c. 2004 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ The openly gay Episcopal bishop whose consecration now threatens to split the Anglican Communion said he is not “anxious” about a forthcoming report that will likely raise the pressure on him to step down.

Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire said the Episcopal Church and his diocese will survive whatever recommendations come from a panel headed by Irish Archbishop Robin Eames when it makes its report Monday (Oct. 18).

“I’m actually very much looking forward to it,” he said in an interview. “I’m sure there will be things in it that I don’t like or don’t want to hear, but that’s OK.”

The commission was asked to make recommendations for how the Anglican Communion _ which counts the Episcopal Church as its U.S. branch _ can continue to live together after conservatives promised a “realignment” after Robinson’s election last year.

“I think we will be a stronger Communion for having had this conversation,” Robinson said, “because we’re asking really important things, which is, `What holds us together and about which things can we disagree and still hold together as a Communion?”

Robinson has refused to resign his position and has offered no sign that he has changed his mind. Technically, there is no mechanism for the church to revoke his ordination, or for sister Anglican churches to punish the Americans for their support of Robinson.

Even if he were to step down, Robinson said the issue will not go away as the U.S. church wrestles with the place of gays and lesbians, especially the “goodly number” of them who could one day be bishops.

“That toothpaste isn’t going to go back in the tube,” he said. “If something should happen to me, or if something doesn’t happen to me, there are going to be gay and lesbian people nominated for bishops somewhere else.”

Robinson came to Washington to pick up a gay rights award from the Human Rights Campaign and to preach at the downtown Church of the Epiphany, whose rector is an old college friend of Robinson’s.

As he greeted the packed church at the door, Robinson said he was approached by a middle-aged woman who had not been to church since high school but saw promise in Robinson’s election. The same is happening in the 50 parishes in his Granite State diocese, he said.

Among his flock of 16,000 parishioners, Robinson said his sexuality is a non-issue.

“We are drawing huge numbers of Roman Catholics, especially young families, who are coming in saying this is the kind of community we want to raise our kids in, and they’re being quite open and vocal about that,” he said.

That was not the case, however, at the Church of the Redeemer in Rochester, N.H., where 45 people left because they refused to acknowledge Robinson as their bishop. The church was left with a half-dozen members and the diocese has assumed control of the parish.

Dissidents formed the independent St. Michael’s Church and are now thriving, said Lisa Ball, the former vestry clerk at the Church of the Redeemer. She said the group is happy not to be “shackled” to their old building, or to Robinson.

“I wish him no harm, he’s a good man, a funny man, but I can’t follow him as a leader,” Ball said. “We’re on our feet, we’re rolling. People are happy.”

MO/PH END ECKSTROM