The Most Reverend Jackson Ole Sapit
Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya
Your Grace,
We, the bishops and members of Forward in Faith North America, write to express our
profound sadness at the decision of the Anglican Church of Kenya to break two
thousand years of episcopal principle and practice, the great tradition in Anglicanism
since the English Reformation, as well as GAFCON protocol, and consecrate a female
bishop.
Your decision to act unilaterally in opposition to the expressed concerns and
agreements of the GAFCON Primates Council is a break in the fraternal love and
respect that has been a hallmark of GAFCON and witness to orthodox Anglicans
worldwide.
Sadly, the actions of your province directly harm Christ’s Church by failing to uphold the
“doctrine, sacraments and discipline of Christ, as the Lord has commanded and as this
Church has received them.” Specifically, this innovation directly harms the maintenance
of the historic episcopate, challenges our missional and ecumenical relationships
throughout the world, and opens the door for Satan to divide Christ’s One Holy Catholic
and Apostolic Church.
The Historic Episcopate
In a 2017 communique from the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), the
Primates noted: “It is our prime recommendation that the provinces of GAFCON should
retain the historic practice of the consecration only of men as bishops until and unless a
strong consensus to change emerges after prayer, consultation and continued study of
Scripture among the GAFCON fellowship.” The historic male episcopate provides the
Church a common assurance of sacramental validity. *
Ecumenical Relationships and Christian Mission
Recently the GAFCON Primates Council has reached out to the Roman Catholic and
Orthodox Churches, as well as Protestant denominations such as the Lutheran Church
Missouri Synod, in order to further our relationships and further our common mission in
fulfillment of our Lord’s prayer in John 17, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those
who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father,
are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that
you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21). Our ability to fulfill this prayer, heal division, and
carry out Gospel mission together will only be further impaired by breaking with the holy
Biblical tradition given by all male apostles to all male successors.
Doctrine, Discipline and Division
While the Anglican Church in Kenya currently maintains an orthodox understanding of
the Gospel, it should be noted that every province that has adopted women into the
episcopate has, in time, yielded to the pressures of the culture and left Biblical morality.
Listen to the words of Saint Paul to Timothy, “For the time is coming when people will
not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves
teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and
wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Lastly, your Grace, for the sake of the Gospel and our unity in Christ we call upon the
Anglican Church in Kenya to refrain from further actions of division and to repent of your
actions which have directly harmed your brother and sister Anglican Christians around
the world.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Eric Vawter Menees,
Ordinary of San Joaquin and President of Forward in Faith North America
The Rt. Rev. Richard Lipka
Ordinary of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints and Vice President of Forward in Faith
The Rt. Rev. Ray Sutton
Ordinary of the Diocese of Mid-America
The Rt. Rev. Walter Banek
Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Mid-America
The Rt. Rev. Clark Lowenfield
Ordinary of the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast
The Rt. Rev. Ryan Reed
Ordinary of the Diocese of Fort Worth
The Rt. Rev. Jack Iker
Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Fort Worth
The Rt. Rev. Bill Wantland
Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth
The Rt. Rev. Alberto Morales, OSB
Ordinary of the Diocese of Quincy
The Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, SSC
Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth
*DECLARATION OF COMMON FAITH AND PURPOSE
In the name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity:
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We, the Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Religious, and Lay Members of the one, holy,
catholic and apostolic Church, and members of Forward in Faith North America,
affirm the following so that the faithful witness to apostolic Faith and catholic Order
may be continued within the Churches of Anglican heritage.
- We believe our Lord Jesus Christ has given His Church an Order which
claims the loyalty of faithful Christians above and beyond any deviation
sanctioned by any humanly-invented institution, whether secular or
ecclesiastical. - We accept the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as
“containing all things necessary to salvation,” and as being the rule and
ultimate standard of faith and morals. - We accept the Apostles’ Creed as the Baptismal Symbol; and the Nicene Creed
as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith. - We accept the historic episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its
administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God
into the Unity of His Church. We affirm the Christian ministerial priesthood as
male, and that the churches of the Anglican Communion have no authority to
change the historic tradition of the male priesthood. We pray that God grants
us the strength and ability to uphold the Church’s Order, both materially and
spiritually as concerns the ministerial priesthood of His holy Church.
Accordingly, we will reject any and all actions that might signify acceptance of
a deviation from the Church’s Order regarding the Christian ministerial
priesthood. - We recognize the seven Sacraments of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
Church – Baptism and the Supper of the Lord –ministered with unfailing use of
Christ’s words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him, Confirmation,
Matrimony, Ordination, Reconciliation of a Penitent, and Unction of the Sick. - We believe that, in the Sacrament and mystery of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus
Christ is truly, really and substantially present in the Body and Blood in the
outward and visible sign of Bread and Wine. (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16-17, 11:23-29,
John 6:32-71) - We affirm our Lord’s teaching that the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is in its
nature the exclusive, permanent and lifelong union of one man and one
woman. We affirm that God created only two complementary sexes of human
beings – male and female. We also affirm that a person’s God-given sex is
immutable and therefore, cannot be changed. - We believe all Seven Councils are ecumenical and catholic on the basis of
the received Tradition of the ancient Undivided Church of East and West. - We affirm that God, and not man, is the creator of human life. Believing that the
unjustified taking of life is sinful, we will promote and uphold the sanctity of life
from conception to natural death.
In making this Declaration, we accept all the responsibilities which pertain to the
common witness of all who participate in this endeavor and we ask God’s blessing
upon our labors.