BBC: Anglicans urged to oppose gay bishops

Posted by Kendall Harmon

A group of senior Anglican clergy has told the Lambeth Conference that liberal churches must end the ordination of gay bishops and stop blessing same-sex relationships if the Communion is to arrest its slide towards a permanent split.

The working party given the task of finding possible solutions to the rift told the 650 bishops meeting in Canterbury that traditionalist churches in Africa must also stop setting up parallel church bodies in the United States as homes for congregations splitting away from the American Church because of the dispute.

The group, headed by the former Archbishop of the Middle East Clive Handford, said in the long term some sort of statement of shared beliefs and an agreement to abide by them would be necessary.

But in the short term, a ban on gay bishops and blessings was needed to prevent "irreparable damage" to the Communion.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Lambeth 2008 • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings • Windsor Report / Process

2 Comments
Posted July 29, 2008 at 3:51 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Br. Michael wrote:

It also meant African archbishops from countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda must withdraw from the US, where they have been establishing alternative Anglican churches for traditionalists, and ordaining bishops to look after them.

Bishop Handford acknowledged that would leave a number of congregations currently under the care of African archbishops without a home.


If this is not done correctly a number, particularly those who have had to start all over, may decide they don’t need the AC and simply leave.

July 29, 5:58 am | [comment link]
2. rugbyplayingpriest wrote:

But how can you be tough on this issue but lax on abortion, marriage after divorce and women’s ordination?

For goodness sake! We need to ask what sort of church we wish to be and then either be ever more progressive or else defend the apostolic faith that comes to us from the aposlte. To pick and mix orthodoxy is so stupid as to leave me speechless.

Day 1) Kick traditionalists where it hurts in synod for not being progressive and lax with scripture

Day 2) Kick the liberals at Lambeth for not being orthodox and abiding by scripture.

Duh? Forget the analogy to parkinsons and alzheimers- schizophrenia more like!

July 29, 9:01 am | [comment link]
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