This week, the Anglican Church of Canada tallied a vote on whether or not the church would accept a resolution allowing same-sex marriage within the church. The resolution was rejected by a single vote count.
Some members stood up to say their votes had not been recorded during voting late Monday — when passage of the resolution failed by a single vote.
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To pass, the resolution required two-thirds of each of three orders — lay, clergy and bishops. The clergy failed to reach that threshold by one vote that was apparently not counted because it was counted in the lay order.
The error was discovered after delegates requested a detailed hard copy of the electronic voting records.
This was a very serious decision for the Anglican Church, with some bishops saying last night, before the recount, that they would go ahead and perform same-sex marriages regardless of this outcome.
In a statement, Bishop John Chapman of Ottawa said he planned to proceed immediately with such unions in his diocese — although no one would be forced to officiate at such a ceremony.
"It is time my friends," Chapman said. "It is past time."
But, the recount has shown that the time is now. As good news as this is, the resolution itself will not be affirmed until the next synod in 2019. It is at that time that it will become church law.