Correction appended
The Episcopal Church's House of Bishops has pledged not to authorise the blessing of same-sex unions until a broader consensus emerges in the worldwide Anglican Communion, or until the primary governing and legislative Episcopal body takes further action.
In their response Tuesday "to questions and concern raised by our Anglican Communion partners", Episcopal bishops also said they agreed that a resolution on the election of bishops calls upon church officials "to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion".
"The House acknowledges that non-celibate gay and lesbian persons are included among those to whom B033 (the resolution) pertains," they added.
While some interpreted the statements to mean that the Episcopal Church - the US arm of Anglicanism - would put a stop to the ordination of homosexual clergy, conservative Christians were quick to point out that the bishops simply said that they agree that they have been called upon not to consecrate non-celibate homosexuals who would stir up more controversy. A pledge was only made regarding the blessing of same-sex unions.
"They're offering business as usual," commented Bishop Martyn Minns of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a prominent conservative group supported by the Archbishop of Nigeria, according to the New York Times. "The communion asked them to make a change, to embrace the teaching of the communion about homosexuality, and there's no change at all."
Respected theologian Dr R Albert Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, further noted that "judging by the initial media response, the statement released Tuesday night falls short of 'clear and unambiguous'," as the Episcopal bishops said they hoped it would be.
A number of media outlets, such as the BBC, had reported that the US church body had "agreed to halt the ordination of gay clergy to prevent a split in the Anglican Church".
Tuesday's announcement came after Episcopal bishops found "common ground to stand on" in a six-day meeting in New Orleans, according to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori. "High ground," she added.
"Not everyone is 100 per cent happy with every word in this document," Jefferts Schori noted, "but we believe we have found a place that all of us can stand together - at the foot of the cross."
