Posted on 08/02/2009 5:13:37 PM PDT by Zakeet
Episcopal Church leaders in Los Angeles today nominated an openly gay priest and an openly lesbian priest as bishops, becoming one of the first dioceses in the national church to test a controversial new policy that lifted a de facto ban on gays and lesbians in the ordained hierarchy.
The nominations of the Rev. John L. Kirkley of San Francisco and the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool of a Baltimore-based diocese are likely to further inflame theological conservatives in the U.S. church and their global partners in the Anglican Communion, who have repeatedly warned about the repercussions of such action.
The two are among six nominees who will face election for two assistant bishop posts at the diocese's annual December convention in Riverside.
The Diocese of Los Angeles, which represents 70,000 Episcopalians in six counties, is widely regarded as one of the most liberal in the U.S. church of 2.1 million members. Its bishop, the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, is an outspoken advocate of gays rights in the church.
[Snip]
U.S. church leaders had promised to exercise restraint before consecrating additional gay bishops in the aftermath of that contentious move. But they reversed course at their convention in Anaheim last month, voting overwhelmingly to open "any ordained ministry" to gays and lesbians. They also agreed to consider rites of blessing for same-sex couples.
[Snip]
The action in Los Angeles followed a similar decision Saturday by leaders in the Diocese of Minnesota, who nominated a partnered lesbian as bishop. The Rev. Bonnie Perry is rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Chicago and an adjunct professor at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. Her longtime partner is a priest in the church.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
>> In American church history, any number of denominations have split along liberal/conservative lines. The liberal faction usually dies out long before the initial schismatics are dead, and comes crawling back to the much stronger conservative faction. <<
I wish you were right, but I can’t think of one instance where that has happened.
Frankly m'dear..I don't give a damn!!!
Relax boys, put a sockin it, don’t get uppity, the charade’s over, yer no longer a church.
Relax boys, put a sockin it, don’t get uppity, the charade’s over, yer no longer a church.
Depends a lot upon terminology and location, among other factors.
Just think "Christian church going off the rails" and realize that you're depending upon self-definition of "Christian" and you might understand the problem. The only clear point is that the Episcopal church (PECUSA/ECUSA/TEC) is off the rails, but the term "Anglican" covers a broad range.
If most of the list would concur, I'd happily drop this ping list. I believe its founding mission is over.
It really doesn’t matter much. All the real Christians left a while back.
I still read your pings to the Anglican List; I would vote to keep it, but if outvoted, I will certainly understanding why . . .
Agreed. Everything, and all choices are out in the open now. Most of the stories are simply variations on the same themes that have been posted repeatedly.
Once in a while, a story comes along or an event occurs that is new and important, but not very frequently.
Interesting comments, all.. Mine was half disgust, half tongue in cheek.., but I think we’ve all somehow realized that nothing that TEC does in the future will ever surprise us, nor do we really care anymore what they do, nor whom they do it with.....these threads are now more like “rubbernecking” as one passes an accident on the highway...and since, “there but for the Grace of God, go we..” well...
Yet things haven't all been played out in the world-wide Anglican Communion, and who knows what might come up in the Continuing churches?
Perhaps the list could be re-purposed away from TEC and towards the ("rest of the" / real) Anglican world. WHat do you think?
Yes! However, a change to the banner stating (truthfully with charity) that TEC is not within the scope of interest of the list would be helpful in avoiding misunderstandings.
That would definitely be part of the change!
I concur. Another reason why I support “refocusing” the ping list is that time is limited...there’s so much to read and keep up with, courtesy of Zero...that I don’t need to waste my time reading, let alone commenting on threads about the current “lunacy du jour” of TEC...and the Madwoman who runs the joint..
I am deep in catchup mode right now -- my travel has affected not only my work backlog but my parish and provincial "duties" backlog. But I'll be back.
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