The Anglican Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has strongly opposed the election of Bishop Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales, citing her openly lesbian lifestyle as a departure from the teachings of the Christian faith.
Archbishop and Primate of the church in Nigeria, Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba made this rebuttal in a statement on Sunday, while calling for prayers for the Church of Wales.
The Archbishop in his statement opposed the lifestyle of Bishop Vann as a contradiction to the teachings of the Bible and faulted her election as the head of the church. Most Rev’d Ndukuba also enjoined Christians to reject people and teachings contrary to biblical teachings, while remaining steadfast in the practice of the faith.
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognise the election of Vann as Archbishop of Wales.
“We will strive to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism, and holy Christian living.
“We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will build His Church, and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
“We call upon faithful Christians of the Anglican fold to denounce, reject, condemn, and expel the rebels in our midst, while we realign ourselves with Anglican remnants scattered in troubled dioceses all over the world”
He emphasised the need for continuous prayers for the church, especially the Church of England, so that they will not follow in the same steps.
“The Church of Nigeria also called for prayer for the Church of Wales, hoping that the Church of England will not follow in her steps.”
“We should hold them in our prayers with a clear message that hope lies only in true repentance and godliness.
Otherwise, the church will lose complete relevance in the divine scheme for the people of Wales, and the leaders in compromise shall not be spared in time of judgement.”
As controversies trail the election of the Archbishop of Wales, the Archbishop, Bishop Cherry Vann, has responded to the growing opposition, stating that gay marriage in the church is inevitable.
Speaking In an Interview granted on Sunday with The Guardian UK, she said that “Gay marriage in church is inevitable, I think: the question is when.
There are people who are very opposed, and as leader, I have to honour their position, which is theologically grounded. It isn’t my job to push something through that would alienate a good proportion of clergy,” she said.
Cherry Vann is not only the UK’s first female archbishop but also the first openly gay and partnered bishop to serve as a primate in the Anglican Communion. She has been together with her civil partner Wendy Diamond, for about 30 years and has publicly acknowledged it for 5 years upon her appointment as Bishop of Monmouth.
