We are committed to the principle of full and equal access to, and inclusion in, the sacraments for all of the baptized children of God, including our LGBTQ siblings. For as St. Paul reminds us in Galatians 3, “in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
As members of the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12), we also are committed to respecting the conscience of those who hold opinions that differ from the official policy of The Episcopal Church regarding the sacrament of marriage. It should be noted that the canons of The Episcopal Church give authority to all members of the clergy to decline to officiate a marriage for reasons of conscience, and Resolution B012 of the 79th General Convention does not change this fact.
In all matters, those of us who have taken vows to obey the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church must act in ways that reflect and uphold the discernment and decisions of the General Convention of the Church.
A test for the “new” PB.
It’s the same old story in TEC the word of man (General Convention) trumps the word of God. They tout 40 years of discernment. Nonsense it’s been 40 years of deceit and deception to justify were they wanted to get to in the first place.
Nice of the PB to support his fellow bishop in this patronising letter. Still, at least Bishop Love has so far been spared the sight of Bishop Curry descending from his pulpit, flapping his wings and squawking ‘LUUUUURVE’ at all and sundry.