On Wednesday church leaders spoke of “building by consensus” and “reaching for compromise.” But at the same time, there was a growing sense from people on both sides of the issue that the conversation about a divided church is starting to focus more on “when” than “if.”We’ve had years of meetings with no movement,” said Bishop Martyn Minns of Fairfax, Va., a leader of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a network of churches that are considering severing ties with the U.S. church to form a network with an international body. “Sooner or later, we’re going to have to acknowledge that the current approach isn’t working.”<\/p>\n
At issue is the ordination of gays and the blessing of gay unions, a controversy that was inflamed with the appointment in 2003 of the Rev. Gene Robinson, who is openly gay, as bishop in New Hampshire. In February, the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the United States church is part, issued an ultimatum to U.S. bishops demanding that they officially pull back their support for gays and lesbians by Sept. 30.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the House of Bishops issued its response after a week of meeting in New Orleans, and while the vaguely worded statement is open to interpretation, most insiders boiled it down to: No.<\/p>\n