The Episcopal Church\u2019s protestation that it has not ended the ban on gay bishops or blessings has not found support outside its borders.<\/p>\n
After strong international reaction against the decisions of the recent General Convention, US Church leaders moved quickly to claim that the Church had not changed its position.<\/p>\n
But critics said that this was the inevitable outcome when the Episcopal Church opened the discernment process for new bishops to gay clergy and permitted dioceses to compile and develop rites for the blessings of same-sex unions None of the American church\u2019s allies among the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion have publicly spoken up in support of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori\u2019s claims that nothing has changed, while several sharp statements have been released by overseas provinces and dioceses charging that the Episcopal Church had walked away from the Anglican Communion.<\/p>\n
On July 18 Bishop Jefferts Schori stated that \u201cin 2009\u201d\u009d there are \u201cmore and deeper relationships with parts of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion than five or 10 years ago.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n