An Episcopal diocese in central California voted Saturday [December 8th] to split with the national church over disagreements about the role of gays and lesbians in the church.
Clergy and lay members of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin voted 173-22 at their annual convention to remove all references to the national church from the diocese’s constitution, according to spokeswoman Joan Gladstone.
The Fresno-based congregation is the first full diocese to secede because of a conservative-liberal rift that began decades ago and is now focused on whether the Bible condemns gay relationships.
David Steinmetz, professor of the History of Christianity at Duke University, talks to Andrea Seabrook about the rift.
Listen to it all and please note for the record that it is Bishop Martyn Minns, not Mims.
Is it appropriate to say that the “disagreement” with the national church isn’t about “the role of gays and lesbians” so much as it is the nature of our common belief and the role of scripture as the source of teaching authority? Sexuality is the flashpoint of this issue, yes, but it is not [b]the[/b] issue, which is the underlying nature of what and why we as Christians believe. So many times I hear media outlets report that this is all about “gays and lesbians.” That’s an easy way to describe a much larger issue. It’s too easy of an oversimplification that doesn’t get close to the heart of the matter, nor does it facilitate the “dialogue” that is held in such high esteem in some quarters.
Even that description, though, doesn’t get to the heart of the symptomatic issue because most conservative Anglicans are quite pleased to encourage participation in church by all, but disnguish that from standards for leadership. Gays and lesbians who agree to support the church’s teaching are fine with them, it is those who insist on acting contrary to that teaching in public teaching offices that are at issue.
And, as you say, scripture is underneath is, but so is the church and the nature of authority, as well as the shape of the gospel itself.