Anglicans reportedly will suspend U.S. church over gay bishop By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Tuesday, September 7, 2004 The worldwide Anglican Communion – in a blockbuster action – reportedly will suspend the Episcopal Church in the United States from its membership as punishment for ordaining an openly gay bishop. If the American church doesn't reverse its position and repent, according to news reports, it faces expulsion from the Anglican Communion by 2008. Developed to resolve the crisis over the American church's defiance of the Anglican Communion's policy on homosexuality, the tough proposals reportedly to be recommended next month to the Archbishop of Canterbury call for the liberal leadership of the American church to be excluded from policy making and shunned by the vast majority of Anglicans. Bishops who publicly support the consecration of Canon Gene Robinson as Anglicanism's first actively gay bishop or who authorize gay "marriages" – both of which are in violation of official Anglican policy – also face punishment unless they reverse their position and repent, according to news reports in London. The suspension of the Episcopal Church from the 75-million strong Anglican Church is expected to be recommended by the Lambeth Commission as it finalizes its report to Archbishop Rowan Williams at a meeting next week, Religion Correspondent Ruth Gledhill reported in The London Times. Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, reported that the 19-member commission, which Williams set up to avert a schism over the issue, is thought to have reached a broad consensus on its recommendations at earlier meetings. In its final report, which is due to be published in October, the commission is expected to resist calls from hardline conservatives to expel the American Church immediately. If its liberal leadership has not recanted by the time the next Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops convenes in 2008, Petre reported, the church still could face ejection. The issue of gay ordination has troubled the Presbyterian Church (USA) for years. In 2001-2002, for example, the presbyteries – for the third time – voted down a proposal that sought to delete the "fidelity/chastity" ordination standard in the denomination's constitution. In that vote, 73.1 percent – or nearly three to one – voted to retain the ordination standard. That was the largest yet among the presbyteries to affirm the standard. It originally was approved in 1996-97 by 56.7 percent of the presbyteries. In 1997-98, the standard again was affirmed by 66.7 percent of the presbyteries. Still, the issue continues to come up. At the 215th General Assembly, commissioners decided not to send the issue to the presbyteries in 2003. The same thing happened at this year's 216th General Assembly. The expulsion of the Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion, The London Times reported, would not necessarily be permanent but would last until it "repented" of its actions in the election of Robinson, who lives with his male partner. It would be allowed back in when Robinson retired or, in the unlikely event that he was removed from his post, as long as the church did not consecrate any more similar bishops, or commit the other "sin" of sanctioning rites for the blessings of gay unions. The Anglican Church in Canada, where the diocese of New Westminster has authorized the church's first same-sex blessings rite, also is likely to face disciplinary action, although not as severe as America.

Respond to this article

Home · Archives · The Layman · PLC Publications Presbyterian Lay Committee · Feedback · Links