ENGLAND: Anglican coalition calls Canterbury's response to L.A. election, lack of Uganda statement 'perverse'
Episcopal News Service. December 10, 2009 [121009-01]
A coalition of British Anglican organizations that supports the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Christians has expressed disappointment with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams for his "repeated intervention in the affairs" of the Episcopal Church after he issued a statement of concern within 12 hours of the Diocese of Los Angeles electing the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool, an openly gay and partnered woman, as bishop suffragan.
The LGBT Anglican Coalition said in a statement that it "warmly welcomes" the Dec. 5 election of Glasspool but that it was "gravely disappointed" to see Williams imply in a Dec. 6 statement that the Episcopal Church should not consent to Glasspool's ordination and consecration as a bishop.
Under the canons of the Episcopal Church (III.11.4), a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan standing committees must consent to the ordination of Glasspool and the Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce, who was elected in Los Angeles the day before her, within 120 days of receiving notice of the election.
In his Dec. 6 statement, Williams acknowledged that the election process "is only part complete and that the decision by diocesan bishops and standing committees "will have very important implications."
The LGBT Anglican Coalition also bemoaned Williams' "complete unwillingness to speak publicly about the Church of Uganda bishops' support for what is universally seen as oppressive and homophobic legislation in that country." The Ugandan Parliament is considering a bill that would introduce the death penalty for people who violate portions of that country's anti-homosexuality laws, although recent reports are saying that politicians might be bowing to public pressure and reconsidering the severity of punishments proposed in the legislation.
"If the archbishop is to retain any credibility at all he needs to reconsider," the LGBT Anglican Coalition said in its Dec. 10 statement. "This double standard of justice is frankly perverse. It appears to most people in Britain to be a disgraceful acquiescence in the demands of homophobic pressure groups both in England and in the communion."
The statement was signed by the Rev. Benny Hazlehurst, Accepting Evangelicals; the Rev. Colin Coward, Changing Attitude; Jeremy Marks, Courage; Mike Dark, Evangelical Fellowship of Lesbian and Gay Christians; Canon Giles Goddard, Inclusive Church; the Rev. Sharon Ferguson, Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement; the Rev. Christina Beardsley, Sibyls; as well as the Clergy Consultation.
The full text of the statement is available here.
On behalf of Inclusive Church, Goddard sent an open letter Dec. 9 to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Bishop Jon Bruno of Los Angeles, offering the network's congratulations for the elections and its regret for Williams' comments.
Goddard urged the Episcopal Church's diocesan bishops and standing committees "not to be persuaded by responses from outside your province in considering the request to confirm these elections," and apologized that the reaction from the Church of England to Glasspool's election had been "at best grudging and at worst actively negative.
"While it gives us no pleasure to dissociate ourselves from the sentiments expressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose wisdom in so many areas we deeply respect, we greatly regret the tone and content of his response, particularly in the context of his failure to make any comment on the seriously oppressive legislation being proposed in Uganda."