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View all articles by Acolyte .Orombi consecrates anti-gay US bishop
by ALFRED TUMUSHABE
MBARARA
UGANDA’S Anglican Church yesterday consecrated an American priest as bishop to lead some congregations in his country that are opposed to homosexuality.
"God created man for woman,” said the Rt. Rev. William Magambo at the consecration of the Rev. John Guernsey who will now lead a new branch of the Church of Uganda in the United States.
“Homosexuality is against the scriptures but some Americans started saying it's correct; they started blessing the union of people of the same sex. Some Christians are not sympathetic to this type of marriage."
The consecration is the latest in a series of interventions by the African provinces of the Anglican Church following the 2003 ordination of an openly gay reverend as bishop by the Episcopal Church, as the American Anglican Church is known.
Archbishop Henry Orombi presided at the ceremony at St James Cathedral, Ruharo, in Mbarara.
Also consecrated and installed at the same ceremony was the Rev. Canon George Tibesigwa as the new bishop of Ankole Diocese. Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi represented President Museveni as chief guest.
The Rev. Guernsey, the rector of All Saints Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Virginia in the United States, will now go back to look after the 33 parishes in that country that have accepted to come under the Province of the Church of Uganda.
The Rev. Guernsey’s church voted last December “to leave the Episcopal Church over disagreements on biblical authority and the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, a practicing homosexual”.
Bishop Robinson’s consecration has since threatened to tear apart the worldwide Anglican Communion with conservative bishops in Africa and parts of the United States threatening to break away altogether.
Ugandan bishops have threatened not to attend next year’s Lambeth Conference over the question of ordination of gay priests as bishops. Dr Tibesigwa, 62, succeeds the Rt. Rev. Elisha Kyamugambi who retired in December 2006 after 15 years as diocesan bishop. His assumption of the office brings to an end the care-taking role of the Rt. Rev. Magambo, who assumed that status in January 2007.
The Rt. Rev. Magambo said the Rev. Guernsey was consecrated in Uganda because some Christian churches in America condone homosexuality even though there are Christians there who condemn the gay lifestyle.
He said African bishops were previously taken to the United States to oversee Christians who do not support homosexuality but it was resolved that consecrating American bishops in Africa and sending them back home made better sense.
The Rev. Guernsey’s installation follows the consecration of two American bishops in Kenya on Thursday. Bishops Bill Murdoch of Massachusetts and Bill Atwood of Texas will now be answerable to the Church of the Province of Kenya. The Rev. Guernsey will answer to the Church of Uganda, which says it is defending orthodox Christianity.
The press has been awash with reports on one hand of gays in Uganda pushing for the respect of their rights, and on the other government and church officials and moralists condemning them saying homosexuality goes against Ugandan values and is “ungodly”. At the ceremony, President Museveni, through a written message read by Prof. Nsibambi, urged the church to fight moral decadence.
"Our children are growing up in the time of moral decadence; crime, drugs and prostitution,” he said. “The church has the task of rescuing our children from this decadence."
The President donated Shs3 million in cash to Bishop Tibesigwa and Shs2 million to Bishop Guernsey. The ceremony was attended by several bishops from Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.
Dr Tibesigwa has held various high profile positions in the Church of Uganda. He has been principal bishop of Braham University in Kabale since 2002.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news09031.php
MBARARA
UGANDA’S Anglican Church yesterday consecrated an American priest as bishop to lead some congregations in his country that are opposed to homosexuality.
"God created man for woman,” said the Rt. Rev. William Magambo at the consecration of the Rev. John Guernsey who will now lead a new branch of the Church of Uganda in the United States.
“Homosexuality is against the scriptures but some Americans started saying it's correct; they started blessing the union of people of the same sex. Some Christians are not sympathetic to this type of marriage."
The consecration is the latest in a series of interventions by the African provinces of the Anglican Church following the 2003 ordination of an openly gay reverend as bishop by the Episcopal Church, as the American Anglican Church is known.
Archbishop Henry Orombi presided at the ceremony at St James Cathedral, Ruharo, in Mbarara.
Also consecrated and installed at the same ceremony was the Rev. Canon George Tibesigwa as the new bishop of Ankole Diocese. Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi represented President Museveni as chief guest.
The Rev. Guernsey, the rector of All Saints Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Virginia in the United States, will now go back to look after the 33 parishes in that country that have accepted to come under the Province of the Church of Uganda.
The Rev. Guernsey’s church voted last December “to leave the Episcopal Church over disagreements on biblical authority and the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, a practicing homosexual”.
Bishop Robinson’s consecration has since threatened to tear apart the worldwide Anglican Communion with conservative bishops in Africa and parts of the United States threatening to break away altogether.
Ugandan bishops have threatened not to attend next year’s Lambeth Conference over the question of ordination of gay priests as bishops. Dr Tibesigwa, 62, succeeds the Rt. Rev. Elisha Kyamugambi who retired in December 2006 after 15 years as diocesan bishop. His assumption of the office brings to an end the care-taking role of the Rt. Rev. Magambo, who assumed that status in January 2007.
The Rt. Rev. Magambo said the Rev. Guernsey was consecrated in Uganda because some Christian churches in America condone homosexuality even though there are Christians there who condemn the gay lifestyle.
He said African bishops were previously taken to the United States to oversee Christians who do not support homosexuality but it was resolved that consecrating American bishops in Africa and sending them back home made better sense.
The Rev. Guernsey’s installation follows the consecration of two American bishops in Kenya on Thursday. Bishops Bill Murdoch of Massachusetts and Bill Atwood of Texas will now be answerable to the Church of the Province of Kenya. The Rev. Guernsey will answer to the Church of Uganda, which says it is defending orthodox Christianity.
The press has been awash with reports on one hand of gays in Uganda pushing for the respect of their rights, and on the other government and church officials and moralists condemning them saying homosexuality goes against Ugandan values and is “ungodly”. At the ceremony, President Museveni, through a written message read by Prof. Nsibambi, urged the church to fight moral decadence.
"Our children are growing up in the time of moral decadence; crime, drugs and prostitution,” he said. “The church has the task of rescuing our children from this decadence."
The President donated Shs3 million in cash to Bishop Tibesigwa and Shs2 million to Bishop Guernsey. The ceremony was attended by several bishops from Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.
Dr Tibesigwa has held various high profile positions in the Church of Uganda. He has been principal bishop of Braham University in Kabale since 2002.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news09031.php
