For world Anglicans, a semi-schism

Conservative bishops form breakaway movement at last
Richard N. Ostling
posted July 3, 2008

The Anglican Communion, one of the world's largest Christian bodies, is veering in an unpredictable but potentially historic new direction as the result of conservatives' Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem.

The proximate reason for the June 22-29 event was approval for same-sex relationships in two of Anglicanism's 38 self-governing provinces, the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, and Anglican leaders' failure to impose any discipline. The situation exploded with the consecration of partnered U.S. gay Bishop Gene Robinson in 2003. However, Jerusalem participants insisted, the fundamental issue is not homosexuality but rejection of "the authority of God's Word written" and of Christian tradition. the rest