Episcopal/Anglican split to widen?
-
- July
- 14
When Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams attended the opening of the Episcopal Church’s national meeting in Anaheim last week, he said, “I hope and pray that there won’t be decisions in the coming days that could push us further apart.”
So much for that.
Yesterday, bishops at the General Convention voted 99-45 with two abstentions for a statement that “God has called and may call” gays and lesbians to ministry.
The day before, lay leaders and clergy had passed a similar resolution. Their group, the House of Deputies, is expected to approve the bishops’ version before things break up Friday.
Three years ago, the Episcopal Church took the position that restraint should be showed in the selection of bishops—meaning that choosing another gay bishop, after Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, would further anger much of the Anglican Communion.
Now, the EC appears to be moving away from that position. But it’s still not entirely clear (at least to me) how the new resolutions are expected to change things.
The AP’s Rachel Zoll writes:
*****
Drafters of the latest statement insisted that the resolution only acknowledges that the Episcopal Church ordains partnered gays and lesbians and is not a repeal of what was widely considered a moratorium on consecrating gay bishops.
“The constitution and canons of our church as currently written do not preclude gay and lesbian persons from participating,” in any part of the church, said the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, on the committee that drafted the statement. “These people have responded to God’s call.”
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 at 10:00 am by Gary Stern.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print
| 
Email
The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
The Episcopal church leadership should repent for tearing the apart over queers.