A private members motion tabled for the February General Synod of the Church of England will debate whether the Church should be in full communion with the breakaway group, The Anglican Church in North America. The group was formed by conservative parishes and dioceses unhappy with the theological developments in the Canadian and American Episcopal churches, triggered in part by the consecration of openly gay bishop Gene Robinson. The current private members motion was probably triggered by the election of another gay clergy member as a Bishop in Los Angeles, Mary Glasspool.
The motion is tabled by Lorna Ashworth from All Saints Church in Eastbourne, an Evangelical parish. Times journalist Ruth Gledhill quotes Giles Fraser from Inclusive Church, when asked about CofE communion with ACNA as saying, “I’m happy to be in communion with them. The question is, are they happy to be in communion with me?’
