Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.2 Timóteo 4:2-5
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN BRAZIL STATEMENT
After publicization in the national and international media about the decision of the General Synod of the Church of England to “bless” same-sex unions, the Anglican Church in Brazil joins the findings of the GSFA (Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches and the GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) and understand the need to make the following clarifications.
1. The Anglican Communion comprises more than 40 autonomous provinces, which are national churches and, in some cases, multinationals, involving more than one country. Their canons govern them. And they are expected to live in unity with the other Provinces of The Communion.
2. The Anglicans in England form “The Church of England,” and it is one of those more than 40 Provinces.
3. The decision made by the Church of England at its national Synod 2023 does not affect the other churches of the Anglican Communion and applies only to that church.
4. The Anglican Church in Brazil is part of Anglicans around the world who remain faithful to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and follow the resolutions established by their majority at the Lambeth Conference in 1998, especially that concerning human sexuality (resolution 1:10)
5. The Anglican Church in Brazil is part of The GAFCON (Global Conference for the Future of Anglicanism) signatory of the “Jerusalem Declaration,” and a member of The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA), which brings together more than 70 million Anglicans worldwide who remain faithful to the Bible as the Word of God.
6. The Anglican Church in Brazil refutes the biblical revisionism that has been “tearing” the fragile fabric of church unity.
7. As Christians, we love all human beings seeing them as God’s creation and, as such, in constant need of God’s love and forgiveness; from ourselves, we can also identify sin in our lives.
8. The Union between a man and a woman is how we biblically understand marriage, so we defend and practice it. (Gen 2:24)
9. We come against violence against any human being despite their sexual identity and recognize the need for pastoral care for those in conflict.
10. We are looking forward to the GAFCON IV in April when together with thousands of Anglicans, we will pray, reflect and decide the next steps to be taken on the subject
DECISION OF THE ACiB
In reflection and prayer, the Executive Council of the Anglican Church in Brazil decided: To declare impaired communion with Dioceses, churches, institutions, and leaders in the Anglican Communion that support the CoE General Synod 2023 resolutions on same-sex blessings. We also eagerly believe that many Anglicans in England hold to the orthodox faith and are under threat, so we offer our prayers and support in any possible way.
The Most Revd. Miguel Uchoa
Archbishop and Primate
Chair of the Executive Committee