My tough decision, by gay bishop

The first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Church says he would consider “very, very carefully” any request from the Archbishop of Canterbury for him to stand down.

With his election as Bishop of New Hampshire threatening to split the worldwide Anglican movement, the Rev Gene Robinson, 56, revealed a growing inner turmoil.

He said: “I agonise about this all the time. This is one of the hardest
things I’ll ever do.”

Days after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, issued a terse warning that the appointment of Mr Robinson “would tear at the fabric of the
Anglican communion at its deepest level”, the bishop-elect was meeting parishioners in his New England diocese, his partner Michael Andrew at his side.

Mr Robinson’s remarks suggested he still might be persuaded to step aside for church unity. He said he would be willing to fly to London for further talks with the Archbishop.