FRESNO, Calif., Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A California Episcopal diocese may be the first in the United States to part from the American Episcopal Church in favor of the foreign Anglican community.
Bishop John-David Schofield of the San Joaquin Diocese strongly favors the unprecedented move for the church to affiliate with the more conservative foreign members of the global Anglican Communion, the Los Angeles Times reported.
One of the main factors in the decision, the Times reported, is the ordination of gays and lesbians, which Schofield attributes to the U.S. community's failure to interpret Scripture as the revealed word of God.
Schofield's goal is to place the diocese under more conservative jurisdictions in either South America or Africa, the newspaper said.
This is the first time an entire diocese has sought to align itself with an overseas communion, and many groups oppose the move. Gay rights advocates have called Schofeild homophobic, citing Scripture passages that call for acceptance and tolerance.
