Election of second openly gay US bishop confirmed

(Staff)  The Episcopal Church (TEC) has formally endorsed the election of a second practicing homosexual bishop. Mary Douglas Glasspool has received the required number of consents from diocesan standing committees and bishops to her consecration. Glasspool, 56, was elected suffragan bishop of Los Angeles on Dec. 5. Her consecration is set for May 15 with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as the chief consecrator. 

Seven years ago Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, was elected the Bishop of New Hampshire. His consecration sent shock waves around the Anglican Communion. Two-thirds of the 38 Provinces of the Communion now say they are in “impaired” or “broken” communion with TEC. On the continent a new church body, the Anglican Church of North America, was formed by those who felt they could no longer remain in fellowship with a national church that snubbed Scripture.

After Glasspool’s election was confirmed by the national church, Lambeth Palace, the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, issued a terse statement: “It is regrettable that the appeals from Anglican Communion bodies for continuing gracious restraint have not been heeded.”

Others had more to say. The Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, declared: “the Anglican Communion reaches another decisive moment. It is now absolutely clear to all that the national Church itself has formally committed itself to a pattern of life which is contrary to Scripture. The election of Bishop Robinson in 2003 was not an aberration to be corrected in due course. It was a true indication of the heart of the Church and the direction of its affairs.” Bishop Jensen urged those orthodox leaders who remained in TEC to “unambiguously” oppose a development “which sanctifies sin and which is an abrogation of the word of the living God.”

A theologically conservative group within TEC called Communion Partners issued a statement which said in part:

“It is with profound sorrow that we, the Communion Partner Bishops and Rectors, express our deepest regret to our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion for the action of the majority of the diocesan bishops and standing committees of the dioceses of The Episcopal Church in voting to consent to the consecration as a bishop of a woman living in a sexual relationship outside Christian marriage. Unfortunately, where restraint was respectfully requested by the leadership of the Communion, it has been ignored. Where the General Convention has counseled study of the Anglican Covenant, this action has rendered that counsel moot.

“Therefore, we disassociate ourselves from this action and grieve the state of separation that exists in The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. This separation is a witness to the need for the Anglican Covenant as the means through which dioceses and congregations in The Episcopal Church can affirm their commitment to the Anglican Communion.”

Fulcrum, a group of theologically conservatives within the Church of England said: “This is a clear rejection of the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates’ Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.” Moreover, they argued that TEC should be penalized:

“We believe that it is vitally important for the Primates' Meeting planned for January 2011 to go ahead and that for this to happen the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church should not be invited to attend. Actions have consequences.”

Jeff Walton of the Institute on Religion & Democracy wrote: “Consent to Glasspool’s election by the Episcopal Church shows how little the U.S.-based denomination cares about what other parts of the global Anglican Communion believe. The majority of the Episcopal Church is increasingly practicing a separate faith than what most worldwide Anglicans practice.”