What The Episcopal Church had hoped to be a "clear and unambiguous" statement has left both sides of the Anglican divide dissatisfied, with some saying the Episcopal bishops are again dodging their response to avoid losing their place in the global communion.
"I'm saddened but not surprised," said the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, missionary bishop of the Anglican breakaway CANA (Convocation of Anglicans in North America), in a teleconference on Wednesday. "I think basically they ducked. The response they've offered does not clarify as was requested."The Episcopal House of Bishops affirmed Tuesday that they would "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion," essentially ceasing the consecration of gay bishops. They also pledged not to authorise the blessing of same-sex unions until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion, or until General Convention takes further action.
At the same time, the bishops called for "unequivocal and active commitment to the civil rights, safety, and dignity of gay and lesbian persons."
The statement was released at the conclusion of a six-day meeting in New Orleans.
The response by The Episcopal Church - the U.S. branch of Anglicanism - was offered as an attempt to "mend the tear" in the Anglican Communion which has been wracked particularly since it consecrated openly gay bishop V. Gene Robinson in 2003.
Anglican bishops set a Sept. 30 deadline for The Episcopal Church to respond to their requests - which were a culmination of years of conversations - that they make an unequivocal pledge not to consecrate another openly gay bishop or authorise same-sex unions. Conservative leaders have more specifically called for a "heartfelt repentance" and "genuine change" to get back in line with the communion and with Scripture, as many of the bishops in the Global South has stated.
Many Episcopal bishops showed support for the statement, saying it represents the current reality of where The Episcopal Church stands. But conservatives were disappointed in the Episcopal response, which they say indicated no change in their stance on homosexuality among other issues.
"It's business as usual," said Minns, who is currently in Pittsburgh, Pa., with 50 other orthodox Anglicans to discuss how to up the level of their "Common Cause Partnership" as they see The Episcopal Church walking apart from the global Anglican family.
"I think it's clear the American church wants to continue its way and to ignore the persistent requests that have been made from the rest of the communion," the CANA bishop noted.
Supporters of gay clergy, meanwhile, accused the Episcopal bishops of caving in to pressure from conservatives, according to The Associated Press.
Furthermore, a number of media outlets, including the BBC, had viewed the Episcopal response as an agreement to halt the ordination of gay clergy.
"Bishop [Neil] Alexander [of Atlanta] said that he hoped for a 'clear and unambiguous' statement from the bishops. Well, judging by the initial media response, the statement released Tuesday night falls short of 'clear and unambiguous,'" noted respected theologian Dr. R. Albert Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and one of America's pre-eminent evangelical leaders.
"Mark yesterday (Tuesday) as another date of disaster in New Orleans," he wrote in his weblog.
