Black Episcopalians: Minority concerns trump gay ordination
By Dionne Walker, Associated Press Writer
August 1, 2006

RICHMOND, Va. --National Episcopal leadership is focusing on the issue of gay ordination at the cost of addressing minority concerns, and is enlisting African bishops to fight a battle that's not theirs, speakers told a gathering of black Episcopalians Tuesday.

The church should look instead at fighting poverty and racism, and address the conservative versus liberal divide that underlies the gay debate, speakers said at the 38th annual conference of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

The national group, which represents close to 400,000 black Episcopalians, is meeting in Richmond all week.

About 500 clergy and parishioners are expected to attend discussions of topics such as reaching out to young black boys and strengthening the nation's historically black, Episcopal colleges.

At a luncheon Tuesday, speakers touched on everything from increasing black leadership in the largely white denomination to breaking down intraracial barriers between African and African-American Episcopalians. the rest