Where does the Episcopal Church stand on ordaining and marrying homosexuals?

Where does the Episcopal Church stand on ordaining and marrying homosexuals?

  • We don’t

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  • We do

    Votes: 1 50.0%

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Paidiske

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Anglican Church of Australia here.

Theoretically, if we adhered rigidly to our own standards, we would only ordain celibate homosexuals. In practice that varies somewhat.

We do not marry them. This is contested, though, and right now we have a question before our Appellate tribunal about the legal standing of a blessing of (civil) same-sex marriages.
 
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chevyontheriver

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Anglican Church of Australia here.

Theoretically, if we adhered rigidly to our own standards, we would only ordain celibate homosexuals. In practice that varies somewhat.

We do not marry them. This is contested, though, and right now we have a question before our Appellate tribunal about the legal standing of a blessing of (civil) same-sex marriages.
I know it depends where one is geographically located among the Episcopalians with some dioceses in the forefront and others lagging or even dug in against such things. But is Australian Anglicanism equally variable? Is it on average more or less liberal on these things? I know the Africans are said to be far more conservative.
 
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mkgal1

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In 1976, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church declared that “homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church” (1976-A069). Since then, the church has continued to work toward full inclusion.

In 2003 Gene Robinson – the first openly gay bishop – was elected and consecrated; in 2009, General Convention resolved that God’s call is open to all; in 2012, a provisional rite of blessing for same-gender relationships was authorized, and discrimination against transgender persons in the ordination process was officially prohibited. - https://allsaints-pas.org/lgbtq-all-saints-june-is-pride-month/
 
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Paidiske

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I know it depends where one is geographically located among the Episcopalians with some dioceses in the forefront and others lagging or even dug in against such things. But is Australian Anglicanism equally variable? Is it on average more or less liberal on these things? I know the Africans are said to be far more conservative.

Australian Anglicanism is very broad. Sydney and Tasmania, for example, are very conservative dioceses; Perth and Brisbane very liberal; and most others somewhere in between. In Melbourne, where I am, there is enormous diversity and all the extremes are represented.

There is serious talk of schism over these issues; I am not sure how all of that will play out. I think if they didn't schism over the ordination of women (despite some dioceses here still not ordaining women while others have women as bishops and archbishops), they're unlikely to find this to be the point at which we cannot hold together, but I may be wrong.
 
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Albion

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Note on post #4: Gene Robinson was at that time (2003) openly living with his male partner of 25 years although no civil or church ceremony had taken place. Robinson had previously been married to a woman whom he divorced after 14 years.

Bishop Robinson and his male partner later were joined in a civil union that was subsequently converted into a "marriage" after gay marriages were legalized. In 2014, he announced that they were divorcing.

No charges were ever brought against Bishop Robinson by The Episcopal Church, and he ultimately retired from his position as Bishop of New Hampshire.
 
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