A statement regarding our links with the Anglican Church in Ghana, and the support of its bishops for new anti LGBT+ legislation being considered by the country's Parliament

Portsmouth Cathedral is proud to be a member of Inclusive Church, and therefore a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate on any grounds whatsoever, including economic power, ethnicity or sexuality. We are also proud of our longstanding links with the Anglican Church in Ghana, and in particular the diocese of Sunyani.

It was with great sadness, therefore, that I read the recent statement by the Ghanaian House of Bishops encouraging support for a draft piece of legislation that, if passed, would lead to imprisonment for anyone who identifies as gay or transgender. This would not only be a fundamental abuse of human rights, but a direct affront to the teaching and example of Jesus in affirming the dignity and value of all people, especially those subject to discrimination. 

Our bishop-designate, Bishop Jonathan Frost, our commissary bishop, Bishop Rob Wickham, and the senior staff of the Diocese of Portsmouth (of which I am one) have jointly issued the following statement: 

‘As a diocese, we have long-standing, formal links with the Anglican Church in Ghana, which we value. However, we are dismayed to hear that the country’s Anglican bishops have thrown their weight behind the ‘Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values’ Bill. We are seeking urgent conversations with our colleagues in Ghana to ask why - not least in the light of the communique signed by all Anglican Primates in 2016, in which they pledged to reject criminal sanctions against members of the LGBT+ community, and to challenge homophobia.

We strongly oppose the bill currently being considered by the Ghanaian Parliament, which proposes imprisonment of members of the LGBT+ community for being who they are, and to criminalise those who wish to support them. We believe this to be a fundamental violation of people’s human rights, which we believe will lead to state-sponsored violence that will threaten the lives of those in the LGBT+ community and their friends. As Christians, we also believe this stigmatises people in a way that does not affirm the value of each person as a unique individual, created in God’s image.

We are committed to our relationship with our Anglican brothers and sisters in Ghana, and there is much mutual respect. Our close relationship prompts us to challenge each other as fellow disciples of Jesus Christ, sharpening each other’s thinking and speaking up against injustice in our respective countries.’

The Very Revd Dr Anthony Cane
Dean of Portsmouth