Ndungane welcomes US church's gay decision

Ndungane welcomes US church’s gay decision
The Times

The head of the Anglican church in South Africa, archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, has applauded a decision by the American wing of the church not to condone same-sex marriages.

"The Anglican Communion now has a basis for going forward together," he said in a statement today.

He was commenting on a recent pledge by bishops of the USA’s Episcopal Church to neither authorise services to bless same-sex marriages nor to consecrate bishops unacceptable to the world-wide Anglican church.

The pledge followed threats of schism in the worldwide church after Gene Robinson, a gay man living with his partner, was made bishop in the USA in 2003.

"The Episcopal Church has committed itself to reconciliation," Ndungane said.

"Now the rest of the Anglican communion must make sure the moment is not lost."

He commended the American church for its "courage in taking hard decisions" and its "generosity" towards those with whom it disagreed.

The official line of the Anglican Church in South Africa - which has a number of gay clergy - is that it does not regard partnership between two people of the same sex as a marriage in the eyes of God.

It says marriage is a "holy partnership between husband and wife under God’s blessing".