The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada has overturned the 11 July 2016 that blocked an amendment to the church’s marriage canon that would allow same-sex marriage. The vote, which fell one short in the clergy order of receiving the necessary two-thirds majority, was recalculated after it was asseted the vote of the General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada was not recorded properly. During the afternoon session on 12 July 2016 Archbishop Fred Hiltz told synod the ” poll shows in fact we did have a two-thirds majority among clergy, laity and bishops, and the same-sex marriage motion is carried.” With the addition of the Ven. Michael Thompson’s vote to the yes tally in the clergy order, the parliamentarian held the amendment was deemed to have passed. The decision to recalculate the vote the day after it was taken will have little practical effect on the life of the church, as the several bishops stated they would ignore the outcome and permit same-sex marriage in their dioceses, or put the matter to a special meeting of synod. The Rt. Rev. Michael Bird, Bishop of Niagara, the Most Rev. Colin Johnson, Archbishop of Toronto, the Rt. Rev. John Chapman, Bishop of Ottawa, the Rt. Rev. Jane Alexander, Bishop of Edmonton. the Rt. Rev Mary Irwin-Gibson, Bishop of Montreal, the Rt. Rev. Melissa Skelton, Bishop of New Westminster and the Rt. Revs. Robert Bennett and Linda Nicholls, Bishops of Huron released statements after the vote that they would not comply with the canons but would authorize same-sex marriage rites on their own. The Bishop of British Columbia, the Rt. Rev. Logan McMenemie, said he would ask a special meeting of diocesan synod to authorize same-sex marriage.
