General Convention 2006
Journal from General Convention 2006
The Rev. Brian C. Taylor
June 13
In the exhibit hall, 260 booths say it all: Anglican Rosaries, Church Mutual Insurance, Integrity, American Anglican Council, African Team Ministries, Far East Handicrafts, Episcopalians for Life, Episcopalians for Reproductive Choice, Union of Black Episcopalians, Colores del Pueblo, Historians and Archivists, Recovering Alcoholic Clergy, Visual Arts, Heifer International, Institute on Religion and Democracy, and Networks for Disability, Stewardship, and Animal Rights. This temporary city of 10,000 is an effusive explosion of creation and humanity.
I started this long day at 7:30am with a hearing on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) hearing. This is a growing movement championed by the Bill Gates Foundation, the singer Bono of the rock band U2, Bill Clinton and many others. 148 countries (including the USA) have signed on to its principles. By giving 0.7% of every country’s GNP, it seeks to eliminate poverty, hunger, AIDS, illiteracy, child mortality, gender inequality, and environmental destruction.
They’re everywhere here. The Presiding Bishop will host an evening devoted to it, the Africans are pushing it, everyone has buttons and bracelets and stickers proclaiming it. Against all odds, we’ve forgiven world debt; now all we need to do is to find the will and the cooperation to give less than 1% of national, church, and personal resources, and the world will be a much less miserable place.
I ended the day at 10pm after an amazing two-hour MDG liturgy of some 700 people. It was a “U2ucharist,” with all of the music being a sing-along with videos of U2. In our church, I’ve never seen such energy and passion and hope about alleviating suffering as in this Eucharist tonight: LOTS of young clergy and laity, but a healthy mix of middle-aged and older folks, too. The bishop of North Carolina, Michael Battle, gave a VERY rousing African-American sermon filled with call and response, laughter, and deep emotion.
This may well be the surprise center of what really happens here: leaving behind our fight over sex and remembering our deepest call. If Bono can get Jesse Jackson and Jesse Helms together over this, surely we can get all our people behind the mission of the gospel to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and lift up the hopeless.
Perhaps the Spirit is twisting through our seemingly intractable and ugly deadlock over sexuality to bring this surprising thing about. For this is how it has gone and may continue to go:
1. We ordained Gene Robinson and blessed gay relationships.
2. Many in the undeveloped countries of the southern hemisphere said “You didn’t take our strong feelings about this seriously; you obviously don’t care about your relationship with us and the rest of the Anglican world.”
3. We woke up and realized that we really don’t want to lose our relationship with poor Anglicans around the globe, knowing that we need them as much as they need us. We began to recommit to them, despite our cultural differences about sexuality.
4. So now we gently put our arguments about sex on a shelf (at least for a moment), so that we can cooperate with our poor Anglican sisters and brothers on survival issues that we all care about passionately: poverty, AIDS, women, children, disease, clean drinking water, education, the environment, and partnerships for economic development.
5. And next? We will go ahead quietly blessing gay and lesbian relationships and ordaining homosexual clergy; the sex-obsessed conservatives (a small minority) will leave us in disgust; and the rest of us (the great majority world-wide) will find a dynamic new partnership between the privileged rich and the disadvantaged poor.
And before too many years, we’ll authorize public rites of blessing for same-sex couples. But in the meantime, because of our recommitment to help the global south survive, they will have ceased to care about that. Or, as the Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation put it, these are the real “Instruments of Unity” instead of those in the Windsor Report.
Love conquers all. At least that’s my faith. The Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation may save us all.
Go to www.e4gr.org and find out what this is all about.
One love, one blood, one life,
you got to do what you should.
One life with each other: sisters, brothers.
One life, but we’re not the same.
We get to carry each other, carry each other.
One, one.
U2, "One"
June 15
This morning I got word of a death in the parish, so I’m heading home. I’ll post one or two more of these journals from Albuquerque as I follow the news, giving some of my thoughts on things. You won’t be getting my “inside scoop,” but you can get up-to-the minute information by going to www.episcopalchurch.org. Click on either the General Convention page or Top Stories from Episcopal News Service.
I do have thoughts from yesterday, the second day of convention. I went to the public hearing for the Special Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. Their resolutions are in response to the Windsor Report, and are still very much in formation in terms of the exact language. This is a very nuanced, political thing and specific wording is everything in terms of “message.” Initially, they proposed resolutions that would:
- affirm our interdependence with other Anglicans around the world
- express regret for pain caused by actions of the 2003 General Convention
- exercise caution in consecrating future bishops that might be problematic for other Anglicans
- encourage bishops to not develop or use public rites of same-sex blessing
- encourage the use of Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (alternative bishops for congregations at odds with their own)
- encourage support of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals as a way of strengthening relationships with global south Anglicans
- commit to an ongoing dialog with other Anglicans about these matters
- explore the possibility of an Anglican Covenant
- affirm the rights and dignity of homosexuals
Last night’s hearing drew about 1,500 people, and consisted of 2 ½ hours of 3-minute speeches by those who signed up to talk to the Special Committee. In one very ironic moment, they called Bishop Bob Duncan (a central and very vocal conservative) and directly afterwards, Bishop Gene Robinson, explaining that they were only reading the list in the order of sign-ups. It was a “who’s who” of Episcopal leaders, as well as many ordinary layfolk.
The interesting thing to me is that about 2/3 of them asked for resolution and clarity one way or the other. About half of these were conservatives and half were liberals. Their message was the same: “fish or cut bait.” We should either do what the Windsor Report asks of us or say that we can’t and move on. Anything else is dishonest. Neither side within this 2/3 group liked the ambiguity of some of the language.
Another 1/3, again both conservative and liberal, liked the ambiguity, feeling comfortable in the gray zone, even stressing the importance of caution, listening, waiting, engaging in much more dialog.
Finally, both groups appealed to the Windsor Report and some of its authors to support their position. “It’s clear that the WR demands obedience, which we haven’t done! N.T. Wright sent me an email and said so!” Or, “The WR invites us into a process, which we are engaged in. Archbishop Eames, its chair, is satisfied with our response to date.” People read into this document (like scripture) whatever they want to see.
I find myself impatient, leaning towards the 2/3 who want resolution. My concern is the ongoing damage to gay and lesbian people, who have been more than patient with us for centuries – and now 40 years of wrangling and debate about this in modern times. They’ve been shut out of dialog again and again within the Anglican Communion, and there is no evidence that this will turn around.
If we say that we won’t do public same-sex blessings for now because it offends others, but will do private blessings (implied in the current language), then we’ll just be affirming a “don’t-ask-don’t tell” approach to the whole thing, which serves no one and is destructive in its secrecy. And besides, why should we cave in to what I believe to be biblical literalism and cultural taboos, even if held by the majority in the world? These are real human beings we’re talking about. Let’s move on. Sometimes we are called to prophetic action, not consensus.
In this regard, many have called to mind the Letter from Birmingham Jail that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in 1963 after one of his many arrests. You can read the text online,
at www.nobelprizes.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html.
It is addressed to fellow clergy (including the then-bishop of the Episcopal Church in Alabama) who urged him to ease up and slow down his demonstrations because they believed that people weren’t yet ready for change. They were concerned about giving offense.
MLK responded by saying, in part:
Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant 'Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."
However, if General Convention does choose to go slow on this issue – which will inevitably and eventually result in blessings for same-sex couples - my prayer is that our delay will serve to build constructive relationships with those who seem so afraid and so opposed.
But I have my doubts. A small, die-hard minority will probably leave the church after General Convention, and in two years at the Lambeth gathering of Anglican bishops some very English arrangement will be worked out that will allow us all to still be Anglican whether or not we are in communion with everyone else and regardless of our willingness or unwillingness to sign a binding Anglican Covenant.
To my gay and lesbian friends who just want to ask for God’s blessing on their relationships of commitment and love, I can only say that I am sorry it is taking so long, and I promise to do whatever I can in the meantime without getting myself deposed.
June 18
Well I’ll be doggoned. The House of Bishops elected Katharine Jefferts Schori as the next Presiding Bishop. I hadn’t even considered her as electable. I thought that with all the nervousness about not offending third world Anglicans, they would have felt constrained about electing a woman. Besides, she is only 51, was only a priest 7 years before being elected bishop of Nevada (Nevada: can anything good come out of Nevada?), and has only served as a bishop for 5 years.
However. Everyone who knows her says she is a true reconciler, very intelligent, committed to ministry with the poor and marginalized, an effective bishop in a very diverse and rural diocese, possessed of a compassionate heart and a steel backbone, and very clear about where she stands as a progressive, modern Episcopalian. Even Bishop Jeffrey Steenson, who stands on the opposite side of the aisle from her in some ways, said she was the most impressive of all the candidates who spoke to the bishops some months ago.
And then there is the business of her being a PhD in oceanography, a pilot, married to a theoretical mathematician, a professor of religious studies, and former priest in charge of an Hispanic congregation.
Later, we’ll learn more much about her faith and her leadership abilities in these difficult times in our church. But here is a glimpse into her character, from a letter she wrote to her diocese after she voted to approve the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson:
“I have long experience of living on the margin, from being a student who was ‘too young’, to being a woman in a traditionally male occupation, to being a ‘gringa’ trying to do Hispanic ministry. I believe that this election is an opportunity for the Episcopal Church to affirm Jesus' call to those on the margins of society, a call that says ALL are welcome at God's banquet table.
During our long afternoon in the House of Bishops, two images continued to rise in my mind: one of Jesus bending down to write in the sand when confronted with those who would have stoned the woman caught in adultery; and the other of Jesus sending the servants out to invite the passersby to the wedding feast, because others would not come.
I will continue to reach out to those who do not feel welcome at the feast, whether they are my aggrieved brothers and sisters this day, or those who have not yet heard the good news of God's love. I pray that you will do the same.”
What is encouraging to me about Schori’s election is that the Episcopal Church – even the House of Bishops, who have seemed so timid recently – elected the best candidate without regard for the fact that many in the Anglican Communion (especially those opposed to Gene Robinson) do not accept the ordination of women. It is also encouraging that we continue to move boldly in a progressive direction. Schori herself seems to understand that we can only be in communion and seek reconciliation with others who disagree with us by being very clear about who we are.
Since I was so far off on my prediction about the election of our Presiding Bishop, what follows is probably worth nothing. But my optimistic prediction of what this General Convention will end up communicating to the Anglican Communion is as follows. We’ll see how accurately I’ve been reading the signs of this convention.
“We’d like to be in communion with you, but we will not compromise who we are and where we believe God is calling us for the sake of unity. We regret the pain you have felt over Gene Robinson, and we apologize for not having anticipated the enormity of this pain ahead of time. We will be more sensitive in the future, but remember, we are an autonomous province. We are moving forward in the direction we’ve already set, and are not going backwards. We will elect any qualified candidate as bishop, including a woman as Presiding Bishop. We will not promise a church-wide moratorium on same-gender blessings. We will welcome your voice in some of our deliberative bodies, in a manner as yet to be determined. We will talk with you about the possibility of an Anglican Covenant that may develop in the years ahead, but make no promises. We expect the promised ‘dialog’ between different positions on human sexuality to actually take place now, and will participate in it. We want to be in a closer relationship with the global south, and as a sign of that, we commit ourselves to greater generosity in dealing with extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other threats to your survival.”
June 21
This General Convention has writhed in agony over various resolutions that attempted to respond to the Anglican Communion’s Windsor Report. After endless debate, we ended up saying that we regret having strained the bonds of affection in the events surrounding the General Convention of 2003 and apologized for not according sufficient importance to the impact of our actions (Resolution A160). We expressed our desire to remain a part of the Anglican Communion, offering to explore ways for inter-Anglican participation (not membership, as proposed) on our Standing Commissions of the church (A159), and committed ourselves to being a part of the process of developing a possible Anglican Covenant (without promising we’d sign anything) (A166).
The “apology” of A160 is not, as its conservatives rightly point out, an apology for having done what we did in consecrating Gene Robinson or performing same-gender blessings. It is regret for not fully appreciating ahead of time how painful an impact our proposed actions would prove to be. That’s probably fair to say.
But the most violent storm was the one that built inexorably up to today, the last day of convention, at the last minute. This came from the Windsor request that we not consecrate any more gay bishops and stop doing same-sex blessings. For 10 days there were public hearings, a raft of resolutions, endless debate, and finally, a dramatic showdown at the last minute: an extraordinary joint session of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies, called by the Presiding Bishop.
In the end they didn’t prohibit gay blessings but they did urge dioceses to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate [that is, the office of bishop] whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion (B033).
It only passed with great pain and turmoil after emotional pleas from both the Presiding Bishop and the Presiding Bishop-elect to approve it. I don’t like it; many who voted for it didn’t like it; for us, it sacrifices gay and lesbian Episcopalians on the altar of unity. But the prevailing argument put forth by our Presiding Bishop was that this was a temporary step backward in order to make a step forward later, that if it were not passed, there would be no further dialog, that the new Presiding Bishop deserved a chance to engage in reconciliation, and that this was a time for generosity, humility, remaining in relationship, and waiting on the work of the Spirit.
We shall see if this sacrifice bears fruit. Outgoing Presiding Bishop Griswold says it already has. At least it will get the new PB in the door at meetings of Anglican primates and at Lambeth in the summer of 2008. Or at least it better.
An interesting note is that the moratorium on same-gender blessings that the House of Bishops undertook some time ago has expired, and this convention did nothing to renew it. Will the bishops renew it when they meet next? The current mood seems to indicate that they will. They’re the ones who will face the other bishops at Lambeth in 2008, and they seem to be intimidated (or humbled, if you prefer).
I feel unwilling to wait forever on this. I feel that what is being said to me would be like being asked not to do private confession or anointing for black people, because “so many have a hard time with that.” At some point, one must just move ahead. Again, in the words of Martin Luther King, This "Wait" has almost always meant 'Never." We must come to see...that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."
But on a more positive note, I am greatly encouraged by much from this convention: the attention paid to the Millennium Development Goals and the new PB’s strong commitment to them, the election of a woman as new PB, and the election of my friend Bonnie Anderson as the President of the House of Deputies (really the #2 position in the church). We are moving ahead in some very important ways. I am also pleased that we found ways of expressing regret and a desire to remain in communion and dialog without giving away our integrity.
I pray that we now find the strength to (as our new Presiding Bishop has said, and I paraphrase her here) be clearly and honestly ourselves in our continuing relationship with all others in the Anglican Communion, which is the only basis for real communion and any possible reconciliation. After that, I say, let the chips fall where they may.