The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church of Burundi received the news of the election of Canon Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire with great concern. All through the debate on human sexuality the Episcopal Church of Burundi has encouraged unity, understanding and patience within the household of God.

However, we believe that this decision reflects a departure from Biblical teaching and Church practice. We ignore them, as a Church, at our peril, and compromise the cohesion of our communion.

We are called to be a "holy, catholic and apostolic" Church and to affirm the authority of Scripture and the traditional teachings of the Church. Though we recognise the principle of unity in diversity, Scripture should be our guide in matters of ethics and decision making. We should therefore be mindful of the Gospel imperative to maintain unity and communion.

We question the wisdom of this election in the light of the resolutions of the 1998 Lambeth Conference that encouraged pastoral care. Accepting the dignity of difference does not mean that we should ignore loyalty to the Apostolic Faith. Ignoring the recommendation of the Lambeth Conference is a negative expression of the living faith of the Church in action.

We support and strive for the unity of the Church and believe that we should avoid any divisive decisions that knowingly polarise Christians and threaten that unity. Further, such decisions threaten relationships with other denominations, and the mission and witness of the Church in a world that is already confused in areas of sexuality, morality and theology.

We acknowledge the importance of care and compassion for all members of the Church and the importance of a pastoral response to the many homosexuals within the Church world-wide who often have to conceal their sexuality out of fear of rejection by the Church and who suffer from isolation, prejudice, and loneliness. The issue of human sexuality calls us to analyse seriously our ability to stay in communion with God the Holy Trinity and with each other. It challenges how we behave towards each other in situations of disagreement.

We welcome the decision of the Archbishop of Canterbury to consult with the Primates on this matter and hope and pray that we will move forward with renewed commitment to "keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Eph.4v3)

Issued: Bujumbura 14 August 2003