For the Episcopal Church, questions about homosexuality and same-gender relationships came to a head with the election of the Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson. In a controversial move in 2003, Robinson made history as the first openly gay priest to become a bishop in his church.
“It was like a lightning bolt hitting in the middle of the living room,” said Rev. Maureen Doherty, an Episcopal priest and a campus minister at the University of Northern Iowa.
Since then, a lot has changed in her church and in her state. After Iowa removed barriers in 2009 that had kept same-sex couples from marrying, Doherty, a lesbian, wed her partner. Doherty now has permission from her bishop to wed other same-sex couples whereas before, she was limited to offering a blessing.
Interesting. I thought VGR’s election was a like a lightning bolt hitting in the middle of the living room also.
Another example of a “generous pastoral response.” I wonder what liturgy she used?
In 2009, there were only 63 Marriages in the 61 churches in the Dio of Iowa. Will Marraiges continue to decline until there is not even one per church or will SS Marraiges reverse the trend? And in 2009, 22 of its 61 churches had ASA of 20 or less. ASA in tthe dio declined by about 3 percent per for 2002 through 2009. It is hard for me (reared in Midwest) to imagine that SS Marraiges will be a positive factor for ASA. Statmann