|TOP|The executive secretary of Anglican Mainstream UK has warned the Church of England that it cannot remain neutral on the issue of homosexuality as the Anglican Communion approaches another tense time in the run-up to the election of the new Bishop of California.

Canon Dr Chris Sugden told Christian Today that a fudge from the Episcopal Church in the US on the position of homosexuality will “not be acceptable” for most people in the Anglican Communion.

The comments coincide with a crucial week at Lambeth Palace where the Archbishop of Canterbury has led a number of senior bishops, including the Archbishops of York, Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Manchester, Norwich and Winchester, in a number of key consultations aimed at reconciling the rift over homosexuality in the Church.

Canon Sugden urged that only a full admission of “We did something wrong and we repent” would be acceptable.

“Anything less than that would be a fudge,” he said.

|AD|He also warned the Episcopal Church in the United States of America: “It’s make your mind up time,” adding that they had already been given a year to come to a clear conclusion on the issue.

Canon Sugden added that, “The Church of England cannot remain neutral on this,” saying that the Church of England’s position was already very clear on the issue of homosexuality.

Dr Williams’ predecessor, Lord Carey, likened the ordination of the openly gay Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson, as heresy when he spoke on the Australian ABC network earlier in the week.

When Dr George Carey was asked by Stephen Crittenden of the channel’s ‘The Religion Report’ as to whether he agreed that ECUSA’s decision to confirm the election of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 was “verging on being a heretical act,” he replied, “Oh, I think so, yes,” reports theological think-tank Ekklesia.

Earlier in the month, the Presiding Bishop of ECUSA, the Most Rev Frank T Griswold, warned the Diocese of California not to elect another gay bishop in the forthcoming elections for the new Bishop of California.

Canon Sugden told Christian Today that proper protection had to be put in place for the orthodox in the US who face “increasing legal persecution from their bishops”.

He called for “parallel jurisdiction” to protect the orthodox from losing their buildings and pensions among other entitlements. He said that without proper protection the orthodox believers would be “forced out of ECUSA”.