[Dialogue] Episcopalians Must Choose Fellowship or Gay Support

Sat Feb 24 12:22:35 EST 2007

Episcopalians Must Choose Fellowship or Gay Support

Associated Press 

NEW YORK, Feb. 22 - Three years of emergency summits, nuanced apologies and
behind-the-scenes negotiating failed. Anglican leaders this week gave the
U.S. Episcopal Church an ultimatum: Halt your march toward full acceptance
of gays, or lose your place in the global Anglican family.

Now, Episcopalians are asking themselves whether the cost of membership has
become too high.

"We made our 'yes' to gays and lesbians," wrote the Rev. Ann Fontaine of the
Diocese of Wyoming, in an examination of the Anglican demands. "Let it
stand."

The global Anglican Communion, represented in the United States by the
Episcopal Church, has spent years debating how its 77 million members should
interpret Scripture on salvation, truth and sexuality.

But for theological conservatives, the time for talk ended in 2003 when the
U.S. denomination consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson
of New Hampshire. To them, the confirmation was beyond the bounds of true
Christianity.

Ever since, Episcopalians have had a tough lesson in what it means to be
Anglican in the 21st century. The communion was once dominated by its North
American and European provinces. But these days, its biggest and
fastest-growing churches - by far - are in parts of the developing world
where traditional Bible beliefs are not questioned.

As a result, Episcopalians have found themselves on the defensive.

It is no coincidence that Archbishop Peter Akinola, head of the Anglican
Church of Nigeria, is leading the charge against consecrating gays. With its
17.5 million members, the Nigerian church is more than seven times bigger
than the U.S. denomination.

Episcopalians who share these conservative views of Scripture are in the
minority in their own church. But by putting their time, energy and
resources behind overseas traditionalists, they have helped move the
communion toward the kind of demands they made this week.

Anglican leaders ended their meeting Monday in Tanzania by giving the
Episcopal Church until Sept. 30 to pledge unequivocally not to consecrate
another gay bishop or approve an official prayer service for blessing
same-sex couples. If that promise is not given, the Episcopal Church could
face a much reduced role in the Anglican world.

Many Episcopalians say they are being asked to give up what they cherish
most about their denomination: its emphasis on social justice in Scripture,
which led them to accept gay relationships, and its democratic policy making
that gives lay people and clergy a vote in major decisions.

They look at what they have already done to mend the rifts and consider it
more than enough.

The church has apologized repeatedly for failing to more fully consult with
Anglican leaders before confirming Robinson - although it has not apologized
for consecrating him. Episcopal leaders have explained themselves before
Anglican panels and in countless private meetings.

If the Anglican family is forcing a choice between rejecting gays or going
it alone, the liberal view says, then it may be time to say goodbye.

"If how others view us becomes our consuming concern, our mission will
suffer or die," said Bishop Paul Marshall of the Diocese of Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania, in a letter to his congregations Wednesday.

But the head of the Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts
Schori, returned from the Tanzania meeting saying the denomination should
make the very concessions liberals abhor "for a season" until relationships
with fellow Anglicans can be healed.

Jefferts Schori personally supports ordaining gays, and she has upset some
with her willingness to agree to the Anglican leaders' demands. Yet, she is
not alone in wanting to keep the U.S. affiliation with the communion.

Bishop Kirk Smith of the Diocese of Arizona told his parishioners this week
that "my heart breaks" at the thought of stepping back from full inclusion
of gays and lesbians.

"However, I believe that we are at a moment in our history when we must
remain together," Smith said. "I am committed to a fully inclusive church,
but I am also committed to remaining part of the larger Anglican Communion."
It is a bond that goes back hundreds of years, with roots in the Church of
England.

Anglican leaders said Monday that the Episcopalians' pledge would have to
hold until "a new consensus emerges" over sexuality.

But that might never happen, considering the intense differences over
sexuality.

Whatever the Episcopal House of Bishops decides over the next seven months,
the church can easily survive without the communion. The 2.3 million-member
U.S. denomination may be relatively small, but it is affluent - and well
situated to continue its missions with other Christians overseas.

In fact, the Anglican Communion itself may suffer more from any broken ties.
A significant chunk of its budget comes from the U.S. church.

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