Temporary Withdrawal Requested by Anglican Bishops

The Senior Bishops of the various Anglican Churches from around the world have finished their meeting in Northern Ireland with a consensus request. According to the BBC,

In a key passage, the communique says: "... We request that the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada voluntarily withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council for the period leading up to the next Lambeth Conference" [the ten-yearly meeting of all Anglican bishops, due next in 2008].

The ACC is a liaison body, with members drawn from each province or member church. To step down would mean a church was no longer a full member of the Anglican family. . .

What brought that simmering row to a head was the decision by US Anglicans to appoint an openly gay priest, Gene Robinson, as a bishop, and the Canadian agreement to bless same-sex unions.

I do not see either body backing down or retreating from the path they have taken. I also cannot see conservative, traditionalist members waiting until 2008 to see which way the wind will be blowing. If the American and Canadian Bishops do not "repent" and submit to the will of the Anglican Communion as a whole, I believe we will see an increase in membership migration both to other denominations as well as to "independent" congregations forming new alliances or linking up with Anglican communions in other countries.

As the BBC News puts it, "Out of (these) polar opposites, even Solomon himself would find it hard to forge a united church."

For background read my previous post here.