Divisions over gay marriage threaten Anglican Church.
Thi s is a momentous week for the Anglican Communion, the thirdlargest denomination in the world, consisting of around 85- million people. Thirty eight leaders of the various Anglican provinces are meeting in Canterbury, U.K., in what is to a large extent a final attempt to unite, or at least heal deep and bitter divisions between conservatives and liberals, especially around the subjects of homosexuality and equal marriage. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most significant gathering of Anglican leaders in living memory and has profound and historical consequences.
Frankly, it would always have been almost miraculous if Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, could have kept all of these people in the same room together, let alone bring peace and reconciliation, and on Thursday The Episcopal Church — the branch of Anglicanism in the United States — was suspended for three years, precisely because of its acceptance of samesex marriage.
It’s not quite as drastic as it sounds because the relationship between the various churches is far less formal than one would think, but it’s still extremely worrying and will further divide the church as a whole. The Episcopalians have led the way in accepting openly gay men and women as full members of the church, and even priests and bishops. Such is the intensity of the dispute that when the first openly gay man, Gene Robinson, was consecrated as a bishop, he felt obliged to wear a bullet-proof vest.
The Church of England is divided, albeit in a far less violent and more British manner. And here in Canada, there is a heavy flavouring of compromise, but an increasing acceptance. Yet the Canadian church will still not marry same-sex couples: it was that fact that prevented the Canadian church from also being suspended. Australia and other areas are divided as well, but it is in Asia and Africa, in particular, where the problems are seemingly insurmountable.
Not that Africa is a solid block of resistance, and South Africa — perhaps ironically — stands proudly as an exception to the rule. But by and large Africa is resistant to gay equality, sometimes to the point of homophobia and downright hatred. This is not an exaggeration. In parts of the continent the church has remained silent about, or even encouraged, the most draconian and oppressive anti-gay legislation.
Up to now, small groups of Anglicans, including a fringe group in Canada, have left the communion over more progressive positions around sexuality, and while there has never been a central authority or leadership resembling that of Roman Catholicism, there is now a severe risk of a formal break between the Western churches and many of those in the developing world. In other words, this decision will disturb many people and what has traditionally been a loose but warm collective could become an absolute separation.
The arguments in favour of full gay equality in the Christian churches are many and, I believe, totally compelling. Indeed I’ve writ- ten an entire book about the issue, to be published in a few months. But at heart, what should matter most to all Christians is that the gay issue should not be considered an essential point of belief and certainly not be allowed to break a historic and vital Christian institution.
Yet it might do just that. Conservative evangelicals from the United States are pumping money and support into African churches resistant to gay aspirations. There are concerted campaigns to resist the demands of North American and British liberal Christians and some of the outrage and anger is shocking.
This outcome will be seen as a failure by many Anglicans, and while the Anglican Church will certainly not disappear, it will change, will lose some of its international influence and will have to reflect and re-think in order to accommodate a new reality. It’s taken 500 years of progress, compromise and even suffering to reach this point and such disunity will come as a culture shock.
Perhaps most regrettably, it will convince the anti- gay churches that they have won, when in fact it merely allows them to travel the short and bumpy road to irrelevance — a pyrrhic victory if ever there was one. Just as we now cannot comprehend opposition to mixed- race marriage, the vast majority of young people, not just in the West, simply cannot understand opposition to same-sex marriage and gay equality. In other words, it’s difficult to preach the Gospel if nobody is listening, difficult to speak of Christ if the rest of the world assumes you to be reactionary and intolerant.
Yes, it’s been quite the week in Canterbury. The conservatives will rejoice, the liberals will be angry, but most Anglicans will simply continue to worship as usual. As for the non- Christian world, it will just wonder what all the fuss is about.
THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION COULD BE PULLED APART OVER GAY RIGHTS AND EQUAL MARRIAGE.