Anglican synod affirms same-sex blessings in theory, denies them in practise

By Jim Coggins

Fred Hiltz, newly elected head of the Anglican Church of Canada, has gone on record as a supporter of same-sex blessings

Despite this, the ACC's newly-elected head still supports the approval of same-sex blessings by the Diocese of New Westminster in BC.

Archbishop Fred Hiltz told CBC.ca that, if there was a change in the status quo in B.C. churches, "it would create a pastoral crisis for that diocese and those parishes where authority has been granted for the blessing of same-sex relations. They've been given authority to proceed and it will be taken away for them. It would create a dilemma."

Hiltz was responding to the results of the ACC's General Synod, held June 19 - 25 in Winnipeg.

Michael Ingham, the controversial bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster -- who has spearheaded the drive toward same-sex blessings -- saw no real progress resulting from the Synod.

"I think everyone's a loser," he told the Anglican Journal.

"Traditional Christians can't take comfort in the vote," he said, "and those who want to move on are held back by a small number of bishops."

Asked how he intends to respond pragmatically to the vote, Ingham told the Vancouver Sun: "We'll be making a decision in the next few weeks . . . We'll have to look at what the general synod said and what its implications are for us."

In principle, he told the Sun, "We remain strongly committed to supporting gay and lesbian members of our church and in the wider society. Our support . . . is undiminished."

At the Synod, the ACC's three 'houses' -- lay delegates, clergy delegates and bishops -- voted separately on several resolutions relating to homosexuality, sending out mixed signals.

After hours of debate, the synod voted Sunday in favour of a resolution which said "the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the core doctrine (in the sense of being credal) of the ACC." The laity and clergy, voting together, approved the motion 152 - 97. The House of Bishops voted 21 - 19 in favour.

However, delegates then voted on a resolution that would have allowed individual Anglican dioceses -- regional districts presided over by bishops -- to offer blessing ceremonies to gay couples. It would not have allowed clergy to officiate at homosexual weddings.

This resolution was approved 78 - 59 by the laity, and 63 - 53 by clergy, but defeated 21 - 19 by the House of Bishops. Since approval was required by all three houses, the resolution did not pass.

A third resolution, which would have affirmed the right of eight parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster to continue offering blessings of covenanted gay unions, was then withdrawn.

However, it is expected that the diocese, under Ingham's leadership, will continue to offer the blessings.

Speaking to the Journal immediately after the vote, Edmonton bishop Victoria Matthews said: "We know that people on both sides of the issue -- those who voted for, those who voted against -- leave tonight with a profound sense of sadness, that the body of Christ is so broken."

Ed Hird, BC-based communications director of the Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC) -- a group formed by churches which left the ACC over same-sex blessings -- issued a brief statement, declaring:

"As we grieve for the significant 'walking apart' shown by the ACC General Synod, let us compassionately hold in prayer those orthodox Anglicans who are still currently within the ACC, and are being traumatized by these decisions. To many of us, the writing seems on the wall."

While some of the secular press tended to focus on the failed vote, several observers said the decision really meant "not yet."

Ron Chaplin, a member of Integrity, a gay Anglican support group, told the Anglican Journal: "I am not upset. The tide is moving. The first motion makes a theological space for gay and lesbian people in the church."

It is unknown how the decisions made by the ACC will affect its relations with the worldwide Anglican communion, which claims about 77 million members. There is no central authority in the church.

However, a majority of the 38 national bishops recently demanded that the American branch of the communion, the Episcopal Church, cease blessing same-sex unions -- or they would cut off fellowship with the U.S. body.

The worldwide Anglican communion is dominated by conservative, fast-growing national churches in the Third World, particularly Africa.

Some African bishops have begun offering 'episcopal oversight' to conservative congregations in Canada and the US -- in essence, making these congregations part of the African Anglican church.

About 250 congregations have left the Episcopal Church, and 14 have left the ACC. The decisions by General Synod may also cause division within the ACC. The Canadian conservative Anglican movement is led by Anglican Essentials, which has two branches: the Anglican Network in Canada, which consists of congregations which have left the ACC; and the Anglican Federation, which consists of individuals and congregations still within the ACC.

While the denomination's lukewarm endorsement of same-sex couples is unlikely to attract many gays, it is likely to drive out more conservative members. On the Anglican Essentials website, the Anglican Network stated:

"By changing the doctrine of the Church and saying that what God has called sin is not in conflict with the core doctrine of the church, this General Synod has clearly rejected the authority of the Word of God and made its decision. Now we and every Canadian Anglican must make theirs."

Vancouver-based Cheryl Chang, another member of Anglican Essentials, told the Canadian Press that many parishioners won't wait for their congregations to make a decision: "People [will] leave to go to the Catholic church, the Baptist church, the Pentecostal church. That's going to happen starting next Sunday."

Zacchaeus Fellowship -- a support group for people who have struggled with same-sex attraction, but are trying to obey traditional moral standards -- also attended the synod, and issued a news release stating that it was "deeply disappointed" in the results of the vote.

Dawn MacDonald, an Anglican priest in Fort Nelson who chairs the group, told CC.com before the vote that, if the denomination endorsed same-sex blessings, "most Zacchaeus members would seriously ask whether we could stay." She added: "The church would be saying that our faith journeys don't matter, that we were being faithful for nothing."

MacDonald, who served at a Vancouver parish when the Diocese of New Westminster began blessing same-sex unions, expressed pastoral concern for the "silent sufferers" in the pews who are battling with same-sex attraction -- but who will receive no help from a church that will only affirm their attraction.

She said that "the pendulum had to swing" from the time when the church merely condemned people with same-sex attraction. But now, she said, "it has gone too far."

In his statement, Hird said he sympathized with ACC members alienated by the vote: "I remember well how difficult it was for us five years ago, when we walked out from the Diocese of New Westminster Synod. We have discovered from personal experience that there is indeed a way forward."

That way may prove difficult, judging from a statement recently made public by an African Anglican group.

The communique from the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda opens by declining the Archbishop of Canterbury's invitation to the Lambeth 2008 conference, which is the next major gathering of the worldwide communion -- and one of the Anglican church's major symbols of international unity.

The Rwandan statement gives several reasons for the decision, including: "The invitations to Lambeth 2008 have been issued in complete disregard of our conscientious commitment to the apostolic faith once delivered." Further, "The Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10 . . . has not been respected by the Episcopal Church of America (TEC), the Anglican Church of Canada, and other like-minded Provinces, which are now violating the resolution as well as holy orders by making the decision to ordain and to consecrate practicing homosexuals."

The statement concludes: "Therefore, in view of the above, in good conscience, the bishops of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda have resolved not to attend the Lambeth Conference 2008 unless the previously stipulated requirement of repentance on the part of the TEC and other like-minded Provinces is met, and invitations are extended to our entire House of Bishops."

-- additional reporting by David F. Dawes

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