|TOP|The American Anglican Council (AAC) has criticised the inclusion of an openly non-celibate homosexual on the list of candidates for the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark in the United States.

In his personal profile, the Very Rev Canon Michael Barlowe, Congregational Development Officer for the Diocese of California, states that, “Paul Burrows has been my partner for 24 years”.

The AAC reacted with anger to the nomination of Canon Barlowe, saying that his “manner of life is contradictory to Scripture and the mind of the Anglican Communion (Lambeth 1.10)”.

In a statement released this week, the AAC added that his nomination “illustrates a theology outside the confines of classic Anglicanism”.

|QUOTE|“In the wake of the Episcopal Church’s failure to comply with the Windsor Report at its General Convention 2006, Barlowe’s nomination illustrates clearly that those in the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) committed to the revisionist agenda with regard to sexuality are willing to sacrifice membership in the Anglican Communion,” the statement read.

“We are shocked that just one week after the close of General Convention and one day following release of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s statement on the Communion’s future, the Diocese of Newark has sent a clear and defiant message nationally and internationally that there will be no turning back.”

The General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the USA ended with a compromise resolution last week which called for member church leaders “to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate...whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion”.

The AAC, however, described Resolution BO33 as an “inadequate nod to the Windsor Report” and added that it was “tepid and unenforceable legislation”.

|AD|“Immediately following approval in the House of Bishops and House of Deputies, a group of revisionist bishops indicated they would not in fact exercise restraint.

“It should come as no surprise that an ECUSA diocese would then defy clear teaching of Scripture and Anglican doctrine regarding marriage and sexuality in choosing a non-celibate homosexual as one of their nominations for bishop,” read the statement.

The Anglican Communion was left reeling once again after the new head of the US Episcopal Church came out to defend homosexuality.

She told CNN, “I believe that God creates us with different gifts. Each one of us comes into this world with a different collection of things that challenge us and things that give us joy and allow us to bless the world around us.

"Some people come into this world with affections ordered toward other people of the same gender and some people come into this world with affections directed at people of the other gender."

The Rev Geoffrey Kirk Secretary of Forward in Faith, a conservative group within the Church of England, said the election of Bishop Schori was deliberately provocative at a time of crisis in the Anglican Communion.”

He said: "Such an appointment can only exacerbate divisions and create further difficulties with our senior ecumenical partners."