Conservatives gather in U.S. for strategy session

Anglican conservatives opposed to the election of a gay U.S. bishop and blessing ceremonies for homosexual couples will be gathering in Dallas, Oct. 7-9. The gathering was announced in Minneapolis last August, after the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA) General Convention confirmed the election of Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire and gave tacit acceptance to same-sex blessings. As of early September, about 1,400 people had registered for the conference, which had to be moved from Christ Church in Plano, Tex. to a larger venue, a downtown Dallas hotel, according to spokesman Bruce Mason. (Plano is a Dallas suburb.) The conference is sponsored by the American Anglican Council, a Washington, D.C.-based organization of conservative Episcopalians. “We are thrilled that so many people want to participate. We welcome all, as this event is an important next step for mainstream Anglicans in America,” said Canon David Anderson, president of the AAC. In interviews at General Convention, Mr. Anderson indicated that the meeting might discuss asking the Archbishop of Canterbury to create a second American province for traditionally-minded Episcopalians. One week after the Dallas meeting, the primates of the Anglican Communion will meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury in London to discuss ECUSA’s actions. At the General Convention, U.S. Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold said he found it difficult “to image two parallel realities within a geographic area.” The Dallas conference’s agenda includes presentations, prayer, singing and worship. Mr. Anderson attended a conservative rally in Vancouver on Sept. 7 (see related story) and it is expected there will be several Canadian attendees in Dallas.