Scoundrel Primates in Africa

The Episcopal Café has published an epistle from clergy in the Province of Central Africa in which clergy express frustration about the so-called “Global South Encounter 4.” I urge you to read the letter in its entirety.

These beleaguered people observe that their “leaders” are relaxing in luxury in Singapore while they continue to toil in difficulty:

The cost of first class flights and accommodation for the four of them amounts to the value of approximately a whole year’s pay for all the currently unpaid priests in Zimbabwe and Lake Malawi!

They ask the same question I have been asking: Who is funding this luxurious meeting in Singapore? Who is paying for all these airfares, hotel rooms, and meeting rooms?

The Central Africans ask:

It is not clear where the monies have come from to support this venture but they are assumed to be from conservative and schismatic North American Anglicans? These are currently pursuing a fissiparous agenda in their battle against the American Episcopal Church and a disruptive and schismatic programme in the Anglican Communion.

Note that! The Central Africans recognize that someone is paying for all this … and that “someone” is paying for the schismatic initiative in the Anglican Communion. They recognize that the assault on TEC is a well-funded one. I agree with them. I wonder whether the Global South delegates are asking who is paying for their Singapore junket. And if they aren’t, why aren’t they?

They then ask who has authorized the Central African representative to attend or speak on their behalf:

Neither is it clear where Albert Chama’s authority to attend on behalf of the Central African Province has come from? By agreeing to attend the Conference in Singapore Albert Chama has allowed the Province to be counted as supportive of the schismatic movement. This has happened with neither Provincial synodical approval nor support from the other bishops.

Do you hear that? The Central African province did not authorize Chama to attend. They did not authorize him to speak on their behalf. And it seems that they do not want to go along with the schismatic effort. People like Akinola like to claim that all of Africa is behind him and against the Western Anglicans. They like to claim that all the millions of Africans are supporting them. These people from Central Africa are trying to say “NOT SO!”

Reading their statement, I am reminded of Archbishop Rowan Williams, who says that the entire Anglican Communion is aligned against our Episcopal Church. This statement from Central Africa gives the lie to Willliams. Not only are many of the "first-world" Anglican churches allied with us, but even these clergy in Central Africa declare their friendship with us.

Finally, the clergy of Central Africa decry the waste of money and energy. They write:

Ironically, the new letter from the Diocesan Secretary of Lake Malawi once again asks donors for desperately needed money for the Diocese and gives banking details for transfers. Thanks to acting Dean Chama’s unwise junketing trip in South East Asia support and donations, which come largely from the U.K. and the U.S.A. and from the very churches which the Global South Conference has been called to condemn, are likely to be in short supply.
The hard-working clergy of Zimbabwe and Lake Malawi will need to go on scratching a living from their smallholdings in order to survive.

Read the full letter at The Lead.

They raise a valid question. They fear that donations from the U.K. and U.S. will be curtailed, because of the Central African’s schismatic actions.

I hear the same thing about Sudan. The Archbishop of Sudan has been whinging all over the U.S. and the world, begging us to cover his debts and pay his expenses. But he has now taken three other bishops with him to Singapore. He makes it very difficult for me to send any financial support to his country. If he has this much money to blow on airfare and hotel expenses to decry the U.S., why should I send any money to Sudan?

I’ll confess I am less inclined to support Sudan, given Sudan’s Archbishop Daniel’s decision to participate in the Singapore meeting. All this week, knowing that Sudan's Archbishop is a happy participant in the Singapore meeting, I keep wanting to go to my online banking account and obliterate any financial contribution I might send to him. But I haven't yet done it. I recognize my money goes to a particular diocese within Sudan, and I support them. To my shame, it's Archbishop Daniel I want to hurt. If I could find a way to hurt him financially, without hurting the diocese I know, I would do so with great joy.

Reading in the blogosphere, I am hearing other people who have decided not to give to Anglican provinces/dioceses like Sudan, but to give to other causes instead. I applaud them. I encourage people not to give any money to the Episcopal Church in Sudan ... so long as Daniel is there and is being the hatemonger that he is.

Grandmere Mimi posted this story under the headline “Bishops Go 1st Class – Priests Don’t Get Paid.” She made me begin to question my financial contributions.

MadPriest also blogged the story, under the headline: “The Real Cost of Whitewashing Tombs.” MadPriest adds a comment: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." I believe MP is correct. The schismatic bishops shall have their reward. Their whole agenda is about who they hate. Like MadPriest, I believe Jesus had some words to say about that.