Health Promo 03 (Getty) | Advocate.com
||  News  ||
 
September 15, 2006

Episcopal bishops unable to reach consensus on gay issues

Inching toward a break with the church over homosexuality, conservative Episcopal bishops failed to win approval Wednesday for their request to stay in the denomination without answering to its national leader, who supports same-sex relationships. The proposal was the subject of a private meeting of 11 Episcopal bishops, organized at the request of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Williams is trying to keep the Episcopal Church and the world Anglican Communion unified despite deep rifts over how to interpret Bible verses on gay sex.

In a joint statement, the bishops said they recognized the need to accommodate the seven dioceses that have rejected the authority of presiding bishop–elect Katharine Jefferts Schori, who is supportive of same-sex relationships. But they said they "were unable to come to common agreement on the way forward." They pledged to "work together until we have reached the solution God holds out for us."

In a separate statement, Williams, the spiritual leader of the communion, said it was a "positive sign" that the talks occurred and that the "process at work" will continue. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. arm of the global Anglican fellowship.

In 2003, the U.S. branch caused an uproar when it consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. This past June the divisions intensified when the Episcopal general convention elected Jefferts Schori, who will be installed November 4. The first woman elected to lead the church, Jefferts Schori is open to gay ordinations and the blessing of same-sex unions.

The seven conservative dioceses at odds with the denomination are asking Williams for alternative oversight from an Anglican leader who shares their traditional views. The dioceses are Dallas; Central Florida; Fort Worth, Texas; Fresno, Calif.; Pittsburgh; Springfield, Ill.; and South Carolina. Two more dioceses—Quincy, Ill., and Albany, N.Y.—are considering a similar request.

Among the bishops who participated in the three-day talks were Jefferts Schori and Pittsburgh bishop Robert Duncan, leader of a network of Episcopal conservatives. Williams also sent a representative, Canon Kenneth Kearon, the secretary general of the Anglican Communion.

In a phone interview Duncan said that Jefferts Schori and outgoing presiding bishop Frank Griswold "genuinely wanted to do something" to help conservatives but believed they did not have the authority to do so without consulting church governing bodies first. Instead, Williams and world Anglican leaders will have to take up the proposal, Duncan said. Anglican archbishops are scheduled to meet next February in Tanzania.

The seven dioceses issued a joint appeal to Williams in July, describing themselves as "threatened by a hostile" national church, which they accused of "arrogance" in their response to conservatives. The dioceses noted that many U.S. parishes that oppose ordaining gays have already broken away and joined conservative Anglican dioceses in Africa and Latin America.

"There are two churches under one roof," Duncan said.

Griswold said it was clear after the meeting that the church needed a "changed environment in which controversial points of view are not treated as beyond the community.... They have a place within the community to be taken seriously and respected as held by genuine people of faith."

Conservatives are a minority in the 2.3 million–member U.S. church, but a split could still cause extensive damage. A break would likely prompt expensive and bitter legal fights over parishes that want to take property with them as they leave.

Next week about two dozen Episcopal bishops who oppose recognition of same-sex relationships are scheduled to meet north of Houston to discuss their future within the church. Also next week, conservative Anglican archbishops from Africa and elsewhere will do the same in Rwanda.

Worldwide, Williams has proposed giving Anglican churches with nontraditional views on gay clergy a lesser role in the communion under a two-tiered system meant to prevent a schism. (Rachel Zoll, AP)

© 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • Letter to the Editor
    We’d like to unveil a big change: after nearly four decades as a biweekly magazine, we’re going monthly.
  • Parental Control
    San Francisco State researcher Caitlin Ryan explains the importance behind a study linking suicide and drug use among gay children to parental rejection.
  • Austerity Chic
    How novelist and performance artist Mike Albo gets by in lean times.
  • Hoping to "Wu" Michelle
    Dressing Michelle Obama in November was a game changer for designer Jason Wu. Now he has his sights set on the future first lady’s most high-profile event: Inauguration Day.
  • A Desert Journey
    The Mii Amo spa in Sedona, Ariz., is famous for packages designed to lead people through a spiritual as well as physical transformation. One writer relinquishes herself to the journey and recounts her days in one of the world's most beautiful destination resorts.
  • Great American Couple
    In an exclusive excerpt from his new book, Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream, Brett L. Abrams explores the relationship between Cary Grant and Randolph Scott, who led homosexual lives right under everyone's nose.
  • Mormons Gone Wild
    After one man undresses missionaries for his calendar, LDS Church–owned Brigham Young University strips him of his degree.
  • Constructive Impatience
    Stung by the Warren decision, GLAAD's former executive director Joan Garry offers the Obama transition team some sage advice.
  • Boxer Goes Trans for Eli Stone
    Often perceived as male by confused casting agents, boxer-body builder turned actor Dallas Malloy felt a deep connection to the trans minister she plays on Eli Stone.
  • Mamma Mia! Rises Again
    Meryl Streep and company managed to top Harry Potter and Titanic at the U.K. box office, and now Mamma Mia! is poised to break similar records on DVD. Director Phyllida Lloyd talked to Advocate.com about bringing one of the biggest musicals of all time to the big screen.
  • The Other White Meat
    As one of the subjects of the documentary about the drag pageant circuit, Pageant, opening in select theaters, and one of the contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race, premiering next month on Logo, Victoria "Porkchop" Parker may not look or act like your typical female impersonator, but make no mistake, she is one of the best.
  • The Religious Defense
    In an excerpt from her new book, Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, author Candace Chellew-Hodge incorporates the wisdom of Xena: Warrior Princess to illustrate her theories as to how gay and lesbian people of faith can protect themselves from those who attack their views.
  • Photo Finish
    Did Prop. 8 backlash cause art censorship -- or its reversal -- at Brigham Young University? Could be, as BYU photography student J. Michael Wiltbank found when his contribution to a two-week-long art exhibition -- eight pairs of benign portraits, each depicting an LGBT-identified BYU student alongside a supportive friend -- had been removed.
  • The Divine Miss M.
    Since the death of performer Wayland Flowers in 1988, his over-the-top puppet creation Madame has been seen only sporadically. But with the launch of her new casino tour, Madame is back.
  • Whither NLGJA?
    The leading professional organization for LGBT journalists is facing a crisis that threatens its very survival. In a changing media landscape and a tough economy, how does a small nonprofit live up to its mission and retain members?
  • The Road to Equality
    Barbara Boxer, the U.S. senator from California, understands why her gay constituents are furious over Rick Warren's role in the inauguration -- it feels like Proposition 8 redux.
  • A Call to Action for Barack Obama
    In the wake of the decision by President-elect Barack Obama to select Reverend Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration, Equality California executive director Geoff Kors calls on Obama to live up to his promise of "One America" and prove he is the ardent supporter of LGBT equality he claims to be.
  • Gays Shut Out of Cabinet
    As if the news of antigay pastor Rick Warren's invitation to deliver Obama's inaugural invocation weren't insulting enough to LGBT Americans, we're now hit with the reality that no openly gay people will be seated at the cabinet table to weigh in on the next antigay flap.
  • Wading Your Way Through Hollywood
    Reichen Lehmkuhl switches hats for his second column and leaves the activist at the door as he offers some sage advice for Hollywood hopefuls. Whether you're gay or straight, what Reichen has to say about "talent" puts the business that is entertainment into perspective.