Putney Vicar Invites Gay Bishop To Preach At St Mary's Church

"I am delighted that Gene Robinson is preaching in Putney.."

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The appearance of controversial cleric Gene Robinson will embarrass the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who has banned the American bishop from the Lambeth Conference two days after his appearance in Putney to try to appease traditionalists.

However the bishop has been invited to speak at the historic church of St Mary's, Putney, in the diocese of Southwark, by the church's team rector, the Rev Giles Fraser.

Rev Fraser said: "I am delighted that Gene Robinson is preaching in Putney. His exclusion from the Lambeth Conference, a meeting for listening, is an absolute scandal. He is a gracious and deeply courageous man of God."

Earlier this year Rev Fraser said gay marriage is not culture wars or church politics, but about one person loving another. On BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day he said: "It's not as if there's so much real love in the world that we can afford to be dismissive of what little we do find."

The rift in the Anglican Communion caused by the homosexuality debate has been widening steadily ever since the ordination by its American wing of the openly-gay Rt Rev Robinson in 2003.

September 12, 2008