Church in the World

Episcopalians reject Anglican ultimatum

United States

The Anglican Communion edged closer to a schism last week as the bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States rejected an ultimatum from the leaders of the worldwide Communion that would have restructured their leadership and prohibited the ordination of gay and lesbian bishops and the blessing of same-sex couples.

The bishops - leaders of the 2.3 million-member American branch of the Anglican Communion - had convened a private meeting in Texas to consider the requests delivered at a conference of Anglican primates last month in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The primates at that conference had called for a special leadership council to oversee conservative American dissidents who disagreed with the Episcopal Church's views on homosexuality and other matters. They had also called for a moratorium on the ordination of gay bishops and the blessing of gay couples by 30 September.

The bishops concluded the Texas meeting with a statement saying that though they felt a "deep longing" to remain a part of the worldwide Church, they rejected the requests.

"If that means that others reject us and communion with us, as some have already done, we must with great regret and sorrow accept their decision," the bishops' statement said.

The bishops also called for a meeting with Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. In a short response, Dr Williams said that he found the bishops' statement "discouraging".

The Episcopal Church has been at odds with the 77-million-member Anglican Communion over several issues, but most seriously over the ordination of an openly gay American bishop in 2003. The bishops did not directly address the primates' proposals on homosexuality in the Church.