NOTTINGHAM, England, June 23, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The global Anglican Communion’s Consultative Council maintained their expulsion of clergy members of the Canadian Anglican and US Episcopal churches over disagreement with their respective positions on homosexual “marriage” and clergy Wednesday.
A motion prohibiting the Canadian Anglican Church and Episcopal Church of USA (ECUSA) from participating in two key committees, the Standing Committee and Anglican Finance Committee, passed by a narrow margin (30-28, with 4 abstentions) Wednesday in Nottingham. This motion upholds and strengthens the suspension of the Canadian and US Churches from Communion activities as decided in February, until the next Lambeth Conference in 2008.
A watered down resolution that stopped short of demanding North American banishment from all Church bodies requested “that the Episcopal Church [U.S.] and the Anglican Church of Canada withdraw their members from the council’s standing committee and the inter-Anglican finance and administration committee,” according to an Anglican Essentials Canada press release.
The dispute arose after the US Episcopal Church consecrated V. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire in November 2003. About the same time, Bishop Michael Ingham of the diocese of New Westminster tried to force parishes to begin ‘blessing’ same sex couples.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Anglican Church “Expels” US and Canadians Anglican Churches over Endorsement of Homosexuality
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05022508.html
Chaos in the Anglican Communion Showing at Church of England’s General Synod
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05021606.html
Canadian Anglican Bishops Deny Schism - No Moratorium on Same Sex Blessings
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/may/05050101.html
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