US gay priest is candidate to be Bishop of Newark
-23/09/06
The Diocese of Newark in t
US gay priest is candidate to be Bishop of Newark
-23/09/06
The Diocese of Newark in the US Episcopal Church, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is considering an openly gay priest among six candidates to be their next bishop.
The widely respected Canon Michael Barlowe has been in a covenanted relationship with another priest for the past 24 years. His supporters say that he models the fidelity and commitment which is central to the Christian message.
The Diocese, whose previous Episcopal figures include controversial liberal Bishop Jack Spong (author of ëRescuing the Bible from Fundamentalismí and ëWhy Christianity Must Change or Dieí) says that is has included Canon Barlowe on its shortlist because of the quality of his candidature.
But they also point out that it is in line with the ìradical inclusivityî which is part of Newarkís Anglican identity, and which embodies the transformative power of the Gospel.
Other Anglicans styling themselves as traditionalists are sure to be less impressed, and will argue that the move is provocative given the statement made by the recent Episcopal Church general convention (in Columbus, Ohio) calling for ìrestraintî in making appointments of people whose lifestyle may be called into question.
In recent years the Anglican Communion has been plagued by often bitter arguments between those who believe that the Christian message requires the full acceptance of lesbian and gay people in the church and its recognised structures of ministry, and those who say that this is contrary to certain interpretations of the Bible.
A galvanising moment for both camps was the election of the openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire.
The Episcopal Church (formerly ECUSA) has no mechanisms for imposing a collective will on dioceses, which are free to elect bishops of their choosing in line with the requirements of their ordinal ñ which does not raise specific questions about sexuality.
But the calls for restraint have come after relations between the US church and its partners in other parts of the 77 million Communion, especially in Africa, have become so strained.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is spiritual but not legislative head of the Church, has appealed for dialogue and conversation rather than confrontation. In the past he has indicated his personal sympathy for lesbian and gay people, and has argued that there is a theological case for welcoming them into the church with the same conditions as anyone else.
But since becoming the 104th occupant of the See of Canterbury he has said that his priority is the unity of the church and the continuity of its tradition. He has condemned homophobic attitudes among some ëconservativesí, but has also accused ëliberalsí of wishing to move too fast and pre-empt the mind of the Church.
The new Bishop of Newark will be elected by 200 clergy and 339 lay people from the diocese in a vote on Saturday afternoon, 24 September 2006.
After that he or she must be approved nationally by diocesan panels, also made up of lay people and clergy, and by a majority of more than 100 of the Episcopal bishops who lead America’s Anglican church.
UPDATE, 21.05 GMT: The Rev Mark M. Beckwith was elected on 23 September 2006 as the tenth bishop of Newark, reports Episcopal News Service. Beckwith, aged 54, was elected out of an initial field of six nominees on the third ballot. To be elected on that ballot, based on the number of votes cast, a nominee needed 80 votes in the clergy order and 160 in the lay order. Beckwith received 87 clergy votes and 166 lay votes.
[Also on Ekklesia: Why Rowan Williams helps stem the drift to idiocracy Sep 9, 2006: Simon Barrow says there is more to the ‘gay row’ than many activists admit; Gay bishop likened to black civil rights campaigners; Episcopal Church USA faces pressure on Anglican gay split; Bishop Robinson denies report about Lambeth Conference attendance; US Episcopal Church turns down ban on gay bishops; Gay bishop rejects attack by Tatchell; Windsor Report does not call for apology; Bishop never said Jesus was gay; dDiocese of New Hampshire responds to Windsor Report; Books by former Newark bishop Jack (John Shelby) Spong: Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism; Living in Sin; Why Christianity Must Change or Die; Resurrection: Myth or Reality?; Liberating the Gospels]
US gay priest is candidate to be Bishop of Newark
-23/09/06
The Diocese of Newark in the US Episcopal Church, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is considering an openly gay priest among six candidates to be their next bishop.
The widely respected Canon Michael Barlowe has been in a covenanted relationship with another priest for the past 24 years. His supporters say that he models the fidelity and commitment which is central to the Christian message.
The Diocese, whose previous Episcopal figures include controversial liberal Bishop Jack Spong (author of ëRescuing the Bible from Fundamentalismí and ëWhy Christianity Must Change or Dieí) says that is has included Canon Barlowe on its shortlist because of the quality of his candidature.
But they also point out that it is in line with the ìradical inclusivityî which is part of Newarkís Anglican identity, and which embodies the transformative power of the Gospel.
Other Anglicans styling themselves as traditionalists are sure to be less impressed, and will argue that the move is provocative given the statement made by the recent Episcopal Church general convention (in Columbus, Ohio) calling for ìrestraintî in making appointments of people whose lifestyle may be called into question.
In recent years the Anglican Communion has been plagued by often bitter arguments between those who believe that the Christian message requires the full acceptance of lesbian and gay people in the church and its recognised structures of ministry, and those who say that this is contrary to certain interpretations of the Bible.
A galvanising moment for both camps was the election of the openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire.
The Episcopal Church (formerly ECUSA) has no mechanisms for imposing a collective will on dioceses, which are free to elect bishops of their choosing in line with the requirements of their ordinal ñ which does not raise specific questions about sexuality.
But the calls for restraint have come after relations between the US church and its partners in other parts of the 77 million Communion, especially in Africa, have become so strained.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is spiritual but not legislative head of the Church, has appealed for dialogue and conversation rather than confrontation. In the past he has indicated his personal sympathy for lesbian and gay people, and has argued that there is a theological case for welcoming them into the church with the same conditions as anyone else.
But since becoming the 104th occupant of the See of Canterbury he has said that his priority is the unity of the church and the continuity of its tradition. He has condemned homophobic attitudes among some ëconservativesí, but has also accused ëliberalsí of wishing to move too fast and pre-empt the mind of the Church.
The new Bishop of Newark will be elected by 200 clergy and 339 lay people from the diocese in a vote on Saturday afternoon, 24 September 2006.
After that he or she must be approved nationally by diocesan panels, also made up of lay people and clergy, and by a majority of more than 100 of the Episcopal bishops who lead America’s Anglican church.
UPDATE, 21.05 GMT: The Rev Mark M. Beckwith was elected on 23 September 2006 as the tenth bishop of Newark, reports Episcopal News Service. Beckwith, aged 54, was elected out of an initial field of six nominees on the third ballot. To be elected on that ballot, based on the number of votes cast, a nominee needed 80 votes in the clergy order and 160 in the lay order. Beckwith received 87 clergy votes and 166 lay votes.
[Also on Ekklesia: Why Rowan Williams helps stem the drift to idiocracy Sep 9, 2006: Simon Barrow says there is more to the ‘gay row’ than many activists admit; Gay bishop likened to black civil rights campaigners; Episcopal Church USA faces pressure on Anglican gay split; Bishop Robinson denies report about Lambeth Conference attendance; US Episcopal Church turns down ban on gay bishops; Gay bishop rejects attack by Tatchell; Windsor Report does not call for apology; Bishop never said Jesus was gay; dDiocese of New Hampshire responds to Windsor Report; Books by former Newark bishop Jack (John Shelby) Spong: Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism; Living in Sin; Why Christianity Must Change or Die; Resurrection: Myth or Reality?; Liberating the Gospels]