Group wants to question Love

From Albany-

A grass-roots Episcopal group wants to question Bishop William Love on whether he intends to lead the Albany diocese out of the Episcopal Church.

Albany Via Media, a group of moderate to liberal Episcopalians, is lining up parishioners to attend Love's seven meetings around the diocese in September and October.

"We are trying to have members asking the question at every meeting,'' said Clair Touby of Saranac Lake, president of Albany Via Media.

Love will visit St. Paul's Church, 58 Third St., Troy, at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday for evening prayer and to discuss the Episcopal Church's General Convention in July in Anaheim, Calif.

Episcopal bishops voted at the convention to reaffirm that the ordained ministry is open to gays and lesbians. That vote was opposed by conservative bishops, including Love.

Ever since Bishop V. Gene Robinson was elected by the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire as the church's first openly gay bishop in 2003, the church has split over the issue of gay clergy.

Dennis Wisnom of Schenectady, an Albany Via Media board member, said Love would talk at the meetings about the opening of the clergy and the development of blessing for same sex unions. The Albany Episcopal Diocese's rules do not allow same sex marriages or blessings of same sex unions.

Wisnom said Albany Via Media doesn't want the diocese to leave the Episcopal Church as four other dioceses around the country have done.

Last week, Love and six other conservative bishops met privately with the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in London, the Episcopal News Service reported.

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