REGIONAL
NEWS FROM THE NORTHWEST
Clergy disagree over money, sexual orientation
■ CHURCH: Episcopal
church may be in danger
of splitting due to major
internal battles
PORTLAND (API At first
glance. lilt' nearly 200 Kpiscopal
bishops meeting this weejc apjitmr
to be getting along anti getting
things done.
But beneath the apparent
camaraderie lies the frustration
of a church leadership that many
say is bitterly divided.
There are money problems,
including a troubled pension
fund and embezzlement scandal
Some traditional Kpiscopalians
are calling for Presiding Bishop
Kdrnond Browning to stej> down
And the bishops are trying to
decide how to deal with four of
their own who refuse to ordain
women priests even though the
church has allowed such action
for nearly 20 years.
The most divisive issue, how
ever. is represented in the plight
of one man. Walter Righter. a
rt?itn»d bishop who say* hit’tl
rather be enjoying a life of quiet
at hit home in AI Mead. N H
instead, he it facing heresy
charges for ordaining a non-t eli
bate gay prmst in 1990
Some say the issue of sexuali
ty and how it will iw addressed
threatens to tear the church apart
"I can ms* it becoming a bloody
brawl," said Righter, a white
haired 71-yoar-old
So divided are the bishops that
they sjtent the better pari of Tues
day morning defining the differ
once between rnoan-spiritodnev.
and constructive critii ism.
When speaking to the group as
a whole, the overriding c all is for
unity Hut conversations in pri
vate show another side.
Righter said the 10 bishops
who brought him up on charges
are using him as a scapegoat to
boost their own political power
“These birds are caught
between tin- past and tin- future
They’d like to drag -everybody
ku king and st reaming into the
past," said Righter. who i hums
•hat ordaining openly gay priests
is merely dealing with reality
Ho said there are about 35 bish
op* who have ordained non-cell
Ivate gay priests
Nevertheless, Presiding Bish
op Browning told the bishops
that church attorneys have
advised them not to discuss the
Highter matter He said that if
they were to talk about sexuality
issues at this confereru e. 18 of
the bishops who mav sit in judg
ment of their |*«er would have to
leave the room
Ironically, some of the bishops
who brought the charge against
Kighter say the conference has
for the most part - been a waste
of time and money because set
uaiity is not lieing diw ussed
"There is a general frustration
in the house of bishops that we re
dealing with unimportant issues
to avoid dealing with critical
issues, said Bishop William
Wuntland. of Kau ( Imre. Wts .
one of the bishops who filed the
heresy i barge
He believes the presiding tush
op and others hove looked the
other way os gas [musts have t un
tinued to lie ordained And that,
he soul, has left him and hi* ion
-ervative i ol league* little t hou e
I don't want Walter to go
through a trial," Want land said
1 don't know any other wav to
rrai.h the issue
Some say the bishop* are so
divided that the only resolution
may !»■ to split the iiiun.ii in two
Is there a danger of it t Ves .1
very i lear danger," Wantland
said "The underlying issue is a
problem of authority and order "
The las k of often discussion is
disappointing to many
1 ache at the polarity that goes
on, said the Key Al Miller, a
priest in llermiston. Ore
Miller said lie unne to the bish
ops' meeting lo see first hand if
they would resolve some of the
tougher issues
I he question is. Mow ran we
move on together, regardless of
sexual orientation, gender and
rate ' Miller said "I'm not sure
they can."
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