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Gay Episcopal Clergyman Vies for Bishop

Posted on: Saturday, 2 August 2003, 06:00 CDT

A New Hampshire clergyman seeking to become the first openly gay elected bishop in the Episcopal Church has passed the first of three hurdles in a process that one leader warned could have "severe consequences" for the church.

The eventual outcome could divide the church and its sister provinces in the worldwide Anglican Communion after years of rancorous debate over homosexuality.

Following a tense morning hearing Friday, a committee at the Episcopal General Convention cleared the way for delegates to decide whether the Rev. V. Gene Robinson should be bishop of New Hampshire. They voted by secret ballot to endorse him and did not release the tally.

The Diocese of New Hampshire elected Robinson in June, but the church requires that a majority of convention delegates ratify his election. He faces two more votes before he can be confirmed.

The next vote will be in a legislative body composed of clergy and lay people, called the House of Deputies, which could occur on Sunday. If they approve, Robinson then faces his final vote - in the House of Bishops - possibly the following day.

Robinson said he felt "peaceful" even as one opponent after another stepped up to the microphone at the hearing to condemn homosexuality and his candidacy. An equal number of Robinson's supporters answered back with testimony about his inspirational leadership and deep spirituality.

Asked how he reconciles his relationship with his partner of 13 years, Mark Andrew, with biblical prohibitions against homosexuality, Robinson said that in Andrew's "unfailing and unquestioning love for me I experience a little bit of the kind of never-ending love that God has for me. So it's sacramental for me."

Andrew sat nearby, as did Robinson's 21-year-old daughter Ella, who spoke on his behalf, after which an emotional Robinson asked for "a minute to recover." His diocese also released a statement by his former wife, Isabella McDaniel, calling the 56-year-old clergyman "a good priest, a good husband and partner and a good father."

But many who spoke against Robinson's election said their concerns about church unity and living according to Scripture outweighed their respect for him. Bishop Keith Ackerman of Quincy, Ill., told Robinson, "I love you. This is painful." Ackerman then warned of "severe consequences" if Robinson is confirmed.

The Episcopal Church, with 2.3 million members, is the U.S. branch of the 77-million-member Anglican Communion. Conservative overseas bishops, representing more than 20 million parishioners, have said that allowing Robinson to serve would force them to consider breaking ties with the American church.

"The matter at hand is much larger than one person. This issue is even larger than one diocese," Ackerman said. "The fragile unity in the church is in the hands of this General Convention."

Despite these divisions, Robinson is expected to be confirmed. The Episcopal News Service found only two bishops in church history whose elections were rejected - both in the 1870s.

The convention, which continues for another week, also will consider approving a blessing ceremony for same-sex couples.

At a hearing on that proposal Friday night, the Rev. Samuel Candler, of the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, said homosexuality "is no threat to the institution of marriage and family."

But the Rev. Kendall Harmon, of the Diocese of South Carolina, argued that approving same-sex blessings would violate church teaching and "shatter the Episcopal Church."

Robinson, who wore a button that read "I Am Gene," said that during the testimony at his hearing, he silently recited verses from the Psalms about seeking God's protection from enemies. More than 500 people crammed a hotel ballroom where that meeting was held, with an overflow crowd forced to stand outside to await word of the committee's vote.

He said he would not consider withdrawing his candidacy for bishop to prevent a breakup of the church, as a gay clergyman in England did recently.

"I'm at a very peaceful place with God right now," said Robinson, surrounded by supporters. "God is very near to me."

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On the Net:

Episcopal Church: http://www.episcopalchurch.org

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