RELIGION

The Rise of a New Flock

 

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In 2003, after openly-gay priest Gene Robinson became the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, many congregations began breaking away from the church in protest and realigning with conservative African bishops. Now they're coalescing into the Anglican Church in North America. Bishop Martyn Minns spoke about it with NEWSWEEK's Matthew Philips.

Does Jesus care if you report to Africa?
Jesus cares about all things, so yes. But that presumes I do report to Africa. I'm a bishop in the Church of Nigeria, but it's not that kind of relationship. In the early days, the church was less segregated than today. We're breaking that down.

Isn't this process making it more segregated?
No. We preach across lines of race, class and geography.

But not sexuality?
God's love can change us all.

Is homosexuality a sin?
It's clearly sinful. It leads to brokenness.

But aren't you abetting that brokenness by splitting away?
The church drew a line in the sand hundreds of years ago. The Episcopal Church stepped over it. It's naive to say that by being nice to each other we can avoid issues of sin.

How does winning look to you?
Maintaining our integrity. It does not look like big offices in Manhattan.

Are you referring to the Episcopal Church's headquarters?
Not necessarily. It's just that I'm more interested in people than in building institutions.

© 2009

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: catspaw @ 03/23/2009 12:58:43 PM

    IMAGE does not always mean physical, there is so much more to that word. For, if you believe the words of the Bible, ALL living things on this planet are in the image of GOD. The image of the mind is so much more the then the physical body. GOD. The One, is within all things as all things are within The One.

  • Posted By: cthulhu.ftw @ 03/22/2009 5:40:50 PM

    the church claims that "God" made us in his own image. so that mean "God" is a homosexual, hetrosexual, bisexual, etc etc.
    religion is for the closed minded and the truely ignorant.
    "jesus died for his own sins not for mine"

  • Posted By: onwisconsin66 @ 03/03/2009 5:27:40 PM

    If god made people and people are gay, then god made gays. Why then are gays sinful? Surely god does not make sin. People are born gay or born straight, or somewhere in between. If you believe that your god made them, you must accept them. Period.

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