The two archbishops and four bishops who participated in the rite believe the 2.4 million-member Episcopal Church in the United States has fallen into theological anarchy. Archbishop Moses Tay of South East Asia, Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and Bishop John Rucyahana of Shyira, Rwanda, performed the rite, assisted by retired Bishop C. Fitzsimmons Allison of the Diocese of South Carolina, retired Bishop Alex D. Dickson of the Diocese of West Tennessee and Bishop David Pytches, formerly of the Diocese of Chile, Bolivia and Peru, who now is rector of a parish in London. In a written statement released shortly after his consecration, Rodgers cited a denominational membership drop of 30 percent over the past three decades as his primary reason for agreeing to the consecration. It is controversial because it flaunts the authority of the diocesan bishops. Rodgers is not related to the author of this article.
Episcopal dissension falls along several lines.
A small group rejects the ordination of women, which has been valid in the denomination since the 1970s. A larger group is troubled by the movement to ordain active homosexuals and to sanction gay relationships, which many Episcopal bishops claim the right to do. A third group, which includes the first two, is horrified by bishops such as the recently retired John Spong of Newark, who reject basic tenets of historic Christianity, such as the authority of scripture and the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Tay has the right to consecrate bishops of his choosing. However, a diocesan bishop could bring a rector up on ecclesiastical charges for inviting one of the missionary bishops into a parish without permission.