Politics | 12/04/2008 8:17 am

Angry Over Gay Leader, Conservative Anglicans Split From Episcopal Church

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Anglican Bishop Martyn Minns sure has the holiday spirit! Not.

Still bitter over the 2003 ordination of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson, Minns and his small-minded peers came together yesterday to split apart from the Episcopal Church, which represents the Anglican Communion here in the States.

Insisting they’ll be united by theology — rather than simply geography — Minns and other Bishops from Fort Worth, Pittsburgh and Quincy, IL, came together yesterday to unveil what they’re calling the "Anglican Church of North America," a group that includes breakaway churches from the Anglican Church of Canada.

Tensions have been simmering for years, and other dioceses in Africa and Asia have united in their opposition to the broader Anglican Communion’s "soft" stance on gay members and leaders. Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola once went so far as to describe gays and lesbians as a "cancer" that needs to be removed from society. What a doll, right?

Though Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the most senior Anglican Leader, tried to bring both sides together, the conservatives seem intent on going their own way. In fact, Minns says he has so much support from African and Asian leaders, that Williams’s blessing would simply be symbolic: "It’s desirable that he get behind this. It’s something that would bring a little more coherence to the life of the Communion. But if he doesn’t, so be it." Williams most likely won’t be backing the group, especially considering that a spokesman for America’s Episcopal leader, Bishop Katherine Schori, described their position as "the official, recognized presence of the Anglican Communion in North America." The official Episcopal group has many more members than this new breakaway: 2.3 million to 100,000.

Other observers also remain skeptical. Jim Naughton, who’s the canon of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, remarked that this new group "does not have much of a future because there are already a lot of churches in the United States for people who don’t want to worship with gays and lesbians." In other words, Minns and company are just a bunch of everyday bigots.

Read more about: Anglicans, Gene Robinson, Martyn Minns, News, Religion

51 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I have been an Episcopal priest for 25 years. I love the liturgy and the open minded, inclusive side of the church. The break away folks don’t sound like the people I know and love. Jesus preached love not hate. I first saw Lady Agnew’s “top 10” on a Robin Williams TV special (he’s Episcopalian) and there’s lots of truth w/ the humor. Patricia Bush (The Rev’d)

By Patricia Bush on 12/04/2008 9:04 pm

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Patricia, Where are you a priest? My first cousin is a deacon in St. Paul, and my late husband’s son-in-law has had his parish in Auburn Al. for a little over 10 yrs. I think it’s interesting that Gene Robinson is from one county over from me and attended the same high school I did. Be that as it may, here in Lexington Ky, one of the bones these people have had with the Church is allowing women into the priesthood. I find it interesting that with all the discussion surrounding the gay issue, more isn’t made of this also. I was raised in the Church, and we were always taught in no uncertain terms that we are all in One Body. That we can’t exclude anyone from worship if that is where they want to be. And, I am always amused with these break-aways because we all have had gay priests one time or another for as long as I can remember.

By Diana T on 12/05/2008 1:07 pm

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Well, ‘course the Anglican church was founded on the principal that a man should be able to kill his wife, get himself another, be head of the church, and pay no penalty. So half of the Anglicans have apparently evolved since Henry VIII.

By Mugsy Peabody on 12/04/2008 11:20 pm

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Ah, yes, persecution and hatred in the guise of religion. It’s been going on since forever and will probably never end. More wars, torture, theft, murder and exclusion of groups of people have been initiated for “religious reasons” than for any other. This intolerant Episcopalian break away group just prove the point.

By Maurine H on 12/05/2008 1:48 am

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Ah the bishops are at it again, aye! In the 80s, I had a renewed hope that things were really turning around in the Episcopal Church of America … when the tribunal of bishops were investigating the incredible black bishop at the DC Cathedral for presiding bishop - John Walker, the first black to head up St. Paul’s Boys School in Corcord, NM. Johnny was always the closest person to one’s image of a Christ, a saint, that one could ever know and that was from day one, throughout high school, and college; his family was just the same - kind, self-effacing, humble, loving people. It was time the church saw the light. Did they follow suit? Did those erstwhile church leaders bestow that honor on The Right Rev. John Walker? No! As a member of the family of one of the tribunal members told me, “he let the poor sleep in the Cathedral this winter!” Saints’ preserve us - NO! He did that? The Bishop was following the basic tenets of the Christian faith, “Love one another as I have loved you … ” Definitely don’t let that man become our national church leader - horrors - it would break traditionnnnnnn! At some point in our soul’s existence we have to account for our actions. I’m in no way wanting to judge anyone but whether we know right from wrong or not, the results of our actions will have to be revealed to us, and we’ll have to do something - in fact, we may reveal ourselves to ourselves - such actions never leave those we harm, and they don’t leave our own cells, either. Maybe that’s what is meant by Karma - if so, it’s high time this group and others started to fix it, so it stops it’s self-perpetuation of pain and harm. It’s high time that churches backed smooth off people, or minimally, started to walk-their own-talk or face the costs - no more tax-exempt status.

By C jay on 12/08/2008 9:15 pm

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What an ironically amazing hatred-spewing article. It’s obvious that the authors of this article did not actually speak to Bishop Minns or ask him questions, but merely projected their own prejudices on to him. It’s sad to see writers so blinded with their own unresolved-anger issues project that internal rage onto others. If we are truly to be loving and tolerant people, perhaps we should start by showing that love and compassion to those with whom we may disagree. What the article shows us is not a profile on Bishop Minns or Anglicans in the United States and around the world, but how intolerant and uncaring the authors are toward anyone who may have a different opinion than their own. That is not what the new president has been talking about, or he would never have invited Rick Warren to do the invocation at his inauguration. Before we start pointing our fingers at others, perhaps we should start by pointing our fingers at ourselves.

By Hesper Black on 01/22/2009 9:33 am