The Zimbabwe Independent – The Leading Business Weekly Newspaper

I THINK recent developments at the Anglican Cathedral and Greendale parish clearly show the difference between Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and Bishop Sebastian Bakare: one is a thug and the other a true spiritual leader.The public needs to know that the hype about homosexuality is real hypocrisy and opportunism on the part of Kunonga. Before he clutched onto this he had suggested as an agenda item to the provincial secretary that the Province of Central Africa should be dissolved as a sign of respect to Archbishop Bernard Malango who was retiring at the end of September 2007.

All other provincial bishops laughed at his reasoning. It was after this that he came up with homosexuality as the basis of breaking away.

I’ve been collecting links to stories about Bishop Kunonga for about a year now… but this opinion piece from the Zimbabwe Independent deserved a bit more notice. I saw it at Episcope along with another article from the same source about Kunonga’s rather scandalously cozy relationship with Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.

Right, I blog about gay clergy and gay marriage and gay laity issues a lot as they relate to the Episcopal Church. Why? I’m not gay, though I’m proud to say that in college I was named an honorary dyke (those words exactly) by a large circle of friends I had in Eugene who were lesbians. Since then, I’ve found that on my spiritual journey, which led me to the Episcopal Church, there were gay people at key waypoints.

So I keep an eye on the issues, and this led me to start keeping an eye on the “Bad Bishop of Harare.”

In some ways, Kunonga strikes me as a less adroit version of Bishop Akinola of Nigeria… one who hasn’t been briefed with the game plan and the strategery, although he gets the gist: attack the gays, label critics as Satanists, kick out clergy and congregations who don’t toe the line, and grab the goodies.

And in some ways, Kunonga and Akinola and some of the other “province poaching” bishops in Africa remind me of some of our own dissatisfied and unhappy conservative bishops, and most especially of Bishop Schofield, self-declared Bishop of San Joaquin of the Southern Cone (and ex-bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin), who seemed to be confused about whether he could wear both pointy hats recently.

It’s refreshing to see some news from an African source laying out the facts as they are seen there; the literalists who condemn homosexuality on Biblical grounds claim that great numbers of disapproving African Anglicans demand that the US church snap out of it and get back into exclusionary lockstep with the rest of the Communion.

Well, there’ve been several stories lately that have pointed out that in Zimbabwe (and also Nigeria) great numbers of Africans (not just Anglicans) simply want to go to church without armed thugs preventing them from entering, or people in purple shirts taking the keys to the parish car, or disrupting their Sunday worship. They’re worried about rampant hyper-inflation, not “Adam and Steve.” That whole argument is revealed as hypocritical and opportunistic by this telling little detail; the other bishops laughed at him when he suggested a self-aggrandizing reorg, so he attacked “the gays” instead.

Bishop Kunonga is an example of “how not to Bishop.” And too many of the conservative clergy and bishops seem to be using the same strategery to improve their status in the Anglican world – by getting more pointy hats and provinces of their own. I wish they’d realize how bald-faced obvious a ploy it is. It’s embarassing.

Wow! this is the second story to get “press” from the releases I was sending out last week… ironically, it’s based on a shorter, earlier version that I had edited down to remove some of the quotes in the hopes that it might be more likely to be run as a shorter item. It was sent to the same publisher, different little suburban paper.

Bishop to visit Episcopal church in Elk Grove :: Lifestyles :: PIONEER PRESS :: Elk Grove Times
Bishop to visit Episcopal church in Elk Grove

January 17, 2008

Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will celebrate Sunday Eucharist at 9 a.m. Feb. 3 at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Elk Grove Village

Bishop Katharine, as she prefers to be known, is internationally known as the first woman primate, or leader, of a national church in the world-wide Anglican Communion. She is a supporter of the Millennium Development Goals for the reduction of world poverty, and is a strong defender of the church’s liberal stance concerning its gay and lesbian clergy and members, while seeking dialogue with more conservative elements in the US and abroad.

St. Nicholas is an inclusive and welcoming mission parish of The Episcopal Church USA.

The church is located at 1072 Ridge Ave., Elk Grove Village. For information, call the church (847) 439-2067 or check church Web site www.onebreadonebody.org

Even better, it was picked up by Episcope: looking over the Episcopal Church, which I’ve read via Bloglines since the day it was first announced. So I’m happy to see Fr Steve’s and my efforts paying off. I think this is pretty much word-for-word what I sent a couple of weeks ago… I remember the awkwardness of the last line and meant to fix it somehow.

Also, I noticed that the Chicago Tribune published the little “church news” item I sent their religion page editor, Phyllis Benson. It correctly notes that tomorrow, we’re going to do a Liturgy for Healing at Asbury Court retirement home. I like going and singing the hymns…. the residents are not shy at all and are pretty enthusiastic singers as long as it’s a tune they know. They don’t like this modern stuff.

It’s very moving when people approach Father Paul, who conducts the services, for the healing and/or Eucharist. Simple human contact seems to be of more comfort than the words we read, although Paul always prepares large-type New Testament and Gospel readings for the bulletins we hand out.

So far, we’ve been playing to a packed house – the chapel accomodates about 50, and we always have to use the overflow out the back. We’re still trying to get the “house” sound system set up right so that readings are more audible, though. We think we’re giving the daily Scrabble set a run for their money – they always talk really, REALLY loud during the half hour service.

Here’s the item I managed to get the Trib to run (AT LAST!). I’ll be able to send a monthly update on it easily.

DES PLAINES

St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Elk Grove Village will offer an ecumenical Eucharist or an anointing for healing service the third Saturday of every month in the chapel at Asbury Court Retirement Home, 1750 S. Elmhurst Rd. This next service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19. Call 847-439-2067 or visit www.onebreadonebody.org.

I’ve been posting various comments here and there which led to this… which started out having a lighter tone chiding the church (me) for sending out so many enthusiastic press releases and comments. Susan was kind enough to adjust the tone after I sent her a note of contrition.

Meanwhile, I’ve been tinkering with Facebook, playing with the little toy-like applications and “friending” people. It’s pretty fun, but also like the immersive world of Second Life. Where I can go to virtual church.

Sunday, we had a spontaneous breakdance and flydance after “SL church,” because we had a special announcement, and then the leader turned on some really great music. Wow, way more fun than coffee hour in some ways. At “RL church, (Holy Moly),” I sometimes can’t enjoy coffee hour because the choir director insists I practice and not hobnob or conduct an actual short meeting on this “Inviting” thing I’m supposedly leading. Oh, well.