The Anglican Church of Kenya has condemned last week’s marriage of homosexuals in Vancouver, Canada.

Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, the head of the Church said the action of blessing marriage of same sex permitted by the local Bishop was “putting themselves out of the worldwide Anglican Communion.”

The Archbishop is among other primates who are deeply saddened by the news that Anglicanism has officially sanctioned same-sex union.

A Vancouver parish made Anglican history on Wednesday night last week by blessing the union of a same-sex couple.

For the first time ever in the worldwide Anglican Communion, the relationship of two men was blessed with the permission of not only the local bishop, Michael Ingham, but also its governing synod.

Michael Kalmuk, 49, told his partner, Kelly Montfort, 62 that “I give myself to you… I will share your burdens and your joys. I will go with you wherever God calls us.” He and Mr. Montfort then showed off their matching gold rings to the 60 guests at St. Margaret’s Cedar Cottage Anglican Church.

Rev. Margaret Marquardt said the blessing of the relationship between the long-time members of the parish was an act of healing for gays and lesbians throughout the Anglican Church.

However, the action was criticized by 13 Canadian Anglican bishops, who described New Westminister’s action as “unconstitutional” and “in clear contravention of the authority of the Canadian House of Bishops,” who called on all bishops to adhere to their guidelines, which “preclude the blessing of same-sex unions.”

Seven dissenting parishes in the diocese of New Westminster also issued a statement saying: “Never before has a single diocese so abruptly and brazenly repudiated a statement by the Church’s 38 primates.”

The blessing took place just one day after the primates who head up the national branches of the Anglican Communion said they could not support such ceremonies because they are a source of potentially divisive controversy.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the nominal head of the Anglican Church, expressed “sadness and disquiet” yesterday at the precedent set in Vancouver.

He released a statement saying: “In taking this action and ignoring the considerable reservations of the Church, repeatedly expressed and most recently by the primates, the diocese has done significantly further than the teaching of the Church or pastoral concern can justify and I very much regret the inevitable tension and division that will result from this development.

Archbishop Michael Peers, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said he shared the primates’ assessment that the absence of consensus “makes it impossible to speak with one mind in support of the actions of the Synod and Bishop of New Westminister.

However, he said, “I do not see the primates’ letter as in any way an attempt to exercise jurisdiction in the life of the diocese of New Westminister,” he said.

Archbishop Peers said the general synod of national Anglican Church of Canada will take up the issue of same-sex blessing at the next meeting of its national synod meeting.

The United Church, Canada’s largest Protestant denomination, opened the doors to same-sex blessings in 1992.

(from Anglican Church of Kenya Newsletter Vol 8, 2003 - dated 5th June 2003. Contact ackenya@insightkenya.com)