Evangelicals defy bishop by holding 'irregular' ordinations
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 04/11/2005)

The Church of England's civil war over homosexuality escalated yesterday after conservative evangelical clergy staged an "irregular" ordination in defiance of their bishop.

In a revolt that threatens to embroil the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, three men were ordained as deacons in south London by a bishop "parachuted in" from South Africa.

The ordinations were backed by Reform, the evangelical network, whose 600 clergy members are increasingly rejecting the spiritual authority of their bishops in protest at their "unbiblical" stance on gays.

About 30 Reform clergy, a number of whom are General Synod members, attended the ordinations, and the event could lead to similar action across the country. Story