On 1 March 2014 the Anglican diocese of Grafton will consecrate its new Bishop. The consecration will be hailed as ‘historic’ as she will be the first female diocesan Bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia.
The fact that the diocesan Bishop will be a woman is of concern, especially considering therehas been no publicly available provision by the Grafton diocese for those who cannot in good conscience accept her episcopal ministry.
The matters raised in this document however are of more grave concern.Dr Macneil has made recent public statements regarding human sexuality and the Atonement that are unbecoming a Bishop in the Anglican Communion. At best they are unclear, requiring clarification. At worst they are a serious departure from Anglican historic formularies and the Scriptures.
The consecration of someone who holds these views is further evidence that parts of the Anglican Church of Australia are departing from the Apostolic faith.
We wish to state our full support of the Diocese of Grafton in its recent moves to deal openly,honestly and fully with claims of child abuse within the Diocese. We offer our support to any leader of the Diocese who will continue this approach. Our criticism of the appointment of Dr Macneil ought not in any way to be seen to impact on our view on this serious matter. Keep reading
No comments:
Post a Comment