Breakaway Anglicans/Episcopalians Form Partnership
Pastor Dale Morgan
Breakaway Anglicans/Episcopalians Form Partnership*
By JOE MANDAK,
Associated Press Writer
PITTSBURGH - A leading Episcopal conservative announced plans for a
partnership Friday that aims to create an alternative to the
liberal-leaning Episcopal Church.
Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, whose diocese is considering
breaking away from the national denomination, said the group will be
called the Common Cause Partnership.
The founders are a mix of groups with varying ties to the Episcopal
Church and the world Anglican Communion. Among the members will be
Episcopal dioceses and parishes that have broken away or plan to split
from the national church, congregations that have never been part of the
Episcopal Church and fellowships that are considered schismatic by the
Anglican Communion.
Duncan said that forming a separate North American church structure for
conservatives is "necessary because of the drift of the church in the West."
"We're in a time of reformation," Duncan said.
The partnership will include the Convocation of Anglicans in North
America, a network of Episcopal parishes that have split from the U.S.
denomination and have aligned with Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of
Nigeria, an outspoken critic of Episcopal acceptance of gay relationships.
The Episcopal Church, the Anglican body in the U.S., caused an uproar in
the worldwide Anglican family in 2003 by consecrating the first openly
gay Episcopal bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The 77
million-member Anglican Communion is a fellowship of churches that trace
their roots to the Church of England.
Ever since Robinson's election, theological conservatives in the U.S.
have been trying to stay together, so they can create an alternative
Anglican province in the United States. But they have often moved in
many different directions, including individuals leaving on their own to
join other denominations.
In a sign of these differences, some traditionalist Episcopal groups
were not part of the founding meeting, held this week in Pittsburgh.
Duncan said he hopes they will eventually join.
According to the Episcopal Church, about 66 of its more than 7,000
parishes have either left or voted to leave the national church, or have
lost a significant number of members and clergy.
Duncan said that 51 Anglican bishops, saying they represent 600
congregations, attended the four-day meeting here where the partnership
was planned.
Anglican conservatives and liberals are deeply conflicted over how
Scripture should be interpreted on a wide range of issues, including
salvation, truth and homosexuality.
Anglican leaders had set a Sunday deadline for the Episcopal Church to
pledge unequivocally not to consecrate another gay bishop or approve an
official prayer service for same-sex couples.
On Tuesday, U.S. bishops affirmed they would "exercise restraint" by not
consenting to a candidate for bishop "whose manner of life presents a
challenge" to Anglicans and the church.
The promise, however, is not an outright ban and has been rejected as
inadequate by some conservatives. The Episcopal leaders also promised
they would not approve official prayers to bless same-gender couples.
The Rev. Jan Nunley, a spokeswoman for the Episcopal Church, noted that
conservatives have tried before to unite around their opposition to
decisions by the national church. But many have remained low-profile
splinter groups.
Members of the Common Cause Partnership acknowledge they must work out
theological differences over whether they should ordain women, and over
spiritual and moral standards for ordained and lay leaders, among other
issues.
The Common Cause bishops plan to meet every six months, provided their
individual territories vote to join the partnership. The partnership
plans to hold its first constitutional convention late next year and
seek recognition from the Anglican world spiritual leader, Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams.