September 10, 2007
Just Give It Up and Split Already!
Archbishop to fly to US to try and avert church split
The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will fly to the United States later this month, where the row over gay bishops is once again threatening to split the worldwide Anglican Church.
According to a story written by Robin Turner of the UK Western Mail, the global Anglican movement has moved towards the brink of schism when the Episcopal Church – its American arm – consecrated its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in New Hampshire in 2003.
“Most of the church’s members are based in the developing world, where homosexuality is often strongly discouraged and sometimes illegal,” Turner wrote. “And to fan the flames of the controversy, this week it emerged an openly lesbian Episcopalian priest could become the Bishop of Chicago. The Rev Tracy Lind is among the five nominees for bishop of the Chicago diocese.
“Also this week, protests from Africa about gay priests reached a head when two American bishops were appointed to serve conservative US Anglicans – but under the jurisdiction of Kenya.”
. . .
Rowan Williams said the American church was in danger of tearing itself apart over the issue of gay priests and was dividing itself from the rest of the world church.
Now, that’s a laugh: “the developing world.” Nigeria and Uganda, to name just two, are in a state of stasis, not development.
Filed under: Africa, Anglicans / Episcopalians
