The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches issued a press statement on February 20, 2023 regarding the Church of England’s decision regarding the blessing of same-sex unions, an innovation in the liturgies of the Church and her pastoral practice thus departing from the historic faith passed down from the Apostles. How sanctimonious.
The more the homophobic Anglican Primates, bishops and leaders pontificate about the un-Biblical horrors of equal marriage, the more LGBTQIA+ Africans are targeted within their churches and societies, abused from the pulpit, physically and emotionally attacked, denounced, humiliated, arrested, imprisoned and murdered.
For twenty-five years, since Changing Attitude developed an international dimension following the 1998 Lambeth Conference, I have enjoyed contacts and friendships with many hundreds of African LGBTQIA+ people. All of them live under the shadow of an increasingly homophobic and transphobic narrative exacerbated by the campaign waged against LGBTQIA+ equality and justice by conservative Christian leaders and networks. Some manage to maintain themselves by becoming invisible in terms of their sexuality and gender. Many are depressed. There have been tragedies and deaths – guys arrested, imprisoned, beaten up on the street, attacked and arrested by police. Last year, two of three friends sharing a room died within two months of AIDS related illnesses.
A small minority have moved on in life, fled their home and country, emigrated, sought refugee status in the UK, the USA, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands; been granted university places in Russia and Thailand; gained visas to work in the Gulf States, North America, some European countries and, despite the odds, to come to study in the UK or work in nursing.
I have been drawn to support many of these young people financially, mainly in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. It has been costly, but fortunately, from time to time, I have received a financial windfall. Support has been given to cover emergencies, hospitalisation, medication, to pay so-called police ‘bail’ to be released from cells, to pay for transport, university fees, rent, food. Many have been orphans or rejected by parents because of their sexuality, sleeping under bridges, begging on the street, selling their phones and laptops to survive.
Not all requests have been legitimate, of course. At first I was an easy target for scams. I learnt the lesson, checked with African friends, developed an ability to ask for evidence, photographs, documents, to discern and say no, but deceit and fraud can never be totally avoided. African allies have advised me and taught me wisdom. If only there were refugee or government agencies or LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups providing support, but they are few in number.
GSFA Primates and Churches bear responsibility
The GSFA leaders and their allies in other Provinces including England are directly responsible for this evil, wicked state of affairs. There is nothing in the Bible or in the Christian tradition of my youth on which prejudice against and abuse of LGBTQIA+ people can be justified.
The GSFA leaders have resolved to re-set the Communion, a re-set marked by reform and renewal. They say the Anglican Church will then be God’s channel of light and transformation in a dark and broken world. GSFA will ask God to purify and build up their churches so that they can authentically and passionately take the Gospel out to their respective nations and assigned fields to be a bright, collective light in the midst of the major challenges of our time.
I find this a nauseating sentiment, knowing as I do the scale of the damage they inflict on LGBTQIA+ young people in their own countries and cultures, debasing the Christian message of God’s unconditional, infinite, intimate, beautiful, transforming, life-changing love. I wish these leaders were open to the Gospel message that so moved and engaged me in my youth. They will never be an authentic, bright, collective Christian light so long as they continue to spread poisonous homophobic, transphobic prejudice by their preaching and teaching.
CEEC thinks we contaminate the Church
In the new CEEC video we see an argument for a new tribal enclosure in the Church of England, to add to the present enclosure for misogynists opposed to the ordination of women. The new enclosure is for those opposed to equal marriage. If accepted, the Church will then have two enclosures for people who do not wish to be contaminated by what they perceive to be contaminants – ordained women and married gay and lesbian couples – who have sex. We are perceived to be contaminants to the purity of God’s creation as revealed in the Bible.
Supporting LGBTQIA+ Africans
I receive daily messages and phone calls from young LGBTQIA+ people, primarily gay men or those still coming to terms with their sexuality, people living in the permanent emotional anxiety and fear created by an aggressively homophobic African culture and so-called ‘Mainstream, Orthodox Christian’ teaching.
Recently I’ve had to say no to friends needing an injection of funds to buy food, pay university fees, transport to a funeral, rent, malaria medication (a frequent request). I can’t do this alone any longer. If any of you, my friends reading this, would like to support one of these young gay men just once or on a continuing basis (which usually means until they graduate) please do get in touch with me, either by DM or email ccmcoward@aol.com or by phone (DM for my number).