Worldwide Anglican Communion scolds
Episcopalians for ordaining homosexuals
By John H. Adams, The Layman, August 27, 2008
Reeling from record membership losses, disaffiliating congregations and the scorn of Anglican leaders worldwide, bishops in the Episcopal Church (USA) returned from the recent Lambeth Conference with another scolding.
By an overwhelming vote of 526-70, with 45 abstentions, the bishops crafted a statement that says, “Scripture upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage.” They also advised against the “legitimatizing or blessing of same-sex unions” and the “ordination of those involved in same-gender unions.”
Their statement, while not legislative, further impairs the relationship of the Episcopal Church (USA) to worldwide Anglicanism, which is dominated by bishops who have a firm commitment to Biblical theology. By sticking to its guns on the sanctioning of ordination of homosexuals and ministers presiding at “union” services for homosexuals, the Episcopal Church has driven many of its congregations to affiliate with traditional Anglican provinces in Africa.
But the U.S. denomination did get some elbow room from Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, who called the Lambeth Conference and presided over its meetings. Williams, who seemed to walk on both sides of the fence, wrote a pastoral letter that he instructed ministers to read in Episcopal congregations on Sept. 26.
“I chose to abstain during the vote,” he said in the letter. “I did so because I found parts of the resolution positive both in tone and content, particularly when considered in relationship to the nuances of the report on which it is based. At the same time, I took exception to other parts and believe that we must explore more fully the whole question of what is compatible and ‘incompatible with Scripture.’ It must be noted that faithful persons in our church, who see themselves as under the authority of Scripture, do not all interpret the Bible in the same way.”
That nuanced response angered Episcopal Biship V. Gene Robinson, who has been the center of the storm since he was ordained in 2003 after having left his wife and children to engage in a homosexual relationship. Robinson attended some of the Lambeth sessions but was not seated with the other bishops. Nontheless, he expressed on his Web blog deep dissatisfaction over Williams’ ambivalence.
“…Rowan has consistently refused to meet with me and others who argue for inclusion,” Robinson wrote. “He has consistently failed to criticize publicly those primates who say vile and hateful things about gay and lesbian Christians. He has bent over backwards to accommodate those who seem intent upon splitting this beloved Church. He has sided with those who say that our interpretation of scripture is outside the realm of reasonable and faithful interpretation – while at the same time having come to the same conclusions himself! How does he sleep at night?”