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In a move that will deepen the divide between conservatives and liberals within the global Anglican church, the Diocese of New Westminster on June 15 voted by a 62 percent majority at its annual synod to permit the blessing of same-sex unions. Bishop Michael Ingham has endorsed the move.

In response, delegates from nine conservative churches in the Vancouver, British Columbia, diocese walked out and declared they were no longer in communion with the synod or with Ingham, an outspoken advocate for a church blessing of same-sex unions.

The delegates who left the synod also called on bishops from outside the diocese to intervene in what they called a "pastoral emergency." The synod endorsed the bishop's plan to permit clergy to perform a rite of blessing for "covenanted gay and lesbian relationships," while providing a "conscience clause" that would allow traditional clergy to refrain from performing such a rite.

Recognizing that conservative churches were increasingly frustrated with his leadership, Bishop Ingham's proposal also allowed for an "episcopal visitor"—a conservative bishop from outside the diocese who would provide pastoral care to conservative priests and parishes, but who would have no power to appoint or remove clergy within those parishes.

Ingham and others claimed his proposal was balanced and inclusive, but conservatives said it would cut the diocese off from the global Anglican communion, which rejected homosexual activity as incompatible with Scripture at the Lambeth Conference in 1998.

Conservative delegates said the conscience clause would only give the diocese a "false peace," and they said the proposed "episcopal visitor" was a poor substitute for what they had requested, which was "alternative episcopal oversight"—an alternative bishop who would have all the authority that comes with the position.

"All the visitor could do is come and drink tea with you and console you over the tragedy of the diocese," said Ed Hird, rector of St. Simon's parish in North Vancouver. "So we're talking about a neutered form of oversight."

Trevor Walters, rector of St. Matthew's parish in Abbotsford, said the diocese had broken away from the mainstream Anglican Church by endorsing a form of sexual activity that is prohibited by Scripture, and he said conservative parishes like his were obliged to leave the diocese temporarily and to wait for higher authorities—such as the Canadian House of Bishops, the primates and the Archbishop of Canterbury—to tell them what to do next.

"We'll just wait until all those folks sort out the mess, and we'll do what they tell us to do," he said.

In a statement released after the synod, scholars J.I. Packer and George Egerton, both key players in the orthodox Anglican Essentials movement, suggested the current division could lead to an even deeper fracture in the Anglican church, if the global communion did not come to the aid of the more conservative parishes.

"Failing such remedy, we are likely to see our Chinese Parishes and others join a new Anglican Mission in Canada," they wrote.

Speaking to reporters after the walk-out, Ingham said priests who wished to remain in the diocese would remain under his authority, but he did not say how he intended to deal with dissident clergy.

"I think we have to wait and see what happens next," he said. "Clearly, there's a lot of emotion; we've got to wait for that to settle down. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail."

The bishop told the remaining delegates that neither he nor the synod had compromised the Christian faith or its moral teaching. He said the synod was calling gay couples to "fidelity, permanence, and stability in relationships."

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June (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46