c. 2006 Religion News Service

COLUMBUS, Ohio _ Episcopalians this week have taken steps to affirm their place within the worldwide Anglican Communion, but many of the most divisive issues that will determine that relationship remain unresolved.

Resolutions at the church’s General Convention, including one that calls for the American church to “seek to live in the highest degree of communion possible,” have gathered widespread support.

But as the international community looks on, church leaders have yet to vote on measures dealing with the ordination of gay bishops and the consecration of same-sex unions _ both issues that threaten to tear apart the 77 million-member Anglican Communion.

“We’re surely not flying through,” said the Rev. Ian Douglas, co-chair of a committee that wrote resolutions concerning gay bishops and same-sex unions.

Both the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church and the larger Anglican Communion have been embroiled in controversy since 2003, when a gay priest living with his partner, V. Gene Robinson, was consecrated bishop of New Hampshire.

In response, Anglican leaders issued the so-called Windsor Report in 2004, which asked the Episcopal Church to express regret for Robinson’s ordination and impose a moritorium on ordaining any more gay bishops and blessing same-sex unions.

The General Convention, which runs through June 21, is the Episcopal Church’s first opportunity to deal with the report together.

Resolutions proposed by a special commission before the convention stopped short of moritoriums, but urged bishops not to develop rites for same-sex unions and urged “very considerable caution,” before ordaining bishops “whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wide church.”

Those resolutions are moving through legislative committees here “at an exceeding slow pace,” said the Rev. David Anderson, president of the conservative American Anglican Council.

“Are they trying to run out the clock ?” Anderson asked.

Conservatives like Anderson are calling for the church to “comply” with all of the Windsor recommendations and impose the moritoriums. If it does not, Anderson said, the church runs the risk of cutting itself off from the Anglican Communion.

But the Rev. Susan Russell, who heads a advocacy group for gay and lesbian Episcopalians, said Anglican leaders asked the Episcopal Church to “respond” _ not “comply” _ with the Windsor Report.

“To ask us to `comply’ is to dictate what our response is,” and would not be an authentic expression by the Episcopal Church, Russell said, adding that compliance would mute the voices of gay and lesbian Episcopalians.

KRE/JL END BURKE