Washington Post: Anglican Leader Urges Church To Find Accord Amid Turmoil

[Bishop Charles] Jenkins, the Louisiana bishop, said before the meeting that he sees middle-grounders “willing to make sacrifices. . . . I see something spiritually happening.” But the letter he released showed the complexities: “We reject as sinfully faulty those actions that would splinter this Communion,” it says, also calling for alternative leadership “satisfactory to those who plead for such oversight.”

It is unclear what an acceptable middle ground would look like. For some, halting the ordination of gay clergy and same-sex blessings would be enough. Others think the theological chasm is too wide .

This month, the Pittsburgh diocese outlined steps to leave the Episcopal Church if the U.S. bishops don’t adhere to the dictates outlined in February. Divisions of some sort are expected in Fort Worth, San Joaquin, Calif., and Quincy, Ill.

Northern Indiana Bishop Ed Little said he thinks the requests made in February are appropriate. He said he does not plan to leave the Episcopal Church but is looking for a compromise. But how to do that, he asked, for example, on the question of authorizing same-sex unions?

“Is there a middle ground, where we retain the clear teaching that we are not authorizing the liturgy, but some folks are cut some slack? I’m not sure how that is done,” he said this week.

The Very Rev. Martha Horne, who recently retired as dean of the Virginia Theological Seminary, the largest Episcopal seminary, said the search for compromise goes beyond the 77 million-member Anglican Communion.

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Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, Archbishop of Canterbury, Episcopal Church (TEC), Sept07 HoB Meeting, TEC Bishops

5 comments on “Washington Post: Anglican Leader Urges Church To Find Accord Amid Turmoil

  1. chiprhys says:

    [blockquote] she said. “It’s about power; it’s about authority.” [/blockquote]
    For some of us it is about the faith once delivered, but let us not get our faith in the way of our politics!

  2. cssadmirer says:

    The 8 episcopal visitors story looks very odd. It was released very late and is a strange assortment of names. They are NOT 8 conservatives as the Washington Post says.

  3. Chris says:

    “….the mostly liberal Episcopal Church….”

    Wow, straight talk from the MSM, I am impressed and surprised.

  4. Stuart Smith says:

    Let’s see: what is the “middle ground” between Gnosticism and the Faith of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church?
    What is “spiritual” about politically resolving to ignore the logical law of non-contradiction and the spiritual Law of putting Christ and His Gospel ahead of any other claim and kick the can on down the road?

  5. Chazaq says:

    [blockquote]”It’s about power; it’s about authority.”[/blockquote]Dean Horne is certainly right about that, at least in Virginia, where failed bishop Peter James Lee tries to crush God’s people and grind the face of the orthodox who won’t bend the knee to his power and authority.