Church split deepens

last updated 8 January 2015

Concord, N.H.

Conservative Episcopalians are threatening to form their own, breakaway church if the national convention confirms an openly gay clergyman as a bishop. Canon Gene Robinson has already been named bishop of New Hampshire, and his new status is to be confirmed by the convention when it opens July 30. But the protesters, representing about 10 percent of U.S. Episcopal bishops, say they will break ties with the church if Robinson is confirmed. Similar disputes over homosexuality have surfaced in Canada and Britain, and have deeply divided the Anglican Communion, a global association of churches linked to the Church of England. Bishop James Stanton of Dallas said liberals had caused the rift by turning the Episcopal Church into an “errant and disintegrating Anglican province.” Robinson said it was his opponents who were “choosing to divide this communion, not me.”