June 27, 2003
by Matthew Davies

Issues of human sexuality have had a profound impact on the Anglican Communion in recent weeks, giving a cause for celebration for some and anxiety in others. Firstly, there was the appointment of Canon Jeffrey John as the Bishop of Reading, then the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada issued a formal rite for the blessings of same sex unions and, to add insult to injury for many conservatives and fundamentalists, the Diocese of New Hampshire elected the Revd Canon Gene Robinson as its bishop.

Canon Robinson is the first openly gay man to be elected bishop in the Anglican Communion. Some bishops, however, have admitted their homosexuality later in their episcopacy. Reactions to his ordination have been both strong and varied, although the landslide victory suggests that many clergy and laity in his diocese have every faith in his ministry.

In a statement issued by the bishops of the Diocese of South Carolina, they said, "This election causes us the gravest possible concern, for if the church ratifies it, we would clearly be approving of the relationship in which Gene Robinson is involved. This is not about a person or a diocesan election process; it is about a radical change in church doctrine."

Canon Robinson, aged 56, took the difficult decision to leave his wife because he felt that God wanted him to acknowledge his sexuality. When asked, "What risks have you taken for the Gospel?" he replied, "Risking the loss of my children and the exercise of my ordained ministry in the Church was the biggest risk I've ever taken, but it left me with two unshakable things: my integrity and my God.

When clergy in six parishes within the Diocese of New Westminster had been authorised by Bishop Michael Ingham to perform a rite of blessing same sex unions, with the first blessing being conducted on Wednesday 28 May, there was an outcry throughout the Anglican Communion which has resulted in two provinces - Nigeria and South East Asia - cutting their ties with the diocese.

Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria has said, "Regrettably, the much desired reflection that will ease the strain on our Communion has been jettisoned. Furthermore, failure to ensure strict compliance with resolutions duly passed at our meetings clearly shows that Bishop [Michael] Ingham and his diocese see no value in being accountable to anybody." He ended his statement by saying that [Bishop Michael Ingham] has made it inevitable for the Province [of Nigeria] to severe communion with Bishop Ingham and the diocese of New Westminster."

Taking a more via media stance, the Most Reverend Terence Finlay, Archbishop of Toronto, said last year, "I respect the right of individual dioceses to make a decision in this matter even though it would have been preferable for us to act together as a church."

He added, "I am deeply aware of how difficult this complex issue is for some people. Many faithful gay and lesbian Christians are living in committed and long-term relationships and believe that the Church has been too slow to recognise the presence of God's Spirit in these relationships. Other equally faithful Christians hold to a more traditional understanding of this issue and oppose any change."

In his own defence, Bishop Michael Ingham said in his letter to the six dioceses on 23 May 2003, "The church recognises that homosexual couples face the same challenges and share the same responsibilities as other people in living out the costly demands of love. Our purpose is to encourage and strengthen fidelity and mutual supportiveness in family life on which the stability of our wider society depends."

In a statement issued today Bishop Ingham has said that Anglicans in the Diocese of New Westminster will continue to support fellow Anglicans in northern Canada and overseas, despite the declaration by some bishops in these areas that relations are impaired.

Bishop Ingham also released a pastoral letter today, with the intention that it is read in all 80 of his dioceses parishes on Sunday 29 June. Part of that letter read, We shall not exclude or reject our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, whatever their personal convictions, and we wish to assure them that the doors of our churches remain open to all. The full text of the pastoral letter is available at: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/special/humansexuality/hs4.html.

The election of Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading took place on the 20 May but more attention has been drawn to the appointment since the news from the Dioceses of New Westminster and New Hampshire emerged.

Canon Jeffrey, who is treasurer and canon theologian at Southwark Cathedral, was appointed to the suffragan post last month by the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Richard Harries. Despite the fact that there have been many requests for him to withdraw from the position, Bishop Harries has strongly supported his case for the appointment. He pointed out that Canon Jeffrey has made it clear that he is fully committed to upholding the doctrine and practice of the Church of England as expressed in the House of Bishops' report, Issues in Human Sexuality. He also stressed that "Jeffrey is personally committed, as his references made clear, to a personal lifestyle of sexual abstinence."

Later in his statement he said, "I want a diocese that is able to show everyone, including gay and lesbian people, that they are beloved of God."

In an interview with the BBC this week, Bishop Harries further defended the election of Canon Jeffrey. What I was looking for was a person in the catholic tradition with a good knowledge of church growth, he said. That is where we need the impetus at the moment.

Speaking of Canon Jeffrey as being a symbol for many in the acceptance and affirmation of gay and lesbian people in the church, Bishop Harries said, We will have a much more honest debate about the subject. My hope is that in two years he will have won the hope and trust both of the House of Bishops and people in his episcopal area.

A group of 35 Anglican leaders from around the world met in Oxford on Wednesday calling on Dr John to withdraw his acceptance. Part of the statement, which had the backing of two Primates, Archbishop Drexel Gomez of West Indies and Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone, said, "We urge Dr Jeffrey John to withdraw his acceptance. This appointment flouts the mainstream Anglican teaching on human sexuality. We believe that if he is consecrated, the unity of the Church of England and Anglican Communion will be disrupted.

Eight bishops of the Church of England, however, wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury in support of Dr John, but urged that the debate should be carried on privately.

Despite the many dynamic comments and statements that have materialised on both sides of the argument, some of the more recent pronouncements have expounded the opinion that the issues are to be dealt with at a provincial level. The Most Revd Clive Handford, President Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East, said, I was a little surprised at the appointment because of the potential risk of controversy. However, while not knowing Dr John personally, I believe him to be an excellent and highly regarded priest. It is significant that he has stated that he is celibate and has been for some years. I shall take no action other than to keep Dr John and those involved in my prayers. He added that no one in this Province has requested that any action be taken.

A statement from the Archbishop of Southern Africa, the Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane, also supported this perspective. The issue surrounding the appointment of Jeffrey John as a suffragan bishop affects, in the first instance, the diocese of Oxford and the Church in England, not the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, he said.

A statement issued today from the Primate of Australia, the Most Revd Peter Carnley, called on the need for honesty and humility, and a willingness to acknowledge the possibility of alternative readings of hotly disputed texts. The full statement is available at:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/34/75/acns3490.html.

In his letter last week to all diocesan and suffragan bishops in the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury voiced his own concerns on the matter:

Confidence in the ability of a new bishop to minister to those in his pastoral care is a centrally important matter, and it is clear that serious questions remain in the diocese. To consider these with prayerfulness and maturity needs time and a measure of calm. It is not for anyone outside the diocese to override or pre-empt what is obviously a painful and complex process, and I can only ask your prayers for the diocese as it struggles with this and tries to find a right discernment.

He concluded by saying, In a few weeks, I shall be making a pastoral visit to West Africa. Some of our local issues are there too, of course, but so are most of the greatest wounds of our age, afflicting millions - violent conflict, epidemic disease, instability and poverty. Faithful Christian witness shines through all this, and we are deeply thankful for it. It does us no harm to think about our own priorities against such a background, and perhaps to learn in some matters to give each other a little more time and space for thought as we try to find how we can walk in step as the Body of Christ - not falling over ourselves because of anxiety and suspicion.

Anglican Communion News Service