Tasmanian Anglican Bishop Richard Condie defends support for breakaway conservative church
Tasmanian Anglican Bishop Richard Condie says his backing of a new breakaway conservative movement is due to “deep divisions” within the Anglican Church of Australia.
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Tasmania’s Anglican Bishop Richard Condie has defended his support for a breakaway conservative movement vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage, saying the splinter group is responding to “deep divisions” within the Anglican Church of Australia.
The Diocese of the Southern Cross was formally launched in Canberra on Sunday, as part of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), an international coalition of conservative church leaders, which Dr Condie chairs.
The rebel organisation is seeking to lure disaffected Anglican clergy and laypeople who “can no longer sit under the authority of their bishop”.
It comes after a motion from the Sydney archdiocese seeking to affirm that marriage was between a man and a woman was rejected by a majority of bishops at the national synod in May.
“I love the Anglican Church and have been part of it for over 40 years,” Dr Condie told the Mercury.
“During that time, there have been some Anglican Church leaders in Australia and around the world who have sought to revise the teachings of Jesus to accommodate the changing culture in Western society. This includes recent decisions in the Anglican Church of Australia to move away from the Bible’s ancient teaching on marriage and sexual ethics.”
Asked whether he was concerned that his support for the breakaway group could sow division in the Anglican Church of Australia, Dr Condie said there were “already deep divisions” in the church and that the Diocese of the Southern Cross was “responding” to that fact by “providing an Anglican home for those who feel they need to leave”.
Dr Condie added that there would be “no need” for Tasmanian clergy or laypeople to join the new church because the diocese of Tasmania was “committed to the Bible’s teaching”.
Equality Tasmania spokesman Rodney Croome said the Diocese of the Southern Cross was “effectively a new anti-LGBTIQA church that will attempt to hold Australia back from greater inclusion”.
“We’re also concerned that this new church is closely associated with deeply homophobic church leaders in Africa and Asia, and that it could channel resources to uphold anti-gay laws in those places,” he said.
“Polling taken during the marriage equality debate showed Australian Anglicans overwhelmingly supported that reform, so bishops who back the new church do not represent their parishioners and should not have access to the resources of their local diocese.”
According to documents lodged with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission in October last year, the church’s board consists of Tasmanian minister Susan Willis, David Baker from St Jude’s Anglican Church in Melbourne, and former Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies, who will serve as its leader.
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