The Most Reverend Josiah Idowu-Fearon preaches at the 20th Anniversary celebration of Black Heritage in the Anglican Diocese of Toronto with the theme “Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Inspiring the Future” at St. Paul’s on Bloor Street on February 22, 2015. Photo courtesy of Michael Hudson
African Anglicans welcomed the appointment of a Nigerian bishop as the next secretary general of the 85 million-member Anglican Communion, even as others criticized the appointment because of his anti-gay comments.
Bishop Josiah Atkins Idowu-Fearon beat other applicants from Oceania, Asia, Europe and the Americas and will assume the mostly ambassador type post at a time when the worldwide communion remains estranged over homosexuality and same-sex marriages, especially in Africa.
“He is articulate and very well educated,” said Bishop Julius Kalu of Mombasa, Kenya, diocese. “His position on traditional Anglicanism is very firm. This is good for us.”
Kalu said the appointment had come at the right time, when African Anglicans needed a bigger voice within the communion.
“The church is growing fastest here,” said Kalu. “We also have the largest membership.”
Idowu-Fearon, who succeeds Kenneth Kearon, now a bishop in the Church of Ireland, is the first African to be appointed to the post.
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SOURCE: Religion News Service
Fredrick Nzwili
