An American bishop of the Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America has alleged that the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, is seeking to place the Dean of St Albans, the Very Rev Jeffrey John in the see of Bangor.In an Aug 29 letter to members of the American Anglican Council (AAC) and CANA, the Rt Rev David Anderson said the Church in Wales would likely be the first province to break the Lambeth moratorium on gay bishops.
“Wales is in an election process for Bishop of Bangor and the election has as one of its still-secret nominees none other than Jeffrey John,” Bishop Anderson said.
Citing “reliable sources” Bishop Anderson said: “Dr Barry Morgan is a man of his word - he previously has said, ‘I [Barry Morgan] would ordain Britain's first gay Bishop’."
Last month Dr Morgan told the Sunday Telegraph he would support the election of a gay bishop in Wales. “If a priest had a [same-sex] partner and someone nominated them that wouldn’t be a bar to them becoming a bishop,” he said in an interview published on July 13.
An advocate of changing the church’s teaching on homosexuality, Canon Jeffrey John was appointed Bishop of Reading in 2003. However he was pressured into declining the appointment by Archbishop Rowan Williams. In August 2006, Dr John entered into a civil partnership with his long-term partner, the Rev Grant Holmes.
Bishops in the Church in Wales are appointed by an electoral college consisting of the clergy of a diocese and the bishops of the province.
“Although being on the slate is no guarantee of an election, it is clearly something that Archbishop Morgan desires,” Bishop Anderson charged.
The electoral process in Wales is confidential and a spokesman declined to comment on the allegations.
However, concerns over the insular nature of the electoral process in the Church of Wales have been voiced.
Writing in this week’s Church of England Newspaper the Rev Robert Capper noted “senior appointments have a certain circularity about them: Deans and Archdeacons are appointed by their diocesan Bishops. Bishops in turn are appointed by an Electoral College in which Deans and Archdeacons are a very strong presence.”
Bishop Anderson warned the election of a gay bishop in Wales would worsen the already difficult problems within the communion, and urged Dr Williams to act.
“Dr Williams might well wish not to know until too late, so that nothing is left on his doorstep for evidence,” he said, but “Dr Williams, if you are on record as knowing about this, and the event takes place despite all the ‘moratoria’ recommendations that were made, the Archbishop of Canterbury will not get a free pass on this one. “
Wales’ electoral college meets Sept 10 and the election to succeed the Rt Rev Tony Crockett, who died of cancer earlier this year, takes place on Oct 10.
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(Source: RI)