The appointment of Malawi bishop Dr. James Tengatenga as dean of Dartmouth College’s Tucker Foundation has been rescinded, amid criticism of Tengatenga’s previous statements against homosexuality.
Dartmouth president Philip Hanlon said in a statement that the growing concern over Tengatenga’s appointment made him rethink the decision to hire the Anglican bishop to lead the college’s social justice foundation.
Hanlon wrote, “…It has become clear to me that Dr. Tengatenga’s past comments about homosexuality and the uncertainty and controversy they created have compromised his ability to serve effectively as dean of Tucker.”
The Anglican bishop opposed the 2003 election of openly gay N.H. Bishop Gene Robinson and spoke out against homosexuality.
He has since portrayed himself as a mediator between increasingly inclusive Western churches and the anti-gay tradition of African churches and said that his views on homosexuality have evolved.
