I have always had a nagging sense that once my discernment process concluded, once I was declared a Postulant, then through my seminary education, through Candidacy, only to come to the end and be told I will not be ordained. Everyone over the last four years have told me I have nothing to worry about. My diocese is electing a new bishop in a month. Again, I was assured that the selection committee would not put forward for election someone who did not support ordination of gay people.
Okay. I still have the nagging feeling. Recently, there came a news report from the BBC. Here it is:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T5CF16F26
Looks like BBC conducted a survey of all the Primates prior to the Lambeth meeting...
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Church leaders to urge gay priests ban
16:59 - 12 October 2003
Anglican Church leaders will be sharply divided at a special meeting to discuss homosexuality this week, according to a survey.
All 38 primates from around the world are due to attend a meeting at Lambeth Palace, London, on Wednesday and Thursday to consider the controversial issue of gay priests.
There were calls recently for the US branch of the church to be excluded from the international communion after Gene Robinson was appointed as the first openly gay bishop.
In this country, Canon Jeffrey John was nominated for the post of Bishop of Reading in June, but later withdrew after controversy over his sexuality.
A BBC survey found that three-quarters of the primates would not allow homosexuals to become priests in their province.
Asian and African church leaders also plan to use the meeting, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, to push for a ban on homosexual priests throughout the Anglican communion, the poll revealed.
The BBC's World This Weekend programme contacted every primate in the communion, and received 17 responses. Only four said they would accept homosexuality among priests in their church province.
A spokesman for the Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, told the programme it was a matter of dealing with the "errant few".
"It is a departure from the teachings handed down from the fathers of faith and the Word of God in the holy scriptures," he added.
The Anglican communion has 80 million members worldwide.
I am still perplexed why there has been no counter argument from scripture against those who claim inclusionists have departed from the authority of scripture. I came to belief that homosexual relationships are not forbidden by God BECAUSE of scripture, not by denying scripture. So, why are liberals not making arguments to engage prohibitionists from scripture? I hope the accusations are not true – that liberals really have denied the authority of scripture.
The funny thing, if that is true, is that this evangelically minded person, because of scripture, is an inclusionist. I still wonder whether I will ever be ordained.
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