.

I am sure that there are many who would support such an action in the Nigerian Courts.

AkinTunde,
You and your church leadership offer unChristian, unfounded, and outrageous charges of lies, guilt, criminality, and every sort of fraudulent activity when confronted by the peaceful and lawful activities of CA-Nigeria.

You now have, in the statement offered up by Colin Coward, the outlines of a clear and strong defense of CA-Nigeria that you likewise outrageously demanded.

Not only has every libelous comment against CA-Nigeria and Davis been made without proof of any kind being presented, it now seems quite clear that Canon Popoola, who disseminated the press releases in the name of the Church of Nigeria, must soon confess to the falsity of these charges or at least, that he made these charges with no evidence.

They are vitriolic and outrageous attacks on this man and his group simply because of who they are and the dignity and justice they rightly insist on.

The leadership's position has been from the beginning, that Davis and CA-Nigeria do not exist; or that they are liars in cahoots with liars in the "Western media," because there is no such thing as gay or lesbian Nigerians, much less gay and lesbian Anglican Nigerians.

At least as outrageous is the statement in the release, that the Nigerian church "disowns" Davis, as if it is enough that their slanderous positions have the authority to so expel.

These lies coming on the heels of the unprecedented and outrageous attacks on ++Rowan and the mother church should make clear that the leadership of the Nigerian church is not prepared to offer any sort of leadership beyond its jurisdiction--because even inside its own borders, it guides in such an uncharitable, unChristian, dictatorial, and downright deceitful manner when confronted by the reality of some of its most vulnerable.

Thanks Martin. I agree that there seem to be no limits to the capacity of some Nigerians for deception and defamation, and this is certainly true in the case of Davis. I still can't quite believe that a senior church official would set out to destroy the reputation one of his church's own members in such a deliberate and calculating way.

We are consulting with other gay Nigerians in London and Nigeria and a Nigerian gay barrister and are exploring whether it is possible to take action to defend Davis's name and prove that the allegations made against him and insinuated in the Nigerian press release are all untrue.

Davis told me last evening that on Monday evening on the NTA 10pm News in Nigeria, there was a report about him and the Anglican Church, but he had only heard from a friend, and I have no independent verification as yet.

We will continue to gather a dossier to demonstrate the truth about Davis, and hope that in other parts of the Communion, Christian values of truth and integrity still prevail over power and a fixation with the Bible as an authority even over God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

So it is now Agwanshaho, in KARMO archdeaconry and not St’ Philips Kermo. and anyway CA now says Davis is not a member, just his brother. And 600km away his mother is a member of another church, yet somehow he lives there but his name was on the church roll in Otukpo where he has not been seen and is unwilling to go since late 2003.

BELIEVE WHAT YOU LIKE

Tunde,

It's frightening to see an institution going after an individual in this manner.

Has this kind of licence to kill been published since Pope Leo X in 1520?

Dr Martin Luther burnt his bull on December 10th, together with the Book of canons - may these two press releases from pope Akinola's office burn too!

But the real question is this: are there Electors Ernests in Nigeria? Is there a Wartburg to go underground?

Are there people in the Church òf Nigeria who see the need for Reform, for Justice? For a less corrupt form of Christianity?

Who will take a stand for the love the Gospel of the Lord?

Tunde,

We don't want to 'believe what we like'; we want to give someone the benefit of the doubt unless we are provided with EVIDENCE that we should believe that Davis, or indeed YOU, has been guilty of some wrong doing.

As it stands, we have seen NO such evidence regarding Davis, but YOU have been (by your persistant and unsubstantiated public defamation of a fellow Christian and countryman) providing plenty of evidence that might cause us to doubt YOUR testimony.

AkinTunde,

The release you submiitted as the official church position on Davis and CA-Nigeria is full of charges with zero proof. In fact, it seems clear that the release is a paper of lies and libels.

Now when you are confronted with the exact evidence and support you demanded, you again persist in the slanders and urge us to "believe what we like," as if we may properly conclude that your libels are legitimate.

You have zero credibility on this matter. Worse, as an official of the church, you try to use it to advance your lies and deception.

Your false charges cannot withstand any scrutiny whatsoever and your persistance in perpetuating them only unerdscores that they are lies.

Davis Mac-Illaya has certainly found a credulous bunch in England and elsewhere if the comments posted here are any guide. No matter how many tales he spins or how far fetched, he must be telling the truth because he is gay, and most of the posters here have already tried and convicted the Church of Nigeria of simply inventing out of whole cloth information about him to persecute him because he is gay. Call me sceptical. With the somewhat sketchy information so far available, as far as I can tell, the balance of evidence suggests that Mac-Illay is a con artist. And I think this is the conclusion that any objective observer would make.

I am glad that Colin Coward is continuing to investigate, though, and I appreciate his efforts as well as Tunde's in an attempt to get to the bottom of this. And even though I believe that it is more likely than not that Mac-Illay is playing fast and loose with the truth, I am willing to await further, more conclusive information, one way or the other.

A con artist to what end? To "con" the church in Nigeria to recognize the gay and lesbians in it?

To "con" the Church in Nigeria to defend some of its most vulnerable?

Hogwash.

It is the leadersip in the Church in Nigeria that has presented charges out of whole cloth, indeed, it seems lies.

It is the leadersip in the Church in Nigeria who themselves state their discrimination against gays and lesbians and then trumpet it.

Tell us what is so far fetched about the goals and legal activities of CA-Nigeria?

Or are you too in the camp of "there are no gay and lesbian Africans, Nigerians, or much less, Nigerian Anglicans and anyone who says so is a charlatan"?

AM, RMF, GK-S,
Despite CA's earlier press release that 'Davis MacIyalla is registered as a member of St Phillips Anglican Church, Kermo FCT, Abuja and St Andrews Anglican Church, Bakana, Degema LGA in Rivers State.' Colin was later to say Davis only attended another similarly named church while visiting with his brother. The other church according to CA is his mother's church, hundreds of kilometres from where he has been known to operate from.

NO one has disputed the FACT that for 2004 and 2005 he was neither a registered nor an active member of any parish in the Church of Nigeria. He also claims according to CA to have been confirmed 10 years ago (1995/1996) by a bishop who retired way back in 1980 when if his age of 33years posted by CA is assumed correct, Davis would be less than 10 years old!

AND PEOPLE STILL WANT PROOF AS IF I STAND TO GAIN OR LOSE SOMETHING BY WARNING THE WORLD NOT TO BE TAKEN IN BY FRAUDSTERS!

Let CA's gay lawyer sue the church or myself if there is need for proof, if Davis wants hard evidence, if he is sure he is being defamed and not just exposed. Then evidences and witnesses will be produced in the court. However like I told Colin, the Church is not interested in his incarceration, but in his repentance. I personally pray for him and have tried repeatedly to meet him.

I am surprised at myself to have kept on so long on this. Now sure that it is no use trying to inform those that have chosen to believe a lie. I will definitely not spare the time again.

Nice blogging with you chaps. Thanks Dave!

Please could we have some hard facts and less vitriol ?

Everyone agrees that Davis MacIyalla was a member or official of the Anglican Church in Otukpo. But disagree about his good standing there.

Davis MacIyalla via CA has said he is now a registered member of two churches: St Phillips Anglican Church, Kermo FCT, Abuja and St Andrews Anglican Church, Bakana, Degema LGA in Rivers State. He is sending his certificates to CA, and these can be verified.

He also claimed to have had a meeting of about 800 gay Anglicans a few weeks ago, sent CA some photos, and the meeting was attended by a NY Times reporter. So she should be able to give some independent verification too.

More light less heat, I pray.. Christ have mercy!

Please feel free to tell us exactly who Davis is defrauding, why he is defrauding, how exactly he is defrauding, what he hopes to gain by it, and how you arrive at your illogical position that you may lodge whatever claim you like and yet offer no evidence at all unless you are forced to in court.

Furthermore, you allege that no one challenges that Davis is not active in church, when he and CA challenge this very thing.

Indeed, the entire purpose of CA-Nigeria is to ensure participation in church.

Additionally, based on your leadership's assaults on lesbian/gay/bisexual people your motives in this issue are quite transparent, and belie your claims to be "helping".

Tell us, AkinTunde:

What must Davis "repent" for?

Are there gay/lesbian/bisexual Africans?

Are there gay/lesbian/bisexual Nigerians?

Are there gay/lesbian/bisexual Anglican Nigerians?

Do you admit the reality of the group CA-Nigeria?

Who besides yourself authorized your releases?

Frankly, if the only interest the Church of Nigeria has is enforcing a repentance of something which gay and lesbian Christians do not believe requires repentance, it further illustrates the unbridgeable divide.

Nigeria can hold its head up with pride in at least one respect. The Revd Richard Kirker, who for more than 25 years has led the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement was born and raised there.

Tunde,

Membership or no is besides the point. How the Church of Nigeria organizes its membership I don't know, nor am I interested.

The case here is that the Church of Nigeria and you personally have in 2 press releases accused Mr Mac-Iyalla, a fellow Nigerian Christian, of fraud and other things.

So far you haven't produced a shred of evidence.

In Swedish law there is a concept which would translate "concludant acting". This means that if you are seen to do A, you cannot claim to be doing B.

Because then you would have be doing B, not A ;=)

Which, translated into the circumstances of this case means, that if there was indeed any foundation what so ever to your accusations of fraud & c, this would be a matter for the police locally, not a national press release from the office of the Primate of the Church of Nigeria...

Once again Tunde, you have to prove your accusations if we are to believe you. As it stands it's not credible.

You also need to explain how you find it Charitable and indeed Christian of an Institution - even less the Church of Christ - to go after an individual in this manner.

And an individual belonging to a group of people which is discriminated against and even persecuted ("jungle justice") in your society, at that.

Which again brings up the question of how the Church of Nigeria witnesses to the consistant teaching of the Lord and of his Church in matters of stonings, forced marriages, polygamy, the civil rights of women and of other groups &c.

AkinTunde is still deliberately refusing to read accurately the information about the parishes at which Davis is a member, or read properly what I have told him about where Davis resides. I am now used to his deliberate obfuscations, and understand the technique he uses.

Canon AkinTunde has again promised that he is withdrawing from the discussion. Let me make a new year's prediction. He won't be able to, because he has initiated something, through his press releases, that is going to develop through 2006. What he has identified as a problem in Nigeria is an issue for the whole Anglican Communion. Is every Province committed to Lambeth 1.10, the Primates' Accord and the Windsor report in their totality? Or are they responding by defaming a gay Nigerian Anglican simply because that is what he is?

Innocent until proven guilty is indeed how I understand the law to work. AkinTunde is taking the high, disdainful ground - "I am above this and I am not responding any more." He has made allegations and he is withdrawing, aloof, without providing any evidence, and indeed, telling me in an email that he has no intention of doing so. I know in whose favour an English court of law would find.

It remains the responsibility of Canon Popoola to provide the evidence and prosecute Davis. If he fails to do so, then I anticipate a successful action against Canon Popoola in the Nigerian court.

This isn't solely about Davis. It's about the place and integrity of lesbian and gay people in every Province of the Anglican Commnunion, and the commitment of the Communion to honour and respect us by listening to us. The church in Nigeria is giving Davis huge notional power by attacking him in this way. On behalf of all gay Anglicans, thank you, Canon Popoola.

Unfortunately this kind of debate and tactics are not confined to the homosexuality arena. In researching why the church was putting so many barriers in the way of my personal ministry, I stumbled across many examples of church structures (including Anglican) being knowingly used by power-mongerers to garnish and protect their domains. Do an internet search and look up Anglican Movement for Ordination of Women Bullying Gippsland. There are some excellent examples from Australia of these tactics being used against NON-homosexuals. (And to give the Victorians their due, they have done a lot of good work to overcome their bullying cliches). Thus the homosexual battle, like the Jewish and Palestian battles, are everyone's battles. Finally, on the official Nigerian church strategy. They have this response because they made the first move. They unilaterally published personally slanderous documents. They failed to provide natural justice. As a Christian and God's servant, it is my duty to protect those who are too weak to protect themselves. And as an aside, in my experience of witnessing political thuggery, there is blackmail to be found against any and everyone. We live in dark times when political thugs resort to breaking peoples' psyche to gain their victory. It is a prryhic victory because even if they succeeding in driving the person to silence, depression or suicide (which happens to those who don't know how to find support), they have lost their souls in the process.

I don't know how different things are in Nigeria compared to the UK, but I think the last time I was officially a member of a church was around ten years ago. There, I was on the church roll or whatever it was called. My name was on the 'register'. It was OFFICIAL.

Since then I have moved around the country and the world and have attended various churches for varying periods of time. I don't think my name was on any of their records and I don't think anyone would particularly remember my name.

I definitely felt that, for the duration of my attendance, I was a 'member' of each of the churches. Some I was actively involved in, some I was not. I still believe I was a valid 'member' of all of them.

Some of these churches were not Anglican, but one that was, in Southampton, I attended for about a year. For the life of me I cannot remember its name. I could guess at it, I have a few vague names that are possible, but I can't be sure.

I think I may be a fraudster.

I will give myself up at the nearest police station forthwith.

Doesn't Nigeria have defamation laws?

A pyrrhic victory on the part of the Nigerian Anglican powers-that-be?

The puritans who rule the Nigerian Anglican Church under the disguise of Anglicanism while actually peddling an entirely different puritanical religion need to be shown up for what they are.

I have worshipped in a parish that was once broad (CC-BKK)only for it to be foolishly handed over to the Singaporeans several years ago whose Bishop has since imposed Sydney Diocese Moore College types on - who have made G L, Anglo-catholic, Broad Church Liberals... basically anyone and everyone who is not anti-G & L and pro-Puritan feel most unwelcome.

A lot more needs to be done to help support G & L Anglicans who find themselves up against 'Global South' neo-puritanism.

Statement by Changing Attitude (England) on Nigeria
5 January 2006

The Rev. Canon AkinTunde Popoola, Director of Communications, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) issued two press releases published consecutively on 28 January 2006 on behalf of the Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola, CON, D.D, Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria.

The press releases directly and by implication make allegations against Mr Davis MacIyalla of dishonesty, fraudulently obtaining church documents and stealing large sums of money including salaries.

Canon Popoola has published these allegations but has produced no evidence to substantiate the very serious claims he has made against Mr MacIyalla. Canon Popoola has also failed to produce evidence of any legal action taken by the Church against Mr MacIyalla in relation to these alleged offences.

Changing Attitude (England) has recognised Mr MacIyalla as the co-ordinator of Changing Attitude Network (Nigeria). We take accusations made against him very seriously. With the help of Mr MacIyalla and other Nigerians we are compiling a dossier to provide evidence of his truthfulness and integrity to be used in any future legal action.

Changing Attitude (England) is taking legal advice about this matter. Canon Popoola must now put verifiable evidence into the public domain.

Colin speaks of a fixation with the Bible as an authority over God and the Lord Jesus. He has the correct order of priority; but nevertheless his system does not work, for 2 reasons:
(1) In Christian discourse, 'God' and 'Jesus' must to some large extent be defined on the basis of biblical data in the first place, albeit there are also other important data.
(2) There are no grounds for his being so unsure about the Bible but simultaneously so sure about what he describes as 'God' and 'Jesus'. For, after all, the doctrines of God and of Christ are equally controversial to the doctrine of the Bible.

"Canon AkinTunde has again promised that he is withdrawing from the discussion. Let me make a new year's prediction. He won't be able to, because he has initiated something..."

I heartily regret to agree you'll get *that* one right, Colin.

[Personally, I am uninterested in whatever else the canon has to say, until he *repents of his sins against the people-whom-God-made-gay*. On that glorious day, I will welcome our reconciliation. God is good! :-D]

Adequate pastoral care needs to be somehow provide to the vulnerable souls (who through no fault of their own) find themselves G or L and living in a diocese whose Bishop is a 'Global South' member.

TEA(transferred episcopal authority) to the ABC (Archbishop of Canterbury)?

Why not invite the Bishops of ALL churches in communion with the Church of England (including the Scandinavian ones)to next Lambeth?

Meanwhile perhaps Bishops could 'show themselves gentle and merciful for Christ's sake to the poor, needy and to all strangers destitute of help' when shepherding their G & L sheep.

Otherwise, I fear the church will remain morally backward when it comes to caring for vulnerable G & L people throughout most of the world.

I think it a sad commentary that this thread is as long as it is, and that there are only two comments with respect to the several thoughtful articles published in the Anglican Theological Review relative to the Windsor Report. I understand the reasons for the vehemence generated by this thread; I just don't see how it is helpful.

Pray, what has the Windsor report to do with defamation?

2dTenor I am glad you have had the time to read through them all. I am still only halfway.

Venting against *injustice*, 2dTenor? It's helpful by being *necessary*! ;-/

[But you're correct in that we need more thoughtful reflection vis-a-vis the ATR as well]

By the vehemence, I was referring to the drift toward ad hominem attacks, not substance.

Has someone been attacked unfairly (apart from Mr Mac-Iyalla that is)?

I wouldnt give the ------ Windsor Report the time of day -- and as for papers on it, and 'theological reflection', I wouldnt waste my energy, on this thoroughly homophobic, hypocritical and typically 'liberal' excercise in prevarication & avoidance.

But practical support of a defamed person, on the ground, must come first every time.