[At the present time]… the communion\u2019s 38 national provinces are also debating a \u201ccovenant\u201d\u009d aimed at settling disputes between liberals and conservatives. But Williams is seen as \u201cincreasingly irrelevant\u201d\u009d for the future of the Episcopal Church, said the Rev. Jo Bailey Wells, who directs the Anglican\/Episcopal House of Studies at Duke Divinity School.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Episcopal Church, by its actions, is demonstrating that it no longer values its place under the historic headship of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and therefore the Anglican Communion,\u201d\u009d Wells said.<\/p>\n
The confirmation of a second openly gay bishop is even more significant than the first, Wells said, since the consequences\u201d\u201dwidespread dissent in the communion and persecution of Anglicans in countries where homosexuality is reviled\u201d\u201dare clear.<\/p>\n
But gay and lesbian Episcopalians celebrated on Wednesday, and hinted that more traditional barriers may soon fall, as gay rectors, bishops and weddings become more common.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are past the turning point and the forecast for full inclusion in the Episcopal Church is brighter than ever before,\u201d\u009d said the Rev. David Norgard, president of the pro-gay group Integrity.<\/p>\n