Episcopal Rifts: 'Issue is Orthodoxy, Not Homosexuality'
By Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Jan. 11 2007

Widening rifts in the Episcopal Church are making headlines across the media and the seemingly ceaseless talks over a possible schism in the church have pushed Christians to "set the record straight" in defense of severed ties.

"When even President Gerald Ford's funeral at Washington National Cathedral is not exempt from comment about the crisis in the Episcopal Church, we believe it is time to set the record straight as to why our church and so many others around the country have severed ties with the Episcopal Church," stated the Rev. John Yates and Os Guinness of The Falls Church in The Washington Post. The Falls Church is one of the largest Virginia churches that voted last month to leave the Episcopal Church.

Even prominent evangelical leader Chuck Colson stepped into the argument to point out a "much broader" issue than the matter of homosexuality.

Since the 2003 consecration of openly gay bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, conservative Episcopal parishes began to sever ties with the Episcopal Church. Divisions escalated with the latest bunch of Virginia congregations, including two of the most historic and largest churches in the diocese, which voted in December to leave the church and place themselves under the leadership of Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria. the rest