Last week the Church Times carried a report on this, but it only reached the public web today. Other press reports, contemporaneous with this one, are here.
The CT report by Pat Ashworth was headlined ‘Nigerian allegations are false’.
Today’s paper contains nothing further on this.
Posted by Simon Sarmiento on Friday, 13 January 2006 at 10:41pm GMTI'm glad news are picking this up and publishing the fact that the Nigerian Church has offered no proof to back up their claims.
CA is to be commended for coming to the defense of CA-Nigeria and for insisting on process.
Posted by: RMF on Sunday, 15 January 2006 at 2:12pm GMTFinally we have someone verifiable coming forward to say "I was there"! Thank you, New York Times!!
So now we know that the meeting did in fact take place, what now? How will this affect Akinola etc and their anti-Western stance? Not a jot, is my opinion!
Changing Attitude has still not received any evidence from Canon AkinTunde Popoola in support of the unsubstantiated allegations made against Davis MacIyalla.
We have received further evidence from Davis, including his church membership card and the letter of dismissal sent to him by the acting bishop after his bishop in Otukpo died.
We are also in possession of photographs of the meeting taken by an independent photographer.
We intend, web master willing, to post a new page on the Changing Attitude web site tomorrow, Monday, with new pictures and scans, and a request for Canon Popoola to provide evidence in relation to each of the accusations made.
Some of his statements would seem to refer to events that were impossible to perform, let alone provide proof of, such as having contacted all of the more than 10,000 Anglican parishes and 6,000 priests in Nigeria and asked whether Davis was a member of the church or known by any of the priests. If the Canon had really done this, it would be a feat of prodigious proportions, which could not have been accomplished in the same time scale in this country.
Changing Attitude England and Nigeria look forward to a serious engagement by the Church of Nigeria with us as part of their response to the Primates' meeeting and the Windsor report. We are totally committed to the Anglican Communion and to the process of listening to lesbian and gay people, in which we have particular expertise.
Colin
Posted by: Colin Coward on Sunday, 15 January 2006 at 6:23pm GMTNo Elephant In The Room ;=)
Posted by: Göran Koch-Swahne on Sunday, 15 January 2006 at 6:27pm GMTI think the Church in Nigeria has some serious questions to answer. Among them:
Who exactly is Davis MacIyalla defrauding, why is he defrauding, how exactly he is defrauding, what does he hope to gain by it, and how do Nigerian church men arrive at at the illogical position that they may lodge these claims of fraudulous intent and acts and yet offer no evidence at all?
What is the "process" you mention that allows you to poll 10,000 parishes and more than 6,000 clergy to determine with certainty the church attendance of one member?
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?
Posted by: RMF on Sunday, 15 January 2006 at 11:06pm GMT"Who besides yourself authorized your releases?"
Perhaps an appropriate follow-up to that question would be:
Who besides yourself ***authored*** your releases?
Posted by: Nadine Kwong on Monday, 16 January 2006 at 2:19am GMT