Read other IRD articles covering the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church here.
The House of Bishops deliberates on a resolution that effectively eliminates a moratorium on the consecration of homosexual bishops. (IRD\Jeff Walton) |
The Episcopal House of Bishops has, with minor amendment, adopted a resolution (D025) essentially repealing a moratorium (B033) on the consecration of gay bishops. The resolution, D025, had previously cleared the Episcopal House of Deputies on Sunday and was quickly picked up by the Bishops on Monday afternoon. It passed the House of Bishops 99-45 in favor, with two abstentions.
“I hope people from around the world would understand that we are struggling with a very difficult issue in our common life,” said Bishop Michael Smith of North Dakota. “I think we are committed to staying together to work this out.”
Smith was one of two bishops that spoke with reporters at a press conference immediately following the House of Bishops vote. During debate over D025, bishops repeatedly spoke of “moving ahead” and working for what some termed the full inclusion of gay and lesbian persons in the life of the church.
During a sometimes emotional debate, Bishops individually spoke about their concerns that resolution B033 was either needed to maintain relationships with the broader Anglican Communion, or was unfairly holding back homosexual persons from being fully included as baptized members of the church.
One Bishop, Prince Singh of Rochester, recalled the treatment of the “untouchable” dalit class in his native India, connecting their experience of being brought into the church after being outcasts with that of homosexual persons in the United States. Other bishops opposed the resolution based on concerns that it would exacerbate tensions with the broader Anglican Communion.
“I want to draw our attention to the fact that we have amended this resolution to embrace our constitutional relationship with the Anglican Communion and if we pass [resolution D025] we will shatter what we claim to embrace,” said Bishop McPherson of Western Louisiana.
Despite the emotional statements and concerns expressed about the ramifications of adopting the resolution, bishops at the press conference following the vote downplayed the effects of the resolution.
“The discernment process of our church is open to all people,” said Bishops Stacey Sauls of Lexington. “We realize the strains on relationships in the communion and we take those relationships seriously.” Sauls added that at the same time “all people are invited to participate in the discernment process.”
When pressed about how overseas Anglicans, specifically Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, would respond to the bishops’ decision, Sauls responded that “there is not a centralized hierarchical power that directs how the churches are to live their lives.”
Speaking from the Church of England’s General Synod, Williams had earlier in the day expressed regret that the Episcopal House of Deputies had voted to overturn a moratorium on gay bishops.
A total of 13 resolutions addressing resolution B033 from the 2006 General Convention were introduced in 2009. Of those 13, six included language calling for a direct repeal of B033, while six called for a reinstatement, restatement or strengthening of non-discrimination canons on respect to ordination. A final resolution, according to Sauls, was a description of “where we are now”. This was the resolution that was ultimately advanced at General Conference.
There was “not a whole lot of energy for the first two choices,” explained Deputy Douglas from the Diocese of Massachusetts.
When asked how language used in the House of Bishops debate of “moving forward” could be reconciled with his claims that “nothing had changed,” Bishop Sauls replied, “What the church now has before it is an image of total reality. I wouldn’t read more into ‘moving forward’ than that.”
“From my point of view B033 was not a moratorium, it was legislation passed three years ago that gave the church three years to reflect on what B033 was saying,” said Bishop John Chane of the Diocese of Washington. “[B033] was painful for some in the gay and lesbian and transsexual communities that felt it was restrictive and felt it inhibited the dioceses.”
“In my view, the resolution passed yesterday [D025] will create significant challenges to the wider Anglican communion,” said Bishop Sean Rowe of the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania. “Many that supported D025 felt we needed to come to the table clear about who we are. I found D025 to be a profoundly unhelpful statement.”
The amended version of resolution D025 now returns to the House of Deputies for final approval.
Reporter’s Note: Thanks to Matt Kennedy of Stand Firm in Faith for transcribing the comments of Bishop McPherson of Western Louisiana.
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