Meanwhile, back in Central Africa....

We are once again seeing the struggle for the future of the Province of Central Africa being played out in a growing rift between the Bishop of Harare and the Bishop of Botswana. Both dioceses are part of the Province and the Provincial Archbishop has seen to it that the Bishop of Botswana, Musonda Trevor Selwyn Mwamba, was removed as the Dean of the Province. That was good news to the Bishop of Harare, Nolbert Kunonga, who apparently detests the Bishop of Botswana. The Archbishop was saddened to see Bishop Mwamba fall from solid theological and moral groundings. Bishop Kunonga was delighted to get him.

In previous posts I have suggested that all is not well in Central Africa, and surely not in the Diocese of Harare, where the bishop rides the crest of anti-gay hate mongering and turns around and pronounces the Bishop of Botswana an "avowed homosexual." In that climate the Bishop of Botswana ended up having to call his statement libelous.

You can read it all here, in an article in Ecumenical News International, posted on Episcopal Life.

The first lines of that article are as follows:

"Bishop Nolbert Kunonga of Harare in Zimbabwe should resign his post following his attempt to withdraw his diocese from the Anglican Communion's Central Africa Province. This is due to his opposition to the granting of what Kunonga described as "Christian rights" to homosexual Christians, says Botswana Bishop Musonda Trevor Selwyn Mwamba.

Speaking from his office in Gaborone, Mwamba told Ecumenical News International: "The decision taken by the Bishop of Harare is tantamount to a schism. The next logical step is for the Bishop of Harare to resign."

Mwamba added: "The See of the diocese of Harare will then be declared vacant and a new bishop elected to replace Kunonga. The schismatic group should not be under any illusion in thinking that they have title to the properties and various trusts legally vested in the diocese of Harare."

Bishop Mwamba's last comment echoes matters here in The Episcopal Church. Change the words only by replacing names and you get this:

The decision made by the Bishop of Pittsburgh is tantamount to a schism. The next logical step is for the Bishop of Pittsburgh to resign. The See of the diocese of Pittsburgh will then be declared vacant and a new bishop elected to replace Duncan. The schismatic group should not be under any illusion in thinking that they have title to the properties and various trusts legally vested in the diocese of Pittsburgh.

The Moderator of the Network has gone down that path and it is time he left, likewise the bishop of Harare.