Awka (Nigeria): Dr Alexander Ibezim, the Archbishop, Province of the Niger and Bishop of the Diocese of Awka, Anglican Communion, has urged Church leaders not to compromise Bible standards in all their endeavours.
He said doing so had the potential to destroy the future of the Church.
Ibezim expressed the views while delivering an admonition at the Church of The Pentecost, Awka, on Sunday.
He cited the case of the appointment of Mrs Sarah Mullally, a same-sex advocate, as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, as part of the leadership challenges facing the Church.
Mullally’s nomination has further polarised the Anglican Church, already divided along canonical lines.
The Anglican Church in Nigeria and the leadership of Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) are among those that have denounced Mullally’s appointment to the highest office in the Anglican Communion
Ibezim alleged that the appointment compromised theological and Biblical standards on sexuality and gender.
He said the appointment had the potential to send a wrong signal about the Anglican Church’s stance on morality and Biblical injunctions.
He said it was essential that religious leaders held opinions that would inspire younger ones to look up to them as role models.
“We should condemn acts that are at variance with the Biblical teachings.
“We should teach absolute truth, not relative truth,” he told the congregation.
He advised leaders to build a healthier and safer world where truth and morality prevailed.