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December 05, 2008

Conservative Episcopalians Announce Plan to Break Away

A dissenting group from the Episcopal Church announced Wednesday that it will establish a rival denomination, challenging the mainstream church's decision to ordain openly gay bishop Gene Robinson in 2003.

The group said it will file with the leaders of the global Anglican Communion to form its own sect (Episcopalians are the American branch of Anglicans, which is rooted by the Church of England led by the Archbishop of Canterbury). If the sect is approved, other groups breaking away may also defect from the church.

Since Robinson was ordained as bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire, several U.S. churches have aligned themselves with harshly conservative leaders in Africa and Latin America. The division would mark the first time a branch of the Anglican church was divided by ideology and not geography. There are 38 provinces of the denomination around the world, making it the third-largest Christian body internationally.

The new branch, the Anglican Church in North America, would consist of 100,000 members, compared to 2.3 million Episcopalians, according to The New York Times. The new province would unite nine groups that have left the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada over ideological differences, including four of the 110 Episcopal dioceses, and dozens of individual parishes in the U.S. and Canada.

The new church may have to find new buildings for its congregations. The breakaway churches face lawsuits from the Episcopal Church if they attempt to take their properties with them. (Michelle Garcia, Advocate.com)

Keywords:  Gene Robinson 
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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.

  • Name: Dollylama
    Date posted: 2009-01-12 3:33 PM
    Hometown: Menifee, CA

    Comment:

    The church as we know it has had many breaks over time. The Anglican Church broke from Rome and the Luthern Church broke from Rome as did many others. If the "conservatives" wish to break from the "liberal" Episcopal Church so be it. It is their choice and their business.


  • Name: Dan Pytko
    Date posted: 2008-12-05 4:44 PM
    Hometown: Pittsfield, MA

    Comment:

    The Episcopal Church will be much better off without those conservative reactionaries.


  • Name: Michael
    Date posted: 2008-12-05 11:00 AM
    Hometown: Washington DC

    Comment:

    Let's be clear here, the properties are owned by the Episcopal church and not by the individuals choosing to leave. Sure they are gonna whine but you know what? Those types of people ALWAYS whine when they don't get what they want. You don't get to take the school's ball home with you if you are pissed that you have to play dodgeball with a homo in gym class.


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