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Episcopal Church Holds Status Quo

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The New York Times

Published: September 26, 2007

NEW ORLEANS - Episcopal bishops on Tuesday rejected demands by leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion to roll back the church's liberal stance on homosexuality, increasing the possibility of fracture within the communion and the Episcopal Church.

After nearly a week of discussions in New Orleans at their semiannual meeting, the House of Bishops defied a directive by the Anglican Communion's regional leaders, or primates, to change several church policies.

The bishops also expressed a desire to remain part of the communion and appeared to be trying to stake out a middle ground that would allow them to do so.

Nonetheless, up to five American dioceses led by theologically conservative bishops may try to break with the Episcopal Church and place themselves under the oversight of a foreign primate in the next few months, said the Rev. Canon Kendall Harmon, a conservative Episcopal strategist.

'We'll have the chaos here increase as more individuals, parishes and dioceses begin moving,' Harmon said. 'What will happen is that we will see more of the disunity here spread to the rest of the communion.'

In a voice vote, all but one bishop supported a resolution, called 'A Response to Questions and Concerns Raised by our Anglican Communion Partners.' The response affirmed the status quo of the Episcopal Church.

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