Episcopal Church

Hundreds of conservative Episcopal congregations in North America, rejecting liberal biblical views of others in the denomination, formed a breakaway church Wednesday that threatened to further divide a global Anglican body already torn by the ordination of an openly gay bishop.

The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church declared Thursday that church members who joined a newly formed conservative denomination "are no longer Episcopalians," even as she predicted that the exodus had largely run its course and would not trigger further large-scale defections. In her first public comments since a coalition of 700 parishes announced the formation of a new North American church Wednesday, the Most. Rev.

The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has announced that church leaders can bless the unions of same-sex couples as a matter of policy. The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, whose diocese encompasses Los Angeles County and five other Southern California counties, made the announcement Friday during a diocesan convention in Riverside.

Since its founding more than two centuries ago, the Episcopal Church has often struggled to keep disparate factions unified under its diverse umbrella. Repeated controversies -- over slavery, the ordination of women and even the role of children in church life -- have threatened to tear at its religious fabric.

For Bishop John-David Schofield, the question is central to the future of the church he loves: Does the American Episcopal Church believe the Scriptures are the revealed word of God? In a recent vote, a majority of his flock answered with a resounding "no," and that is why Schofield is leading his San Joaquin Diocese in an unprecedented effort to pull away from the Episcopal Church.

Re "Episcopal unit may quit U.S. church," Jan. 28 Bishop John-David Schofield of the San Joaquin Diocese claims that the Episcopal Church no longer believes the Bible, and others who agree with him claim that the Episcopal Church has abandoned the traditional Christian faith. Schofield is wrong about this. Each Sunday, Episcopalians say together out loud, "Thanks be to God" when the Scripture is read and declared to be "the word of the Lord." Each Sunday, Episcopalians recite the Nicene Creed of their own free will, and at the conclusion of the Eucharistic prayer, which recounts the history of salvation that climaxes in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Episcopalians say "Amen."

As leaders of the world's 77 million Anglicans gathered here amid fears of a split in the church over divergent views on gay bishops and same-sex unions, a spokesman said the first day of discussions was characterized by "intense listening." "There has been no talk of schism in the meeting at all," said Australian Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, who briefed reporters after the closed-door sessions Thursday.

Seven conservative archbishops snubbed the head of the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Church during a crucial meeting of the church leadership here Friday, refusing to take the Holy Eucharist with her to protest her support of gay bishops and of blessing same-sex unions. The men called their action in boycotting the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the U.S.

Anglican leaders wrapping up a tense meeting here Monday called on the U.S. Episcopal Church to state unequivocally that it will bar the blessing of same-sex unions and stop consecrating gay bishops in order to heal a rift that threatens to split the worldwide Anglican Communion. The five-day meeting ended with a joint communique and without evidence of an immediate schism in the 77-million-member global church, which many had feared. But tensions remained over the U.S.

With pain, joy, anger and in some cases, relief, Episcopalians across the nation reacted Tuesday to a stern directive from Anglican leaders that the American wing of the church refrain from sanctioning blessings for same-sex unions and take other steps to heal tensions that may yet splinter the global Anglican Communion. In a crucial meeting in Tanzania that ended Monday, Anglican leaders gave the U.S. Episcopal Church until Sept.