Gay Issue May Divide the Episcopal and Anglican Church

The Kentucky chapter of the American Anglican Council (ACC-KY) have held meetings over 25 and 26 April 2005. Both evening meetings included the speeches of Rev. Canon David H. Roseberry, rector of Christ Church Episcopal in Plano, Texas, and in them the panel discussed the current situation in the Anglican World.

Rev. Roseberry stated that the Anglican world is being exposed to division over the different opinions being expressed over homosexuality and on how these opinions relate to the Scripture.

"The Episcopal Church hangs by a thread in terms of its relationship with the Anglican communion," he said in interview, "If that thread breaks, the Episcopal Church will essentially become a modern sect."

After the consecration of Gene Robinson in 2003, Roseberry led the group that is trying to maintain the "Anglican Orthodoxy." The election of Robinson became the spark to begin the disagreement and has led to concerns regarding the splitting of the US Episcopal Church.

The US Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada were asked not to send their representatives to the major policy meeting in England in June. However, the US members decided to send them anyway so that they could try and explain the US Episcopal Church's opinion on homosexuality. They will not take part as voting participants.

The ACC-KY is one of the independent organisations, joined by many clergy and members of the church; that intended to realise the divisions and aimed to build their own relationship with the Anglican world apart from Episcopal Church.

The mission of ACC-KY is to "restore Kentucky Anglicans to full participation in the Anglican Communion."