Church set for new row over gay clergy
The Church of England is set for a new row over homosexuality with bishops divided over moves to recognise a breakaway movement in the US.
Leading conservative clergy have declared their support for a motion at this week's General Synod which would ally the Church with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
This was formed in opposition to the consecration of Gene Robinson, the first openly homosexual bishop, and the actions of liberals in the Episcopal Church of the US, which is the official Anglican body.
However, the House of Bishops has tabled an amendment to the Synod motion which would seek to defuse the issue by postponing a decision until next year.
The Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, Bishop of Blackburn, is opposed to the stance taken by his colleagues. He said: "I am hoping for a sign of early support for ACNA, not a report coming back to Synod by the end of 2011."
The Rt Rev Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes, a fundamentalist on the Church's evangelical wing, said: "It seems to me that the House of Bishops' motion is just needlessly undermining, delaying and prevaricating."
The original motion, put down by Lorna Ashworth, an evangelical from the Chichester diocese, comes after the Episcopal Church elected a homosexual priest, Mary Glasspool, to be a suffragan bishop in the Los Angeles diocese.