Beliefnet: Anglican archbishop says Episcopal Church cannot be trusted

The most influential Anglican leader in Africa - home to nearly half the world's Anglicans - said Thursday that the U.S. Episcopal Church has created a 'new religion'' by confirming a gay bishop in New Hampshire, breaking the bonds between the denominations with roots in the Church of England.

The leaders of the ELCA should pay close attention to the meltdown of the Episcopal Church over this issue. Regardless of what position a person takes on the issue of homosexuality in the church, it seems obvious that the damage being done to God's people as we fight these battles is great indeed.

Though it saddens me to say so, I fully expect a schism within the ELCA if changes are made to make provision for homosexual marriage and non-celibate homosexual clergy. Congregations and members are leaving already, before any proposal has even been made, much less voted on! How much more when everything finally hits the fan.

If the ELCA is going to go the route I suspect we will, we had better be sure we learn the lessons of our full communion partners in the EC-USA, or we will go through the painful experience of watching our fellowship split into a dozen little Lutheran churches - ending this grand experiment in Lutheran unity in America.