Prayers for Nigeria, in light of the plane crash (including the death of the nation's Muslim leader).

Lord have mercy!

I wonder how large a "fund" we could RAISE when appealing to LGBT people, our families, our friends and smart/sane folk everywhere/anywhere of ALL skin colors and religious flavors worldwide while ignoring +Akinola and his hatefilled nonsense/grandstanding and his silly campaign of promoting fear and international bigotry/stupidity?

We could donate the "interest" from our huge "fund" to help heal ALL AIDS victims and AIDS Orphans in Nigeria, Uganda and beyond!

+Akinola is having trouble staying focused on the REALITY of "what is REAL priority" in the Christian life.

Digging other Christian and Muslim peoples graves is not a wise idea I've been told.

I will admit that I am unclear about the concept of "delegations" from Nigeria. I was aware that bishops might bring their spouses, but was not aware of any others.

I was struck more immediately at the thought of 20 additional bishops from Nigeria. In "98 the great growth in Africa and Asia brought many new bishops from those provinces. Some reports have suggested that the sheer numerical change had some affect in driving the Lambeth statement on homosexuality, especially after the decision not to accept the prepared committee statement.

In '08 20 new bishops from Nigeria, equivalent of almost 20% of the bishops of the Episcopal Church, could affect any balance within the Lambeth Conference, should Nigeria decide to attend Lambeth. Should Nigeria decide not to attend, 20 additional bishops would affect even more the balance of a smaller contra-Lambeth.

I'm not saying that these considerations were the reasons for establishing new dioceses. If God is moving so powerfully in Nigeria we can all offer praise. I am simply noting this (probably secondary) effect, and how it might influence Lambeth or any contra-Lambeth.

`If God is moving so powerfully in Nigeria we can all offer praise.'

My question is, how do you tell what is `God moving' and what is political scheming backed-up by force of numbers?

Do you think ++Abuja's had one of those Nigerian-sourced emails offering countless millions in exchange for a few bank details? If so, the bank balances of the entire province could be empty in weeks!

The news reproduced below, from the Changing Attitude Nigeria article, is very interesting indeed. Martin Reynolds+ has hinted recently that something like this has been going on in the background, but can anyone else confirm it? Just how big a disaster for Archbishop Akinola was the Kigali Declaration?

Possibly related: the "Forty Days of Discernment" for Truro Church (Virginia), where the Nigerian Bishop Martyn Minns was formerly the Episcopal rector, are now over. No decision as to leaving the Episcopal Church has been made by the vestry.

"What isn’t being generally reported is that the Nigerian leadership is now worried and confused because they no longer trust most of the supposedly anti-gay coalition of Global South Provinces and bishops. [...]

"From the point of view of Changing Attitude Nigeria, the good news is that Archbishop Peter Akinola is worried whether he will in reality be able to hold his own, independent Lambeth conference. If this doesn’t succeed and he indeed attends Lambeth 2008 in Canterbury, he is not 100% confident that the majority of bishops would vote in his favour, were the gay issue to be put to a vote."

"Possibly related: the "Forty Days of Discernment" for Truro Church (Virginia), where the Nigerian Bishop Martyn Minns was formerly the Episcopal rector, are now over. No decision as to leaving the Episcopal Church has been made by the vestry."

On their website they have a brief notice that from Oct 29 to Nov 5 they are having a period of prayer and fasting. This is a new liturgical one on me. I thought these folks were against what they see as innovations. The time includes All Saints, the investiture of PB-elect Jefferts Schori, and, uh, ends on Guy Fawkes Day.

This suggests several possibilities, such as a ritual burning of a 'guy' dressed as ... oh, let's not go there.

Does the term 'drama queen' fit?

"Each member of the Church of Nigeria has paid 5,000 naira (approximately £21 or $39) in advance to create an endowment fund which has been invested in banks and savings accounts. The interest on these deposits is considerable"

Usury funding the stacking of a political process. Even if you accept the 500 year old accomodation of usury, the political machinations seem pretty obvious, and not very Christian, IMNSHO. And here I thought the bishops gathered at Lambeth to seek the guidance of the Spirit. Just naive, I guess, and, in retrospect, perhaps not such a new thing after all.

' And, by the by, I hold the Church of Nigeria (Anglican) in some admiration for its firm stance on autonomy:

“Section5. In the interpretation of the aforementioned formularies and in all questions of Faith, Doctrine and Discipline, the decisions of the Ecclesiastical tribunals of the Church of Nigeria shall be final.”

Wonderful quotation from the Church of Nigeria Constituion, in the Preludium website (link above). In other words they only care for 'what is hammered on their own anvil' --but god help anyone else who tries it !

Sure - the Nigerian church is stuffing the ballot box by making new bishops! Get a grip! How many bishops are there in the US? 100 or so with jurisdiction? For a total of about 2 million members and ASA of about 700,000. Nigeria has 18 million Anglicans and most of them are in church on Sunday. How many bishops does it have? Would you like to do the math and determine who has a disproportionate voice at Lambeth based upon numbers? And what about the mother country? How many bishops does it send to Lambeth and how many worshippers do they represent. On any given Sunday there are more Anglicans at worship in Nigeria than in the US, Great Britain, Canada, Auustralia and New Zealand, combined. Do they have anywhere near the same number of bishops? And in Nigeria, the bishops actually have to work. They are responsible to build and open new churches and bring converts into a saving relationship with Our Lord.

Tim asks: "My question is, how do you tell what is `God moving' and what is political scheming backed-up by force of numbers?" Simple enough - when TEC does it at GC, it is God moving. When the rest of the Communion acts (Lambeth 1.10, Windsor and Dromantine, Kigali, etc.) it is political scheming. What is truth, Pilate asked? Answer: whatever the majority says it is regardless of Scripture, 2,000 years of tradition and the common witness of virtually every Christian who has ever lived.

Rather atheism than the sort of christianity promoted by the Nigerian church

Colin seems to be referring to the Church of Nigeria Endowment fund which came about because the church need to fund a vision (http://www.anglican-nig.org/vision.htm) developed in the year 2000. This was long before New Westminster or Gene and is borne out of a desire to do mission without being hindered by paucity of funds. Over the years we have constantly evaluated the plans and progress of the vision. The goals and aspirations epitomized in the Vision statement however remain unchanged.

I do pray that Colin and others will realize that we have been working with a vision that says;

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) shall be; bible-based, spiritually dynamic, united, disciplined, self supporting, committed to pragmatic evangelism, social welfare and a Church that epitomizes the genuine love of Christ".

"who has a disproportionate voice at Lambeth"

See, DaveG, I would say human beings have by far the disproportionate voice at Lambeth. We are supposed to be listening to the spirit, not each other. As long as we think in terms of democratic, or monarchical, or any other kind of representation of OUR voice, at any such gathering, we are not only missing the point, but following our own ideas instead of God's. We are not members of the Republic of God. It's called the Kingdom for a reason, and the King isn't ++Abuja, or any other bishop or archbishop for that matter. And do you really think that the creation of all those new dioceses right now is all about providing episcopal guidance for Nigerian Christians?

Thank you Ford - you are exactly right. And in light of that, please go back and examine the comment to which I was replying. Marshall Scott offered the perspective that "in '08 20 new bishops from Nigeria, equivalent of almost 20% of the bishops of the Episcopal Church, could affect any balance within the Lambeth Conference, should Nigeria decide to attend Lambeth."
And now please also examine TEC's contentions as to why the election of +VGR is no one's business but that of TEC. After all, didn't a majority support that innovation?
What are we to make of a church whose discernment of the HS is predicated 100% upon the vote of the majority? Please tell me how to reconcile TEC's actions with your observation - one with which I agree entirely.

"This number were expected to join in a mass protest against western tolerance of LGBT people in the Anglican Communion."

This quote initially made my blood run cold. But, on further contemplation, I think it would be a good idea. I would venture to bet that, were there to be such a protest, opposition to "western tolerance of LGBT people", in itself an appallingly unChristian statement, would be exposed as based not on biblical principals, as these "Conservatives" do vainly talk, but upon hatred pure and simple. Those who fall for the "hate the sin, love the sinner" lie would see the hatred of the sinner laid bare. Bring it on! Put your cards on the table! If you can't see why this made my blood run cold, replace "LGBT people" with whatever particular group you belong to. Try "western tolerance of people with red hair" for example. At least redheads can dye their hair.

That is not a quote from ++Peter nor from any Nigerian bishop. It is the surmise of the author of the article, someone belonging to Changing Attitudes. So if your blood runs cold, I guess the author met his goal -- to inspire disdain for Nigerian Anglicans. Ford - Have you ever met Peter Akinola or spent any time with him? I have including some quality one on one time. He does not deserve to be demonized any more than does Bishop Robinson. He has implemented some terrific programs in Nigeria under conditions that none of us face - including an environment in which Christians and their clergy are regularly harrasssed, persecuted, beaten and even murdered for their beliefs.

DaveG,
No, I haven't, and I suspect that Nigerian Christians are enduring what you describe not only for their beliefs, but for ours as well. Mullahs do preach against Christians because of what they see as the decadence of the West in being tolerant to (ie not stoning) gay people. I have posted previously on what I think of us taking actions that will mean the lives of Christians half a world away. And the quote did not inspire disdain for Nigerian Anglicans. Fear of what their leadership wants to do to people like me, but not disdain. And in discussion of the hypothetical, and idealistic, situation in which Westerners might go to Nigeria to try to protect Nigerian Christians from violence as a result of the pro-gay actions of the West, no less a person than Tunde Popoola stated that he would do nothing to stop people who would throw me throw me in jail, or anything else, merely because I am gay. So, I think maybe my fear is justified. And the doing of good works, which I have never denied that ++Akinola has done, does not negate the fact that he supports a law that would jail gay people and those who are in any way supportive of us. Sorry, but the doing of good works no more makes an angel than the doing of bad ones makes a demon. I can see both good and bad in ++Akinola and the Nigerian Church, can you not do so as well? I'd also suspect your one on one time with my lord of Abuja would have a very different quality indeed if you were a gay man.