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Episcopal Convention May Discuss Gay Priests
By William Wan
As the Episcopal Church kicks off its once-every-three-years convention today in Anaheim, the meetings may include a session dealing with the touchy subject of priests in openly homosexual relationships.
The discussion centers around Resolution B0333, which was passed during the last convention. But in 2006, officials were only given 30 minutes on the last day of the convention to discuss it, which some within the denomination felt was inadequate. Thus the push within the convention's House of Deputies to discuss the resolution again.
Ostensibly the resolution calls upon standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion." The resolution was widely understood as addressing homosexual priests in open, continuing, committed relationships. If the house accepts the proposal, the sessions will take place on July 9 and 10. More details about the controversy at the official Episcopal News website.
The convention and possible discussion comes on the heels of the first meeting by the new Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The ACNA consists of many churches who broke with the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada over the ordaining gay priests. The new group says it represents 100,000 believers and is trying to win recognition for itself as an official province within the worldwide Anglican Communion.
By
William Wan
|
July 1, 2009; 9:45 AM ET
| Category:
God in Government
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Posted by: sally1860 | July 1, 2009 3:01 PM
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As a secularist, I don't know whether to cheer the fact that Christian denominations are breaking apart over dumb issues, or lament that it's the least offensive denominations that are having the biggest problems.
Posted by: WmarkW | July 1, 2009 12:13 PM
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What happened to the second paragraph? I see "The discussion centers around" and then nothing.
I read another article this morning in the Jacksonville FL paper about how the Anglican Church in North America is trying to form a new diocese there. Somebody commented that the Episcopal Church is dying. Well, that's not true where I live -- it appears to be quite alive and well, thank-you very much.
I recently had a conversation with a priest (very much married and straight) who said that most Episcopalians who have been members of the church for any length of time have very likely had clergy who were gay but still closeted. (I know that is true in my own case -- the person in question later came out, and was then prohibited from serving in our diocese unless he renounced his homosexuality.) Most of them are fine priests who serve their congregations well. It seems the military "don't ask/don't tell" policy has wider application.
It's past time we got over this. God made all of us, gay and straight. Jesus spent time with us to teach us about love and inclusiveness -- if He didn't have a problem with the lowly and despised and unloved among us, then why should we? All He asks us for us is faith -- belief in and obedience to the Father. Jesus said exactly *nothing* about sex. So why do we obsess about it so?
I wish the convention would get brave and take a stand that gender and sexuality are non-issues among clergy. If that meant a few more churches fled the Episcopal Church and joined ACNA, then so be it. Let them practice their homophobia off in the corner somewhere. They are increasingly in the minority in the U.S., and hopefully soon will be irrelevant.