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Election of lesbian bishop 'will cause Church to unravel' (Episcopalian)
UK Telegraph ^ | 3/12/06 | Elizabeth Day

Posted on 03/12/2006 10:45:14 AM PST by wagglebee

An Anglican clergywoman in a long-term, same-sex relationship is set to become the first lesbian bishop, causing uproar among traditionalists. The evangelical wing of the worldwide Anglican Communion has said that the election of the Rev Bonnie Perry will lead to the "unravelling" of the Church.

Miss Perry, 43, is one of five shortlisted candidates standing for election for the bishopric of California on May 6. She has been the pastor at All Saints' Episcopal Church, Chicago, since 1992. Her girlfriend of 18 years, Susan Harlow, is a professor of religious education at the nearby Meadville Lombard theological school and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

The selection of Miss Perry is highly controversial because the Anglican Communion believes that the ordination of actively gay clergy is incompatible with scripture. The Church of England does not even recognise female bishops.

The Episcopalian Church in America acted in defiance of this belief when it elected the homosexual clergyman Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. The appointment triggered a worldwide crisis in the Anglican Church and prompted the Archbishop of Canterbury to set up a commission last October to investigate the legal and theological implications of the ordination.

The subsequent report called for a moratorium on the appointment of gay bishops and the performance of same-sex blessings.

In spite of this, the Diocese of California has put forward Miss Perry and a second actively homosexual candidate, the Very Rev Robert Taylor, as nominees to replace the retiring Bishop William Swing in May.

Dr Taylor, the dean of St Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, is also in a long-term, same-sex relationship.

Last night, the Rev Nick Wynne-Jones, the secretary of the Church of England Evangelical Council, said that the shortlisting of Miss Perry was "provocative" and "in defiance" of the rest of the Anglican Church.

"It just seems that they are determined to pursue their own particular agenda," he said. "If they persist in that line it seriously jeopardises the future of the Anglican Communion as it's currently constituted.

"The condition of the Episcopal Church in America is unravelling fairly fast and this would exacerbate this situation and I think that more and more individual parishes are likely to align with other dioceses. It is frustrating. Anyone who's concerned for the future of the Church would be concerned."

Last week, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote to the 38 Anglican primates acknowledging the "bitter controversy over sexuality in the Communion".

Canon Chris Sugden, the executive secretary of Anglican Mainstream International, said: "The Archbishop of Canterbury has voiced what many people knew in his letter to the primates: that there was no mind in the Communion to change the position on homosexuality.

"He's very clear that there is a group of people in power in the highest echelons of the Episcopalian Church in America for whom this is a determined crusade. They will brook no opposition, they will not listen to any calls for restraint. It has been done during the moratorium deliberately. It is a clear challenge to the rest of the Communion and the Church of England."

Miss Perry is believed to be a front-runner for election. She is popular in her local community for her "unstuffy attitude" and has introduced "pet blessing" ceremonies to her church.

She has also developed outreach programmes to provide groceries for the homeless and the congregation has grown from 35 to 220 parishioners under her leadership.

Her previous lecture presentations include: "How Body Piercing Can Enhance Your Congregation: Creative Liturgies to Reach Generation X," delivered in February 2001.

She is a certified kayaking instructor and describes herself as "a recreational tree climber and avid reader". On her church's website, she says that the Gospel "doesn't matter a rat's tail if it doesn't change people's lives".

She adds: "I care deeply about preaching, outreach, pastoral care, congregational development and sea kayaking. My hope is to continue creating a community where people come to ask the deep questions of life."

Richard Kirker, the general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement in Britain, welcomed the news of Miss Perry's nomination. "It is to the credit of the American Church that it puts no bar on clergy for their sexuality," he said.

The Church of England, unlike the Episcopalian Church, does not elect its bishops but appoints them after official approval from the Queen. When Jeffrey John, the Dean of St Albans and a celibate homosexual, was chosen as the Bishop of Reading in 2003, his appointment provoked such an outcry that he stepped down.


TOPICS: Current Events; Mainline Protestant; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Science
KEYWORDS: anglicans; bonnieperry; ecusa; episcopalians; homosexualagenda; homosexualbishop; lesbianbishop; religiousleft; schism; ucc
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The insanity continues...
1 posted on 03/12/2006 10:45:19 AM PST by wagglebee
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To: DBeers; DirtyHarryY2K

Homosexual agenda ping.


2 posted on 03/12/2006 10:45:55 AM PST by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: sionnsar; newheart; Huber

Anglican ping.


3 posted on 03/12/2006 10:46:46 AM PST by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: wagglebee
“On her church's website, she says that the Gospel "doesn't matter a rat's tail if it doesn't change people's lives".”

The irony of this Lesbian saying just this is too rich for Lent. Dare I mention it would be a good idea for her to set the example and try changing her own life?

I know I know someone will tell me Christ said “He who is without sin cast the first stone”

A good example but I always like to suggest they finish reading because He said something else during that event. Something along the lines of “Go and sin no more”.

Of course with this crowd this means “Sin no more but not any less either”

What can you do with this kind other than convert to Catholic if you can not remove them from their post?

The Episcopalian Church is dead.
4 posted on 03/12/2006 11:07:23 AM PST by iluvlucy
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To: wagglebee; iluvlucy
Her selfishness, self-absorption, egoism and arrogance will send another bump of Episcopalians elsewhere.
She alone is changing people's lives with her meglomania. Shame on her.
Shame on those who put up her name and voted her in.
5 posted on 03/12/2006 11:40:03 AM PST by starfish923 (Socrates: It's never right to do wrong.)
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To: wagglebee

As these liberals kill the American church, I hope they are loudly rejected in England as they are in Asia and Africa. A small sodomy death cult in the US should not be permitted to bring down the whole church.


6 posted on 03/12/2006 11:45:31 AM PST by Galveston Grl (Getting angry and abandoning power to the Democrats is not a choice.)
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To: wagglebee

homosexuals are like flies....whatever they don't eat, they sh#t on.


7 posted on 03/12/2006 11:47:14 AM PST by Dick Vomer (liberals suck......... but it depends on what your definition of the word "suck" is.)
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To: wagglebee

***An Anglican clergywoman in a long-term, same-sex relationship is set to become the first lesbian bishop***

The question that I have is why did her becoming a Bishop bring light to this issue? Why was is not dealt with when she was a being considered for ordination?


8 posted on 03/12/2006 12:07:00 PM PST by Gamecock (“We don’t preach the gospel clear enough for the non-elect to reject it.” ((Unknown))
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To: wagglebee
she says that the Gospel "doesn't matter a rat's tail if it doesn't change people's lives".

What has happened to the eloquence of the Episcopal Church? I guess crudeness of language has replaced all reason.

9 posted on 03/12/2006 12:12:32 PM PST by stripes1776
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To: Gamecock

"Why was is not dealt with when she was a being considered for ordination?"

Spiritual blindness.


10 posted on 03/12/2006 1:38:45 PM PST by PetroniusMaximus
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To: stripes1776

"What has happened to the eloquence of the Episcopal Church?"

You expect eloquence from a demon in a cassock?


11 posted on 03/12/2006 1:40:52 PM PST by PetroniusMaximus
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To: wagglebee
The insanity continues... well its reached Roman Candle proportions.
12 posted on 03/12/2006 1:53:37 PM PST by festus (The constitution may be flawed but its a whole lot better than what we have now.)
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To: AFA-Michigan; AggieCPA; Agitate; AliVeritas; AllTheRage; An American In Dairyland; Annie03; ...
Homosexual Agenda Ping!

FReepmail if you want on/off the ping list.

Free Republic homosexual agenda keyword search

13 posted on 03/12/2006 1:59:02 PM PST by DirtyHarryY2K ("Ye shall know them by their fruits" ;-))
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To: PetroniusMaximus

What does that mean? Seriously?


14 posted on 03/12/2006 2:15:13 PM PST by dpa5923 (Small minds talk about people, normal minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas.)
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To: wagglebee
This is rather akin to the people on the Titanic after hitting the iceberg rushing about and cutting holes in the bottom of the ship.
15 posted on 03/12/2006 2:17:28 PM PST by jecIIny (You faithful, let us pray for the Catechumens! Lord Have Mercy)
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To: wagglebee
Her previous lecture presentations include: "How Body Piercing Can Enhance Your Congregation: Creative Liturgies to Reach Generation X," delivered in February 2001.

No caricaturist could come up with something like that...

16 posted on 03/12/2006 5:15:48 PM PST by Unam Sanctam
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To: wagglebee

Isn't that terrible? They will NEVER be satisfied.

No, Rowan, it is not about 'sexuality.' It is about perversion.


17 posted on 03/12/2006 6:10:20 PM PST by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
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To: ahadams2; axegrinder; AnalogReigns; Uriah_lost; Condor 63; Fractal Trader; Zero Sum; ...
Thanks to wagglebee for the ping.

Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this moderately high-volume ping list (typically 3-9 pings/day).
This list is pinged by sionnsar, Huber and newheart.

Resource for Traditional Anglicans: http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com

Humor: The Anglican Blue (by Huber)

Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

18 posted on 03/12/2006 7:28:55 PM PST by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com† | Libs: Celebrate MY diversity! | Iran Azadi 2006)
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To: dpa5923
"What does that mean? Seriously?"

Well, for those truly converted people in the ECUSA, it means that they have become so acclimatized to evil that they have lost their spiritual discernment.

For 50+ years those in the ECUSA have been fed a diet of spiritual pablum, and it has so weakened their senses that they are unable to recognize the presence of the great evil in their midst.
19 posted on 03/12/2006 7:31:32 PM PST by PetroniusMaximus
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To: wagglebee

But is she Scripturally qualified? The Bible is not silent on that issue.


20 posted on 03/12/2006 7:46:37 PM PST by LiteKeeper (Beware the secularization of America; the Islamization of Eurabia)
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