Angelican archbishop supports breakaway Episcopal parishes

The Anglican archbishop of Uganda has declared his support for two breakaway Episcopal parishes in Southern California and has affiliated with a conservative diocese in that African nation. All Saints' Church in Long Beach and St. James Church in Newport Beach decided to break off affiliation with the national church last week over the role of gay clergy. Leaders of the two churches said the Episcopal Church has been drifting away from its conservative values for the past three decades; most recently, the church's national convention confirmed an openly gay man. Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, Anglican primate of Uganda, also denounced Los Angeles bishop J. Jon Bruno for threatening to defrock the disaffected parish clergy unless they returned to the Episcopal Church. "We condemn any attempt on the part of the Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles to depose our clergy serving at St. James Church, Newport Beach, and All Saints' Church, Long Beach," Orombi said in a statement released Monday. Bruno "has no jurisdiction over them, and we will not recognize his actions." Bruno maintained he won't back down from the fight. "I cannot and will not yield my authority over these priests and deacon," he said. The heads of both churches have ignored Bruno's order to return to the Episcopal Church and have refused to meet with him.