Bishop Nazir-Ali retires; a rebellion fizzles out

Read the whole article. The author ties Nazar-ali's retirement to the demise of Gafcon-

There are events in public life that are not in themselves terribly important, but which symbolise something much bigger, like the end of an era. Jacqui Smith's accidental purchase of cable porn with taxpayers' money is, for example, an essentially trivial issue, even rather funny, but it is symptomatic of a derided Government in its death throes, just like John Major's sleaze-ridden last days in power.

For the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, the retirement of Michael Nazir-Ali as Bishop of Rochester is another such totemic event. I must be quick to declare that there is nothing sleazy in the departure of Dr Nazir-Ali from the English episcopate.

On the contrary, he is to devote the rest of his considerable ministry to the support of persecuted Christians here and abroad, which is a noble and sacramental enterprise.
But his departure from the House of Bishops is nevertheless emblematic of the decline of a political force in worldwide Anglicanism, which as recently as last year threatened to tear our Communion apart. For such a significant figure of conservative evangelicalism to be throwing the episcopal towel in at this time shows just how far the Church has travelled over the past 12 months.

Again, it's important not to read too much in to Dr Nazir-Ali's resignation itself. He has had the See of Rochester for 15 years; at not yet 60, he has another career in him yet. But can anyone seriously suggest that, had those biblical traditionalists of the southern hemisphere, known collectively as the Global South, prevailed last year in overthrowing the authority of Canterbury in favour of an African-led Communion, he would have abandoned his important foothold in the English Church?

No. Dr Nazir-Ali, scourge of homosexual liberalism and what he sees as the Muslim threat to Christendom, pitched his tent with the African rebels, under the flag of the unfortunately named Gafcon, but now finds that army dispersed and demoralised.

The rest is here-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/georgepitcher/5071925/Bishop-Nazir-Ali-retires-a-rebellion-fizzles-out.html