Schism on the Horizon
The Episcopal Church's general convention has aggravated relations with the larger Anglican Communion.
by Jamie Deal
7/05/2006

After its general convention in Columbus, Ohio, which took place from June 13 to 21, the Episcopal Church is facing trouble ahead--and perhaps schism. By electing Katherine Jefferts Schori as its first female presiding bishop, and by failing to comply with the recommendations of a committee formed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the church has angered many others in the worldwide Anglican Communion, to which it belongs. With tensions already high after the 2003 election of Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as bishop of New Hampshire, the fallout from this convention could prove disastrous.

The Episcopal Church has not faced a crisis of this magnitude since 1977, when it first allowed the ordination of women. Some Episcopalians still believe that women should not be priests, and 35 of the 38 provinces in the Anglican Communion do not ordain female bishops. Immediately after hearing that Jefferts Schori had been elected, the Diocese of Fort Worth petitioned the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to provide it with alternative oversight, and five other dioceses have since done the same. On July 3 the Washington Post estimated that five more dioceses may follow suit. It is possible that 10 percent of the Episcopal Church's 111 dioceses will reject Jefferts Schori's election. The Province of Nigeria, meanwhile, has expressed disappointment at the American church's decision, and other African provinces will likely do the same. the rest