Conger

The Church of England would collapse were it not for the work of its gay clergy, the Bishop of New Hampshire said last week in a London interview.

Speaking to Scottish freelance journalist Andrew Collier, The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson said he was disturbed by the hypocrisy of the Church of England in not acknowledging or supporting its gay clergy.

“I think the thing that is the most mystifying to me and the most troubling about the Church of England is its refusal to be honest about just how many gay clergy it has - many of them partnered and many of them living in rectories,” Bishop Robinson said.

“I have met so many gay partnered clergy here and it is so troubling to hear them tell me that their bishop comes to their house for dinner, knows fully about their relationship, is wonderfully supportive but has also said if this ever becomes public then I’m your worst enemy,” he said.

Bishop Robinson called upon the Church of England to admit the gay issue was “not an American problem and just an American challenge. If all the gay people stayed away from church on a given Sunday the Church of England would be close to shut down between its organists, its clergy, its wardens.”

The controversial bishop, whose consecration has “torn the fabric” of the Church according to the Anglican Communion’s primates, said he had received a warm welcome in Britain, but was not permitted to function as a bishop.

“I have received huge support from the Church of England both from the clergy and from the pews. Hardly a day goes by never mind a week that I don’t receive encouraging words of support,” he said.

However, in a private meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, he was told by Dr. Williams he could not “function liturgically or to preach” while in the Province of Canterbury.

Bishop Robinson said it was unlikely the Episcopal Church would conform to the Primates’ demand that it cease ordaining or consecrating gay clergy. The Episcopal Church had been ordaining gay clergy for many years, he said, asserting that the trouble only arose with his consecration in 2003.

He claimed the mantle of Evangelical, noting “as a matter of fact I’m more evangelical than almost anyone you would run into in the Episcopal Church.”

“When I speak to gay and lesbian groups I don’t talk to them about gay rights, I talk to them about their souls. My goal is to get them to church and bring them to Jesus,” he asserted.