Another group of Anglicans from the third world has shown concern over the direction the Episcopal Church and others are taking on issues of homosexuality. A gathering of Anglican theologians from third-world countries was held in Kingston, Jamaica, recently to debate the topic "Called to Full Humanity," under the sponsorship of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion.

The 26 theologians from 11 countries criticized attempts to define "ourselves" primarily in terms of sexual orientation or ethnicity.

Earlier, the Anglican Encounter in the South [TLC, May 25] had expressed similar reservations.

"We regard a claim by any Christian to identify him or herself primarily by sexual preferences as distorting and dehumanizing," the theologians said in a statement. "All Christians, including those with homosexual preferences, share God's call to be built up together in our primary identity as 'people in Christ'."

According to the Church of England Newspaper, the Most Rev. David Gitari, Archbishop of Kenya, said the Kingston Consultation served notice that third-world Anglicans will make an impact at next year's Lambeth Conference through their theological ideas as well as their numbers.

The theologians who met in Jamaica rejected the idea that ordination of non-celibate homosexual persons and the blessing of committed same-sex relationships could be linked to the "liberation" agenda.

"Firstly, are homosexual acts sinful, forbidden by God?," they asked. "Secondly, if they are sinful, may the church formally bless or ordain people to live in unrepented and continuing sin?

"These questions have no parallel in the debate which surrounded the ordination of women. The state of being female is nowhere regarded by scripture as sinful. The attempted linkage is disingenuous."