Bible-Believing Anglicans Send Missionary into the Heart of the Anglican Church

Leaders of a conservative wing of the Anglican Church gathered in the United States to consecrate a missionary bishop for Anglicans in Scotland, the U.K. and Europe.

Archbishops and bishops representing the majority of the Anglican Communion joined leaders of the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon), along with the Anglican Church in North America's College of Bishops, to consecrate The Rev. Canon Andy Lines.

The conference reports the consecration is a part of a "global reformation that is happening in the Anglican Communion."

"While Anglican provinces such as The Episcopal Church (USA), Anglican Church of Canada, and Scottish Episcopal Church are rejecting the authority of the Bible, faithful Anglicans are uniting through Gafcon to proclaim and defend the unchanging truth in a changing world," a Gafcon news release said.

The Scottish Episcopal Church voted last month to permit its clerics to marry same-sex couples. It became the first Anglican branch in Great Britain to allow same-sex weddings in church.

Church members voted to take out the doctrinal clause which declares marriage is a "union of one man and one woman."

The Most Rev. David Chillingworth, the church's presiding bishop, called it "a momentous step," according to The Associated Press.

Chillingworth also said "our church now affirms that a same-sex couple are not just married, but are married in the sight of God."

That decision by the Scottish church violates the Anglican Communion's official stance that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.

"The Scottish Episcopal Church recently changed its definition of marriage, aligning itself with those Anglican provinces which are rejecting the authority of the Bible such as The Episcopal Church (USA) and Anglican Church of Canada," a news release from the Anglican Church in North America read.  

"In response to these attempts to undermine the authority of the Bible, Gafcon has stepped into the gap to provide oversight to those faithful Anglicans who are standing boldly for the Gospel," it continued.

The consecration of the missionary bishop took place on the campus of Wheaton College near Chicago to wrap up the "Mission on Our Doorstep" conference.

Last year, Anglican leaders disciplined the U.S. Episcopal Church because of its acceptance of gay marriage.