June 24, 2006

An Open Letter to my Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

From V. Gene Robinson, Bishop in the Church of God in a blessed place called New Hampshire:
Many of you have been writing to me, in the aftermath of General Convention, to ask what I am thinking, now that the Convention has called upon the Church to deny consent to the consecration of partnered people as bishops.  Frankly, like all of you, my thinking is all over the map.  But here is where I am, only a few days later.

First, let’s give ourselves some time to recover.  In the first few moments of having the breath knocked out of us, we struggle just to breathe, unable to think about much of anything other than getting some oxygen back into our lungs.  We have been dealt a blow that has knocked the wind out of us.  Let’s be kind to ourselves, breathe a little, before we try to move on.  Nothing has to be decided or done in the next few hours or days.  Let’s catch our breath, remembering that breath is a powerful image of the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments.  Let’s allow ourselves to be re-infused with that Holy Spirit which has never abandoned us, no matter what the Church does or doesn’t do.

Let’s remember what DID happen at the General Convention.  Faithful gay and lesbian Episcopalians showed up and witnessed to the power of Almighty God working in and through their lives.  You would have been SO PROUD of Integrity, Claiming the Blessing, the Episcopal Women’s Caucus, The Witness, and countless other groups speaking on our behalf.  Susan Russell, Michael Hopkins, Carol Cole Flanagan, Elizabeth Kaeton, Bonnie Perry and others too numerous to mention put their hearts, souls and every waking moment into representing ALL of us so very well and so faithfully.  We owe them such a great debt.  Faithful gay and lesbian Episcopalians were EVERYWHERE, witnessing to God’s saving grace in their lives – being so joyful and filled with God’s Spirit, there was no denying God’s love in their lives.

We gathered at Trinity Church to celebrate the eucharist as the people of God.  Not only were the nave and balconies filled, but the basement and sacristy as well, with gay and straight alike proclaiming God’s love for ALL of God’s children.  It was a glimpse of heaven, and of the Church as it ought to be.  Let’s not forget that we have been given a foretaste of the heavenly banquet where the marginalized are given an honored seat at the table.

The Episcopal Church declared its opposition to any constitutional amendment – federal or state – which would short circuit gay and lesbian couples seeking the civil right of having their relationships legally acknowledged.

On Sunday, we elected a Presiding Bishop who is committed to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people into the life and work and leadership of this Church.  The Spirit was palpable, once again in Trinity Church, as the election balloting unfolded before our very eyes, pushing forward to the election of the first woman as Primate and Presiding Bishop.  If indeed, as I have often said, this fight is really about the end of patriarchy, then that patriarchy was dealt an awesome blow in +Katharine’s election.  When the primates next meet, it will be a new day, and at the table will be a representative of the world’s majority – women – incarnate in our primate.  Thanks be to God for that!  You go, girl!

To our joy, the House of Deputies refused to give in to threats from within and without our Church, and decisively rejected the call to withhold consent from partnered people elected to the Episcopate.  We thought that was the end of it.  But alas, it was not.

+Frank Griswold – who, let us remember, has been a sometimes reluctant, but ever faithful champion for us, and who has paid a great price for presiding at my consecration – brought back the “moratorium” resolution in a heavy-handed and inappropriate way (in my humble opinion).  He seemed absolutely intent on getting this resolution through as a way of getting us all to the Lambeth table. 

I don’t know whether or not our Presiding Bishop-elect was coerced or merely persuaded to join in this appeal, but it is clear to me that her support for such an action provided the push needed to convince the Deputies to adopt a resolution more prohibitive than the one they had rejected the day before.  Gay and lesbian deputies, many in tears, not to mention our straight allies, rose to the microphones to pledge their support of our new primate as she goes off to represent us in unfriendly places, to “give her what she needs” to continue the conversation.  The scene of gay and lesbian deputies, willing to fall on their own swords for the presumed good of the Church, voting for this resolution against their own self-interest was an act of self-sacrifice that I won’t soon forget. 

Keeping us in conversation with the Anglican Communion was the goal – for which the price was declaring gay and lesbian people unfit material for the episcopate.  Only time will tell whether or not even that was accomplished.  Within minutes – yes, MINUTES – the conservatives both within our Church and in Africa declared our sacrificial action woefully inadequate.  It felt like a kick in the teeth to the ones who had gotten down on their knees to submit to the will of the whole, even though the price of doing so was excruciating.  Such a quick, obviously premeditated and patently cruel reaction from the Right can be seen only as the violent and unchristian act it was.

So what now?

It is too soon to strategize, too soon to know what it all means.  But here are a few things I DO know:

The Spirit IS working in the Church.  We cannot claim that the Spirit is working in the Church only when we get our way.  We must continue to believe that that Spirit is working even when the Church takes an action which hurts us, when it seems to take us in the wrong direction.  We are in this struggle for the long haul, and so is the Spirit.  We cannot fathom at the moment how this turn of events serves justice.  But God will not be mocked, and God will be our salvation.  Let’s not forget that.

We are STILL loved beyond our wildest imagining.  That was true the day before Convention; it is still true.  This vote does not change that.  Just because the Church lost its courage, just because the Church was willing to sacrifice US for access to a conversation with Anglicans around the world (which they hardly seem ready to engage in themselves), it does NOT mean that God has changed.  If you listen carefully, God is STILL saying to God’s lgbt children, “You are my beloved.  In you I am well pleased.”  This vote may say a lot about the Episcopal Church, but it says NOTHING about you and me as gay and lesbian children of God.  Blessed Martin Luther King once said, “Pontius Pilate’s sin was not that he didn’t KNOW what was right, but that he lacked the courage to STAND UP for right.”  Pray for the Church.

We are in this for the long haul.  OF COURSE there are going to be bumps along the road, perhaps a few places where the road has washed out completely.  The journey toward justice is neither a straight line nor easy.  Just ask our brothers and sisters who are people of color, and still experiencing the pain of racism.  Just ask our sisters who still pay the price of sexism and misogyny, both inside and outside the Church.  We follow a savior who dealt with plenty of setbacks and disappointments – not to mention being “done in” by his friends.  We are in good company here.  But we won’t last for the long haul without Jesus!  Let’s keep saying our prayers and listening to the One who knows and shares our burden.

We’ll be watching.  Now that the Anglican Communion and the majority of Convention have gotten what they asked for, let’s see if anything changes.  Will the rest of the Communion finally be willing to engage in the listening process promised for the last 30 years?  Will anything be done in the domestic dioceses of this Church to move us along, or will this only be seen as a “blessed” respite from this debate?  Will the Network dioceses and parishes give up their blatant drive to split this church apart and join us in our efforts to be reconciled, or will they only cry “not enough” and demand more?  We’ll be watching – and we’ll want the “middle” to give us an accounting of what this Convention vote got them.  And we’ll be asking, “Was it worth declaring us less than children of God, marked as Christ’s own forever?”

We are not defeated, for God is still with us.  Let’s remember that at its best, the Church has pushed the “pause” button, not the “stop” or “reverse” buttons.  If we continue to make our witness, and if those for whom this sacrifice was made continue to threaten and make one-sided demands, the Episcopal Church will see its mistake and find its prophetic voice again.  Maybe it will even repent of the harm done to us in this faithless and fearful act.  Time will tell.  In the meantime, we are not defeated, nor will we be paralyzed by this sad and woeful action.  Dwelling on what happened and why will not serve us or the Church well.  We need to turn away from yesterday and focus on tomorrow.

We know how all this is going to end.  It is not arrogant to say that we believe we know how all this is going to turn out.  It will end with the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in the life and ministry and leadership of the Church.  It will take a long time.  Some or all of us may not live to see it.  But happen it will!  In a strange way, I think the conservatives know it too.  All we’re arguing about now is timing.  It will be enough for each of us to play her/his own part.  Each of us can provide a pair of shoulders for someone else to stand on, just as surely as we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.  This is a never-ending march toward justice for ALL, and NO ONE is going to be left behind.  In the end, the reign of God will come.  And oh what a privilege it is for each of us to play a small part.

We are worthy of God’s love – NOT because of anything we have done, but because God has MADE us worthy to stand before God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  As I said at Convention, the Gay Agenda is JESUS!  If we keep that ever before us, in the end all will be well.

I love, respect, appreciate and honor each of you more than you could ever know.  Please keep me in your prayers, as you will be in mine.  And to God be the glory!

+Gene

Posted at the Episcopal Diocese of Washington's site.

We, the undersigned Bishops of this 75th General Convention, in the
confidence of the Gospel and out of love for this great Church, must
prayerfully dissent from the action of this Convention in Resolution
B033 (on Election of Bishops). We do so for the following reasons:

*  The process used to arrive at Resolution B033 raises serious concerns
about the integrity of our decision-making process as a Church. In
particular we note that we discussed a resolution, A162 , on Tuesday,
but were never given an opportunity to act upon it. Instead, we were
presented with a different resolution this morning, and were given only
30 minutes for debate and discussion. This resolution bears great
consequences both for the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church
and unfortunately was not adequately discussed.

*  Our conversation has been framed in a flawed paradigm, forcing us to
choose between two goods-the full inclusion in the life of the Church of
our brother and sister Christians who happen to be gay or lesbian and
our full inclusion in the life of our beloved Communion.

*  The process that brought about the reconsideration of this matter
failed to honor the integrity of the House of Deputies by bringing undue
pressure to bear on that body.

*  Our witness to justice has been prophetic in this nation and in the
wider Anglican Communion on the issues of the full inclusion of people
of color and persons who are differently-abled. For more than 30 years
women been permitted to be included in the councils of this Church as
lay deputies to this Convention and as deacons, priests and bishops.
This witness to full inclusion has borne the fruits of the Spirit and is
incarnate in the faces and lives around these tables and throughout the
Church. The language of this resolution too much echoes past attempts by
the Church to limit participation of those perceived to be inadequate
for full inclusion in the ordained ministry.

*  Any language that could be perceived as effecting a moratorium that
singles out one part of the Body by category is discriminatory.

We are absolutely committed to the future of this Communion and the
process of healing the strain that we readily admit and regret exists,
and has been exacerbated in our own house by events today. We must
participate in this process with our own integrity intact and thus we
are obliged to make this dissent. We intend to challenge the rest of the
Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion to honor the promise to
include the voices of gay and lesbian in the conversations about the
future of the Communion. We pray for the Church, for our Communion, and
for our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters.

The signatories are not yet listed, but we understand there are 30 of
them.

Tv commercials taut a slogan about Las Vegas (the home of our Presiding Bishop Elect Katharine Jefferts Schori)… “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” and wouldn’t it be great if that were also true about Columbus. Unfortunately, what happened in Columbus yesterday will have an effect around the world. The railroading through the House of Bishops and then the House of Deputies of B033 – of a moratorium on the ordination of bishops whose ‘manner of life’ might cause offence to the wider church was a shocking series of events.

Beginning the day before, the HOD (House of Deputies) overwhelmingly defeated Resolution A161, commonly known as the “moratoria” clause. My gay brothers and sisters in Integrity and their straight allies were a well-oiled machine on the HOD floor as they rose to speak against this resolution. It was amazing to watch how well orchestrated the loyal opposition was. And while it looked like an effortless process, we know from all the late-night and early morning strategizing, that it was the product of years of hard work. That night as we all celebrated this church we love so much, a handful of bishops met to rewrite A161 to be proposed in the HOB the next day.

The next morning began with +Schori’s first sermon since her election. “Jesus calls us all to be friends, not agents of fear,” she preached. For those who like short sermons, this one lasted only about 10 minutes. But it was all down hill after that. A161 was introduced to the HOB as B033. While there was some language about engaging in reconciliation and a listening process, the basis of the resolution was to agree to a moratorium on the ordination of bishops whose ‘manner of life’ might cause offence to the wider church.

“This is stupid”, grumbled +Jon Bruno (who the LA Times claims voted for it). Bishop Mike Curry of North Carolina rose and gave an eloquent dissent. Bishops Chane and Andrus tried to propose an amendment. ++Griswold was furious. It was an incredible scene as he chastised his fellow bishops for wasting time. A flustered Andrus finally withdrew his amendment. Some called for a roll call vote. ++Griswold was once again furious. He did not want to waste time. Then he delivered his threat: If you do not pass this, we will not be invited to Lambeth in 2008. He denied that the Archbishop of Canterbury had specifically make that threat, but made it clear that he felt that was the case. Fear was rampant. ++Griswold had clearly become an agent of fear. Then +Schori rose and gave her ludricious “conjoined twins” analogy. (Ask Ed to speak about this at the upcoming forum on Sunday.)   It was the capper, or closer. The vote was taken. It passed. Railroaded through the HOB on a locomotive of FEAR. “Jesus calls us all to be friends, not agents of fear.”

It was almost lunchtime but what had just taken place in the HOB had ruined everyone’s appetite. We proceeded to the HOD, assuming that during the lunch break, meetings with our floor team would allow for a strategy to defeat B033. But we were barely into the room when we heard the President of the House introduce B033. Next thing we knew, it was announced that +Schori wanted to address the house. She gave the same inane speech that she had given the HOB….the “conjoined twins” who could not live apart at this particular time. In my opinion, +Schori now had become exactly what she had preached against a few hours earlier: an agent of fear.

Then a gay deputy, whom I was told earlier that morning, was one of the smartest deputies in the House, got up and emotionally said she would vote for it. The HOD fell like a house of cards. When confronted later, many of our own contingent confessed, “I did it because +Katherine asked us to.”  Like lemmings, they jumped off the cliff.  The resolution was passed by the HOD.

Shortly afterwards, the wife of the Rev. Canon Dr. Martin Minns, one of the AAC/ACN group, slipped Susan a noted which read “ The gays and lesbians in this church have been sold out for a tea party at Lambeth.”  Sadly, she’s right.

Katie Sherrod, an Integrity member and straight supporter who lives in Fort Worth, was devastated. She’s also a journalist and producer. We talked about the shocking behavior of our presiding bishop and she told me that just before the vote in the HOB, she was on her way to the bathroom when she stumbled upon ++Griswold and a few of his minions in the hall. ++Griswold was talking into a cell phone. Then +Schori joined the group. ++Griswold handed her the cell phone. Shortly thereafter, she stood up in the HOB and gave her “conjoined twins” speech. Who was on the other end of that cell phone? We can only speculate that it was “someone high up” in the communion giving orders to pass B033 or else.

Bishop Barbara Harris provided the only comic relief in what was a terrible day. “I wouldn’t go to Lambeth if Jesus himself were there giving out $1000 dollar bills.” She said, I went once before and “if assholes had wings, Lambeth would be an airport.”

What I don’t have to speculate about was the impact of B033.  It was like having your guts torn out. Last night, the troops rallied to support one another. Ed took a group of us to dinner. He was as angry and hurt as the rest of us. How lucky are we from ASC to be able to go back where none of this really matters, where we can be who we are and be accepted and celebrated.  But after dinner, I sat in a room full of volunteers and supporters, many of whom were still weeping from the acts of earlier in the day. Some were old warriors who questioned whether or not they still should be priests. Some were young volunteers…. seminarians or would be priests….who quietly cried what seemed to be endless tears. Some were too upset to stay and took to their beds.  We talked about leaving. We talked about staying and decided that was the better option.

We were sold out. We were used as the bargaining chip to get an invitation to Lambeth. I want all those who voted yes to look into the eyes of the gay and lesbian faithful…look long and hard and close…and see what you have done. It will take years to undo the harm. I hope it was worth the price. And as we ponder that question, we must remember another sermon we heard here at GC. It was preached by +Gene Robinson at the Integrity Eucharist….words that were more prophetic than any of us realized: “No matter what they say or what they do….you must” he implored, “you must love them anyway!”

Dear friends:The actions of yesterday’s General Convention in passing a resolution which calls for restraint in consenting to the election of gay and lesbian bishops troubles me deeply for many reasons.

Archbishop's statement at the conclusion of deliberations on the Windsor Report and the Anglican Communion at the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America

Wednesday 21st June 2006

“I am grateful to the Bishops and Deputies of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church (USA) for the exceptional seriousness with which they have responded to the request of the Primates of the Anglican Communion that they should address the recommendations of the Windsor Report relating to the tensions arising from the decisions associated with the 74th General Convention in 2003.

“ There is much to appreciate in the hard and devoted work done by General Convention, and before that, by the Special Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, in crafting the resolutions. This and the actions taken today show how strong is their concern to seek reconciliation and conversation with the rest of the Communion.

“ It is not yet clear how far the resolutions passed this week and today represent the adoption by the Episcopal Church of all the proposals set out in the Windsor Report. The wider Communion will therefore need to reflect carefully on the significance of what has been decided before we respond more fully.

“ I am grateful that the JSC of the Primates and ACC has already appointed a small working group to assist this process of reflection and to advise me on these matters in the months leading up to the next Primates’ Meeting.

“ I intend to offer fuller comments on the situation in the next few days. The members of Convention and the whole of the Episcopal Church remain very much in our prayers.”

This morning Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold called a special joint session of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies.

He said to them:

When I became your PB I called us to conversation. I pointed out the word "conversation" and "conversion" come from the same root. By conversion I did not mean one point of view capitulating to another, rather in seeing Christ in one another. Not a change of mind but a change of heart. As part of our response to the WR we have passed A159. We have also passed 166 supporting a process of covenant development. However, unless there is a clear perception on the part of our AC brothers and sisters that they have been taken seriously, there will be no conversation and the bonds of affection will be further strained. We will not see Christ in each other. For our voices to be heard there must be a clear sense that the voices of the Communion have been heard. Conversation works. There have been occasions in the primates meetings when I have had to receive before I could give. Humility is not easy. It does require at times restraint so that something larger can happen, when stepping backwards can in reality be a step forward.

Some of us believe restraint means denigrating our gay bretheren. Others believe that no restraint will compromise our ties with the world. Both sides want clarity and both therefore strangely vote together.

But relinquishment means taking steps together to allow for future conversations. I want our 26th presiding bishop to have an opportunity to be at the table and participate in AC conversatons.

What we yearn for has not been reflected in what we have done thus far. WE must act in concert with one another. AS your presiding bishiop and chief pastor I ask you to consider the following resolution:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75^th General Convention receive and embrace The Windsor Report’s invitation to engage in a process of healing and reconciliation; and be it further

Resolved, that this Convention therefore call upon Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction to 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 motion passed the House of Bishops with little fanfare.  In the House of Deputies, the discussion was a little more heated.  Presiding Bishop-Elect Jefferts Schori addressed the House as follows:

I thank you for your invite. Yesterday the bishop of LA spoke eloquently of living in a church with two minds and as he was speaking an image arose in my mind, the image of conjoined twins. Two bodies in one being. And when they wrestle with separating the twins, doctors recognize it is wrong unless both can live full lives. We are in a church like that. This creature, this body is not wholly one and is not wholly two. The resolution that stands before oyu is far from adequate but it is the best we are going to do. I am fully committed to the full inclusion of gays and lesbians. I do not understand this resolution as slamming the door. And if you adopt this we must work with all our might to find a common mind. This is not easy to say to you but I think it is the best we are going to manage.

There was a proposed amendment to make the resolution effective only until 2009, the next General Convention, and it was voted down.

The resolution then passed the House of Deputies.

Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori preached the homily at the Closing Eucharist June 21 at General Convention in Columbus, Ohio.The text of Jefferts Schori's homily follows:

If the old adage "May you live in interesting times" holds any appeal for you, General Convention 2006 is right up your alley. Despite predictions that "nothing would happen" and the despite the glacial progress on legislation in the House of Deputies we have not only given the Anglican Communion its first female primate, we have come to clarity that:

<http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/>: The strategy of leaders of the Anglican church at Columbus had been to engineer the moderate middle ground to be Windsor-compliant, marginalising the radical liberals and the orthodox, for the sake of unity. This strategy failed. In the end, the key resolutions were too liberal for the conservatives or too conservative for the liberals.I think Kendall is probably right. I also think the strategists mis-read the "moderate middle" — both in Deputies and Bishops — who are just not willing to turn the clock back on inclusion or to make gay and lesbian people bear the burden for our participation in the Anglican Communion.

+Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected on the fifth ballot. She was the frontrunner for each ballot. There were 188 bishops voting. 95 votes were needed to win. Here’s how the voting went:

BALLOT 1 2 3 4 5
Alexander 26 26 22 12 2
Duque-Gomez 18 10 4 2 6
Gulick  15 7 1 0 0
Schori  44 49 68 88 95
Jenkins 29 30 24 5 3
Parsley  36 49 63 79 82
Sauls  20  17 6 2 0

After the fifth ballot results were announced to the bishops at Trinity Church and it was clear they has made history, the broke out into the Doxology. During the verses of “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” Bishop Barbara Harris, the first woman bishop, hugged +Schori and rocked her in her arms while the singing continued.

Of the voters, 15 were women, one is a gay man, there were a handful of African American bishops but the clear majority were straight, white men. Many were in tears.

Last night at a party honoring the winner, pink buttons were handed out saying: “It’s a girl! Katharine Jefferts Schori 18 June 2006.”  They will become collector’s items. Whose idea for the buttons?  + Gene Robinson.

Anne Peterson, Chris Mackey-Mason, and Randy Kimmler

On the floor of the House of Deputies