U.S. Episcopals to respond on gay issue next week
Fri 21 Sep 2007
By Bruce Nichols and Ed Stoddard

NEW ORLEANS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The spiritual head of the U.S. Episcopal Church said on Friday its leaders would likely respond in full next week to a request by the broader Anglican communion that it stop ordaining openly gay bishops and outlaw the blessing of same-sex marriages.

The issue threatens to split the 77 million member global Anglican communion, a prospect which prompted the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to say on Friday: "God forbid."

The 2.4 million member Episcopal church is the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican church and the U.S. bishops are in the second of six days of meetings with the thorny question of gay issues high on their agenda. the rest