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NEW HAMPSHIRE: Episcopal Church torn by gay issue as more parishes leave
By Martha T. Moore
USA TODAY
3/2/2006
More than a dozen congregations have defected from the U.S. Episcopal Church since the first of the year in a growing rebellion triggered by the ordination of an openly gay bishop in 2003. Gene Robinson, shown here in October, became the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop. Gene Robinson, shown here in October, became the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop.
Overall, more than three dozen congregations from the largely white, affluent Protestant denomination have left the national church and aligned with African and South American branches of the worldwide Anglican Communion. (Related story: American congregations join foreign branches)
The departures have been sparked by opposition to the elevation in 2003 of Bishop Gene Robinson, who has a male partner, to lead the diocese of New Hampshire. Now, two openly gay priests are among five candidates to be bishop of California in a diocesan election May 6. The U.S. church approved Robinson's ordination and will also have to approve the choice of bishop of California when it meets at its national convention in June.
"There are some passages in Scripture that specifically do say that homosexual behavior is offensive to God," says Sue Chatfield, a member of a dissident parish in Orange Park, Fla.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
Four largest denominations in the USA, compared with the Episcopal Church (2005 members in millions):
Roman Catholic Church: 67.3
Southern Baptist Convention: 16.4
United Methodist Church: 8.3
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 5.5
Episcopal Church USA (ranks 15th): 2.4
The overseas branches of the Anglican church that the breakaway congregations are joining have taken strong stands against homosexuality, saying it is forbidden by the Bible. Robinson's ordination caused 22 of the 38 branches of the worldwide church to break off relations with the U.S. branch. The controversy has divided the worldwide church between North American and European churches, and more socially conservative churches of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Congregations from Newport Beach, Calif., to Rochester, N.Y., have left. In February, churches in Oceanside and La Crescenta, Calif., and Ashburn, Va., joined overseas dioceses. The largest defections - 10 in Florida - came in January.
The national Episcopal Church says the number of churches leaving is a small part of the more than 7,200 Episcopal parishes with 2.4 million members in the USA. The worldwide church has 77 million members. "Parishes don't leave," says the Rev. Jan Nunley, an Episcopal Church USA spokeswoman. "People leave." Agreeing with the church's acceptance of gay relationships is not essential to its members' salvation, she says.
Many of the breakaway churches have re-formed under new names and conduct services in rented or borrowed space. Others have remained in the buildings they met in before their defection:
* In Overland Park, Kan., Christ Church Anglican, formerly Christ Episcopal Church, one of the nation's largest congregations, bought its church building from the diocese in April for $2.7 million.
* In California and Pennsylvania, four churches have won court decisions allowing them to keep their buildings.
* In Pawley's Island, S.C., members of All Saints Church are arguing in court that their 260-year-old property predates the formation of the Episcopal Church in the USA.
The division within the church will be clearly shown in June at the church's general convention, held every three years. On Jan. 25, the Episcopal Church USA announced four candidates for its top job of presiding bishop to be elected at the convention. Three of the four approved Robinson's ordination.
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