The Rev. Gay Jennings (Ohio), chair of the Committee on World Mission, said the committee chose this resolution as its vehicle to describe the mind of the church. “It is the best reflection of where we are today as a church on episcopal elections and the Anglican Communion,” she said at the start of debate.

The question of whether or not this resolution overturns Resolution B033, passed at the 2006 General Convention, that called for The Episcopal Church to “exercise restraint” in ordaining practicing gay and lesbian persons to the Episcopate was not clear. When a deputy from Central Florida asked if it did, Chairman Jennings said only that the resolution is “operating within the canons of the church.”

The deputy replied that he took that “as open to interpretation. Some will regard this as ending B033 and some will not; the two bodies that must interpret it are diocesan standing committees and bishops.” He added that when “we send fuzzy signals” to the Anglican Communion, “they get confused about our relationship.”

Read it all.

The big news, of course, is that the House of Deputies considered D025 — a beautifully crafted resolution which did not expressly repeal the ban on gay partnered people from being called, elected and consecrated bishops, but simply and elegantly stated that we have canonical processes for the selection and “vetting” of nominees and bishops-elect, and this Church means to follow those processes. They have served us well, the resolution implied, and we intend to follow them WITHOUT extra-canonical promises or restrictions. All attempts to alter the proposed resolution failed. In effect, this resolution ends the informal ban on such bishops-elect. Its power is that it returns us to the canons of the Church, which have always served us well and which allow the Holy Spirit to call those whom the Spirit calls.

I was in the gallery when this vote (which was overwhelming, with a 2/3 majority in EACH of the orders of laity and clergy!) was announced. Rules of the House prevented any display of emotion, support or non-support. But the exuberance of the Deputies could be felt in the air. We had finally moved beyond that dark cloud of last Convention’s B033 and into the Church of the future.

Read it all.

Halfway point. Daunting list of decisions not yet made. They are the most complex. We feel as if we’ve been straining at gnats and still must swallow camels. We feel like we’ve been here a long time.

We’ve settled into a routine. Parliamentary decisions are making more sense. The shuffle between legislation and worship; liturgy and politics mean the same thing ”“ the work of the people. We say “Aye” in one hall and “Amen” in the other hall. They are the same.

This is where we ought to be. It takes time to let the big decisions percolate. Our uncertainties are among the most familiar themes in scripture.

Read it all.

Here’s something interesting. We are handed out carbon copy forms the chair of the delegation has to fill out officially recording the delegations vote. If these forms are incorrect your vote will not count. See if you can spot what’s wrong with the first form that South Carolina got handed….

Read it all.

The Episcopal Church sits at a crossroads. The Church, on several fronts, must choose between a static, centuries-old portrayal of Jesus and the Bible, a perspective increasingly remote from twenty-first century American life, and a dynamic portrayal of Jesus, retelling his story in images and language relevant and comprehensible to post-moderns. Cutting-edge challenges exist not only with respect to human sexuality but also at other points at which theology collides with advances in science.

Will the Episcopal Church succumb to fundamentalist pressures from within and without the Anglican Communion to become a Church that seeks creedal uniformity? The cost of choosing that direction is to concretize Jesus’ charisma, the vital Spirit of the living God. This displaces risky personal encounters that can lead to life-giving transformation with safe and standardized creedal orthodoxy. Such formulas are like good Christian art: appropriate to a particular moment in the spatio-temporal matrix and not eternally definitive.

Read it all.

It is on the Fifth Notice Paper, and reads as follows:

Anglican Church in North America
Mrs Lorna Ashworth (Chichester) to move:

‘That this Synod express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America.’

(Hat tip: Simon Sarmiento)

The Six Bishops Are:

Blackburn
Winchester
Europe
Rochester
Beverley
Burnley

An Email from overnight:

Here’s how I would analyze inconsistency with B033 under general principles of law.

A legislative body can repeal an old resolution (or, for that matter, an old law) BY IMPLICATION, without naming and explicitly repealing the old resolution

If GC 2009 adopts a resolution inconsistent with B033, the rule of thumb would be that the new resolution implicitly repeals B033 TO THE EXTENT of the inconsistency.

The effect of the new resolution on the old one is ultimately a question of legislative intent.

The Archbishop of Canterbury told General Synod today that he ‘regrets’ the decision by The Episcopal Church house of deputies to overturn the moratorium on the ordination of gay bishops. At the same time, the Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori has warned the Church of England that it should not recognise the new Anglican Church in North America, arguing ‘schism is not a Christian act.’

Responding to a question by Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream, Dr Williams said: ‘As for General Convention it remains to be seen I think whether the vote of the House of Deputies will be endorsed by the House of Bishops. If the House of Bishops chooses to block then the moratorium remains. I regret the fact that there is not the will to observe the moratorium in such a significant part of the Church in North America but I can’t say more about that as I have no details.’ Dr Williams also responded to concerns about the funding for the ‘listening process’ saying that he had been personally involved in securing that funding and had been completely unaware of any ‘agenda’ attached to the funding.

Read it all and note for the umpteenth time, this is not my headline, it is theirs. Also note that Ruth Gledhill has an audio link to what the Archbishop has said and you need to take the time to listen to it yourself–KSH.

Note also Ruth Gledhill’s own comments: This is all pretty scarily serious and it is difficult to see where else it is going to end apart from in schism.

A private member’s motion asking the Church of England to recognize the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has been submitted to the General Synod of the Church of England. While the motion will not come up for debate at the current meeting of Synod, it serves to sharpen the focus of the 76th General Convention on the consequences of backing away from the 2006 pledge made with Resolution B033.

Synod is meeting in York from the July 10-13. On July 10, a private member’s motion was submitted asking for a debate on the Church of England’s formal relationship with the ACNA. To be considered for debate, a private members motion must receive the support of 100 members of synod. Approximately 75 members have so far endorsed the motion.

Traditionally only one or two such motions are considered at each session of Synod, and in creating the agenda for forthcoming session, the Synod’s Business Committee generally looks to the number of signatures received in order to set the priority for debate.

Read it all.

Having had a night to ponder and pray on it, this is my read of the attempt of D025. I think the reference in the floor debate to the “craft” of the resolution by the committee was revealing.

Whatever happened to principled theological liberalism [and blog readers know I do not like nor do I use this term]? If the House of Deputies leadership believes B033 should be repealed (and everyone knows that is the case), they should have the courage to repeal it.

They should also have the honesty to say what they are doing in unmistakably clear terms. The more frayed relationships get, and the more trust is in tatters, the more careful attention to precise communication matters.

The presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church warned the Church of England not to foment schism in America, responding to a threat made over the possibility that the U.S. church will start ordaining actively gay bishops.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said Sunday, in response to questions from The Washington Times, that calls by conservatives in the Church of England for recognition of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) over gay-related issues would wound her church, already split by the secession of conservative dioceses and congregations to form the ACNA.

She urged Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to remember the “pain of many Episcopalians in several places of being shut out of their traditional worship spaces, and the broken relationships, the damaged relationships between people who have gone and people who have stayed.”

“Recognition of something like ACNA is unfortunately likely only to encourage” further secessions, she said, reminding the Church of England that “schism is not a Christian act.”

Read it all.

The Church of England has condemned the Church of Sweden’s authorization of rites for the blessing of same-sex unions, saying the decision will impair relations between the two churches and threatens the “fragile unity” of the Anglican Communion.

Copies of the June 26 letter, written by the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Council to the Archbishop of Uppsala, began circulating among members of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops on July 12, and may factor into the bishops’ debate on same-sex blessings at General Convention.

Adopting same-sex blessings, one bishop told The Living Church, would put the Episcopal Church in the same place as the Church of Sweden and could lead to a breach with the Church of England and wider Anglican Communion.

Written by the Rt. Rev. Christopher Hill on behalf of the Council for Christian Unity and the Rt. Rev. John Hind on behalf of the Faith and Order Advisory Group, the letter said the adoption of same-sex blessings by the Church of Sweden was “problematic.”

“Although there is continuing debate among Anglican about human sexuality, the teaching and discipline of the Church of England, like that of the Anglican Communion as a whole as expressed in the Lambeth Conference of 1998, is that it is not right either to bless same-sex sexual relationships or to ordain those who are involved in them.”

Read it all.

Read it carefully and read it all.

The next resolve, which is arguably the most significant in terms of its impact on B033, states that convention recognizes “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.”

When questioned by Charlie Holt of Central Florida as to the meaning that particular section implied, deputies Jennings and Douglas declined to speculate on how it would be interpreted by standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction.

At a press briefing after the House of Deputies recessed for the day, deputy Jennings said that Resolution B033 “urged restraint,” but did not impose any new canonical requirements. While acknowledging that the passage of Resolution D025 removed the recommendation for exercising restraint, she said the majority of standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction would in all likelihood continue to vote their individual conscience as defined in the church’s constitution and canons.

Read it all.

Rebecca Snow (Alaska) said that adopting D025 doesn’t compel action by anyone in the Anglican Communion. “It does not require anyone to do anything except to acknowledge the reality on the ground and to accept our polity, which we are so proud of, and the fact that we are governed by our Constitution and Canons and a discernment process that allows us to be open to God’s calling of all baptized persons.”

Several speakers who urged defeat of D025 feared what it would do to conservative voices within the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Ralph Stanwise (Quincy) said, “If we overturn the B033 moratorium we will in effect be urging many remaining conservatives and moderates among us and in our home dioceses, especially our most fragile ones, to search for the exit signs.”

Read it all.

The Church of England is considering cuts in the number of bishops and dioceses amid growing complaints that its structure is top-heavy and out of step with falling congregations.

At least one diocese, possibly Bradford, is likely to disappear as the Archbishops of Canterbury and York examine ways of reorganising the 44 dioceses and their diocesan bishops to help the Church of England to weather difficult times.

Read it all.

It is going to pass, the only question is by how much–so it seems.

To me this section of the debate was important:

Holt from Central Florida: It appears that the answer to my question is neither yes nor no — that it is open to interpretation. Some will say B033 is ended and some not. There are two audiences that will need to interpret this resolution — our Standing Committees and bishops, as well as our Anglican partners. Both need clarity.

As was this:

Johnson of Minnesota: I stood before you three years ago intending to speak against B033, and found myself asking to give it to our PB as a gift. I ask now to give D025 as gift reflecting our messiness to the Anglican Communion but as authentic statement about who we are. Sometimes gifts aren’t appreciated when they are received. Sometimes later, you appreciate the gift. Sometimes never. This does not repeal B033. It states where we are now, clearly. We will do our discernment processes in accordance with our C&Cs, and Standing Committeees, discerning whether . . . I ask to please give ourselves as a gift to the Anglican Communion.

A now a vote by orders requested Central Florida Albany and South Carolina

Jim Naughton is liveblogging it. I have no video feed available which is bizarre.

Sarah Hey is liveblogging it here.

Then later, Bonnie Perry called me twice and told me that I had to testify this evening when the B033 testimony process happened. I confirmed that would testify and was early to sign up. I again sat near the front, and just before the session started, Gene Robinson came and sat right behind me. This time he was second to speak, and was very eloquent. I spoke maybe tenth out of the 35+ speakers. When I returned to my seat, Gene Robinson squeezed my shoulder and thanked me. After the whole session was over, several people I didn’t know thanked me for my statement.

Both sessions were recorded, maybe live TV (not sure) and there were several hundred people in the audience. The committees were probably 25+ in total both sessions – totally different members. Both the afternoon and evening sessions were filled with emotions, sad stories, talks about suicides, talks about 8 year old children worried because their rector told them their gay sibling was headed to hell because they were gay, talks by both gay and lesbian couples about being denied various rights of TEC because of their sexual orientation; people talking about how the wished the TEC would openly recognize them as full members of God’s community. The ratio of pro speakers to con speakers was dramatic – probably 4-5 to 1 on the pro change side of the equation.

The biggest uncertainty is where the House of Bishops will decide later in the GC process. Some question whether the House of Deputies will support the change, but many feel that the House of Deputies will eventually go for change. Much less confidence that the Bishops will support the change. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Read it all.

The Episcopal Church is an institution in long term systemic decline. Just take a look at the 1997-2007 change in membership numbers documented here or really read thoughtfully the State of the Church report (especially the charts, page 14, page 17, etc.) there.

So: Where is the strategic discussion of evangelism and church growth? A parish involved in healthy evangelism has three things: a good newcomers ministry, a good ministry to the unchurched, and a ministry to the lapsed. In most Episcopal churches if you are very blessed you will find a somewhat adequate newcomer ministry. That is all. What about the unchurched? What about church planting?–KSH

I want to reinforce my premise before I go any further.

So the question I am asking is this: if General Convention 2009 is a school, what is its null curriculum–KSH?

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Book Silver Blaze we read this wonderful encounter:

I bring this up because I think the most important stories of General Convention are not what is being proposed, nor what is being opposed, but what is entirely missing–KSH.

The house will begin debate of Resolution D025 on Sunday afternoon. The resolution by the Committee on World Mission is a compilation of more than a dozen resolutions seeking to overturn, amend or repeal Resolution B033, the controversial resolution approved three years ago which calls on “standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on the communion.”

Read it all.

Read it all (2 page pdf).

Today’s Center Aisle Editorial “Room for Optimism” is about Resolution D025:

The work on this resolution is not done. Bishops on World Mission voted 3-2 against the proposal, while deputies on the panel approved it 24-2. Though D025 doesn’t explicitly repeal B033, the compromise resolution from 2006, it does raise legitimate concerns by affirming that “God has called and may call” gay and lesbian persons “to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church.” That language could be interpreted as a unilateral lifting of the moratorium on gay bishops.

Still, it’s encouraging to see how effectively World Mission has drawn on language of reconciliation from past Conventions and how deftly it has integrated our Church’s “abiding commitment” to the Anglican Communion with a reaffirmation of our inclusiveness as a community of faith.

It’s a reminder of how precise wording can be far more than lawyerly nitpicking; it can be a catalyst to building bonds of trust. Recall past statements by Anglican bodies for “gracious restraint” and “bonds of affection.”

Check it out (16 page pdf).

A Senior Scottish clergyman has “come out” and launched a campaign for gay couples to be given the right to get married in church.
The Very Reverend Kelvin Holdsworth has spoken publicly about his sexuality and called for Holyrood to change the law to allow same-sex partners to tie the knot in the same way as straight couples.

In a frank and outspoken interview, the Provost of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow said that gay clergy would eventually be able to get married in their own churches and offered a “blessing of peace” to an Anglican bishop who called on homosexuals to “repent”.

He also claimed he was aware of “numerous” gay and lesbian priests employed by his church and insisted that Scotland was “more grown up” than England in dealing with issues of sexuality.

Read it all.

The year was 1973, the place: Uganda:

Then [Idi] Amin ordered his soldiers to execute some of the people they had arrested. They were to take the prisoners to their home towns. The towns’ people would be ordered to watch the soldiers shoot the prisoners.

Three of the men were to be shot in the stadium in Kabale, the town where Festo [Kivengere] and [his wife] Mera lived.

“I should go to the president. I should talk to him about what is happening. Maybe he will listen to me,” Festo said to Mera. “He thinks we’re trying to overthrow his government. We need to convince him we’re not.”

Now, this was a very brave thing to do! To walk right into the palace and face the cruel president was risky, to say the least. After all, Amin was killing and torturing Christians and other leaders. He might kill Festo, too!

Festo went anyway. He drove to the president’s palace in Kampala, with Hark riding nervously in the backseat.
The president greeted Festo warmly. (Hark was surprised by this. And so was Festo!) Then Amin told lies.

“It is all right,” he said. “You are quite safe. Yes, some of the soldiers are doing bad things. But I am punishing them when they do. So don’t worry about it,” he said with a smile.

“Mr. President,” Festo said, “I hear you have told everyone in Kabale to come to the big stadium to watch three men be shot. Please let these men live. Forgive them for what they have done.”

Hark saw a big scowl on Amin’s face. Oh dear, Hark thought, now he’s mad.

Festo wasn’t allowed to stay any longer. Sadly, he (and Hark) left the palace and headed home.

“How terrible,” said Mera when she heard about it. “You mean thousands of people have to go to the stadium to watch the executions?”

“Amin thinks it will stop people from trying to overthrow him,” Festo replied. There was nothing for them to do but what the president demanded. When the day came, they went to the stadium.

Three thousand people were forced to attend the shooting. No one was speaking. Dark fear filled people’s hearts. Festo turned to two of his pastor friends.

“Let’s see if we can speak to the three men before they are shot,” he suggested.

“The soldiers will never let us,” replied his friend.

“Well, let’s ask anyway,” Festo said.

“Please, sir,” said Festo approaching the soldier in charge. “I am a minister. I’d like to speak some words of comfort to the three young men before they die.”

No one expected the soldier to agree. But to Festo’s surprise, he said gruffly, “All right. You can talk to them in the arena just before they are killed!”

Festo began to pray. Hark could hear the quiet prayers (angels can, you know). He wrote them down carefully.

“Please, Lord,” prayed Festo, “give me the right words to say to these men.”

A truck drove into the arena. The soldiers unloaded the three prisoners in the middle of the stadium. They were in handcuffs. Their feet were changed together. The firing squad stood at attention, their rifles ready.

In the stands, the silent people sat as still as statues. There was a horrible feeling in the air. Festo and his friends walked across the huge arena and came up behind the prisoners.

“Oh, dear Lord Jesus! What shall I say? What shall I say?” Festo said out loud. The three prisoners heard him and turned around to face the church leaders.

“Oh!” gasped Festo when he saw their faces. They seemed so peaceful!

Festo didn’t have to say anything. As he approached the prisoners, one of them suddenly thanked Festo for coming! The man told Festo he knew Jesus had forgiven his sins. Then he asked Festo to tell his wife and children he would be waiting for them in heaven. He hoped they would accept Jesus, too, so he could be with them there.

The second man said the same thing. He raised his hands in joy and smiled bravely at Festo. Then the third man said, “I am at peace!”

Festo looked at the wonderful smiles on the men’s faces. “Why,” he said to his friends, “we need to talk to the soldiers in the firing squad, not to these men!”

Festo explained the prisoners’ words to the soldiers. When they heard what Festo said, they were shocked. For a moment, they didn’t seem to know what to do!

The three prisoners stood tall, smiling at the huge crowd of people. Then they raised their handcuffed arms and waved. Everyone waved back! People who were near had heard the brave words the prisoners had spoken. They saw the peace of God on the men’s faces.

Then the shots rang out, and the three men fell.

Now they’re safe in heaven with Jesus, thought Hark, standing beside Festo.

Then everyone went home.

–Jill Briscoe, The Man Who Would Not Hate:Festo Kivengere (W Pub Group, 1991), which was read by yours truly in this morning’s sermon

The best thing that could happen to the proposed covenant for the Anglican Communion at this General Convention is nothing at all.

Though there undoubtedly will be strongly worded resolutions proposed from several quarters, the committee or committees handling these resolutions would do well to promote one that expresses the ongoing commitment of the Episcopal Church to the Anglican Communion in general and to the Windsor/covenant process in particular””and nothing more.

That’s because the present draft of the proposed covenant is not yet in its final form. There has not been sufficient opportunity to study it carefully. The time is not yet ripe for General Convention to engage in extensive debate and formal consideration of this proposal.

Read it all.

Best Line of the day – Overheard at lunch:
I’m so tired of being invited to tell my story. Let’s tell God’s story – the story of redemption in Jesus Christ!

Read it all.