Episcopal News Service March 3, 2007
New Jersey civil-unions law presents challenge for state's Episcopal bishops
Enactment follows years of debate, lawsuits
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
[ENS] After more than five years of debate, a bill (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A4000/3787_I1.PDF) offering same-gender couples the right to enter into "civil unions" in the state of New Jersey went into effect at midnight February 19. New Jersey is the third U.S. state to offer civil unions, after Connecticut and Vermont. Massachusetts permits same-gender marriage.
That was just about the same time that the Primates of the Anglican Communion said in a communiqué (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_82571_ENG_HTM.htm) at the conclusion of their meeting near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that the Episcopal Church has until September 30 to "make an unequivocal common covenant that the bishops will not authorize any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in their dioceses or through General Convention ... unless some new consensus on these matters emerges across the Communion."
Meanwhile, civil partnerships have been legal in England since December 2005, and the Church of England addressed (http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/archive.cfm?years=2005&mo nths=7&article=434&pos =#434) the law at that time. Some Canadian provinces began allowing gay marriage in 2003, and a countrywide law took effect in mid-2005. The Anglican Church of Canada's General Synod voted in 2004 to defer (http://gs2004.anglican.ca/atsynod/resolutions/A134.htm) a decision of the church's stance until its June 2007 meeting.
In New Jersey, an experienced diocesan bishop and one with less than a month under his mitre have had to consider their stances on same-gender blessings, in light of the convergence of the two events.
The Rt. Rev. George Councell, who became bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey in 2003, and the Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, who was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Newark on January 27 this year, have both said that neither event will alter their dioceses' basic stance toward same-gender blessings.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_83058_ENG_HTM.htm
-- The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is national correspondent for the Episcopal News Service.
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