The Episcopal Church has stoked further controversy amid the ongoing Anglican debate over homosexuality in the Church with the nomination of an openly lesbian priest for bishop.
The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago recently announced that the openly gay Rev. Tracey Lind, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, was included among five nominees for the vote to take place on Nov. 10.
If elected, Lind would become the second bishop in the Episcopal Church who lives with a same-sex partner – following New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, whose highly-publicized consecration in 2003 is at the heart of the fierce debate among members of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The latest developments in Chicago could also be enough to push the worldwide church body past the brink of schism.
Lind’s inclusion as a candidate for bishop is sure to further intensify next month’s meeting of U.S. Episcopal Church bishops, who are due to meet and discuss whether to agree to demands from the Anglican Communion to unequivocally pledge not to consecrate any further openly gay bishops.
That meeting, set for Sept. 30, could prove to be a pivotal point in the history of the Anglican Communion. If U.S. bishops refuse to bow to demands from the communion, The Episcopal Church could potentially lose its full membership status within the 77 million-member church body.
If, on the other hand, the U.S.-based church does reject the demands and the head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, refuses to retract the membership of the American arm, then Global South church members, who have been the most stringent opponents of U.S. developments, may decide to break away from the communion.
Many Anglican bishops have yet to confirm their attendance at next year’s landmark Lambeth Conference, which is held every ten years.
Originally, those invited to Lambeth 2008 were requested to give their response to the invitation by July 31, but the Rev. Canon James Rosenthal, the communion’s director of communications, noted that the deadline to respond had been extended as some overseas bishops “have stated they have not receive their invitation yet.”
According to U.K.-based Christian Today, only a couple hundred of the 880 who were invited had replied by the deadline.
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As an ex member I am sadden that they choose the doctrine of devils, and woe unto them that cause people to sin. May Jesus have mercy on the church, and may learn to leave the judgement of others in His hands, and love anyway.
We are living in the end times, just as Jesus declared. "men(and women) have become lovers of themselves, and they walk in darkness and not the light. This just causes me to pray more and to lean ever closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. As we see the DAY of CHRIST coming closer brethren, let us keep our eyes on the perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ!
The more I see prophey fulfilled in our time, I am AWED by our Creator GOD! I pray Dear LORD that You will come soon, this world is DEAD and it is so pointless to get into arguments with folks who do not wish to obey God. People either believe God or they do not.
I have long since believed that the Episcopal Church as a whole is an abomination in the eyes of God. There are some conservative arms of the Episcopal Church that do not believe in this at all. I believe they should stop wasting time and separate themselves from the ungodly members of this communion. The fact that the worldwide Anglican Church still allows a homosexual to "preach" from the pulpit is astounding. Brood of vipers the lot of them.
The Glory has departed from the Episcopal church, and stories like this confirm the fact that the folks who sit in the pews of this apostate churches need Christ more than they know.
REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND!!!