A Time Line Outlining the Core Issue

June, 2003
When a diocese in the U.S. elects a priest to be a bishop, the normal process is that a majority of Diocesan Standing Committees must give their consent (the Diocesan Bishop chairs the Standing Committee) for the ordination of that person as a bishop. When elections of persons occur near the time of a General Convention, then the General Convention Deputies and the House of Bishops must give their consent instead of the Diocesan Standing Committees. At the 6-2003 ECUSA General Convention the U.S. House of Bishops and the House of Deputies gave consent for Gene Robinson (a priest in a committed same sex relationship) to be ordained the next Bishop of New Hampshire.” (This is the specific triggering event.)

October, 2003, creation of the Lambeth Commission
Many other members (Provinces) of the Anglican Community were (to put it mildly) upset and felt that the ECUSA action of consecrating a gay bishop was beyond the pale morally and theologically. In response, the Archbishop of Canterbury created the “Lambeth Commission” to study the issue and make recommendations. A quote from the mandate to the Commission:

to examine and report on the legal and theological implications flowing from the decisions of the Episcopal Church (USA) to appoint a priest in a committed same sex relationship as one of its bishops, (…..and) on the canonical understandings of communion, impaired and broken communion, and the ways in which provinces of the Anglican Communion may relate to one another in situations where the ecclesiastical authorities of one province feel unable to maintain the fullness of communion with another part of the Anglican Communion.

October 2004, Issuance of the “Windsor Report” by the Lambeth Commission

See http://www.anglicancommunion.org/windsor2004/index.cfm for the full Lambeth Commission and Windsor Report. Much info here.

Summary of the Windsor Report:

• The ECUSA erred, and should express regret and cease and desist from such actions in the future.
• If not, the ECUSA may not be welcome to/in the world-wide Anglican Communion.
• Selected Quotes from the Windsor Report: 

In short, how does the Anglican Communion address relationships between its component parts in a true spirit of communion?

The depth of conviction and feeling on all sides of the current issues has on occasions introduced a degree of harshness and a lack of charity which is new to Anglicanism.