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In his teaching from Ephesians at the GSFA Assembly, Archbishop Titus Chung equated relationships within the Anglican Communion to marriage and the unity that must be fought for within it. He used the symbol of a unity candle to illustrate that though the two flames unite, each person in the marriage remains diverse, different, with weaknesses and strengths. “Neither of them should prevail at the expense of the other,” he said. Unity may not compromise diversity, and we must bear with each other in love. The unity of the body is addressed throughout the New Testament emphasizing that, despite where people came from—whether Jew or Gentile, slave or free, the unity bought by Christ and empowered through the Spirit remains the same.

This remains true for the GSFA in light of the diversity found here at Assembly. The unity brought by “one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism” is evident here and in places like GAFCON conferences where nations, tribes, and languages come together to worship the Lord, overcome differences, and forge a path for mission ahead.

Archbishop Chung stated that the early Church began its mission with problems regarding unity. They held the Jerusalem Council to declare the will of God for the unification of Jew and Gentile. St. Peter argued to bring in the Gentiles, and St. James agreed adding direction for Gentiles moving forward: avoiding the eating of blood, idolatry, and sexual immorality. This created a more solid union between both parties, and though there were other conflicts moving forward, the resolution helped the mission continue as a unified whole.

Archbishop Chung recently visited Rome with the Anglican primates including Archbishop Justin Welby, and his plea for unity is important in light of this gathering and in the shadow of Canterbury. Archbishop Chung stated, “We cannot say that our understanding of the Bible can become so diverse and relative so that anything goes.” This is true and always refreshing to hear. We must, he said, listen to the voice of the Shepherd, Jesus Christ, which is the only thing that can hold us together and keep us united.

He did, however, bring up the concept of “deep listening” and the need for humble conversation within gentle, patient, peaceful relationships despite our differences. He is correct, if certain presuppositions are agreed upon. And though he didn’t say exactly what he was trying to imply, a more cynical observer might say that coming from Rome and meeting with Canterbury opens up the possibility that he means deep listening must include those whose biblical narrative is so skewed as to make discussion pointless. Two parties cannot talk together unless terms are defined and agreed upon. The differences currently splitting the Communion are built upon completely different understandings of God, the scriptures, and human anthropology making any kind of deep listening impossible.

If Archbishop Chung was speaking about the need to listen to one another here at the GSFA Assembly 2024, despite our differences in opinion, culture, and perspective, that’s all well and good. Most attendees share at least a basic understanding of truth to build a discussion upon. But if he’s talking about the wider discussion on human sexuality between TEC, Canterbury, and the Global South, where will this discussion end? It’s already wasted 25 years.

By contrast, Dr. Sam Ferguson’s plenary presentation on the message of the Bible with regards to sexual immorality, transgender ideology, and other forms of anthropological chaos asserted the clarity and authority of the Bible even though it is not a popular message in our Western culture. Dr. Ferguson noted that Christian doctrine is often formed out of conflicts with culture. Through the gospel, we can embrace and work through the current cultural conflicts over what it means to be human and the appropriate venue for sexual affections. As Archbishop Badi said in his opening statement, there is no walking together in sin. We need to address issues of human sexuality, identity, gender, and marriage with both compassion and biblical clarity. Our mission is to help lost people find their identity and their dignity as people created in the image of God himself. This is how we can walk forward in Gospel mission.