Anglican Leader Warns Conservatives Who Split With Church
The head of the Anglican Church of Canada has warned members who split with the church over its decision to bless same-sex unions that they will lose their church buildings and funds.
''In our Anglican tradition, individuals who choose to leave the Church over contentious issues cannot take property and other assets with them,'' Archbishop Fred Hiltz said in a letter released Friday.
The letter comes two days after St. John's Shaughnessy, a large parish church in Vancouver, voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada and affiliate itself with a South American Anglican church, which has a more conservative stance on homosexuality.
St. John's is one of the first Canadian Anglican churches to vote to split since South America's Province of the Southern Cone said in November it would accept Canadian churches who are at odds with their more liberal bishops or national church.
The issues of gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex marriages has divided members of the 700-year-old Anglican Church around the world.
In June over 700 Anglican bishops from around the world voted 9–1 against the blessing of same-sex unions at the decennial Lambeth Conference, held in Winnipeg, Canada.
In the United States, clergy and lay members of the diocese of San Joaquin in California became the first full diocese to break from the U.S. wing of the 77 million-member worldwide Anglican family when they voted to secede December 6.
The head of the Anglican Church of Canada has warned members who split with the church over its decision to bless same-sex unions that they will lose their church buildings and funds.
''In our Anglican tradition, individuals who choose to leave the Church over contentious issues cannot take property and other assets with them,'' Archbishop Fred Hiltz said in a letter released Friday.
The letter comes two days after St. John's Shaughnessy, a large parish church in Vancouver, voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada and affiliate itself with a South American Anglican church, which has a more conservative stance on homosexuality.
St. John's is one of the first Canadian Anglican churches to vote to split since South America's Province of the Southern Cone said in November it would accept Canadian churches who are at odds with their more liberal bishops or national church.
The issues of gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex marriages has divided members of the 700-year-old Anglican Church around the world.
In June over 700 Anglican bishops from around the world voted 9–1 against the blessing of same-sex unions at the decennial Lambeth Conference, held in Winnipeg, Canada.
In the United States, clergy and lay members of the diocese of San Joaquin in California became the first full diocese to break from the U.S. wing of the 77 million-member worldwide Anglican family when they voted to secede December 6.
Uganda Anglicans Threaten To Secede From Global Church
Uganda's Anglican church is threatening to secede from the 77-million member Anglican Communion unless U.S. clergy condemn homosexuality.
The announcement was the latest salvo in a fierce dispute about homosexuality that has overtaken the global fellowship of Anglican churches since its U.S. wing — the U.S. Episcopal Church — consecrated its first openly gay bishop in 2003.
"Anglicanism is just an identity and if they abuse it, we shall secede. We shall remain Christians, but not in the same Anglican Communion," Church of Uganda spokesman Aron Mwesigye said. There are about 9.8 million Anglicans in Uganda, according to the country's last census in 2002.
Last week, Uganda's Anglican bishops said they would boycott a once-a-decade gathering of worldwide church leaders this summer in England because of the Episcopal Church's stance on homosexuality.
Mwesigye said the Ugandan church is now considering a complete severing of ties "because we have complained against homosexuality several times but no action is taken." "If they don't change, and continue to support homosexual practices and same-sex marriages, our relationship with them will be completely broken," Mwesigye added.
Jim Rosenthal Rosenthal, spokesman for the Anglican Communion in London, made no comment on the the idea of secession by the Ugandan church, but said the Ugandan church's spokesman seemed to be speaking about last week's news.
Mwesigye said that if the Uganda church does break off, it will enlist other African churches to form a separate fellowship that does not condone homosexuality.
Kenya's bishops join boycott of Anglican meeting
Kenya's Anglican bishops will join the boycott of a major church gathering this year because of a rift over gay clergy and same-sex unions, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi said on Friday.
The announcement is another setback for the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, who is struggling to heal divisions between liberals and traditionalists.
"We are not attending the forthcoming Lambeth (Conference)," Nzimbi told local broadcaster NTV. "We are not pulling out of the Anglican communion."
Bishops in neighboring Uganda said on Thursday that they would not be attending the meeting, being held in July in Canterbury, southern England.
The consecration of openly gay U.S. Bishop Gene Robinson in 2003 has split the 400-year-old church and set a liberal minority against a conservative majority, mostly from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
One of Australia's most powerful Anglican leaders has said bishops from Sydney will also miss the Lambeth Conference, a meeting of senior figures which is held every 10 years to discuss church governance and policy.
The Anglican archbishop trying to mediate between conservative and liberal clergy said earlier this month that he believed a schism could be avoided but added that he did not expect 100 percent attendance at the Lambeth Conference.
Some conservative Anglicans have announced plans to hold an alternative summit in Jerusalem in June.
Kenya's Anglican bishops will join the boycott of a major church gathering this year because of a rift over gay clergy and same-sex unions, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi said on Friday.
The announcement is another setback for the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, who is struggling to heal divisions between liberals and traditionalists.
"We are not attending the forthcoming Lambeth (Conference)," Nzimbi told local broadcaster NTV. "We are not pulling out of the Anglican communion."
Bishops in neighboring Uganda said on Thursday that they would not be attending the meeting, being held in July in Canterbury, southern England.
The consecration of openly gay U.S. Bishop Gene Robinson in 2003 has split the 400-year-old church and set a liberal minority against a conservative majority, mostly from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
One of Australia's most powerful Anglican leaders has said bishops from Sydney will also miss the Lambeth Conference, a meeting of senior figures which is held every 10 years to discuss church governance and policy.
The Anglican archbishop trying to mediate between conservative and liberal clergy said earlier this month that he believed a schism could be avoided but added that he did not expect 100 percent attendance at the Lambeth Conference.
Some conservative Anglicans have announced plans to hold an alternative summit in Jerusalem in June.
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