Gay UK priest yields appointment as bishop

Christian Century, July 26, 2003

Jeffrey John, the openly gay Anglican priest whose appointment as a bishop threatened to split the Church of England as well as the Anglican Communion, has agreed to relinquish the post for the sake of "the unity of the church."

His withdrawal came after a crisis meeting on the July 4-6 weekend at Lambeth Palace, the London headquarters of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of Anglicans worldwide.

In a move spearheaded by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, leaders of Anglican churches in East Africa had denounced the appointment, charging that it violated church law and went against Christian ethics. Akinola, primate of the 17-million-member Nigerian church, the communion's largest, had likewise criticized the Diocese of New Hampshire's election of Gene Robinson as its bishop about the same time.

It remained to be seen if the turnabout in England would affect Episcopal Church voting at the July 30August 8 General Convention in Minneapolis where Robinson's election is subject to confirmation. Both Johns and Robinson have had long committed relationships with gay partners.

Johns quit as controversy welled up in Britain. Opponents threatened to call an emergency debate at the church's ruling General Synod, which was to meet July 11-15. Earlier, nine diocesan bishops protested John's appointment in an open letter, while in reply eight diocesan bishops supported it. The Daily Telegraph, surveying clergy members of the synod, found that 50 percent backed John's consecration and 43 percent opposed it.

Williams issued a statement July 6 acknowledging that John's appointment had "brought to light a good deal of unhappiness among people who could by no means described as extremists" on the issue of homosexuality. He said John's withdrawal did not mean the Church of England could "ignore or foreclose" discussion on homosexuality, and pointed out that a study guide on the issue will be published later this year. Williams also made it clear that views of Anglican church leaders abroad were taken into account.

"The estrangement of churches in developing countries from their cherished ties with Britain is in no one's interests. It would impoverish us as a church in every way," said Williams. At the same time, he said, some letters he received "displayed a shocking level of ignorance and hatred towards homosexual people."--ENI