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An official with the Anglican Communion Network says he's disappointed but not surprised that Anglicans in Ottawa approved the blessing of homosexual "marriages" this past weekend.In June, the Anglican Church of Canada ruled that same-sex blessings do not violate core doctrine and then refused to allow local dioceses to decide for themselves how to handle the issue. The weekend vote means the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa is the first in Canada to consider the matter since that meeting of the national church.The Anglican Journal quotes Ottawa Bishop John Chapman as saying the approved motion is only "a recommendation" and is not binding on the diocese or on the bishop. He also noted that approval of the motion does not mean that clergy can now bless same-sex couples. The vote was 177-97 in favor.Daryl Fenton is chief operating officer with the Anglican Communion Network, a Pennsylvania-based group of conservative Anglican pastors and laypersons. He argues that leaders of the Anglican Church in Canada and the Episcopal Church in America are ignoring scripture. "If you choose to reject God's Word, you're in effect rejecting God himself. So we see it as nothing but a terribly misguided, failed, and sinful strategy," he states.According to Fenton, many conservatives throughout the Anglican Church in Canada have broken from the liberal group. He asserts that the Canadian group Anglican Essentials, for example, holds fast to the faith that was delivered from the Apostles and uses scripture to determine what is true and what is revealed as the "norms" for Christian life.Fenton believes the Anglican Church in Canada will continue to fracture over the homosexual issue, much like its American counterpart, the Episcopal Church, has done. The diocese of Montreal is expected to debate a similar motion concerning same-sex blessings at its annual meeting next week.As in the days of Noah....
