From here:

The leadership of the Episcopal church recently voted to resume ordaining gay clergy and to begin blessing same-gender unions. Join host Welton Gaddy for a very special look inside the controversy surrounding homosexuality, equal rights and this historic denomination.

Welton speaks with two pioneers in the Episcopal Church. Bishop Gene Robinson was the first openly gay man to be named bishop. He has served as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire since 2004. Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon was the second woman to become a bishop. She served as Bishop of Washington pro tempore from 2001 to June 2002 in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

Tune in for a passionate conversation about changes in the Episcopal Church and what these changes say about American society as a whole.

Listen to it all (around 54 minutes total).

General Convention 2009, in adopting Resolution D035, proclaimed the doctrine outmoded in this day and age, even though there has been no example of its application in recent times. The Resolution calls for the governing bodies of ECUSA to write a letter to the Queen of England, Elizabeth II:

Resolved, that The Episcopal Church . . . directs the appropriate representatives of the House of Bishops and House of Deputies . . . to write to Queen Elizabeth II, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, requesting that her Majesty disavow, and repudiate publicly, the claimed validity of the Christian Doctrine of Discovery . . .

It is, as already noted, unclear how or why the Queen should repudiate a doctrine which she herself has not personally espoused. Moreover, the Presiding Bishop has recently declared a new Episcopalian form of the Doctrine in a letter to the House of Bishops not yet published on the official ENS site, but released elsewhere. In her letter, she declares it her policy not to allow any Episcopalian Diocese or bishop to sell any of their parish property without a clause that would exclude the setting foot on it by any bishop or other clergy of another church in competition with ECUSA for a period of at least five years from the date of sale:

I will continue to uphold two basic principles in the work some of us face in dealing with former Episcopalians who claim rights to church property or assets. Our participation in God’s mission as leaders and stewards of The Episcopal Church means that we expect a reasonable and fair financial arrangement in any property settlement, and that we do not make settlements that encourage religious bodies who seek to replace The Episcopal Church.

Pragmatically, the latter means property settlements need to include a clause that forbids, for a period of at least five years, the presence of bishops on the property who are not members of this House, unless they are invited by the diocesan bishop for purposes which do not subvert mission and ministry in the name of this Church.

It is worthy to note how the Presiding Bishop simply assumes, without any discussion, that she has the authority to impose these requirements on the bishops responsible for the lawsuits brought….

Read it all.

From here, a motion passed August 3rd:

Whereas The Episcopal Church in its most recent General Convention has once again exhibited a disregard for Holy Scripture and failed to submit to the Anglican Communion, we the Vestry of Christ St. Paul’s Parish, Yonges Island, SC, hereby request that the Diocese of South Carolina be placed under a spiritual authority which holds to the clear teaching of the Holy Scripture and the Bonds of Affection within the Anglican Communion which will give our Diocese a place to thrive.

On July 18th Bishop Mark Lawrence responded to the 2009 General Convention in a letter which concluded as follows:

There is an increasingly aggressive displacement within this Church of the gospel of Jesus Christ’s transforming power by the “new” gospel of indiscriminate inclusivity which seeks to subsume all in its wake. It is marked by an increased evangelistic zeal and mission that hints at imperialistic plans to spread throughout the Communion. This calls for a bold response. It is of the utmost importance that we find more than just a place to stand. Indeed, it is imperative that we find a place to thrive; a place that is faithful, relational and structural””and so we shall!

Later on July 28th I wrote a blog post asking for prayer for the Diocese of South Carolina and its leadership. A follow up on that meeting appeared here.

I now wish to update those posts and sincerely request your prayers for the Diocese of South Carolina for the upcoming week.

This past Wednesday, August 5th, the same group of people who met with Bishop Lawrence met again (you can find the list of names through the links already provided). Although not quite as long as the first meeting, it went for the whole day (roughly 10:30-6:30). Both of these meetings were to help Bishop Lawrence to prepare for the special clergy day this coming Thursday, August 13th, when he will be given the very challenging task of articulating to the clergy his sense of where the diocese is called to be and live in response to recent developments in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

I think all of us have a tendency to mistake our place in history, and such things are only properly seen in retrospect (hence my sense of the importance of history and reason for a 19th century post today). But by any reasonable measure this is an important time in this diocese, for her bishop, for her people and for her future. The spiritual warfare is intense. Speaking for myself, the sense of anxiety and expectation in the phone calls and emails that are streaming in is quite high, and I am sure that is true for many other diocesan members as well. While there is a large degree of theological consensus in the diocese, we are now talking about the issue of strategy, and it is in that area where reasserters have had significant differences over the last 7-10 years.

We need your prayers, especially for the Bishop, Mark Lawrence, and for the Standing Committee under the leadership of the Rev. Jeff Miller. Pray that the truth may be spoken in love and that as a diocese we will come together in the direction the Lord wants us to go in. Many thanks–KSH.

Something is afoot in the Diocese of South Carolina. It is difficult to discern exactly what it will eventually be, except to say that DioSC will respond to what transpired at Gen Con 09. And whatever they do will bear our observation and analysis, and our respect, for it will not be done lightly, and it will be done in a Godly, spiritual manner, with all due consideration for Scriptural guidance.

Read it all.

I am posting this by way of background for the next post, so there will be no comments on this thread–KSH.

We have viewed the Windsor Report as an important, even defining, part of the Communion’s ongoing conversation about matters of sexuality. Others in the Communion, notably the Bishop of Durham, have seen it as the rules by which we can continue to be in the conversation at all. ”˜Stop making any progress on the affirmation of gays and lesbians or be gone with you.’ What strikes me as I read the posturing that is attempting to spin the meaning of these resolutions is that conservatives and liberals on the matter of sexuality are continuing to talk past each other, often in shrill ways. According to some we have ”˜renounced the Bible and the entire Tradition of the Christian Faith’ and to others have ”˜struck a blow for justice and full inclusion of a persecuted minority’. It is wearying and tiresome to keep at this. I have some instinct which I keep in check for the most part, that schism would not be so bad and then we could begin planting Episcopal Churches in England and elsewhere. The instinct that usually wins out however is the one that says there must be a way for people of goodwill to stay together in difference on this issue.

What I notice is that the ”˜liberal’ argument is dependent on recognizing that GLBT people are made and formed as such and that ’orientation’ is bound up with fundamental identity, neither chosen nor in most instances, subject to change. As such we are talking about something fundamentally new, –as new as when the solar system was first described to people who believed the sun revolved around the earth. This position is usually (or so it seems to me) dismissed in favor of something like ”˜we’ve always known about sexual proclivities and been counter cultural in saying that they are not in accord with God’s intentions for humanity’ or ”˜It doesn’t matter what you claim about this ”˜new’ thing. The Bible is clear that sex is reserved to one man and one woman in lifelong committed relationship.’ Neither statement acknowledges the seriousness of the claim which is at the root of the actions of TEC in the past two weeks.

Read it all.

However, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s proposed “two-tier” or “two-track” Anglican Communion is problematic in all sorts of ways, as he acknowledges himself, and we would urge him and others to think very carefully about the risks entailed.

* To be Anglican has always meant being Catholic. As Anglicans, we have always valued and defended our place within the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” How could a secondary tier or track, which is walking away from the Church Catholic on matters of faith and practice as the Archbishop highlights, be considered authentically Anglican?

* To be Anglican has always meant being Scriptural. As Anglicans, we have always valued and defended the inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures. How could a secondary tier or track, which rejects the clear authority of Scripture on matters of faith and practice, be considered authentically Anglican?

* To be Anglican has always meant being Evangelical. As Anglicans, we have always valued and defended “the faith once delivered to the saints”. How could a secondary tier or track, which replaces the eternal gospel with secular culture, be considered authentically Anglican?

In this whole debate, there has always been a clear choice to be made. Do we remain faithful to the teaching of the Holy Scripture as received by the Church Catholic and so remain authentically Anglican? Or do we reject the teaching of the Holy Scripture and lose our right to be called Anglican, and more importantly Christian (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11)?

Sadly, The Episcopal Church in the United States has made its decision to break the moratoria, by continuing to bless same-sex unions and continuing to ordain practicing homosexuals, thus causing much pain and hurt for faithful Anglicans throughout North America and the rest of the world.

Read it all.

[The Rev. Terri] Pilarski, who has been pastor at St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church for about 18 months, said her Green Valley congregation has weathered changes before and is ahead of the denomination on many social justice issues.

“I’m sure there are a few people who are upset,” she said, “but nobody’s banging on my door.”

Pilarski said the congregation, which ranges from 225 to 500 members depending on time of year, has a long history of life experience that has shaped them.

“While they can fall all along the spectrum of people who embrace the more progressive perspective and others who embrace the more traditional perspective, they are, nonetheless, people with a lot of experience,” she said. “They have family, children and grandchildren who may be gays and lesbians and they really have a compassionate response.”

Pilarski said the Bible does not condemn homosexuality, but she said society as a whole still ostracizes gay men and women.

Read it all.

“B033, D025, C056 & the Anaheim Letter: Contradictory or Complementary?” Beloved, with this report I urge us-again-to read carefully the two resolutions which are-appropriately-drawing so much attention from various sources in and beyond The Episcopal Church. My reference is to D025, entitled “Anglican Communion: Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion”, and C056, entitled “Liturgies for Blessings”. Media accounts (both secular and ecclesiastical) of these two resolutions are generally too brief in their coverage to convey accurately and completely the thought, prayer and dialogue which contributed to their final form-or the actual content of the final wording in the resolutions. (For example, the title of C056, which implies that liturgies are authorized in the resolution, simply states the subject of the resolution, the provisions of which do not authorize such blessings-again, read carefully!).

The Presiding Bishop communicated directly to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to all of the other Primates of the Anglican Communion immediately following the passage of these resolutions-while our General Convention was still in session. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who was present during part of our convention, has written about these resolutions in a document dated 27 July 2009. I refer you to these documents, together with the two resolutions in question, for reading, re-reading, and careful study. They may be found on-line by following the links in this report. Copies of Resolutions B033, D025, and C056 also appear below, immediately following this report. (For those desiring paper copies, please speak to your priest or request them from our Communications Officer, Dr. Peggy Hill: 803-771-7800, ext. 18.)

I voted “yes” on both D025 and C056. Yet, I also signed, with a significant number of other bishops, the so-called “Anaheim letter” which Archbishop Williams describes as expressing the “intention to remain with the consensus of the Communion”. I consider the two resolutions and the Anaheim letter “as a package”, so to speak; their provisions are not in conflict-rather, in complement they create a larger view: where we are, and where we want to be.

The two resolutions describe the present thinking of many in The Episcopal Church. With regard to D025, my decision was significantly shaped by the fact that the General Convention deliberately chose to reject through several actions any effort to repeal, rescind, or amend B033. (B033 was the resolution, of which I was the sponsor and one of the co-authors, through which the General Convention 2006 responded to the call by the Windsor Commission for a moratorium on the ordination of bishops in committed same-gender relationships). From this context, I view D025 as a factual expression of where we in The Episcopal Church presently find ourselves; it is descriptive in nature-thus my vote “yes” on the matter.

Read it all.

Note carefully what this proposal represents. Dr. William’s strategy would produce a communion of churches that includes, on the one hand, a majority of churches that are firm in understanding the sinfulness of all homosexual behavior and, on the other hand, a minority of churches that are firm in believing that homosexuality is not only not a sin, but that it is also morally insignificant. According to Dr. Williams plan, these two groups of churches would continue to exist in some sort of formal communion. As he sees it, this would avoid “apocalyptic terms of schism and excommunication.”

Without doubt, churches and denominations can remain healthy even as they experience disagreement over any number of non-fundamental issues. Nevertheless, when an issue as fundamental as the sinfulness of homosexuality becomes the fulcrum of division, no church or denomination can maintain a divided mind. Given the Bible’s clear statements regarding homosexuality, those who honor the authority of Scripture must see a division on this question as a test of their church’s commitment to the Scriptures as the Word of God.

While in this case it is the Episcopal Church that provides the object lesson, similar issues and questions of ecclesial integrity can and will arise within every church and denomination. In this light, these recent developments in the Episcopal Church demand the careful attention of every committed Christian.

Read it all.

The second resolution on same sex relationships also says two things: The first part is purely pastoral. Every resolution of the Episcopal Church mentioning homosexual persons since the early 1980’s has called upon the clergy to offer them pastoral care. The duty to afford pastoral care to gay and lesbian persons has been affirmed by the Lambeth Conference, the Windsor Report, and the Primates of the 39 Anglican Provinces. Every one of our clergy has taken vows to extend such care to “all” our people. So the principle is well established.

This Resolution notes that there has been a recent wave of law making and law changing concerning these relationships ”“some laws allowing gay marriage, some laws allowing civil unions, and other laws banning such unions. This new legal situation presents new pastoral challenges to which we must respond. The resolution says bishops “may” ”“ not “must” but “may” ”“ offer a “pastorally generous response.” What that means depends on the situation, the context, and the judgment of the bishop. The New York Times says it means blessing civil unions. But I never heard any bishop, liberal or conservative, define it that way. It could mean a special ritual or a prayer or a phone call. It’s up to the bishop. Pastoral generosity is not defined.

The second part of the resolution deals with developing theological and liturgical resources for same sex unions. There was no decision to authorize gay marriage or bless same sex unions. We worked with the language of the Resolution the best we could to make it clear that there is not a decision on that hard question. This Resolution requests the Liturgy and Music Commission to compile and develop theological and liturgical resources so that if and when we consider that issue in the future, we will have some examples to look at.

In 2006, we passed a resolution calling for restraint in “authorizing the blessing of same sex unions” until there has been time for an international conversation on the issue. We have exercised restraint for three years and will continue to exercise restraint while that conversation continues. That does not mean no one anywhere will ever bless a same sex union. The Primates have recognized some leeway for conscience in these matters. Well before General Convention, I assured our clergy that no one in Nevada would be disciplined for following their conscience on this question. That is still the case. The new resolution calls for pastoral generosity on the part of bishops. I hope I was already pastorally generous to all of our people and will try to always be so.

Read it all.

Anaheim does not mean that the Episcopal Church is now a unified whole. There will be those who will want to boldly press forward and those who believe that now that things are settled it is time to rest for a bit. New fractures and caucuses will develop along a political continuum of those who remain. There will be fights over gender and power language in the development of new liturgies. Heated discussions will arise over the permanence and the number of partners to a marriage. (No, I’m not trying to say something flippant or sensational. It’s a discussion that’s already happening and, I think, a quite logical one if you accept some of the basic premises I’ve tried to sketch out above.) Contextual theologians and their more traditional counterparts will continue to wrestle over the boundaries of interfaith dialogue.

As the Episcopal Church lives more fully into its search for radical inclusion and deep engagement with the multiple cultures from which it draws its members it is highly unlikely that TEC will be a dull place. Those who previously thought of themselves as holding the middle ground will find themselves to be the new right of the church. Many who prided themselves on being progressive will suddenly find themselves to be the new voices of moderation.

I expect that for the next year or more the action will move to the international stage where the global Anglican Communion will wring its hands over what to do about the Episcopal Church. Don’t expect much of consequence. While the majority of the Anglican provinces in the developing world are opposed to TEC’s stands on a variety of issues, TEC has its supporters in Canada, South Africa, New Zeeland, Japan, Brazil, Scotland, Wales, and large sections of the churches in England and Australia. There may never again be a Lambeth Conference where everyone gathers together at one altar, but TEC will remain an important part of a truly global fellowship of one sort or another.

Read it all.

Conservatives, however, have accused Episcopalians, in the words of one activist here, of “having an adulterous relationship with the spirit of the age.” Bishop Peter Beckwith of Springfield, Ill., said, “We are allowing our church to be shaped by the culture rather than pursuing our God-given mission of shaping the secular culture.” Beckwith compared homosexuality to gambling, which is legal in several states, but which many Christians oppose on moral grounds.

Even liberals here have said the church should not depend on the state to make decisions for it. Former New Hampshire Bishop Douglas Theuner, who retains a vote in the House of Bishops, argues that all bishops – not just those in states where same-gender partnerships are legal – should be allowed to adapt rites of blessings for gay couples.

“If we say we’ll only do what the state allows us to do, then in effect we’re saying that the state effects our theological decisions, and that shouldn’t be,” Theuner said.

Episcopalians have taken cues from the culture on marriage mores before, particularly in the 1970s when it voted to allow divorced people to remarry in the church, said Bishop Stacy Sauls of Lexington, Ky.

“We need to respond to the realities our people face and the culture in which they live,” said Sauls. “That doesn’t mean we cave to expectations and give up our standards, but it does mean we have to be culturally sensitive.”

Read it all.

Canon Glasspool, 55, referred to her sexuality early in her profile: “It was during my college years (1972-1976) that I began to discern a vocation to ordained ministry and concomitantly to discover my sexuality. Both these areas were sources of intense struggle for me, as I wrestled with such questions as Did God hate me (since I was a homosexual)? or did God love me? Did I hate (or love) myself?”

Canon Glasspool also wrote of her sense about this election’s timeliness.

“It’s time for our wonderful church to move on and be the inclusive church we say we are,” she said. “I believe that the Diocese of Los Angeles is in alignment with the kairos — ready to move boldly into the future, with a strategic plan centered in the love of God and purposed with bringing God’s reign of justice and love further into being, modeling for the whole church an episcopal team. And maybe, just maybe, God is calling me to be a part of that exciting future.”

Fr. Kirkley, 42, wrote about his coming out as a gay man in the early 1990s and of becoming an adoptive parent.

“The gift in this is that I had to come to grips with both my own relative social privilege as a white, well-educated, male, and the marginalization I experienced as a gay man,” he wrote. “In whatever contexts I have worked subsequently, a commitment to the work of personal integration and social reconciliation has remained with me. This commitment took on a greater sense of personal urgency when my husband, Andrew, and I became parents. When we began the journey of adoption ten years ago, we didn’t anticipate that we would fall in love with a beautiful, African-American baby boy named Nehemiah. It was with some fear and trembling that we two white, gay men embarked upon raising our son.”

Read it all.

My own review of the Episcopal Church after General Convention 2009 is that we have reiterated, and claimed our dependence upon, local initiatives for ministry in this church. On the controversial sexuality issues of the day, the Episcopal Church recognized pastoral generosity at the local level. On matters relating to the wider Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church has urged local parishes, and dioceses and individuals, to develop personal and missional relationships themselves. I especially appreciated this Convention’s work on ecumenical and inter-religious relationships; again, our Episcopal Church recognized that good and healthy ecumenical relationships occur most authentically at the local level. We entered into full relationship with the Moravian Church; we took more definite steps toward theological discussion with our neighbors in the Presbyterian and Methodist churches.

Perhaps the most dramatic decision of General Convention was the Episcopal Church budget for the next three years. Surely everyone recognizes that the global economic recalibration has affected even our local parishes, and certainly our larger offices. The Episcopal Church passed a budget which eliminated some major staff positions at the national level; the budget assumes that some of those offices will no longer exist. There was understandable lament at those decisions.

On the other hand, that very budget was also part of a de-centralization theme, a theme of local initiative, which lay in the background of almost every General Convention action this summer.

Read it all.

* FINAL VERSION – Not Completed
Resolution: D089
Title: Invitation to Receive Holy Communion
Topic: Doctrine
Committee: 13 – Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music
House of Initial Action: Bishops
Proposer: The Very Rev. Ernesto R. Medina

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That the 76th General Convention direct the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons to review and provide a recommendation to resolve the conflict between Article X of the Constitution, specifically, the invitation offered in the Book of Common Prayer “The Gifts of God for the People of God” and Canon I.17.7, restricting communion to only the baptized; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons consult with other appropriate Standing Commissions, as needed; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission report back to the 77th General Convention.

EXPLANATION

There appears to be a conflict between the Constitution of the Episcopal Church and the Canons of the Episcopal Church with respect to who is able to receive Holy Communion.

Constitution – Article X
The Book of Common Prayer, as now established or hereafter amended by the authority of this Church, shall be in use in all the Dioceses of this Church. BCP clearly states in the invitation to receive Communion “The Gifts of God for the People of God.” The question we ask is “who is the People of God?”

Canon 17 – Section 7

No unbaptized person shall be eligible to receive Holy Communion in this Church.

We are asking the Standing Commission on Constitutions and Canons to help resolve this conflict.

The General Convention of The Episcopal Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury are moving in different directions. How’s that for the understatement of the year?…

Where does this leave those of us who have been resolute in our commitment to remain both as dioceses, clergy and people of The Episcopal Chuch, and covenanted members of the global Anglican Communion as well? This includes, but is not limited to, those identified as “Communion Partners.”

The Constitution & Canons of The Episcopal Church are clear. In the Preamble, we claim for ourselves constituent membership in the “Anglican Communion, a Fellowship within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, of those duly constituted Dioceses, Provinces, and regional Churches in communion with the See of Canterbury”¦” (emphasis added). What happens if we are no longer in communion with the See of Canterbury? By our own definition we would cease to be part of the Anglican Communion.

It has become clear to me in discussions with Episcopalians inside and outside the Diocese that not everyone has the same appreciation or understanding of the importance of remaining “in communion with the See of Canterbury.” (A woman at coffee hour one Sunday remarked: “We always thought Anglicans were nice people, but we never thought of ourselves as Anglicans.”) I, on the other hand, have always used the terms “Episcopal” and “Anglican” synonymously. In fact, I was able to join The Episcopal Church precisely because it is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, thereby demonstrating its catholicity as a church of the redeemed “from every family, language, people, and nation”¦” (Revelation 5:9), and not existing in isolation as a small protestant denomination in the United States. This precious fellowship with the Archbishop of Canterbury and, through him and the bishops in fellowship with him, with millions of saints around the globe is essential to my understanding of what it means to be part of the Church catholic. It is this gift of “communion” that the Anglican Communion Covenant seeks to preserve and foster.

Read it all.

Ms. [Bonnie] Perry directly addressed the question of her sexuality at two points in her responses to the diocese’s nominating committee. In a one-page autobiography, she referred to the relationship by writing, “The Rev. Susan Harlow, my partner now of 22 years, and I moved to Chicago in 1992.”

In response to a question about individual and diocesan discernment regarding the next bishop, Ms. Perry mentioned that she stood for election in the Diocese of California in 2006 but has declined other opportunities since then.

“Until yours, I have not read a compelling diocesan theology,” she wrote. “I am also aware in the current worldwide Anglican climate it may be very difficult for me, an out, partnered lesbian, to be elected and/or to receive consents. … I am entering this discernment process now because I was invited and because your vision of a spiritually transformed, culturally appropriate, networked diocese has made me cry with hope for what could be.”

In response to a question that mentions the diocese’s wish to support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, the other two nominees affirmed that wish.

Read it all.

Laypeople who see church as nothing more than a local congregation, which maintains a building, provides Sunday services and rites of passage, and functions as a venue for community activities are not short-sighted. They are right. The institutional church has nothing else of interest to offer its members or anyone else that isn’t provided by secular organisations.

Even after exploring the Anglican communion’s website I fail to see what bad consequences would ensue if it fractured into two or 200 pieces.

I’m not sure what a schism in the Anglican communion will mean for me as an Episcopalian. Will I still be officially entitled to receive communion in the CofE or Anglican churches elsewhere? It hardly matters since Anglican churches don’t issue communion tickets or check credentials, and I don’t see any other way that the schism could affect me.

Read it all.

Read it all and consider commenting.

Both resolutions were adopted against the wishes of the Anglican Church of England, which is associated with the Episcopal Church.

“Our resolution simply says a person’s sexual orientation is not a barrier to ordination,” [Gay] Jennings said in an interview last week. “There’s nothing in our church’s constitution or canon law that prevents a partnered gay or lesbian person from being elected to bishop.”

Jennings chaired a committee that drafted the resolution, while [Bishop Mark] Hollingsworth – working with another bishop – offered an amendment that helped to appease some bishops who had opposed it.

The amendment essentially recognizes that not everyone in the church agrees on ordaining gay clergy, but notes that God already has called gay people to ordained ministries in various Episcopal churches and may call them again.

“We are not all of one mind,” said Hollingsworth. “But each of us carries a piece of the truth and when we bring those pieces together it helps to discern what God’s truth is in our time.

“I don’t believe God is asking us to reconcile our differences, but to be reconciled as people.”

Read it all.

Only weeks after the Episcopal Church ended a de facto moratorium on promoting gay men and lesbians into the church hierarchy, church leaders in Los Angeles nominated two openly gay priests as assistant bishops on Sunday.

The move came a day after a church search committee in Minnesota announced that it had settled on three candidates, one of them a lesbian, for bishop.

The decisions are certain to rekindle the hostilities between the liberal and conservatives factions within the Episcopal Church in the United States and between the church and the Anglican Communion, the generally conservative global network of churches to which the Episcopal Church belongs.

Read it all.

Church conservatives predicted that the swift actions of the two dioceses in response to the recent policy shift would lead to greater division within the U.S. church. And they accused top Episcopal leaders of being disingenuous by suggesting that the denomination had not strayed from traditional beliefs and policies.

“What this represents is a continued in-your-face gesture to the worldwide Anglican Communion,” said Kendall Harmon, a prominent conservative who is chief theological advisor to the Episcopal bishop of South Carolina. “Anyone who is paying attention can see that the Episcopal Church is moving in the direction of the new theology and practice that they have embraced…”

One leading Episcopal progressive, Bishop Marc Andrus of San Francisco, said the nominations of Kirkley and Glasspool were not a significant departure from the church’s recent direction.

“This is really in keeping with the trajectory of our church toward justice and the recognition . . . of the full rights of gay and lesbian people,” said Andrus, bishop of the Diocese of California.

Read it all.

“Coming so soon after the slate announced by the Diocese of Minnesota,” said Integrity President Susan Russell, “today’s announcement by the Diocese of Los Angeles is another sign that the ‘season of fasting’ at the expense of the vocations of gays and lesbians in the Episcopal Church is at an end.”

“Just a few days ago we celebrated the 35th anniversary of the ordination of the first women to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church,” said Russell. “Thirty five years ago it was hard to imagine that we would come to a place where the inclusion of gifted women on a slate of candidates for bishop would become the expected rather than the exception. And we believe that we are journeying to a place where the same will be true for gay and lesbian candidates.”

Read it all.

Regarding assorted resolutions on the place of gay and lesbian persons in the life of the Episcopal Church, the House of Bishops passed Resolution D025 with minor amendments. This resolution is the subject of much press attention. I supported this resolution as a full expression of where we stand as a Church. It acknowledges that gay and lesbian persons have, and may in the future, be ordained to all orders of the Church.

George Councell, my friend and colleague from New Jersey, remembered the joke, “Do you believe in infant baptism? Believe in it? I’ve seen it!”

Like George, I too have seen faithful and godly ministry of gay and lesbian persons in all ministries of our church. As a matter of integrity and authenticity, I look forward to celebrating the ministries of all God calls into the life of ordained ministry…

There are those who may be distressed about this as well as future acts of this convention. I pray that our mutual response to this unsettling will be more engagement not less, more conversation not less, more honoring of difference not less.

Read it all.

A response and reflections on General Convention 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Permit me to begin with the Collect for this day, the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. I realize that all of you heard this a moment ago at the outset of the service, but in light of what I am going to share, it bears being offered once again.

“Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” [BCP p.232]

This prayer sums up what is before us, and how this will ultimately be brought to be, if we allow God’s will and the leading of his Holy Spirit to move us beyond the place and condition in which he finds us this day. Many have waited for General Convention 2009, and this being with the hope that it would bring a clearer sense of the direction in which the Church is going. Prior to General Convention I called upon the diocese to share with me in prayers for clarity – clarity that would prayerfully bring us to a renewed place regarding the several issues that have wrought division not just on The Episcopal Church, but the wider Anglican Communion. General Convention is now behind us and many questions still loom before us.

Some no doubt feel that nothing was accomplished over the vast number of days spent in California, but I am confident that our deputation would share that some positive action was taken by the House of Deputies and House of Bishops. Sadly though, just a few resolutions turned the focus from that of a Church on fire for the ministry of our Lord, to one of that was drawn deeper into a questionable future. This was stated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan D. Williams, at the outset of his response of July 27, 2009 to General Convention. The Archbishop follows very quickly on his words of commendation about the hospitality offered by The Episcopal Church at General Convention, with the following. “There has been an insistence at the highest level that the two most strongly debated resolutions (D025 and C056) do not have the automatic effect of overturning the requested moratoria, if the wording is studied carefully.” In the next paragraph Archbishop Williams continues with “However, a realistic assessment of what Convention has resolved does not suggest that it will repair the broken bridges into the life of other Anglican provinces; very serious anxieties have already been expressed.” [Communion, Covenant and our Anglican Future, Monday, July 27, 2009]

Resolution C056, while appearing to avoid the development of rites for same gender, calls for “an open process for consideration of theological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same gender-relationships.” Further, it states “That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishop, collect and develop theological and liturgical resources, and report to the 77th General Convention.” Additionally, the fourth resolve states “That bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church;” and lastly, “That this Convention honor the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality.” When read carefully, the wording of the above resolution very clearly states that not just bishops in certain civil environments, but all bishops can authorize the blessing of same-gender unions, but are not required to do such. The action authorized by this resolution could not be more displacing to the moratoria of the Communion.

What is being addressed in D025 is the fact that while not stating that it is a repeal of B033, the resolution of General Convention 2006 that set the moratoria in place, D025 does state “that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relationships have responded to God’s call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and are currently doing so in our midst” and that “General Convention affirm that God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church.” Here again, when carefully read, the content of this resolution also discharges the intent of the moratoria with regard to the election of a non-celibate gay or lesbian to the Office of Bishop.

It is important to note that neither of these resolutions, D025 and C056, addresses specifically Resolution B033 and the related moratoria against the consent and consecration of a non-celibate person, nor the blessing of same-gender persons. But rather, through the manner in which they have been put forth, bring about a dismissal of that provided through B033, and yet, both are critical to the ongoing development of the Anglican Covenant. [It is important to note that neither your elected deputation nor I supported the above two resolutions – C056 or D025.]

Where will this divisive action lead and what is the Communion saying about The Episcopal Church? The Archbishop of Canterbury has acknowledged that the Communion is indeed already broken in his reference about “the broken bridges into the life of other Anglican provinces” as shared above. The Episcopal Church has sadly demonstrated over and over again a wanton willingness to allow for a separation within the family, and in this instance, in opposition to the urging of Archbishop Williams at the outset of General Convention for those assembled to not carry out further actions that would divide the Communion beyond where it is today. The reality of this division was so very evident by the noticeable absence of brothers and sisters who have been a part of the Councils of the Church in years past, and yet even with their departure, their lives remain in a state of uncertainty due to the void of recognition by the Anglican Communion and Archbishop of Canterbury.

While separated from some in the sense of the Church, and this due to the behaviour of portions of The Episcopal Church, we are truly one in the Spirit of Christ with them, and must endeavour to live this out in our lives regardless of where we stand. Our love, prayers and support for one another must be rooted in the language of Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians this day, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” [Ephesians 4:1-6]

Thus, after what appears to be too many years of waiting, as I come before you this day, I can’t help but present the need for us to not overreact, but rather, take things one day at a time. The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken before, and of late of a two-tiered or two-track Communion, and while providing a sense of hope for some with respect to the Communion and Covenant process, there still looms before us many questions to be answered, and for that matter, too many to endeavour to explore in this Pastoral Letter this day.

All of us will have the opportunity to talk about these issues and other weighty matters that came about through the action of General Convention as we share in the Post-General Convention Gatherings in the days ahead. (Information on this is being furnished with this letter, and sent to all congregations and clergy.) The things to be discussed are important, for they include legislation on a mandatory health care program and a mandatory lay pension plan that will impact congregations across the entire Church to mention just a few.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I wish there were words that I could offer today that would put our questions behind us and send us forth with a sense of peace, but unfortunately there are none. What I can tell you is to repeat what I have said for the past six years, and this is that we must first and foremost be about God’s work. The mission of the Church is before us and God’s expectation of how this is to be lived out is clearly spelled out for us in the Baptismal Covenant and Catechism.

We have no control over the direction taken by The Episcopal Church, the mechanism for this has been moving and continues to move in a direction that is contrary to Scripture, polity and the Constitution and Canons of General Convention. Yes, the train has left the station and sadly, appears to soon be fully off the tracks as it relates to the relationship of The Episcopal Church with the Anglican Communion.

What we do have control over however, is our Lord’s ministry in this portion of his vineyard, the Diocese of Western Louisiana. We need to continue to be about the exercise of this work as we have been for the past thirty years (Western Louisiana was formed in 1979), and as we have particularly for the past six years. And should we not, shame, shame on us. And what does this look like? We have, and must continue as the Body of Christ to ”“ “… contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” [Jude 1:3] Continue in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles and carry out Christ’s mission to all people. [BCP p.854]; Proclaim the Gospel with faithfulness as we seek to build up God’s kingdom in this place; Seek to fulfill the mission of the Church which is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. [BCP p.855]; Provide a welcoming place of worship for all of God’s people; Engage in and support the Covenant process as a diocese and member of the wider Anglican Communion, in communion with the See of Canterbury.

Where will I, your bishop, be in all of this?

Endeavouring to be ever present in my capacity as bishop for all of you, and remaining steadfast in guarding the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church as handed down from the apostles and down through the ages;

My position with regard to the blessing of same-gender unions remains the same, they will not be permitted in the Diocese of Western Louisiana;

My position with regard to the consent and consecration of non-celibate candidates to the episcopate remains unchanged. I will not give my consent;

My commitment to the work of Communion Partner Bishops as we seek to uphold our place within The Episcopal Church as a constituent member of the Anglican Communion, in communion with the See of Canterbury.

I know well the answers some were looking for today are not here, but I would be disingenuous to imply that I know otherwise. For the moment and in the immediate days ahead, I envision our course of action to be one of following closely the response of the larger Church and further insight coming from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and seeking to build on the “Anaheim Statement” that was developed by a group of us during General Convention and to date signed by 35 bishops of the Church. (This statement can be found on the diocesan web site and in the issue of ALIVE! published this week.)

As your bishop I remain committed to ministering to the whole of God’s people in this diocese, and ensuring that we live with faithfulness into our Baptismal Covenant. To do this, I need your help and prayers and trust you know of my prayers for each of you. In closing I look to the Gospel of this day, and to Jesus words in response to the question, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” “Jesus answered, ”˜The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” and to which he later adds, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” [John 6:28-29; and 35]

Let us pray: “O Christ, we share the strengths and the frailties of your first disciples. We share their devotion to you. We share their weaknesses: we do not fully trust in your power to heal and to save. Nor do we believe that we share in these gifts. We find your words cloaked in riddle and parable, your actions hard to understand. Like Peter, we refuse to believe that rejection, sacrifice, and death can ever be God’s way. Yet, O Jesus, you love us and continually call us to your side. Cleanse our hearts of selfishness and fear; give us the love that bears all things, believes all things, and hopes and endures all things. Amen.”

Faithfully in the light of Christ,

–(The Rt. Rev.) D. Bruce MacPherson is Bishop of Western Louisiana

While conservatives see themselves as remaining faithful to Anglican tradition and Scripture, they see The Episcopal Church veering further away from the rest of the worldwide communion.

“The Episcopal Church is heading in a direction that’s incompatible with mainstream Anglican convictions and mainstream Christian faith,” Minns told reporters Friday.

This month, Episcopal leaders approved two resolutions that open the ordination process to all baptized members, including practicing homosexuals, and call for the development of liturgical resources for the blessing of same-sex unions.

Those actions, Minns said, takes them “further down the road of apostasy.”

“What comes next is hard to predict but one thing is sure ”“ the leadership of The Episcopal Church has made it very clear that there is no turning back, their ears are closed and their hearts are hardened,” the CANA bishop said in his address Friday at the annual council.

Read it all.

The resolution acknowledges a pastoral response is called for in light of changing circumstances in the United States and abroad and in areas that permit marriage, civil unions and/or domestic partnerships involving same-sex couples.

While a substantial majority at the convention believed the Episcopal Church should move forward on matters of sexuality, Jacobus is a member of the minority. A statement was drafted that reaffirmed the minority group’s stance as members of the Anglican Communion and commitment to the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ. The group also reaffirmed its commitment not to ordain bishops in committed same-gender relationships, offer same gender blessings or enter into one another’s diocese to do so.

“We’re continuing to take small steps forward to be inclusive of all people, but this wasn’t a big deal like many hoped it would be,” [Bishop Russell] Jacobus said of the convention. “I think if it would have been, it might have divided the church.”

Ah, yes, a small change. Apparently Bishop Jacobus went to a different General Convention than the one Integrity and the New York Times went to. Read it all–KSH.

With a little more than 2 million members, the Episcopal Church of the United States is far from being the country’s largest Christian denomination. But its recent pronouncements indicating support for openly gay bishops and church blessings for same-sex couples will have reverberations beyond that church, beyond Christianity and even beyond religion. For all the theological issues it raises, acceptance of gays and lesbians at the altar reflects — and affects — the campaign for equality in the larger society.

Meeting last month in Anaheim, the General Convention of the denomination approved two resolutions that will widen the split between the U.S. branch of Anglicanism and many of the other 43 churches worldwide that trace their roots to the Church of England. One resolution calls for a “renewed pastoral response from this church, and for an open process for the consideration of theological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same-gender relationships.” The other affirms that God has called gays and lesbians to “any ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.”

Read it all.

Let’s talk about the sexual orientation of clergy and same-sex marriage, which have been quite controversial in the church and the subject of a few stories in the press over the past few years.

When it comes to us, it seems like the media does what the media does. It has to sell its product. I think if we had more free media it might be different, but we don’t.

I would say, Bishop, that when you have congregations splitting off in protest, that’s worthy of reporting, and it has nothing to do with free versus paid media. So, to finish, I’d like to ask you: Do you have a position on these issues?

The Diocese of Texas is very conservative, and it has a very traditional understanding of marriage. I do not see my work as trying to change that. Even though there is a great diversity of points of view on this topic, the people of the diocese will not see changes in how we look at same-sex blessings or unions, nor on the topic of ordination of bishops. Now””and this is the important part for me””I grew up in a diverse culture and have friends who are gay and lesbian. The reality of our diocese is that we have gays and lesbians who go to our churches. They find their spiritual journeys entwined with our own in this place. So when I make the statement that things will not change, there is a great deal of pain. I am unwilling to pretend that pain is not there. Where there is love, there is always a great deal of pain, and I love the people of the Diocese of Texas. That love is not a love that is bound by issues of sexuality.

Read it all.