The worldwide Anglican Communion has avoided a potential schism as the Episcopal Diocese of California rejected all three openly gay candidates for its bishop Saturday 6th May 2006.
The Rt. Rev Mark Handley Andrus of Alabama was elected on the third ballot, and will now step up to take over from the retiring Rev William Swing.
In a telling vote, it surfaced that none of the three homosexual candidates received more and a handful of votes, as the Diocese of California seemed to abide by the calls from the worldwide Church and the Episcopal Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold not to inflame divisions anymore by electing a gay bishop.
Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, was the scene of rejoicing as the announcement was made that Rev Andrus had been elected.
The worldwide Anglican Communion has found it hard to remain united since 2003 when the first openly gay bishop Gene Robinson was elected in New Hampshire. Despite the spiritual leader of the Communion, Dr Rowan Williams attempting to reconcile matters, alarm bells were ringing when three of the seven candidates for the California elections were announced as openly gay.
As the worldwide Communion looked towards California this weekend, some commentators had predicted that a second gay bishop would be elected, and would force a head-on resolution of the issue of homosexuality.
In 2004, Anglican leaders tried to keep the Communion from a complete split when it asked the Episcopal Church of the USA (ECUSA) for a temporary moratorium on electing gay bishops.
After a tense build-up to the California Diocese elections, relief was felt as Andrus emerged as winner after four hours of voting, when he ended up with 72 percent of the clergy vote, and 55 percent of the lay vote.
The gay candidates were the Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe of San Francisco, the Very Rev. Robert Taylor of Seattle and the Rev. Bonnie Perry of Chicago. However, Perry withdrew her candidacy before the final vote. All three have same-sex partners.
Rev Andrus has served as bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Alabama since 2001, and has previously received a Master's of Divinity in 1987 from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, USA. He is married and has two college-age daughters.
Prior to his election, Rev Andrus said that he found the California Episcopalians as “people of passion and energy, commitment, faith and humour. You are able to appreciate yourselves, and be self-critical, both rare qualities.”
Before he is installed as bishop, Rev Andrus must get approval from the denomination's top legislative body, the General Convention, which will gather 13-21 June in Columbus, Ohio.
Daniel Blake
Christian Today Correspondent