Everything I know about Mary Glasspool assures me that she is an experienced, faithful priest with extensive diocesan experience and strong leadership skills. I believe she would make a wonderful bishop and that she is an excellent match for the Diocese of
Los Angeles. Her election there was logical and appropriate.
Nevertheless, it is clear to me that the ordination of an openly Gay woman to the episcopate will – at this time – have a serious negative impact on our relationship with the wider Anglican Communion, and that it may very well strain – to the breaking point – those bonds of affection which we have come to value with others, even with those who may agree with us. This, in turn, would limit or damage our future ability to offer leadership to the wider church around matters of sexuality and social justice, as well as limit our participation in shared programs for mission.
“Right” for the diocese of Los Angeles, but apparently wrong for
the AC itself ? It all sounds a bit mealy-mouthed to me, as though
he’s talking out of both sides of his mouth.
It’s not mealy mouthed at all. He’s speaking what the vast cohort of moderates in the Episcopal Church are saying. Ministry is context driven. In LA, Mary Glasspool is a great choice. What the bishop of Southern Virginia is saying is that no matter how great Glasspool is that the Communion is more important than the specific context of LA. That is the moderate argument – Communion over individual context. The liberal argument is Context is king. The conservative argument is that context is irrelevant.