Top Episcopal bishop sees less conflict over gay issues

The number of Episcopalians leaving the church over same-sex unions and gay clergy has dropped, according to the faith’s presiding bishop.

“There were very, very few in the past year,” the Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori said during a visit to Salt Lake City last weekend for the consecration of Utah’s 11th Episcopal bishop, the Rev. Scott Hayashi.

In an interview, she expressed confidence that the Episcopal Church will grow by attracting those drawn by its “transcendent worship,” sense of social justice and diversity.

Research indicates that women in transition and Latinas are two groups especially attracted to the Episcopal Church, Schori said. “They find us appealing because we invite people to ask questions. We don’t just provide answers.”

The Episcopal Church, like other mainline Protestant churches, has lost members in recent decades. It now has 2.2 million members, though it is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion with 77 million. In Utah, the number of Episcopalians has dropped from 6,000 in the mid-1990s to about 5,200. MORE