Episcopal Leader's Gay Views Won't Waver

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: Episcopal Leader's Gay Views Won't Waver
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 15, 2007

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) -- The head of the U.S. wing of the Anglican church, who supports ordaining gays and allowing blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples, will not soften her views even as the issues threaten to break apart the Christian denomination, her aide said Thursday.

The leaders of the world's 77 million Anglicans, who are holding a closed meeting this week in Tanzania, said they would discuss the U.S. response to a 2004 report by an Anglican panel that called for a moratorium on consecrating gay bishops and blessing same-sex unions.

Splits between Anglicans have been growing for years, but became a crisis in 2003 when the Episcopal Church -- the U.S. wing of the Anglican Communion -- consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

The problems mounted last year with the election of Katharine Jefferts Schori as head of the U.S. church.

''The spirit of Anglicanism will prevail here and there will be a middle way forward,'' said Jefferts Schori's aide, Robert Williams. But he said she ''will not waver in her stand for justice and inclusion of all people in the body of Christ.''

Conservative Anglicans have formed a rival network in the U.S. under the leadership of Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who has called the acceptance of gay relationships a ''satanic attack'' on the church. Other conservatives have called for a parallel church within the United States....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Anglican-Conference.html

[xchrom]

1. in christ there is no male or female.

bishop schori is a tenacious figure -- and she will stick up for what's right will respecting conservatives viewpoints.

the church is going to split -- but the church will survive.

this is only about change -- so i figure let's get on with it and stop having the same conversation over and over again.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Do any Episcopalians here remember the Prayer Book Society?

It was a group in the United States started in the early 70s when the General Convention stated its intentions to change the archaic mock-Elizabethan language of the US version of the Book of Common Prayer into modern language. It was their dire threats of schism that forced the Convention to include two separate, parallel liturgies for daily prayer, Communion and the various collects, one in traditional language and one in modern English. The PBS then led the charge against women clergy: in direct violation of the General Convention, there are still PBS affiliated bishops who refuse to ordain women or let a female priest excercise her priesthood within their dioceses. That the Presiding Bishop is a woman who strongly support inclusion pisses these folks off like nothing else could.

The Episcopal Church has faced the threat of schism before. From the actions of the General Convention over the last few years, it seems that Episcopalians are getting tired of the ultra-conservatives holding the Body of Christ hostage. I can not imagine that Jefferts Schori will let other primates dictate her convictions, certainly not one who is illegally (under canon law) formenting dissent in other provinces.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I remember those battles, and I agree -- they're still being fought. nt