Uganda's Anglican
bishops will boycott a once-per-decade gathering of
church leaders from around the world because of a fierce
debate over homosexuality and scripture in the 77
million-member fellowship. Splits between Anglican
liberals and conservatives reached a crisis in 2003 when
the U.S. Episcopal Church -- the American wing of the global
Anglican Communion -- consecrated its first openly gay
bishop, V. Gene Robinson. Problems mounted in 2006
with the election of Katharine Jefferts Schori, who
supports ordaining gays, as the first female leader of the
U.S. church.
Uganda's Anglican
bishops will boycott a once-per-decade gathering of
church leaders from around the world because of a fierce
debate over homosexuality and scripture in the 77
million-member fellowship.
Splits between
Anglican liberals and conservatives reached a crisis in
2003 when the U.S. Episcopal Church -- the American wing of
the global Anglican Communion -- consecrated its first
openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson. Problems mounted
in 2006 with the election of Katharine Jefferts
Schori, who supports ordaining gays, as the first female
leader of the U.S. church.
''We are not
going for the Lambeth Conference,'' Aron Mwesigye, a
spokesman for the Ugandan church, said Thursday -- referring
to the meetings scheduled July 16-August 3 in England
for all the bishops in the Anglican world. ''The
consecration of gay bishops in the USA is
unacceptable.''
Supporters of
ordaining gays believe the Bible's social justice teachings
take precedence over its view of sexuality. However, most
Anglicans outside the United States believe gay
relationships are sinful, and they are distancing
themselves from the U.S. church.
Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the
communion, has struggled to hold off one of the biggest
meltdowns in Christianity in centuries, but he lacks
any direct authority to force a compromise.
Whether Williams
can persuade bishops to attend the Lambeth Conference
will be a measure of the strength of the communion. (Godfrey
Olukya, AP)
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