Self-anointed "Orthodox" Anglicans target woman candidate for Presiding Bishop

Self-anointed "Orthodox" Anglicans target woman candidate for Presiding Bishop @ Gay Viewpoint Blog

The other show has finally dropped: one of America’s leading of the self-anointed “orthodox” Anglicans has warned against electing a woman as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of America (ECUSA).

The “LATEST ECUSA FIGURES in the Episcopal Church reveal that of the 16,523 clergy nationwide, there are now 4,051 women. This includes deacons, priests and bishops. Of the 292 bishops, 12 are women,” writes David Virtue. “Now if women's ordination should ever become a lightning rod issue with the Global South, then this would certainly be another strong reason why the ECUSA should be excluded from future Lambeth gatherings. One dare not ask or think what would happen if Nevada Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori should become the next Presiding Bishop. Would the majority of Primates even be seen with her?”

So lets be clear: to keep the “orthodox” Anglicans happy, the American Episcopal Church must walk away from ordination of women as well as from treating LGBT Episcopalians like full members of their church?

Its time to tell the truth about these “orthodox” Anglicans. They are more upset at the ordination of women then they will ever be by LGBT folks. Why: Look at Virtue’s numbers: 4,051 ordained women and 12 women consecrated as bishops. It is unlikely that the number of LGBT priests and bishops in ECUSA will ever approach these numbers. But we can expect the number of ordained women will continue to grow across the Episcopal Church in America.

This is a serious  problem for the “orthodox” Anglicans. Bishops like the bully Peter Akinola won’t accept women ordaining women. Even in the UK, the idea of finally organizing women bishops has some ordained men wailing that they must have their own province so they can avoid working with a woman bishop. If that sounds like a bunch of bad little boys in elementary school complaining that girls have cooties, you wouldn’t be far from the truth.

Virtue’s latest volley confirms my conclusion that the “orthodox” plan to leave ECUSA after this Spring’s General Convention. The recent Special Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion report took a middle road and caught these folks by surprise, (download full report here). What if California carefully considers but does not elect a lesbian or gay bishop? Then, what will these “orthodox” use to justify their schism? Perhaps election of a woman as presiding bishop? Or maybe they will finally tell the truth and admit they have been trying to work up the nerve to leave ever since women were first ordained 30 years ago this week.

Simply put, these “orthodox” Anglicans lack the integrity to admit their continuing opposition to the ordination of women. Instead they follow the lead of politicians, demonizing L:GBT Episcopalians in general and Bishop Gene Robinson in particular. It is time for these little boys to grow up and be honest with America and the women of the Episcopal Church.