We in the Diocese of New Jersey respect the discernment of the local congregations as they search for and call clergy to serve in leadership. All clergy candidates are subject to the same reference and background checks, including conversations with the bishops and deployment officers of those applying from other dioceses. Among the questions that I always ask is the following, based upon one of the ordination vows in our Book of Common Prayer: “Is this priest’s personal life a wholesome example to the people?”
I believe that gay and lesbian clergy, living in monogamous, faithful and stable unions, are a wholesome example to the people of our churches. Once assured of that, I welcome congregations to call such clergy to lead them in their life and ministry.
I have met the Rev. Debra Bullock, who comes with the very highest recommendations from her seminary faculty and from the clergy and lay leaders where she served in Chicago. She is a faithful, dedicated, hard-working, warm and talented priest. She will bring new life and new energy to St. Barnabas in Villas and to St. Mary’s, Stone Harbor.
I welcome her to this Diocese and I give thanks that she and her partner will join our Episcopal community.
Councell states, “We believe that gays and lesbians are children of God who are entitled to the pastoral care and support of the church.” and then he states “We strive for the full inclusion of homosexual persons in our church.”
The later being a buzzword for non-celibate homosexual clergy. He presents this as some sort of syllogism.
The problem with this specious “logic” is that his first assertion is nearly vacuous which can be used to prove anything: AllMets fans are children of God. Mets fans deserve full inclusion (be ordained). All practicers of illegal accounting methods, all Cubs fans, etc., then fall into the same category.
No, Rev. Councell, yours is a non-sequitar. I am not saying there might be an argument for homosexual clergy, but your “reasoning” is sadly deficient.
I do not stop at alleging that Rev. Councell is logically lacking, but, it seems to me, that pointing out this logical shortcoming is child’s play, and surely Rev Councell is aware of his fallacy. Hence, I see a darker foisting of this triteness to deliberately lead astray.
Well, while his reasoning may be deficient the lady has herself a job anyway.
We seem to pride ourselves on mounting convincing logical and Biblical arguments while the reappraisers go along on their merry way installing gay and lesbian clergy and nominating same for bishoprics.
But reading the mini-dissertations is fun. I guess.
This is hanging one self with rope only bought in Vanity Fair. Well, as Sophocles said, “Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first send to New Jersey.”
His is the expected response, of course, and we supposed nothing else. It is now of no importance.
LM
We’ll keep deleting comments focused on Debra Bullock. Please keep the focus on Bp. Councell’s statement.
–elfgirl
Of course we are not walking apart, just living with integrity. Surely no one can fault us for that.
What prompted the Bishop to issue this statement. Since the practice (calling non-celibate gay and lesbian priests) proceeds apace, why the statement?
Some thoughts on Bishop Councell and Mother Bullock-
1. Some years ago with no statement a former Bishop of NJ appointed a partnered lesbian to a chuch.
2. Since 9 of the 11 seminaries of our church allow partnered gays to live together in the dorms, why does this surprize us?
3. I wonder how many partnered gays live in rectories in NJ? And has + Councell made a statement about them?
We know where the narrow road leads and well aware of the wide path and where it leads. Nuff said !!
Elves, if you are going to edit my postings (comment #1) to make them more palatable(?) and less forceful, could you at least mark it as edited. My original third paragraph can be found as the second comment to the article at the paper’s [url=http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/9612-episcopalians-are-not-one-mind]website[/url]. Apparently, we should not talk about foot-fetishists. Oh, forget I wrote that.