Meeting in California, TEC General Convention approves resolution by strong majority.
Starting last week, The Episcopal Church (TEC) has been meeting in Anaheim, California, for its General Convention. The convention is subdivided into the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies (lay and clergy).
The big question coming into the convention was whether the convention would move to repeal so-called B033, approved at their last convention. This resolution B033 called for the church to abide by a moratorium for consecrating openly homosexual individuals to the office of Bishop. (In 2003, the openly gay V. Gene Robinson was named as Bishop of New Hampshire.)
Last night, the House of Bishops approved D025, a measure from the House of Deputies that will allow gay clergy to serve openly in all offices of the church. The Associated Press reports:
The Episcopal Church moved Monday toward affirming their acceptance of gays and lesbians for all roles in ministry, despite pressure from fellow Anglicans worldwide for a decisive moratorium on consecrating another openly gay bishop.
Bishops at the Episcopal General Convention in Anaheim, Calif., voted 99-45 with two abstentions for a statement declaring "God has called and may call" to ministry gays in committed lifelong relationships.
Lay and priest delegates to the meeting had comfortably approved a nearly identical statement, and were expected to adopt the latest version before the meeting ends Friday.
Leaders of the Anglican Communion have been pushing Episcopalians to roll back their support for gays and lesbians since 2003, when the U.S. denomination consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. Anglican body.
During the debate, several conservative bishops spoke out, according to Virtue Online:
The bishop of West Virginia objected, "We need to face the fact that this is a repudiation of B033... now we're shooting the gap..." and will, he felt, do the very things that the Communion has asked The Episcopal Church not to do. Peter Beckwith, Bishop of Springfield, agreed, "I do not believe it is right... sex outside marriage is inappropriate" and more importantly, he thought that what was at stake was "a perceived justice issue" over and against the "integrity of the Communion." The Bishop of Albany Bill Love spoke in the same vein, stating that "If this resolution passes, The Episcopal Church will cease to be what its always been." For him, passing amended D025 would "totally shred" the Communion... a loss to us and the wider Church." Others, notably Bishop Mark Lawrence of South Carolina and Bishop John W. Howe of Central Florida spoke powerfully against the resolution. But the tide of the House was against them and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had warned against such legislation earlier that day at General Synod.
The vote was hailed as a milestone by Integrity, the leading organization for supporters of gay ordination. Late yesterday, Integrity in a press statement said:
By a nearly 2-1 margin, the bishops of the Episcopal Church passed an amended version of resolution D025, which effectively ends the "BO33 Era" and returns the church to relying on its canons and discernment processes for the election of bishops. "While concurrence on the amended resolution by the House of Deputies is necessary before it is officially adopted by the church as a whole," said Integrity President Susan Russell, "there is no question that today's vote in the House of Bishops was an historic move forward and a great day for all who support the full inclusion of all the baptized in the Body of Christ."
share thisPosted by Tim Morgan on July 14, 2009 8:50AM
Comments
I attempt to follow these matters on the macroscopic level. ECUSA or TEC could be a dream project for a social psychologist, political scientist, or sociologist, to wit, "group think." Theologically, it reminds one of the "hardening" or "schlerotic" condition of the heart during Pharoah's time. Or the darkening during during the period of various kings and people during Israel's history. Or, the book of Judges. It's an amazing phenomenon, but God's law and judgment is never circumvented. I am reminded of the English martry, John Bradford while imprisoned in the Tower of London for his faith, saw a criminal going to his execution. He said, "But for the grace of God, go I." This comes through John Foxe and the phrase has come down into modern parlance. Mourning is appropriate. Self-righteousness is inappropriate. Separation of God-fearing Anglican from the apostate body is essential.
Posted by: (Rev.) D. Philip Veitch at July 14, 2009
WHY NOT GO AHEAD AND APPROVE MURDERDERS, RAPIST AND ANY OTHER FLAGRANT SINNERS TO BE YOUR PRIESTS. THIS IS SICKENING. THE EPISCOPAL PEOPLE NEED TO LEAVE THAT DENOMINATION NOW!!!! THEY ARE TRYING TO WRITE THERE OWN BIBLE.
Posted by: DR. T at July 14, 2009
I am an Episcopalian, raised Southern Baptist, and still consider myself evangelical. Most evangelical denominations have no problem ripping the body of Christ apart over theology - and yet it's the one thing Jesus said would mark us as different from the world. Not our stand against sin, but our unity. I agree with Rev. Veitch that we should mourn--but mourn because we crucify Christ again when we divide ourselves.
Some conservative groups (like those affiliated with GAFCON) say that the church I attend 'preaches a false gospel' because of our views on homosexuality. Every Sunday I lift my heart to Jesus Christ, proclaim his life, death, and resurrection. And I am told that I preach a false gospel--which is simply a way to tell us, "Go to Hell."
Posted by: Ryan at July 14, 2009
Jesus said that His true disciples would be marked by their LOVE for one another--not by some kind of organizational unity superimposed upon them. If we truly love our brothers and sisters we will care enough to correct them in their sin. Correction done in love is NOT the same as saying, "Go to Hell," but rather an attempt to divert people from going there.
Posted by: Raymond K. Redlich at July 14, 2009
Jesus said that His true disciples would be marked by their LOVE for one another--not by some kind of organizational unity superimposed upon them. If we truly love our brothers and sisters we will care enough to correct them in their sin. Correction done in love is NOT the same as saying, "Go to Hell," but rather an attempt to divert people from going there.
Posted by: Raymond K. Redlich at July 14, 2009
(Sorry about the repetition, but the website kept telling me that my posting was rejected.)
Posted by: Raymond K. Redlich at July 14, 2009
(Sorry about the repetition, but the website kept telling me that my posting was rejected.)
Posted by: Raymond K. Redlich at July 14, 2009
When i was young, i read books of my aunt, whose now in USA. I admire them & my thinking evolves from them. Authors are from Episcopalian church & now i wonder what went wrong. So much talk about love but can homosexuals remained as members & not an overseers of the flock? How disastrous for us, where Christianity is beginning to flourish. Will our future would be like yours? How the light becomes dimmer & dimmer. Be vigilant. Godbless.
Posted by: andy padolina at July 14, 2009
Ryan:
Faith and deeds go hand in hand. Whiel I have no doubt you sincerely have faith -- both yours and those of TEC leadership, it is their actions (i.e.teachings) that are clearly misguided -- homosexuality is wrong. It is apparent that TEC cannot get beyond this issue which is why I concurr with Ray Redlich's observations.
As I read related articles in the media, I find it utterly amazing and insulting that TEC leaders still profess their support to include FINANCIAL support. Almost sounds like a bribe or blackmail.
Posted by: Corey Lake at July 15, 2009
God the Father sent Jesus to us that by His death and resurrection we should be forgivin our sins. Homosexuality is a sin. A person can be forgiven by repentance and accepting Jesus as your King and Savior
Jesus said to the woman caught in adultry, "go and sin no more".
I once heard a man say that he had been forgiven by accepting Jesus as his savior and thet no matter what he did, he was guaranteed a place in heaven, Well, one of us, he or I are in for a great big surprise
Posted by: t.strouse at July 15, 2009
Lstrouse, isn't your surprise (that God saved more people than you thought he would) the one you should hope for? :)
I'm sad about the decision, not because I disagree with it, but because it will alienate TEC Christians from other Anglicans. Even if it's the right decision, it's still a tragic one. I think it was equally sad for the conservative Anglicans to break off. Division and strife are SIN! We don't call it a sin because both sides feel righteous - but we are sinning.
When I get to heaven, I will have to face all the Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Mennonites, Congregationalists, conservative Christians and liberal Christians -- everyone I've insulted, ignored, joked about, judged and criticized -- and I will have to love them all. The church must be ONE in the end. You may think there are a lot of misguided Christians out there, but they are Christian brothers and sisters, loved by God, saved by grace, made one with us in Christ. All those gay Christians are your brothers, no matter how sinful you think they are.
Maybe today we can't solve this problem - but we will have to embrace each other again, in this world or the next.
Posted by: Ryan at July 15, 2009
As once said Cranmer,
"The WORD of G-D is above the Church."
Posted by: Reverend Gael Matheson at July 15, 2009
My recent post has an experiment to help Christians separate the doctrinal side of their faith(Homosexuality would be one) and their experiential side of their faith.
Posted by: Sabio Lantz at July 16, 2009
To Dr T. and others who speak of love and "not dividing the body of Christ" when the real issues are the authority of the Bible over Christ"s Church and it's clear definition of sin. The Episcopal Church has rejected both. As your own brothers from Africa said, "You are now teaching the doctrine of demons". You are apostates and I pray for for the souls under your care. May they see the truth and escape the destruction that awaits you who are promoting these acts as in keeping with the will of God.
Posted by: arnold at July 18, 2009
the episcopal church continues to promote its culture of secular humanistic christian philosophy. the word of god refers to it as vain deceit, after the tradition of man, after the rudiments of the world, and not after christ. the book of jude clearly disputes the rationalization of homosexuality in a christian church."even as sodom and gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." the word is explicit: " you shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is an abomination." for this cause god gave them up to vile affections;for even their woman did change the natural use into that which is against nature; and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly. the word declares those who will not inherit the kingdom of heaven: fornicators,idolaters, adulters, effeminate, nor abusersof themselves with mankind (arsenokoites), a sodomite, homosexual. the concern voiced here is ones eternal destiny.
Posted by: stan bent at August 9, 2009
For the many who are afraid, peace. I have to ask has anyone hear talked personally with any gay bishops or priests. Or have you for the most part taken up the stone and castigated them as sick perverted sinners? It is sad when the church excludes its gay members and due to that you have untold millions who have left "the church" because of the judgement and inablity to go beyond a sex act and see that gay men and women can and do love Jesus. To this I say shame on you.
Posted by: jeff at August 20, 2009
As that great theologian, Paul Simon, says (re: the end times) "You know the nearer you get your destination, oh you're slip-slidin' away."
Posted by: chris at August 20, 2009
Wow. So much hate in the world.
Literalists do still believe homosexuality is a sin. "It's in the Bible".
So is not eating pork, not wearing clothing of mixed materials, slavery, diminution of women's rights.
Do you wear leather shoes and cotton socks? SINNER!
Enjoy a ham and cheese sandwich? BUZZ! CONDEMNED!
Think women are ok in the workplace? GOODBYE
Want to own another human being? WELCOME!
Get it?
There's another church out there, not the Episcopalians, with a great saying: "God Is Still Speaking". Gracie Allen wrote, in a letter to her husband George Burns, "Never place a period where God has placed a comma." There's a big ol' comma around almost everything if you really want to look for it. It's called LOVE.
Posted by: steve at August 23, 2009
Of course, you must ordain gays and lesbians! You cannot use a literal interpretation of the bible to govern here, when you don’t follow other biblical injunctions literally! For instance, the bible specifically states that it is forbidden to eat pork or shell fish, and it is forbidden to wear garments of wool and linen mixed together. Yet, no Christian denomonination that I know of observes any of these prohibitions!
Posted by: George at September 25, 2009
Of course, you must ordain gays and lesbians! You cannot use a literal interpretation of the bible to govern here, when you don’t follow other biblical injunctions literally! For instance, the bible specifically states that it is forbidden to eat pork or shell fish, and it is forbidden to wear garments of wool and linen mixed together. Yet, no Christian denomonination that I know of observes any of these prohibitions!
Posted by: George at September 25, 2009
Let's look at the words of Jesus...
Mark 7:19 Food doesn't come in contact with your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then comes out again." (By saying this, he showed that every kind of food is acceptable.)
Mark 7:20 And then he added, "It is the thought-life that defiles you.
Mark 7:21 For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,
Mark 7:22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
Mark 7:23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."
Add that to the words of James...
James 1:13 And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.
James 1:14 Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires.
James 1:15 These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.
And the words of Paul...
Romans 1:26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.
Romans 1:27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.
Romans 1:28 When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.
And the words of Jude...
Jude 1:7 And don't forget the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with sexual immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and are a warning of the eternal fire that will punish all who are evil.
Unrepentant homosexuals shouild not be allowed minister, any more than than unrepentant adulterers should be allowed to minister...
.
Posted by: David Hardy at September 26, 2009
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