THE SPIRITUAL CRISIS OF THE CANTERBURY ANGLICAN COMMUNIONOver the past years we have become increasingly troubled concerning the condition of the Anglican Communion, and that of the local Church. Our till recently held senior positions in the Church, our extensive exposure to international church communications, and our regular e-mail contacts with Anglicans world-wide, and our travels abroad have brought us to the realisation that the Canterbury Anglican Communion is terminally ill. As things now stand, we feel it has lost its claim to being a biblical Church. Our reasons are: -
(a) The decline of BIBLICAL FAITH demonstrated by the teaching of anti-Christian doctrines by many of its bishops, and the lack of doctrinal discipline which accepts even unbelievers among its clergy. Bishops and priests and seminary lecturers freely function in the Church even when they deny core Christian doctrines, including: the Triune nature of God; the concept of sin; the Fall of Man and necessity for his Redemption; the Virgin Conception and Incarnation of Our Lord; the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God, Lord and Saviour; His miracles; Atonement on the cross; His resurrection and Second Coming; the existence of heaven and hell and the reality of Judgement, and even the very existence of God Himself.
(b) The weakening of BIBLICAL MORALITY, particularly demonstrated by the condoning and/or promotion by many clergy of homosexual conduct, fornication, adultery and divorce as morally acceptable "alternative life-styles". Many bishops now ordain openly active and unrepentant practitioners of sexual immorality, both homo- and hetero-sexual, support the blessing of same-sex "marriages", other non-marital sexual relations, and divorce - and refuse theological training or ordination to devout, biblical Christians with a vocation to the ministry who regard these practices as sinful. The recent Lambeth 1998 resolutions condemning homosexual activity are openly and officially rejected in many dioceses.
(c) The unilateral departure by provinces of the Anglican Communion from the apostolic BIBLICAL MINISTRY, shared with other branches of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, by the "ordination" of women as priests and bishops. Thus, a vital mark of our catholicity was removed, and the validity and efficacy of its sacraments cast into grave doubt. This has created serious divisions and impaired communion among its remaining members, and also brought about grave ecumenical consequences. Also, in some provinces of the Communion, devout Christian men who are called by God to the priesthood are denied ordination because they believe Christ did not authorise women to be priests or bishops.
(d) In many Anglican churches traditional, BIBLICAL LANGUAGE AND LITURGIES have been replaced by feminist and pagan alternatives. Some of these refuse to call God "Father", despite Jesus Himself using that very name some 170 times - and Jesus "Son", and avoid using "He", "His", and "Him" for either the Father, the Son or the Holy Ghost. Other "approved liturgies" address God as "She" and deliberately avoid Trinitarian formulae. Many now project pantheistic "creation spirituality", worshipping the "Earth Mother" and the "god/goddess within us", and performing blasphemous mockeries of the Holy Communion with milk, honey, and even blood.
(e) Many bishops and senior clergy responsible for these "innovations" in Christianity, ACTIVELY DISCRIMINATE against those who oppose them in still other ways. Advancement to senior positions in the Church is denied to orthodox clergy, "positive discrimination" in favour of women "priests" is practised regardless of ability, biblically faithful clergy are threatened with withdrawal of their licences, orthodox parishes are down- graded to mere "missions", or deprived of their property and other material assets and expelled from dioceses altogether.
Those in authority in the Anglican Communion have failed to act against this alarming spread of unbiblical teachings and actions. One result has been the departure of many hundreds of priests, some bishops, and tens of thousands of laity from the Canterbury Communion - some for the Roman Catholic Church, some for the Eastern Orthodox Church, while others have simply given up on Christianity.
However, an other option, exercised by Anglicans unwilling to surrender their Church to such unbiblical innovators, has been to claim the Church back for Christ in forming small "faithful remnants". These call themselves "Traditional" or "Continuing Anglicans" i.e., continuing in the old faith. There are now Continuing Anglican Churches in the U.S.A., Canada, the Caribbean region and Latin America, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, etc.
Zambian Anglicans may either not be aware of the fact that their Church has been hijacked by half-believers and unbelievers, or may feel that while all is well at home, there is no need to be concerned. They are reminded of Paul's warning in 2 Cor. 6:14,15. Furthermore, our own bishops are in fellowship with bishops who preach another gospel; they accept funding from them. We believe that biblical Christians can no more be in communion with false Christians than Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, can be in communion with the Father of Lies.
The truth is that the much boasted about Anglican "comprehensiveness" has in fact led to spiritual chaos and widespread paganism. Anyone who doubts this should read Bishop Jack Spong's "Twelve Theses to Reform Christianity" * - anyone who says that Spong's brand of Christianity is exceptional must realise that hundreds of Anglican bishops agree with him privately or publicly. [* available on request]
Anglicans in the Diocese of Lusaka have not only the spiritual burden of belonging to a Communion that allows so much unfaithfulness - they also have to contend with serious anomalies in the local Church. These, too, need addressing.
Zambian Anglicans are therefore now called upon to give their allegiance to the "faithful remnant" of traditional Anglicanism in an attempt to win back their Church for Christ.
For further details contact the undersigned. Very Revd Canon Pierre J Dil & Mrs Wenda E Dil,
P O Box 50255, Lusaka. Tel 274991
CACZ Main
Contact details for the CACZ: mecdil@zamnet.zm, chairmec@zamnet.zm P O Box 50255, Lusaka, Zambia. Tel 260-1-272877 or 274991, Fax 272437
Updated: - 08/10/03