The Windsor Report – 18th October 2004

The Windsor Report issued today calls on the autonomous Churches of the Anglican Communion to learn to walk together or be ready to walk apart.

The principles governing the report are Healing and Reconciliation and it calls on Anglicans to follow this path.

LGCM is committed to the path of Healing and Reconciliation; it recognises the pain that many fellow Christian feel about homosexuality. There is a huge chasm to breach, the West has come to place where it is comfortable to embrace LGBT people while in many countries of the world we are routinely imprisoned executed or tortured with the full agreement of local bishops.

There is great pain for us in the idea that a moratorium should be called in the consecration of lesbian and gay people in same sex partnerships.

We struggle with the idea that those bishops who consecrated Gene Robinson as a bishop, and who are happy to allow the authorised blessings of same sex couples should be asked to consider withdrawing from the Councils of the Church.

We are particularly pained by the isolation suggested for Bishop Robinson from his episcopal brothers and sisters throughout the world. This is an isolation many homosexuals feel all their lives.

We note the call that outside interference in the life of the American Church by Primates and other bishops should end.

Most importantly we welcome the realisation that the debate on homosexuality is NOT CLOSED. We welcome the suggestions that there should be structures and processes to make sure our voices are heard.

The tenor of the document is itself conciliatory – this is a document we can work with, this is a Church we want to continue to be a part of.

We see this as the beginning of the real debate; we look forward to engaging fully with the issues the report poses.

Ends