Bishops admit division on same-sex issue: General Synod asked to decide.Mississauga, Ont. Canadian Anglican bishops, at their regular fall meeting, acknowledged they are deeply divided on whether to offer blessings to gay couples and urged eight dissident parishes to seek reconciliation with the diocese of New Westminster New Westminster, city (1991 pop. 43,585), SW British Columbia, Canada, on the Fraser River, part of metropolitan Vancouver. Founded in 1859 as Queensborough, it was the capital of British Columbia until Victoria was made capital after the union of British Columbia , which has approved such blessings. Bishop Michael Ingham
The Right Reverend Michael Ingham (born 1949 in Yorkshire) is a bishop and theologian. of New Westminster said in an interview that he hopes the diocese and the eight parishes can agree on a facilitator to begin a process of discussion. Bishop Ingham also said that the diocese is developing a rite for same-sex blessings and that three parishes have formally asked to use such a rite. "There are couples waiting" for this action, he said. Bishop Ingham was urged in open session not to go ahead with same-sex blessings, but said in an interview he would proceed. He later said that he had decided to delay implementation. (See article on page 1.) The bishops' meeting, held Oct. 25-29, was dominated by the issue, which was tackled in three days of closed-door debate. After the bishops considered the results of the closed sessions, a six-member subcommittee drafted a "message to the church" that said, in part, "We are unable to speak with a unanimous voice on this issue of national concern, especially with regard to the subject of homosexuality in the light of Scripture." The statement proposed that the eight New Westminster parishes, which are withholding their diocesan contributions, and the diocese pursue discussions "before the fracture widens." The statement also said the bishops agreed that "we will not make individual decisions in any additional dioceses before General Synod The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. Church of England In the Church of England, General Synod was instituted in 1970 and is the culmination of a process of rediscovering self-government for the Church of England that had , the church's governing body Noun 1. governing body - the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something; "he claims that the present administration is corrupt"; "the governance of an association is responsible to its members"; "he , meets in 2004." They referred the matter to General Synod "for discussion and, if possible, resolution." The statement also said that until the matter is resolved, "all bishops are asked to uphold the 1997 guidelines of the house of bishops on human sexuality This article is about human sexual perceptions. For information about sexual activities and practices, see Human sexual behavior. Generally speaking, human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings. ." The guidelines state that bishops "do not accept the blessing of homosexual unions." In open session, several bishops, including Terrence Buckle of the Yukon and William Anderson William Anderson or Bill Anderson may refer to:
Among the supporters of the statement, Bishop Barry Hollowell of Calgary said gay and lesbian Christians "are baptized bap·tize v. bap·tized, bap·tiz·ing, bap·tiz·es v.tr. 1. To admit into Christianity by means of baptism. 2. a. To cleanse or purify. b. To initiate. 3. and there is not a two-tier baptism." Bishop Don Young of Central Newfoundland said he had thought same-sex blessings were not an issue in his diocese until he heard support for the idea from people he thought would be opposed. "There are families of gay and lesbian people waiting to hear from us," he said. Bishop Caleb Lawrence, noting that he has "grown old in this house during discussion of this issue," said that if the blessing of gay unions "is not of God, it will not stand and if this is of God, this house of bishops will not be able to prevent it." Twenty-eight bishops voted to accept the statement, nine voted against and Bishop Ingham abstained. IN OTHER MATTERS: * The bishops heard an update in closed session on the residential schools situation. Several bishops commented outside the session that the agreement with Ottawa was the best that could be hoped for and that they would urge their dioceses to approve it. * Archbishop Andrew Hutchison Andrew Sandford Hutchison L.Th., D.D, D.C.L. (h.c.) (born in Toronto in 1938), is a retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Prior to his election at the General Synod of 2004, he was the bishop of Montreal and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Canada (which, of Montreal Of Montreal is an American indie pop band formed in Athens, Georgia, fronted by Kevin Barnes. It was among the second wave of groups to emerge from The Elephant 6 Recording Company. said a prominent Montreal family is interested in funding a full-time bishop to the Canadian Forces. Currently, Archbishop Hutchison is the Bishop Ordinary to the Canadian Forces as well as bishop of Montreal and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Canada The Ecclesiastical Province of Canada was founded in 1860 and is one of four ecclesiastical provinces in the Anglican Church of Canada. Despite its name, the province covers only the former territory of Lower Canada (ie. . He said the military job should be filled on a full-time basis. * Anglican bishops and their Lutheran counterparts discussed details of full communion Full communion is a term used in Christian ecclesiology to describe relations between two distinct Christian communities or Churches that, while maintaining some separateness of identity, recognise each other as sharing the same communion and the same essential doctrines. , approved 18 months ago. One suggestion was that a priest in one denomination not serve in the other's church fresh out of seminary since that cross-denominational exchange is better-suited to experienced clergy. |
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