Williams also has "great concern for the vast majority of Episcopal Christians in the U.S. who don’t wish to move away from the Communion at all, but who don’t particularly want to join a separatist part of their Church either.”
“I want to give them time to find what the best way is,” the archbishop stated.
Williams is aware, however, that the Anglican Communion Network – the conservative network of 10 U.S. Episcopal dioceses and more than 900 parishes that opposed the election of the first gay Episcopal bishop in 2003 – won’t “hold out” under the present circumstances indefinitely.
“‘If Canterbury doesn’t help, there will be other provinces that are very ready to help,’” he imagined them saying.
Although the Pittsburgh-based Anglican Communion Network remains part of the Episcopal Church for now, it could ultimately attempt to replace the denomination as the American member of the communion – an event that Williams wants to avoid.
“I don’t especially want to see the Anglican Church becoming like the Orthodox Church – where in some American cities you see the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church,” he said. “I don’t want to see in the cities of America the American Anglican Church, the Nigerian Anglican Church, the Egyptian Anglican Church and the English Anglican Church on the same street.”
According to Williams, a split in the Episcopal Church would likely have effects on the Church of England as clergy and congregations may be forced to decide where their loyalties lie.
“My nightmare is that action is now going forward that will tie us up in law courts in 10 years, in disputes about property,” he added.
“That would take so much energy from what we’re meant to be doing…. We can prevent those endless lawsuits, I think, if there is enough cooperation in the central mission of the Church.
“If that work continues it may also help us in finding those structures.”