NEW YORK – Theological conservatives upset by liberal views of U.S. Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans formed a rival North American province Wednesday, in a long-developing rift over the Bible that erupted when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop.
The announcement represents a new challenge to the already splintering, 77-million-member world Anglican fellowship and the authority of its spiritual leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.
The new Anglican Church in North America includes four breakaway Episcopal dioceses, dozens of individual parishes in the U.S. and Canada, and splinter groups that left the Anglican family years, or in one case, more than a century ago.
Its future status in the Anglican Communion is unclear.
It is unprecedented for an Anglican national province to be created where any other such national church already exists. But traditionalists say the new group is needed to represent the true historic tradition of Anglican Christianity.
Bishop Robert Duncan, who leads the breakaway Diocese of Pittsburgh, is the proposed new leader of the new North American province, which says it has 100,000 members.
"The Lord is displacing the Episcopal Church," Duncan said in a news conference in Wheaton, Ill., where the proposed constitution for the new province was drafted. He noted that membership and worship attendance in the U.S. denomination have been declining for years.
"We are a body that is growing, that is planting new congregations, that is concerned to be an authentic Christian presence in the U.S. and Canada," Duncan said.
Fellow conservative leader CANA (Convocation of Anglicans in North America) Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns commented, "We support this constitution as it reflects the very qualities that all of us in CANA and in Common Cause have hoped for in the new Anglican province: biblically grounded, Christ-centered, mission driven, outwardly focused, committed to evangelism and discipleship, and proudly Anglican."
The Rev. Charles Robertson, adviser to Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, said in a statement that "there is room within The Episcopal Church for people with different views and we regret that some have felt the need to depart from the diversity of our common life in Christ."
Williams has been striving for years to find a compromise that would keep Anglicans together, but he lacks the power to force a resolution.
The Anglican Communion links 38 self-governing provinces that trace their roots to the missionary work of the Church of England. The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the U.S., while the Anglican Church in Canada represents the communion in that country.
Anglicans have debated for decades over what members of their fellowship should believe. Tensions boiled over in 2003 when Episcopalians consecrated New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who lives with his longtime male partner.
Around the same time, some Canadian Anglican leaders began authorizing blessing ceremonies for same-sex unions, saying biblical teachings on social justice required them to do so. The actions pushed the Anglican family to the brink of schism.
A London spokesman for the Anglican Communion did not respond to a request for comment.
Archdeacon Michael Pollesel, general secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada, said the new province leaders "really have no standing with the Anglican Communion at this point." Continue >>
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"Apparently there are some here who did not want Romans 1:27 and 1Corinthians 6:9 posted here . ."
Yep that would be the liberal Episcopalians amongst us, those passages are not read in those churches, because they are not in The Lectionary!
yep mburrell, more room on the wide road, I'll take the narrow because it leads to life, while yours leads to destruction...
Apparently there are some here who did not want Romans 1:27 and 1Corinthians 6:9 posted here . . .
Here we go again, I read all the posts from both online and sj and did not see anything said by either that would warrant flagging, so what's up with that?
Phileo,
I read your post and then read the posts that I see here. People are advocating for their positions, both for scripture and sadly against it. I don't see anything particularly vitriolic here. To do less than support the Biblical position is to keep one's mouth closed while wrong prevails. That's all.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ. The comments here make the non-believers of the world bashing Christ look civil in comparison. Please refrain from personal attacks when making your point.
Nothing will ever be gained by name calling and juvenile vitriol, no matter what portion of scripture you choose to bash someone over the head with.
You are commanded to love one another, as Christ loved the church. Please keep our eye on the ball Christians!
sj, rather than repeat myself you can simply go to the "Breakaway Anglicans Aim..." site and see my response to your remarks about the SBC.
sj,
We have already covered the issue of slavery on: Fort Worth is 4th Episcopal Diocese to Break Away
Maybe you should re-visit this article and read my response to your repetitive argument . . . also; can you answer our previous questions?
(Jesus said nothing about homosexuality)
This article is about some Anglicans who are concerned about being biblically grounded and Christ centered . . . not about what you think of me. Obviously my friend, you do not believe in the inspiration of Scripture because if you did . . . you would understand the following passages . . .
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet (Romans 1:27).
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (1Corinthians 6:9).
By the way, believer and I are still waiting for you to answer our questions on the article: Fort Worth is 4th Episcopal Diocese to Break Away
mburrell, we narrow folks will continue in the narrow way and enter through the narrow gate. Thanks.
The conservatives who are breaking away from the apostate church are right. The size of the believing remnant is far less important than their correct theology. It's sad that it's the Americans and the Canadians who can't understand the scripture or who do understand it but refuse to abide by it. Those who stick to the Book's teachings are the ones who are exercising courage and moral clarity.
a spokesman for the episcopal church said, 'I don't think this [new] organization has much of a future because there are already lots of churches in the United States for people who do not want to worship with gays and lesbians. That's not a niche market that is underserved.'
he's right. let all the narrow folks come together to worship together. more room in our pews! and it is perfect that the new denomination will meet in Texas to decide things. 'Texas-style religion!' look what a Texas-style-religion president has done for our country. does the church want to go down that road to ruin? i think not.
Why does Rowan Williams get to decide who calls themselves Anglican? Isn't it up to Jesus to identify His followers?
(biblically grounded, Christ-centered . . . )
I wonder if the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams remembers what these mean . . .