The six American presenters came up one by one to give their personal opinion on homosexuality. Many have claimed holiness and faithfulness exist in same-sex relationships.
Bishop Charles Jenkins of Louisiana is the only one in the US team who opposed Bishop Gene Robinson's ordination, saying he felt the Church had "made a wrong move" in appointing an openly gay bishop. But he said he trusts and respects Bishop Griswold’s decision. He also appealed for Anglicans to stay together.
On the other hand, the four-member team from the Anglican Church of Canada appeared to be more conciliatory. The Church stresses that it is still "in the midst of a conversation" on the issue of blessing same-sex unions and affirms that the Church is committed to maintaining its membership in the Anglican Communion.
The "key messages" the Canadian team presented to the ACC yesterday were contained in a document entitled "The Conversation in the Canadian Church". An extensive kit of information which provides background documents to the Canadian Church's evolving position on same-sex blessings was also submitted.
"We experience in our province many of the deep divisions that the Communion experiences, and believe that it is only possible to grow in our mutual understanding where our disagreement has not broken our communion with one another," the document said.
The kit includes a letter from Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, the Canadian Primate, as requested by the Windsor Report, in which he expresses regret that Canadian actions have led to problems in the Communion.
"We have not always consulted with our brothers and sisters around the Anglican Communion and we deeply regret that the bonds of our mutual affection have been strained," the Canadian Primate writes.
Rev. Stephen Andrews, president of Thorneloe University and a member of the Primate's Theological Commission, said he had been described as "inclined to conservative." He noted that some say the Biblical texts do not contemplate committed gay relationships but that he and the majority of biblical scholars do not agree.
He also called for ongoing dialogue and said Western Christians face difficulties when they try to rationalise why Scripture prohibits same-sex relationships. He also said the theological commission had expressed the opinion that blessing same-sex relationships is a matter of doctrine for the Canadian church, but should not be church-dividing.
The 10-day ACC meeting is now underway at the University of Nottingham, and will continue until 28th June.
