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Orombi Consecrates Anti-Gay U.S.
Bishop
 03
Sept 2007- Uganda's Anglican Church yesterday consecrated an American priest
as bishop to lead some congregations in his country that are opposed to
homosexuality.
"God created man for woman," said the Rt.
Rev. William Magambo at the consecration of the Rev. John Guernsey who will now
lead a new branch of the Church of Uganda in the United States.
"Homosexuality is against the scriptures
but some Americans started saying it's correct; they started blessing the union
of people of the same sex. Some Christians are not sympathetic to this type of
marriage."
The consecration is the latest in a series
of interventions by the African provinces of the Anglican Church following the
2003 ordination of an openly gay reverend as bishop by the Episcopal Church, as
the American Anglican Church is known.
Archbishop Henry Orombi presided at the
ceremony at St James Cathedral, Ruharo, in Mbarara.
Also consecrated and installed at the same
ceremony was the Rev. Canon George Tibesigwa as the new bishop of Ankole
Diocese. Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi represented President Museveni as chief
guest.
The Rev. Guernsey, the rector of All Saints
Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Virginia in the United States, will now go
back to look after the 33 parishes in that country that have accepted to come
under the Province of the Church of Uganda.
The Rev. Guernsey's church voted last
December "to leave the Episcopal Church over disagreements on biblical authority
and the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, a practicing
homosexual".
Bishop Robinson's consecration has since
threatened to tear apart the worldwide Anglican Communion with conservative
bishops in Africa and parts of the United States threatening to break away
altogether.
Ugandan bishops have threatened not to
attend next year's Lambeth Conference over the question of ordination of gay
priests as bishops. Dr Tibesigwa, 62, succeeds the Rt. Rev. Elisha Kyamugambi
who retired in December 2006 after 15 years as diocesan bishop. His assumption
of the office brings to an end the care-taking role of the Rt. Rev. Magambo, who
assumed that status in January 2007.
The Rt. Rev. Magambo said the Rev. Guernsey
was consecrated in Uganda because some Christian churches in America condone
homosexuality even though there are Christians there who condemn the gay
lifestyle.
He said African bishops were previously
taken to the United States to oversee Christians who do not support
homosexuality but it was resolved that consecrating American bishops in Africa
and sending them back home made better sense.
The Rev. Guernsey's installation follows
the consecration of two American bishops in Kenya on Thursday. Bishops Bill
Murdoch of Massachusetts and Bill Atwood of Texas will now be answerable to the
Church of the Province of Kenya. The Rev. Guernsey will answer to the Church of
Uganda, which says it is defending orthodox Christianity.
The press has been awash with reports on
one hand of gays in Uganda pushing for the respect of their rights, and on the
other government and church officials and moralists condemning them saying
homosexuality goes against Ugandan values and is "ungodly". At the ceremony,
President Museveni, through a written message read by Prof. Nsibambi, urged the
church to fight moral decadence.
"Our children are growing up in the time of
moral decadence; crime, drugs and prostitution," he said. "The church has the
task of rescuing our children from this decadence."
The President donated Shs3 million in cash
to Bishop Tibesigwa and Shs2 million to Bishop Guernsey. The ceremony was
attended by several bishops from Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.
Dr Tibesigwa has held various high profile
positions in the Church of Uganda. He has been principal bishop of Braham
University in Kabale since 2002.
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