By RACHEL ZOLL
AP Religion Writer
September 24, 2007
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Episcopal bishops, under intense pressure from Anglicans to ease their support for gays, said Monday they were crafting a straightforward statement that reflects their deep desire to remain in the global Anglican fellowship.
Anglican leaders have set a Sept. 30 deadline for the Americans to pledge unequivocally not to consecrate another gay bishop or approve an official prayer service for same-gender couples.
Episcopal bishops have dedicated their meeting here to crafting a response. A preliminary draft statement released in the morning was considered far too weak and was quickly scrapped.
A bishops' committee worked into the evening to finish the statement. A vote was expected in the full House of Bishops on Tuesday, the final day of the meeting.
"We are working very closely with one another whether we are on the conservative end of the church, the liberal or the moderate middle," said liberal Los Angeles Bishop Jon Bruno. "We're looking to make as full, clear and complete a response as we can."
The Episcopal Church, the Anglican body in the U.S., caused an uproar in 2003 by consecrating the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
Bishop Ed Little of Northern Indiana, a theological conservative who wants to stay in the Episcopal Church, said that lay and clergy leaders from the Anglican Communion who have been attending the six-day meeting are pushing bishops to make concessions.
"They've all said in essence, for the good of the church, for the good of the communion, you have to take a step back," Little said.
The 77-million-member Anglican Communion is a fellowship of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England. It is the third-largest Christian body in the world, behind the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Most overseas Anglicans are traditionalists who believe the Bible bars gay relationships. But liberals are a majority in the 2.2 million-member Episcopal Church. They emphasize biblical teaching on justice and tolerance.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, took the unusual step of attending the meeting on its first two days, warning Episcopal leaders behind closed doors that they must make changes to keep the communion together. In an e-mail to his diocese, Arizona Bishop Kirk Smith wrote that "it seems we are being given a `Sophie's Choice,' being asked to pick who we love more" - the communion or gays and lesbians.
Last year, the top Episcopal policy making body, the General Convention, asked bishops to "exercise restraint" by not approving candidates for bishop "whose manner of life presents a challenge" to the church. However, the measure isn't binding, and a lesbian with a female partner is among the finalists in an upcoming election for Chicago bishop.
The Episcopal prayer book has no liturgy for blessing same-gender couples, but about a dozen of the 110 U.S. dioceses allow priests to perform the ceremonies.
The URL for this story is:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EPISCOPAL_BISHOPS_GAY
Maintainer: Ted McMichael
Send Comments or Questions to:
Administrator.ChurchOfTheWord@verizon.net