The Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern
Africa (ACSA) met in Midrand, Gauteng, from 7 to 9 September 2009, to
share in prayer, fellowship and breaking bread together. We reflected
on passages from the Gospel according to St Luke, guided by homilies
from His Grace, the Archbishop of Cape Town. Conscious of the call to
uphold our faith with justice and mercy, and in dependence upon Christ’s
example, his leading, and his sustaining, we discussed a breadth of
issues currently before our Church.
The Synod was disturbed by various recent reports in the
media to the effect that the world-wide Anglican Communion and the
Anglican Church in Southern Africa are on the brink of schism. We want
to assure the faithful that these reports are grossly exaggerated and,
in some cases, a misrepresentation.
Our worldwide Anglican Communion has for a number of
years been struggling with the issue of human sexuality without, as yet,
having reached any significant consensus. There are, indeed, broken and
damaged relationships within the Communion, but there is still a deep
desire among the bishops throughout the world to maintain the bonds of
unity in obedience to the High Priestly prayer of our Lord that “they
may be one as we are one” (Jn 17:21).
To this end ACSA is committed to the Communion’s
exploration of an Anglican Covenant, as a means of providing a basic
statement of the common faith and mission that holds the Anglican
Churches together in visible community. It is hoped this will make
explicit what it means to live in interdependence, and will articulate
more clearly the basis of the “bonds of affection” between us that we
now enjoy.
We, the Bishops and the Anglican Church of Southern
Africa, have, on a number of occasions, spelt out our common mind at
this stage of our journey with the world-wide Communion. We believe
that we are called to love others with God’s unconditional, sacrificial
love and do not believe sexual orientation is a barrier to leadership
within the church. However, maintaining as we do, that Christian
marriage is a lifelong union between one man and one woman, we hold that
clergy unable to commit to another in a Christian marriage partnership
are called to a life of celibacy.
We have also received the resolution of the Diocese of
Cape Town requesting us to provide guidelines for the pastoral care of
those in committed same sex relationships. Despite the misconceptions
created by media reports that Cape Town Diocese is intending to proceed
with the blessing of same sex unions, we recognise the request to be
pastoral in nature (reflecting the new situation created by the South
African Government’s legislation allowing for civil unions between same
sex couples) and not in any way in conflict with Resolution 1.10 of the
Lambeth Conference of 1998. The task of responding to this request has
been referred to a task team, which will prepare a preliminary paper
building upon the resolutions and statements made thus far by ACSA.
We remain committed to upholding the bonds of unity with
one another, as we journey together through the difficult questions that
confront the worldwide Anglican Communion. Differences of opinion are
inevitable, schism is not.
Now to him, who by the power at work within us
is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape
Town