GAFCON demands Justin Welby publicly repent for speaking against ‘doctrine of Christ’
Anglican group GAFCON has demanded that Archbishop Justin Welby publicly repent for comments that contradict the “doctrine of Christ” regarding same-sex marriage.
The worldwide movement within the Anglican Communion accuses Welby of breaching traditional church teachings by promoting same-sex blessings.
Referring to Welby's recent interview on Britain's podcast “The Rest is Politics,” the Primates' Council of the Global Anglican Future Conference addressed “an urgent matter surrounding biblical ethics confronting our beloved Anglican church,” as they met in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, last week.
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In the podcast, Archbishop Welby stated, “All sexual activity should be within a committed relationship and whether it's straight or gay.” He added, “We've put forward a proposal that where people have been through a civil partnership or a same-sex marriage [...] they should be able to come along to a church and have a service of prayer and blessing for them in their lives together.”
GAFCON contended that Welby's statements represent “a demonstrable change in the doctrine of sin, by promoting the sanctification of sin by means of a divine blessing.” They added that this stance is “in clear breach of Holy Scripture,” citing 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, which states that “all forms of sexual intimacy outside of [marriage between a man and a woman] are condemned as immorality.”
The group also referred to Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which “rejected 'homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture.'”
GAFCON has called on Welby to “personally and publicly repent of this denial of his ordination and consecration vows, where he promised to 'teach the doctrine of Christ as the Church of England has received it.'”
The organization said they support “all faithful Anglicans,” including those who “choose to leave established provinces where the authority of Scripture has been compromised.”
Evangelicals across the United Kingdom are also calling for Welby's resignation following his comments.
The Alliance, a collaboration of Church of England groups adhering to biblical teachings on sexual ethics, recently wrote to the archbishops and bishops expressing their concerns, according to Anglican Ink. They said “the correct constitutional process has not been followed for departing from current agreed doctrine or for a change of liturgy.”
The Alliance announced they were “setting up a de facto parallel province within the Church of England in response to the de facto change in doctrine.” The group also noted the lack of provision for faithful clergy to be overseen by faithful bishops.
Tim Dieppe, head of Public Policy at the U.K.-based group Christian Concern, wrote an op-ed responding to Archbishop Welby's comments. “Welby's logic is actually completely backwards. It is those with 'a traditional view' who belong most firmly within the [Church of England]. They are upholding the doctrine as it has been received and understood.”
Dieppe added, “Those bishops who depart from the clear unambiguous teaching of the [Church of England] should resign. It is they who do not have a place in the Church of England, however sincerely held their beliefs may be.”
The Church of England Evangelical Council has expressed “disbelief” at Welby's remarks, which CEEC said “mark a clear departure from the doctrine of the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and every other major Christian denomination across the world.”
GAFCON also reiterated their support for The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE), describing it as “GAFCON's authentically-Anglican structural provision for those who cannot by conscience remain within the historic, revisionist structures.”
