Anglicans debate same-sex partnerships issue

ANGLICAN Church bishops will be urged to finalise guidelines on how its leaders should respond to same-sex partnerships of a “faithful commitment”, following a motion tabled in Cape Town at the weekend.

Leaders of the Cape Town Diocese’s meeting in Rondebosch, Cape Town, debated on the motion asking the bishops to publish a final report.

At the Diocesan Synod in 2011, a motion requesting a pastoral response to same-sex partnerships of faithful commitment was defeated but a request was made that the bishops refer the matter to the Synod bishops for preparation of guidelines to help the church respond to the matter.

While the draft report was being prepared, in 2016, a motion was tabled at the provincial synod and was defeated.

“The matter on human sexuality is before the bishops. We need to apply our minds to it and conclude so we can go back to the Anglicans and tell them what the final report says,” Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said.

The 31 bishops of the church, from South Africa,

Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and St Helena were scheduled to meet in September, he said, and the request for publishing the report on the guidelines would be discussed.

The debate on the motion yesterday was “most encouraging” as it displayed that people were starting to deal with the sexuality issue not only on an emotional level but incorporating the levels of spirituality and theology.

Tabling the motion, the Dean of St George’s Cathedral, Rev Michael Weeder, said there was a need for the bishops to offer guidelines on finding a way through .

“As Anglicans, we have the incarnation which celebrates that which is perfect and loving, which embraces shortcomings, limitations and frailty – and that has been the strength of the history of our church in Southern Africa.”rev Weeder said while the church did not shy away from pronouncing on the racialised identity of society, it still struggled to come to terms with sexuality matters even though that affected “our daughters, sons, dear friends”.

“We’re talking about how we fail to fully embrace divinity in others. We want to celebrate the presence of those not affirmed sacramentally.”

The motion was supported by seven others who spoke of the church’s need to be inclusive and embracing, and to treat the sexuality matter as a matter of justice, respect and trust.

Only one voiced opposition to the motion.