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BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: The leaders of the world's 77 million-member Anglican Communion unanimously warned this week that if Episcopalians in New Hampshire proceed with the consecration of an openly gay man as their bishop, the future of the whole communion will be "in jeopardy."
But in New Hampshire, church leaders said the Reverend Gene Robinson's consecration will go ahead as scheduled on November 2nd.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams called this week's extraordinary meeting of Anglican leaders to try to deal with the strong opposition to a homosexual bishop by many Anglicans, especially in the Third World -- and to try to keep the church's division over homosexuality from splitting the whole communion. Afterward, the archbishop was upbeat.
Archbishop ROWAN WILLIAMS: We have very emphatically found the will to keep talking and working together; in short, we've grown closer together rather than, as many people predicted, further apart during this meeting. That is what matters most to all of us, and what I think renders any talk of winners and losers in this irrelevant.
ABERNETHY: The head of the U.S. Episcopal Church, Bishop Frank Griswold, was also positive.
Bishop FRANK GRISWOLD: What binds us together is deeper than some of the things that divide us. And certainly the whole question of human sexuality, more particularly homosexuality, is far from settled. And as we continue to struggle together, I think it is also important, as the archbishop said, that we keep the focus on the mission we share. Because there is so much in the world that calls out for our attention, beyond issues of human sexuality.
ABERNETHY: The London meeting followed the Episcopal Church's general convention last August, which officially affirmed the election of Reverend Robinson in June. It also followed the special meeting of Episcopal conservatives 10 days ago, who urged the Anglican leaders to discipline the U.S. Episcopal Church and guide what they called the church's "realignment."
A conversation now about where the London statement leaves the U.S. Episcopal Church.
The Reverend Susan Russell is a priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California, and is active in several national advocacy groups for gays and lesbians. The Reverend James Simons is a rector of St. Michael's of the Valley Episcopal Church in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. He is a board member of the American Anglican Council, which represents conservative church members.
Both of you, welcome. Reverend Simons, you helped organize the special meeting in Dallas. Were you disappointed that the London leaders did not go farther?
Reverend JAMES B. SIMONS (St. Michael's of the Valley): No, we're very encouraged for a couple of reasons. The first is that it reaffirmed orthodoxy -- an understanding of sexual morality which is in line with the majority of Christendom -- and said that homosexual practices is [sic] incompatible with Scripture. And second of all, it's been very clear that the ordination, the consecration, of Gene Robinson in November will tear the fabric of the Anglican Communion -- that we're looking at some sort of realignment or schism if that were to happen. So we're very pleased by the outcome of the meeting.
ABERNETHY: Reverend Russell, what did you make of the London statement? Were you relieved?
Reverend SUSAN RUSSELL (All Saints Episcopal Church): I was both relieved and encouraged, mainly from two factors. One was that the American Anglican Council utterly failed in its desire to have the primates in some way vote the Episcopal Church out of the Anglican Communion, which was their stated goal out of Dallas. And the other was by the 12-month process of listening to the stories of gay and lesbian Christians, which the primates committed to and which I look forward to being part of in the next 12 months.
ABERNETHY: Reverend Russell, in the face of the unanimous warning by the Anglican leaders in London that if the consecration of Gene Robinson goes forward, it will put the whole communion in jeopardy -- in the face of that warning, why do you think it's so important to proceed with that consecration?
But in New Hampshire, church leaders said the Reverend Gene Robinson's consecration will go ahead as scheduled on November 2nd.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams called this week's extraordinary meeting of Anglican leaders to try to deal with the strong opposition to a homosexual bishop by many Anglicans, especially in the Third World -- and to try to keep the church's division over homosexuality from splitting the whole communion. Afterward, the archbishop was upbeat.
Archbishop ROWAN WILLIAMS: We have very emphatically found the will to keep talking and working together; in short, we've grown closer together rather than, as many people predicted, further apart during this meeting. That is what matters most to all of us, and what I think renders any talk of winners and losers in this irrelevant.
ABERNETHY: The head of the U.S. Episcopal Church, Bishop Frank Griswold, was also positive.
Bishop FRANK GRISWOLD: What binds us together is deeper than some of the things that divide us. And certainly the whole question of human sexuality, more particularly homosexuality, is far from settled. And as we continue to struggle together, I think it is also important, as the archbishop said, that we keep the focus on the mission we share. Because there is so much in the world that calls out for our attention, beyond issues of human sexuality.ABERNETHY: The London meeting followed the Episcopal Church's general convention last August, which officially affirmed the election of Reverend Robinson in June. It also followed the special meeting of Episcopal conservatives 10 days ago, who urged the Anglican leaders to discipline the U.S. Episcopal Church and guide what they called the church's "realignment."
A conversation now about where the London statement leaves the U.S. Episcopal Church.
The Reverend Susan Russell is a priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California, and is active in several national advocacy groups for gays and lesbians. The Reverend James Simons is a rector of St. Michael's of the Valley Episcopal Church in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. He is a board member of the American Anglican Council, which represents conservative church members.
Both of you, welcome. Reverend Simons, you helped organize the special meeting in Dallas. Were you disappointed that the London leaders did not go farther?
Reverend JAMES B. SIMONS (St. Michael's of the Valley): No, we're very encouraged for a couple of reasons. The first is that it reaffirmed orthodoxy -- an understanding of sexual morality which is in line with the majority of Christendom -- and said that homosexual practices is [sic] incompatible with Scripture. And second of all, it's been very clear that the ordination, the consecration, of Gene Robinson in November will tear the fabric of the Anglican Communion -- that we're looking at some sort of realignment or schism if that were to happen. So we're very pleased by the outcome of the meeting.
ABERNETHY: Reverend Russell, what did you make of the London statement? Were you relieved?
Reverend SUSAN RUSSELL (All Saints Episcopal Church): I was both relieved and encouraged, mainly from two factors. One was that the American Anglican Council utterly failed in its desire to have the primates in some way vote the Episcopal Church out of the Anglican Communion, which was their stated goal out of Dallas. And the other was by the 12-month process of listening to the stories of gay and lesbian Christians, which the primates committed to and which I look forward to being part of in the next 12 months.ABERNETHY: Reverend Russell, in the face of the unanimous warning by the Anglican leaders in London that if the consecration of Gene Robinson goes forward, it will put the whole communion in jeopardy -- in the face of that warning, why do you think it's so important to proceed with that consecration?
Rev. SIMONS: I think that on a parish-by-parish basis that that is unlikely -- that a more reasonable way to go would be that conservative bishops within the Episcopal Church would take over the oversight of parishes and dioceses that have requested that, and that would be done under the supervision of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Rev. SIMONS: Not by compromise. I think by careful listening and consideration and mutual respect for each other. Unfortunately, those conversations, as the primates have already said in their statements, are compromised by the possibility of this consecration. And I think that the statement is holding out hope that the consecration will not take place so that those conversations can go on, and go on in a godly way. So I'm not quite sure what the outcome will be in 12 months, but if the consecration takes place in November, I think you're going to see the primates meet again and I think you're going to see more dramatic action on their part.
