As breakaway Anglicans in the United States question the Episcopal Church's alleged rejection of "obvious scriptural teaching", the denomination’s leader has stressed that the Church's members are living as Jesus did.
"What does it mean to follow Jesus? How did Jesus live? With whom did he eat? With whom did he converse?" asked Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at a public forum at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco on Sunday."Jesus hung out with people on the margins. He hung out with people who were unacceptable to the Judaism of his time," she stated. "I think that's what it means to follow Jesus."
Jefferts Schori happened to be in San Francisco on the day of the deadline set by Anglican leaders for the Episcopal Church – the US branch of Anglicanism – to roll back support for same-sex unions and homosexual ordination. There, she confirmed that the US church would not retreat but are willing to "pause".
Just last week, the Episcopal head came out of a historic meeting in New Orleans with the Episcopal House of Bishops where they released a statement to "exercise restraint" by not consecrating openly gay bishops or authorising public rites of blessing for same-sex unions. The statement was a response to the deadline set by Anglican leaders.
Jefferts Schori, who is nearing her one-year mark as the first female head of the Episcopal Church, clarified that the statement was a reiteration of the stance of its General Convention – the highest policy-making body – as the US church continues to move toward the "full inclusion" of gays and lesbians.
"All people – including gay and lesbian Christians and non-Christians – are deserving of the fullest regard of the Church," Jefferts Schori asserted during the discussion before Grace's Sunday service. "We're not going backward."
