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OHIO: Church break follows gay vote
Four area parishes split off from U.S. Episcopal Church. Bishop to address issue today
By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
11/11/2005
More than two years after the Episcopal Church's debate over homosexuality, four Northeast Ohio congregations have voted to split from the national church and the Diocese of Ohio.
The four parishes -- St. Luke's in Fairlawn, Church of the Holy Spirit in Akron, St. Barnabas in Bay Village and St. Anne's in the Fields of Madison -- voted Sunday to break with the Episcopal Church USA and affiliate with the Diocese of Bolivia in the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.
The South American diocese is based in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and led by Bishop Frank Lyon.
Cleveland attorney James Niehaus, who represents the four congregations, said the vote means the parishes are no longer a part of the local diocese or the national church.
Last year, the parishes declared themselves in "impaired communion" with the Ohio diocese and national church after the consecration of a gay bishop. At that time, the parishes accepted oversight from a retired Episcopal bishop who shares their view.
On Monday, clergy leaders of the churches met briefly with Ohio diocese Bishop Mark Hollingsworth.
"We agreed that we would be having further discussions on moving forward in a constructive way, and we're in the process of scheduling those discussions," Niehaus said. "We have had no specific discussions about (property and assets)."
A spokesman for the diocese said Hollingsworth is expected to address the issue today in a letter.
The four Ohio parishes -- with about 1,300 active members -- decided to leave the U.S. church and the local diocese because of "divergent understandings of the authority of scripture and traditional Christian teaching," according to a news release.
The U.S. church is one of 38 regional provinces of Anglicanism, which is rooted in the Church of England. Of about 77 million Anglicans worldwide, 2.4 million live in the United States as Episcopalians.
Delegates to the Episcopal General Convention in 2003 consecrated the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, who is gay, as bishop of New Hampshire, incensing global peers and some U.S. Episcopalians.
The delegation covering the northern 48 counties of Ohio supported the decision of the national church. Robinson's consecration started a worldwide discussion of homosexuality and pushed the Anglican Communion to consider splitting its denomination.
The bishop of Bolivia is among the church leaders in the Anglican Communion who have called for global leaders to discipline and censure the U.S. church. He has welcomed parishes that have broken away from their dioceses in the Atlanta area and elsewhere.
The four Ohio congregations have been withholding contributions to the diocese and national church and redirecting their funds to orthodox Anglican organizations and missionary work.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com
