Apparently the newest province in the Anglican Communion, the Province of South East Asia, means business. Its standing committee, meeting in February, took the bold step of deciding that it would not be in communion with other Anglican provinces which do not accept and endorse a "Statement on Human Sexuality" adopted by a somewhat mysterious body known as the Anglican Encounter in the South.

It all sounds a bit strange to Episcopalians, especially those who rely on General Convention to make decisions. There is this new province, composed of only four dioceses, deciding Anglicans with whom it will, and will not, be in communion.

Back to the Anglican Encounter in the South. It's an organization of Anglicans of non-Western industrialized nations. This would eliminate the U.S., Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. It also met in February, attracting some 80 bishops, to discuss what the church in the 21st century might look like, emphasizing what the role of scripture might be.

Member churches seemed distressed over what they perceive as a departure from the historic faith by some Anglicans. The Encounter came up with a 12-point statement on human sexuality (one wonders what other kinds of sexuality might concern the church). Points 5 and 6 are the heart of the document:

5. The scripture bears witness to God's will regarding human sexuality which is to be expressed only within the life long union of a man and a woman in (holy) matrimony.

6. The holy scriptures are clear in teaching that all sexual promiscuity is sin. We are convinced that this includes homosexual practices between men or women, as well as heterosexual relationships outside marriage.

Nothing unusual there. Many Episcopalians would not agree with those points, and they may not be politically correct, but they're thoroughly Anglican.

Point No. 10 reveals why this document came to be: "We are deeply concerned that the setting aside of biblical teaching in such actions as the ordination of practicing homosexuals and the blessing of same-sex unions calls into question the authority of the holy scriptures. This is totally unacceptable to us."

Now, let's see if I've got this right. If the Episcopal Church, or any other Anglican church, for that matter, decides to approve the ordination of non-celibate homosexual persons or the blessing of same-sex relationships, then Anglicans in South East Asia, and any other Anglican province which subscribes to this statement, will be out of communion with the Episcopal Church. On May 1, six bishops affiliated with the Episcopal Synod of America affirmed the statement on sexuality.

My guess is that a sizable portion of the Episcopal Church will care not a bit whether some other Anglican province declares itself out of communion with the American church.