Pre-Weblog: Early Responses to the Anglican Primates' Statement

We’re still busy grabbing all the news, spin, analysis, and commentary regarding yesterday’s statement by the worldwide Anglican leaders—not to mention wrapping up all the stories about Pope John Paul II’s 25th anniversary, the opposition to a U.S. general’s Christian views, and many other stories. In the next several hours, we’ll keep compiling and synthesizing (and waiting for our own reporter to file from London). In the meantime, read comments from Christianity Today executive editor J.I. Packer and associate editor Douglas LeBlanc. If that’s not enough, here’s three dozen wrapups of yesterday’s Anglican events, mostly from the mainstream media. (The truly gluttonous should also revisit Wednesday’s Weblog, “Where Else to Go for News and Analysis of the Anglican Primates’ Meeting.”)

U.S.

Anglicans say split may occur if gay man ordained as bishop | Archbishops rebuff conservatives’ wishes to eject the U.S. church from the world body (Los Angles Times)
Anglicans warn of a split if gay man is consecrated | After a tense two-day emergency summit that sidestepped an immediate schism, Anglican leaders warned against the consecration of a gay bishop in New Hampshire next month (The New York Times)
Top Anglicans warn against plan to install a gay bishop | Global communion could break apart, leaders fear (The Washington Post)
Episcopalians scolded for appointing gay bishop | Leaders of the 77 million-member Anglican Communion reproached U.S. Episcopalians yesterday for appointing an openly homosexual bishop, but conceded that they had no power to stop his consecration (The Washington Times)
Anglicans may divide over homosexuality, says Williams | The Anglican church faces a “huge crisis” and may even break up over the likely ordination of an openly gay bishop in the United States, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said on Friday (Reuters)
Anglican leaders warn against gay bishop | The world’s Anglican leaders piled pressure Thursday on churches in New Hampshire and their openly gay bishop-elect, warning that if he takes office it could shatter a global communion deeply torn over homosexuality (Associated Press)
Anglicans chastise North Americans on homosexuality | The world’s leading Anglican clerics said Thursday that clergy in the United States and Canada threatened church unity by defying conservative policy on homosexuality, but stopped short of expelling them as some conservatives had sought (Reuters)
Anglican leaders issue warning | Gay bishop’s consecration could ‘tear fabric of Communion’ (Charleston Post Courier, S.C.)
Scholars weigh in on schism possibility | With the world’s Anglican leaders expressing disapproval Thursday of the election of an openly gay Episcopal bishop in New Hampshire, professors at the Divinity School said a schism of the Church—still a possibility—could have profound social consequences (The Duke Chronicle, N.C)
Anglicans caution on Robinson | Anglican leaders warned Thursday that consecration of a gay bishop-elect in the Episcopalian church would jeopardize the future of the worldwide Anglican community (Contra Costa Times, Calif.)
Anglicans concerned by U.S. branch’s actions | The leaders of the Anglican Church sharply warned their American branch, the Episcopal Church U.S.A, on Thursday that ordaining a non-celibate gay priest next month would put their global communion in “jeopardy” (USA Today)
Anglicans opt against divide, offer warning (The Ledger, Lakeland, Fla.)
Ordination of homosexual bishop will proceed, says U.S. Episcopal church | Officials with the U.S. Episcopal Church say they will proceed with the ordination of an openly homosexual bishop, despite calls by world Anglican church leaders that such a move will jeopardize church unity (Voice of America)
U.S. Episcopalians welcome summit outcome | The threat of an immediate split over homosexuality within the U.S. Episcopal Church appeared to ease Thursday, as liberals and conservatives said world Anglican leaders had addressed the concerns of both groups in a two-day summit on the issue (Associated Press)
Anglicans say bishop rift imperils ‘unity’ | Autonomy upheld for each province (The Boston Globe)
Both sides praise statement by Anglican leaders | Prominent Birmingham activists on both sides of the issue applauded a statement Thursday by the world’s top Anglican leaders expressing concern about the U.S. Episcopal Church approving an openly gay bishop (The Birmingham News, Alabama)

International coverage:

Anglican leaders divided over gay bishops | Anglican leaders yesterday engaged themselves in heated debate over whether homosexuals should be allowed to participate in the church. But Pope John Paul 11 has warned Catholic Bishops on recent sex abuse scandals that has engulfed the church (This Day, Nigeria)
Gay issue imperils ‘unity’ of Anglicans | The highest-ranking Anglicans in the world have condemned the diocese of New Westminster, saying that by allowing the blessing of same-sex couples, it threatens the unity of the entire church (Vancouver Sun)
Church heads for schism | U.S. bishop refuses to back down in gay row (The Guardian, London)
U.S. church defies Anglican leaders’ warning | Anglicans in the U.S. plan to go ahead with the consecration of an openly gay bishop in defiance of a warning that it could “tear the fabric” of the Church and jeopardize its continued union (icNorthernIreland)
U.S. Anglicans to defy U.K. over gay bishop | Anglicans in the United States plan to go ahead with the consecration of an openly gay bishop in defiance of a warning that it could “tear the fabric” of the Church and jeopardize its union (The Scotsman)
Williams opposes gay bishop | The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned of a “huge crisis looming” for the Anglican Church over the appointment of an openly gay bishop (The Daily Telegraph, London)
U.S. diocese insists gay bishop will stay | U.S. Anglicans today vowed to press ahead with the appointment of an openly gay man as a bishop in defiance of a warning from primates meeting in London that it threatened the unity of the church (The Guardian, London)
Church heads for schism | U.S. bishop refuses to back down in gay row (The Guardian, London)
‘This will tear the fabric of our communion’ | Anglican communion has reached critical point, say primates, but final decision is passed over to archbishop’s commission (The Guardian, London)
Huge crisis warning over gay bishop | The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned of a “huge crisis looming” for the Anglican Church over the appointment of an openly gay bishop (The Birmingham Post)
Archbishop warns of ‘huge crisis’ over gay bishop | The Archbishop of Canterbury warned today of a “huge crisis looming” for the Anglican Church over the appointment of an openly gay bishop (The Scotsman)
Anglican Church at breaking point over gay bishop | The worldwide Anglican Church was close to disintegration over homosexuality last night after its leaders admitted that it would “tear the fabric of our Communion” if Anglicanism’s first openly gay bishop is consecrated next month (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Huge crisis warning over gay bishop (The Cornishman, U.K.)

Gay publications:

Anglicans offer mixed signals, no schism | The world’s top Anglican leaders issued a unanimous statement last night, expressing grave concerns over plans by the U.S. Episcopal Church to consecrate an openly gay bishop, but they stopped short of taking any action against Episcopalians (Gay.com U.K.)
Gay bishop won’t stand down | The diocese of New Hampshire, where openly gay Gene Robinson will be consecrated as Bishop next month, has said that he will not stand down to avoid a schism in the Church (Rainbow Network, U.K.)

Opinion and analysis

Worldwide Anglican leaders affirm holy scripture and rebuke Episcopal church; warn ECU.S.A against proceeding with consecration of homosexual bishop | American Anglican Council applauds bold stand of the mainstream Anglican Primates (American Anglican Council News)
Mixed messages | Those looking to the Bible for a resolution to the current debate on homosexuality will find references are scattered, complex and ambiguous (Stephen Bates The Guardian, London)
An alarm sounds in London: will it matter? | The emergency meeting of the primates of the Anglican Communion ended yesterday with the 37 national leaders of the Anglican churches still trying to prevent a schism in their ranks (Albert Mohler, Crosswalk)