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The Most Rev’d Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, the newly presented Primate and Metropolitan of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has stated the Church’s position that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) have no place in the Church.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Most Rev’d Ndukuba, who is now the 5th Primate and Metropolitan of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, taking over from Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, who proceeds to retirement, stated this in his sermon during his installation and presentation at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Abuja.
The newly presented Anglican Primate said that Church will stand by the resolutions of the Lambert Conference 1998 Resolution I.10, which stands against homosexuality and lesbianism, and uphold marriage as the institution that God has given for companionship, for mutual help, and for procreation between one man and one woman.
The Lambert Conference 1998 Resolution I.10 commends to the Church the subsection report on human sexuality; in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage; recognises that there are persons who experience themselves as having a homosexual orientation, many of whom are members of the Church and are seeking the pastoral care, moral direction of the Church, and God’s transforming power for the living of their lives and the ordering of relationships.
“We commit ourselves to listen to the experience of homosexual persons and we wish to assure them that they are loved by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ; while rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture, calls on all our people to minister pastorally and sensitively to all irrespective of sexual orientation and to condemn irrational fear of homosexuals, violence within marriage and any trivialization and commercialization of sex; cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions; requests the Primates and the ACC to establish a means of monitoring the work done on the subject of human sexuality in the Communion and to share statements and resources among us,” Lambert Conference 1998 Resolution I.10 reads in part.
Primate Ndukuba said even within Nigeria, the Church will purge itself, stressing that any priest or church official that is found to involve in any of these will not have a portion, part in the ministry of the Church.
“Just look around us, what is happening within these last few months. Brethren we need to prepare our hearts to pay the price of following Jesus. Some of the challenges we have in the Church today is because people are not crucified with Christ. We see opportunity of positions as opportunity of getting what we want. But the Lord requires that we be ready to pay the price of following Jesus.
“In the days, months and years ahead, by the grace of God, we will commit ourselves to consolidating what my predecessors had started, and what all of us together have joined to build. The spiritual lives of our people being built upon the word of God.
“But, brethren, more importantly, we need peace. The unity and peace of this Church cannot be compromised. And for us to do this, we will not only commit ourselves to the word of God, but we will also commit ourselves to discipline in the household of faith and also the fear of God. We want to hear truth, we want to operate in love, we want to walk by faith so that we will continue to grow as a Church, liturgically, spiritually in the word of God, and as the Lord helps us to serve one another.
“We will commit ourselves to the defense of the Gospel, upholding the authority of the word of God, and contending for this faith that has been one and for all delivered to the saints. We will maintain the Anglican orthodox zeal and heritage, that which has been bequeathed to us. We will stand by the resolutions of the Lambert Conference 1998 Resolution I.10, which stands against homosexuality and lesbianism, and uphold marriage as the institution that God has given us for companionship, for mutual help, and for procreation between one man and one woman.
“And as we have resolved in this church, we will maintain being out of communion with any church, group or persons that accept homosexuality, lesbianism, bestialism, and other aberrations that represent the revisionist agenda and indeed the corruption of the orthodox faith. We shall stand by GAFCON in the defense of the Gospel, and we pray that the Lord will help us that we will commit ourselves to upholding the authority of the word of God and what God has bequeathed to us.
“Even within Nigeria, we will purge ourselves. Any priest or church official that we find to involve in any of these will not have a portion, part in the ministry of this church. We will commit ourselves to equipping the saints. We will oppose any erroneous doctrine or lifestyle, groupings that are contrary to the word of God,” Primate Ndukuba said.