Anglican views of homosexuality

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Homosexuality and Christianity

Anglican views of homosexuality

The issue of homosexuality remains a controversy in the Anglican Communion. During the thirteenth Lambeth Conference in 1998 a resolution was passed stating that homosexual acts are "incompatible with Scripture" by a vote of 526-70; however it also contained a statement declaring this policy would not be the final word and research would continue. (Lambeth Resolutions are not binding on member churches of the Anglican Communion, but carry considerable moral authority). Other resolutions passed include "Issues in Human Sexuality" which was approved in 1991 stating stable same-sex relationships are acceptable for laypersons but not for clergy.

These different standards have led the current Communion leader, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams to call them contradictory. He has also noted in his interpretation of the Bible there are no passages condemning monogamous same-sex relationships. It must be also noted that Rowan Williams has become increasingly conservative in his viewpoints in relation to this issue and in September of 2006, he went so far as to say that homosexual people must change if they are to be welcomed into the church and that the Church of England must be a welcoming communion but not an inclusive one. Archbishop Williams represents an increasing number of conservative Anglo-Catholics within the church, that is to say, he has become someone who favours both the traditional teachings and liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church above liberal clergymen's stance about gay people.

The Church of England in 2003, announced the appointment of Jeffrey John, a clergyman living in a celibate domestic partnership with another man, as Bishop of Reading. Traditionalists within the Church were outraged and John eventually succumbed to pressure from the Archbishop of Canterbury (who had initially supported the appointment) and others to withdraw before he had been formally elected. He was appointed Dean of St Albans instead. Other provinces such as the Episcopal Church USA, Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil and Mexico, Scottish Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Southern Africa as of 2004 permitted the ordination of non-celibate gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions, with similar reactions. In the Anglican Church of Canada, six parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster bless same sex unions, and Dean Peter Elliott of that diocese is a gay man in a committed relationship.

Responding to these theological disputes, many provinces, primarily from central Africa, but a few in Asia and South America; representing half of the 80 miilion practicing Anglicans worldwide; declared a state of impaired communion with their counterparts [1]. Minority groups in Western provinces opposed to what they consider unscriptural actions by the Churches of England, Canada, Australia, and the ECUSA, have also stated such, and many (such as the Anglican Mission in America have withdrawn their affiliation with the ECUSA, and placed themselves under the jurisdiction of some of the African provinces, to include the Churches of Uganda and Rwanda.

1 Summary of Issues
2 Gay bishop controversy
3 Stance of Churches
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Summary of Issues

There is a wide range of beliefs within the Anglican Communion regarding homosexuality. Some of the more specific issues which member churches and dioceses are struggling with are:

Homosexual members of the church/communion
- May they exist?
- Must they be celibate?
- Should we bless same sex unions of GLBT members?
Homosexual Clergy
- May they exist?
- May they be openly homosexual?
  - To what extent may they be "out" (eg. only to their Bishop/their partner/their mother/the entire state of New Mexico)
  - May they openly have a partner?
- Must they be celibate?
- May any of these individuals (those who are celibate and those who are non-celibate) be Bishops?

Churches run the gamut, from churches which do not accept any GLBT members, to churches which are happy to have openly GLBT, partnered, non-celibate bishops. The nature of the Anglican Communion is such that not all churches or dioceses must agree with each other in every particular in order to share a common faith and baptism. Part of the current controversy concerns how much and what sort of disagreement over these issues can exist while still calling it a "common faith."

[edit] Gay bishop controversy

On August 2003 the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire elected an openly gay priest, Gene Robinson as bishop. This came shortly after a similar controversy in the UK, when the gay Canon Jeffrey John was almost consecrated Bishop of Reading. However, at that time John agreed to withdraw in order to avoid division. Although later in 2004 in the aftermath of the Gene Robinson, Jeffrey John was then installed as Dean of St Albans Cathedral, the site of England's first Christian martyr.

A number of Anglican provinces, including the second-largest in membership (but largest in church attendance), the Church of Nigeria, threatened to leave the communion if a non-celibate gay man were allowed to be consecrated a bishop. In addition, a minority of priests and congregations within the Episcopal Church were also considering leaving the communion as result.

[edit] The 2003 Lambeth Palace meeting

As a result of the controversy over the ordination of gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions, on October 15, 2003, Anglican leaders from around the world met in Lambeth Palace in an attempt to avoid a schism on the issue. The day after, they released a lengthy statement: [2]

"We must make clear that recent actions in New Westminster and in the Episcopal Church (USA) do not express the mind of our Communion as a whole, and these decisions jeopardise our sacramental fellowship with each other." [...]

"If his [Gene Robinson's] consecration proceeds, we recognise that we have reached a crucial and critical point in the life of the Anglican Communion and we have had to conclude that the future of the Communion itself will be put in jeopardy." [...]

"In this case, the ministry of this one bishop will not be recognised by most of the Anglican world, and many provinces are likely to consider themselves to be out of Communion with the Episcopal Church (USA). This will tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level, and may lead to further division on this and further issues as provinces have to decide in consequence whether they can remain in communion with provinces that choose not to break communion with the Episcopal Church (USA)." [...]

"Similar considerations apply to the situation pertaining in the Diocese of New Westminster."

"We commend the report of that Conference in its entirety to all members of the Anglican Communion, valuing especially its emphasis on the need "to listen to the experience of homosexual persons, and [...] to assure them that they are loved by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ"; and its acknowledgement of the need for ongoing study on questions of human sexuality." [...]

"As Primates, it is not for us to pass judgement on the constitutional processes of another province. We recognise the sensitive balance between provincial autonomy and the expression of critical opinion by others on the internal actions of a province."

[edit] 2004 Church Letter

In 2004 the Archbishop of Canterbury condemned comments by Bishops outside the Western world for inciting violence against gay men and women.

"Any words that could make it easier for someone to attack or abuse a homosexual person are words of which we must repent. Do not think repentance is always something others are called to, but acknowledge the failings we all share, sinful and struggling disciples as we are."

[edit] Subsequent Division

Bishops from two Anglican provinces, Rwanda and the Province of Southeast Asia, consecrated missionary bishops for the United States in January, 2000 and formally established the Anglican Mission in America later that year (see Continuing Anglican Movement). Bishops in Uganda cut relations with the Diocese of New Hampshire following Robinson's consecration on November 2, 2003. The Church of Nigeria declared itself in "impaired communion" with the Episcopal Church on November 21, 2003, and nine days later announced it was planning to establish a United States branch of its province to support Nigerian Anglicans living in the U.S. The Province of Southeast Asia broke communion with the Episcopal Church on December 2, 2003, citing Robinson's consecration as the reason for its action.

[edit] Windsor Report and 2005 Primates Meeting

In 2004, the Lambeth Commission on Communion issued a report on the issue of homosexuality in the Anglican Communion, which became known as the Windsor Report. This report took a strong stand against homosexual practice, recommended a moratorium on further consecrations of actively homosexual bishops and blessings of same-sex unions, and called for all involved in Robinson's consecration to withdraw from representative positions in the Anglican Communion. However, it stopped short of recommending discipline against the Episcopal Church or Anglican Church of Canada.

In February 2005, the Primates of the Anglican Communion held a regular meeting at Dromantine in Northern Ireland at which the issue of homosexuality was heavily discussed. Of the 38 Primates, 35 attended. Underscoring the divisions within Anglicanism, 14 of the 35 Primates present refused to take Communion with the group because of their provinces' decisions to partially or completely break communion with the US and Canadian churches. The Primates issued a communiqué that reiterated most of the Winsdor Report's statements, but added a new twist. The Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada were asked to voluntarily withdraw from the Anglican Consultative Council, the main formal international entity within the Anglican Communion until the next Lambeth Conference in 2008.

[edit] Diocese of California

Out of seven candidates for diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California in the 2006 election, three were gay. The Reverend Bonnie Perry from Chicago would have been the first lesbian bishop in the Anglican Communion had she been elected. The other gay candidates were the Reverend Canon Michael Barlowe, from the Diocese of California, and the Very Reverend Robert Taylor of Seattle. Ultimately, the Right Reverend Marc Andrus, suffragan bishop of the Alabama, was elected after three rounds. [3]The May 6 election was ratified by the Episcopal legislative body, the General Convention, in June, 2006 in Columbus, Ohio.

[edit] Stance of Churches

Within the Anglican Communion there is diverse opinion over homosexuality.

[edit] Church of England

26,000,000 members

The issue erupted when Jeffrey John, a gay canon, was elected Bishop of Reading in May 2003. Before he could take up his post there was strong opposition from a minority of Bishops and he was persuaded to resign. However, many senior Bishops have voiced disappointment at his decision to resign. Later in 2004 he was then installed as Dean of St Albans Cathedral. Further controversy errupted when churches in the Diocese of St Albans decided that they would withhold contributions until further notice to protest this appointment. St Peter and St Paul's Church in Cranfield, near Bedford, and Holy Trinity Church, in New Barnet, north London pledged to withhold money from diocese funds in protest. St Andrews Church in the Hertfordshire town of Chorleywood has also announced that it would withhold funds until further notice.

[edit] Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

584,800 members

Official policy remains that of the Anglican Commnion (all homosexual activity is sin), however, there is a Rainbow Church in Onehunga, Auckland. Many other urban Anglican parishes offer services for the gay and lesbian community.

Although the current Archbishop of New Zealand, Whakahuihui Vercoe, created a stir after his consecration in 2004 when he infamously expressed the hope that Christians would one day see "a world without gays," there is a strong culture of tolerance in the Pakeha wing of the Anglican Church, balanced by outright abhorrence in the Maori and Pasifika wings. In a few dioceses (Dunedin and Auckland) there is tacit acceptance that non-celibate gay priests continue to be ordained, and blessings of same-sex relationships are performed by many priests in an official capacity; in the remainder any participation leads to immediate summary withdraws of any Bishop's liscences, tantamount to immediate Excommunication

[edit] Anglican Church of Australia

3,900,000 adherents according to national census

No official stance on homosexuality; however, the national Church leader, Primate Philip Aspinall, has stated the topic is not worth splitting the church over. A prominent Sydney Anglican, Peter Jensen, who is Sydney's Archbishop has vigorously opposed homosexuality and the ordination of non-celibate homosexual bishops. The former Australian Primate, Archbishop Peter Carnley, who retired in 2005, criticized "Sydney Anglicans" for "empty moralizing" and questioned if the Bible condemns homosexuality in a statement:

"The exact meaning to be read from these texts and whether they can rightly be made to provide a neat pre-packaged answer to our contemporary questions is what is at issue. Anybody brave enough to claim to know the inner mind of God on the basis of a personal claim to be privy to the only conceivable interpretation of some biblical texts is guilty of self-delusion." (CSNEWS.COM, June 30, 2003, "Anglican Leaders in Australia at Odds Over Homosexuality Issue" [4])

[edit] Anglican Church of Canada

800,000 members according to church rolls; 2 million or 6.9% of the population by 2001 national census

"Canadian gays and lesbians will continue to be welcomed and received in our churches and to have their contributions to our common life honoured," in a letter by then-primate Archbishop Michael Peers. The Church has been a strong supporter of the inclusion of gay and lesbian Anglicans in the communion. Same sex union blessings have been authorized by one diocese with others considering such blessings. In 2004 the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada passed a resolution on homosexuality which includes this section urging the church to continue dialogue on homosexuality and whether the Church should facilitate religious same-sex marriages, not just blessings:

"Affirm the crucial value of continued respectful dialogue and study of biblical, theological, liturgical, pastoral, scientific, psychological and social aspects of human sexuality; and call upon all bishops, clergy and lay leaders to be instrumental in seeing that dialogue and study continue, intentionally involving gay and lesbian persons...to prepare resources for the church to use in addressing issues relating to human sexuality including the blessing of same sex unions and the changing definition of marriage in society."

Perhaps more importantly, the resolution concluded that the Synod:

"Affirm the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same sex relationships."

One Canadian diocese, New Westminster, authorized a rite for the blessing of same-sex unions at its 2002 Diocesan Synod. The use of the rite by individual parishes was incumbent upon a specific request of the parish made through its annual vestry meeting or resolution of its parochial church council. By 2005, eight of the diocese's 76 parishes had sought and received authorization to use the rite. In response to the recommendations of the Windsor Report, the 2005 Diocesan Synod voted to place a moratorium on authorizing additional parishes to use the rite, until the General Synod of the national church decided on the matter.

In July 2005, the Canadian government legalised same-sex marriage. Although the Anglican Church of Canada has an authorized rite for the blessing of civil marriages, its Marriage Canon is used for interpreting the rite. Since it presumes opposite-sex partners, clergy were disallowed from using the rite in all dioceses of the Church, including New Westminster. The Very Rev. Peter Wall [5], Dean of Niagara and the Most Rev. Terence Finlay [6], retired Archbishop of Toronto and Metropolitan of Ontario have each been disciplined for celebrating lesbian weddings, Wall at Christ's Church Cathedral (Hamilton) and Finlay in a United Church.

In 2005, at the request of the primate, Andrew Hutchison, a theological commission produced the St. Michael Report. It recommended, among other things, that the national church treat the blessing of same-sex unions as analogous to marriage, and hence a matter touching on doctrine (although not what it called "core doctrine"). The General Synod meets in 2007 to again consider the matter.

[edit] Church of the Province of Central Africa

600,000 members (Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe)

Archbishop Malango was quoted as stating Gene Robinson "brought darkness, disappointment, sadness and grief" to his Church.

[edit] Church of Ireland

400,000 members

Within the Church of Ireland there is a wide spectrum of opinion. Conservatives were outraged at an alleged blessing of the relationship of a lesbian couple in St Nicolas' Collegiate Church, Galway in September 2002 and the Bishop of Limerick's attendance at Gene Robinson's consecration. Views at parish level reflect this with many evangelical parishes as well as those in the more populous (in terms of CofI membership) north being generally opposed to homosexual practice, while middle and high church parishes, especially in the south, have openly gay parishioners as a matter of routine.

The Bishops have announced a process of listening and reflection within the Church. A preliminary response to the Windsor Report was produced by the Church's Standing Committee in January 2005.

Most of the northern dioceses have passed motions favouring Lambeth Resolution I.10, although a similar motion failed to receive overall endorsement in the Diocese of Connor, covering most of County Antrim, and the diocese with the most members in the Church of Ireland. [7]

[edit] Anglican Church of Kenya

2,500,000 members

Archbishop Nzimbi has strongly spoken against gay clergy.

[edit] Church of Nigeria

15,000,000 members

The church remains sharply opposed to homosexuality, regarding it as taboo and against the Bible. Archbishop Peter Akinola has been one of the most outspoken critics of gay men and women in the Church and, indeed, in the world.

[edit] Scottish Episcopal Church

The Scottish Episcopal Church does not have a policy against ordaining noncelibate gay clergy, thus such ordinations are theoretically allowed. They announced this on March 23, 2005:

(We) had never regarded the fact that someone was in a close relationship with a member of the same sex as in itself constituting a bar to the exercise of an ordained ministry...We do not have a synodical decision like the Church of England has, which it made a number of years ago, and therefore if someone who was of a homosexual orientation felt a sense of call to the ordained ministry then we would begin the process of testing that vocation. We wouldn't bar him or her simply because they were homosexual.

Sensational headlines in North America announced that the SEC had agreed to ordain gays and lesbians in committed partnerships. The Church thus released a statement pointing out that the policy was not "news". Regarding the media release that the above quote came from, it noted that "Press interest has focused on one small part of the overall statement". It continued to say that:

"In referring to the fact that there is no current bar to ordination for someone who might be in a close relationship with a member of the same sex, the Bishops were simply stating the present position as it applies in Scotland where, unlike some other provinces, no motion discouraging such ordinations has ever been passed by our General Synod. Consequently, the statement earlier this month does not represent any change in policy on the part of the Bishops."

[edit] Church of the Province of South East Asia

(Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam)

The Province of South East Asia criticised the confirmation of Gene Robinson as a Bishop by the Episcopal Church (USA), stating:

"The said confirmation therefore seriously raises the question of ECUSA's genuine commitment to our corporate responsibility as members of the church catholic to uphold and promote only the Apostolic Faith and Order inherited. A natural, holistic and consistent reading of the Scriptures clearly show that it is against the practice of homosexuality. In the context of orthodox and classical Christianity, the canonical authority of the Scriptures is taken to be recognised and received by the community of faith and not subject to majority, culturally relevant or even theological voting." [8]

On 24 November 2003, the Province declared that it had entered into a state of impaired communion with the Episcopal Church (USA) by releasing the following statement:

"The Synod of the Province of the Anglican Church of South East Asia ("the Province") unanimously reject the purported consecration of Dr Gene J Robinson ('Robinson') on 2 November 2003 by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America ('ECUSA') in New Hampshire, as a bishop in the Anglican Church. The Province views the purported consecration as a flagrant disregard of the fundamental teachings of the Bible and the long established doctrines of the Church."

"As Dr Gene J Robinson is a practising homosexual who had divorced his wife and has for the last 13 years been living with a male partner, the Province cannot and do not recognise his consecration and ministry in the Anglican church."

"In view of ECUSA's action in proceeding with the consecration despite the warnings and pleas of a large majority of Anglican churches worldwide, the Province regrets that communion with the ECUSA as well as those who voted for the consecration and those who participated in the consecration service is now broken."

"This means that the Province no longer treats those in ECUSA who carried out and supported the act of consecration as brothers and sisters in Christ until and unless they repent of their action and return to embrace Biblical truths. At the same time, the Province remains in fellowship with the faithful believers within ECUSA who rightly oppose and reject the erroneous actions of their house."

"This decision was made unanimously at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Synod held in Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia on 20 November 2003." [9]

[edit] Anglican Church of Southern Africa

2,000,000 members (South Africa, Angola, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland)

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane has criticised other African Churches against homosexuality and said that the church's attention should be focussed on other concerns such as AIDS and poverty. Their previous Archbishop, Desmond Tutu, stated:

"The Jesus I worship is not likely to collaborate with those who vilify and persecute an already oppressed minority [...]. I could not myself keep quiet whilst people were being penalized for something about which they could do nothing, their ality. For it is so improbable that any sane, normal person would deliberately choose a lifestyle exposing him or her to so much vilification, opprobrium and physical abuse, even death. To discriminate against our sisters and brothers who are lesbian or gay on grounds of their sexual orientation for me is as totally unacceptable and unjust as Apartheid ever was." [10]

[edit] Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of the Americas

27,000 members (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay)

Archbishop Gregory Venables has also been strongly critical of homosexuality. Bishops in his province criticized the Windsor Report for failing to call liberal churches to repentance. [11] The province has declared itself in "impaired communion" with ECUSA, but continues to maintain full communion with opponents of the Robinson consecration (read: Anglican Communion Network). [12] Venables has authorized dioceses within his province to provide episcopal oversight to United States churches that have left ECUSA.

[edit] The Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil

100,000 members

The Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, originally Low Church, but now migrating to a broad church style of liturgy, is characterized by its somewhat progressive theological views on homosexuality. After the 1998 Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Church in Brazil has decided to promote two national forums on Human Sexuality, both held in Rio de Janeiro. Its decisions guide the actual policy on this subject. According to the final document, the consensus of the Brazilian Church is that human sexuality is a gift from God, and it should be experienced in peace, freedom, love and respect. It is understood that the Church should respect the privacy of its members and clergy. So, any kind of public exposure of someone's sexual orientation (as a pre-requisite to be a member or take part of any ministry) violates this privacy. Because of that progressive position, the Bishop of the Diocese of Recife (the only one that is still strongly Evangelical), Robinson Cavalcanti, has left the Church. Among his main reasons, he pointed that the Brazilian Church was sympathetic to the ordination of Gene Robinson's and dangerously coping with the allowing of homosexuals being part of its clergy. This split separated the Diocese of Recife in two parts: one of them, loyal to Bishop Orlando Santos de Oliveira, primate of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, and currently coordinated by Bishop Sebastião Gameleira, and the other, under Cavalcanti's leadership, tied to the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone. [13]

[edit] Episcopal Church of the Sudan

5,000,000 members

Archbishop Marona says the Church should help with the effects of war and poverty before homosexuality. "We have much worse things to face," he has been quoted.

[edit] Anglican Church of Tanzania

2,000,000 members

Archbishop Donald Mtetemela has said homosexuality is against the Bible: "The Anglican Church of Tanzania believes that homosexuality is contrary to the teaching of the Word of God. It is a sin." [14]

[edit] Church of the Province of Uganda

8,000,000 members

The Ugandan church has cut ties with its North American counterparts over homosexuality. It has officially recognized the Anglican Communion Network, a theologically conservative group formed by several diocesan bishops and large parishes in the United States opposed to the Robinson consecration, as the legitimate representative of Anglicanism in the U.S. [15]

[edit] Episcopal Church in the United States of America

2,400,000 members

In 2003, ECUSA became the first Anglican province to ordain an openly gay bishop; however, the church's stance on gay issues has been debated for decades. In 1976, ECUSA's General Convention passed a resolution stating:

"It is the sense of this General Convention that homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church."

Various interpretations were held within ECUSA on this resolution, ranging from the majority of dioceses that ordain noncelibate gay and lesbian clergy to the minority group who founded the Anglican Communion Network which opposes such ordinations. On June 23, 2005 the ECUSA defined its meaning in a one hundred and thirty page document entitled "To Set Our Hope on Christ":

"We believe that God has been opening our eyes to acts of God that we had not known how to see before...the eligibility for ordination of those in covenanted same-sex unions...a person living in a same-gendered union may be eligible to lead the flock of Christ...members of the Episcopal Church have discerned holiness in same-sex relationships and have come to support the blessing of such unions and the ordination or consecration of persons in those unions...Their holiness stands in stark contrast with many sinful patterns of sexuality in the world...The idea that there is only one correct way to read or interpret scripture is a rather modern idea."