Episcopal dioceses are fast to list gay nominees for bishop

Aug 03, 2009

Less than three weeks ago the Episcopal Church cleared the decks for full participation by openly gay members -- all the way up to the role of bishop. And already, two dioceses are nominating gay and lesbian candidates for that role, despite the clear dismay of the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

In a way, the issue is moving full circle. The election of the church's first gay bishop, Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, was ratified at the Church's tri-annual governing meeting in Minneapolis in 2003. Late last week, the Diocese of Minnesota announced that one of three nominees for bishop is a lesbian priest from Chicago. The vote will be held at the diocesan convention in October.

The most recent governing meeting -- where a de facto moratorium on electing and confirming gay bishops was voted down by Church leadership -- was in Anaheim in July. And this weekend the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles released a slate of six nominees for suffragan bishop including two who are gay. The vote will come in early December. the rest

Minnesota Episcopal Diocese considering lesbian for bishop

2 Episcopal Dioceses Announce Openly Gay Ministers as Nominees for Bishop

Julia Duin: Episcopalians race to elect a gay bishop