CNY's Episcopal Bishop Not Backing Down on Gay Rights

By Tyler King, NCC News
July 21, 2009

SYRACUSE -- The Episcopal Bishop of Central New York is not backing down from his controversial stance in favour of gay rights. In fact, Bishop Gladstone "Skip" Adams believes the growing controversy in the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopalians are a part, is healthy.

"Nobody enjoys it, I don't enjoy conflict," the Bishop said, "but conflict is often the way through which we travel to come to a new day."

Adams recently returned from the Episcopal Church's General Convention, where he and other bishops helped to pass a resolution in favour of the ordination of gay bishops, a controversial topic ever since the 2003 ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the church's first openly homosexual Bishop. The recent resolution was widely interpreted as overturning a 2006 decision by the last Convention that its dioceses should use "restraint" in appointing those who may cause conflict within the Church.

Despite the continuing controversy -- three Episcopal churches in Central New York have announced their intention to secede from the diocese -- Adams believed his ultimate goal of social progressivism in the church to be worth the potential problems. Nonetheless, he is not one to deny the conflict that has been caused within his diocese.

"We have lost people, there's no question about that -- over this issue." the Bishop admitted. But he also saw reason for optimism, remarking that "Some of those folks, I also know, have come back."

Adams also said that new members, both gay and straight, have been drawn to the Episcopal Church as a result of its new social leanings, which he called a "word of welcome."

The Convention also saw the passage of a resolution requesting the development of a prayer to bless same-sex marriages within the Episcopal Church. Adams was among the Bishops in favor of that resolution as well.

(apologies for the lack of a picture -- had taken one of the downtown Cathedral I thought but it either didn't save to my phone or was deleted)