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[ Back to index of September articles ]
After General Convention
With the dust of the Episcopal Church's 74th General Convention in Minneapolis just starting to settle, the full consequence of two of its decisions on issues surrounding homosexuality remains to be seen. For now, only one thing seems certain: with the election of the first openly gay bishop and the approval of legislation that enables dioceses to develop rites for blessing same-sex relationships, the church is no longer the same. Whether or not that is a good thing is a matter of opinion, and it was plain during the General Convention, and still is, that people feel fervently on both sides of the issue. The decision to elect the Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson, who lives with his male partner of 13 years, as bishop coadjutor of New Hampshire and to approve Resolution C051 - Rites: Blessing of Committed Same-Gender Relationships - drew an immediate response from Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion.
"The General Convention's decision to approve the appointment of Gene Robinson will inevitably have a significant impact on the Anglican Communion throughout the world and it is too early to say what the result of that will be," he said in an Aug. 6 statement. "It is my hope that the church in America and the rest of the Anglican Communion will have the opportunity to consider this development before significant and irrevocable decisions are made in response." Since issuing this statement, Archbishop Williams has called a special meeting of the Anglican primates, who will gather in London on Oct. 15-16 to discuss the issue. "I am clear that the anxieties caused by recent developments have reached the point where we will need to sit down and discuss their consequences," he said. "I hope that in our deliberations we will find that there are ways forward in this situation which can preserve our respect for one another and for the bonds that unite us. "I hope we can use the time between now and then to reflect, to pray, to consult and to take counsel." "I think it's an excellent thing to do," said Bishop John Bryson Chane, who said he believed this would be a time of dialogue, not punishment. "I would not be surprised if the Presiding Bishop [Frank Griswold] called a gathering of bishops in this country." Those who rejected the actions of General Convention are also planning to meet. Conservative Episcopalians will gather from Oct. 7-9 in Plano, Texas, to prepare a petition for the Anglican primates. This group has already appealed to Archbishop Williams to intervene in what it has called a "pastoral emergency."
During the convention, there was talk of a schism in the church. But exactly what this might mean remains unclear. The Rev. David Anderson, president of the conservative American Anglican Council, floated the possibility of establishing a new Anglican province in America that would not fall under the jurisdiction of the Episcopal Church. But as Archbishop Williams is the spiritual head of the church and does not have jurisdiction over provinces other than his own, this seems to raise more questions than it answers. Williams has not commented on this proposal. Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold voted in favor of both Robinson's election and the revised Resolution C051 and has repeatedly urged Episcopalians on each side of the issue to remain in conversation with one another. "This does not, in my view, resolve the issues of homosexuality in the life of the church," Griswold said following Robinson's election. "What it does is plant squarely before us the question of how a community can live in the tension of disagreement. We must live with the consequences of addressing conflict and facing squarely difficult decisions. The fact that we are willing to do this work in a public way that is honoring of one another says a great deal about who we are as a community of faith." The Diocese of Washington's deputation and Bishop Chane also voted in favor of Robinson's election and the revised Resolution C051. The bishop and several members of the deputation spoke in favor of these actions at three separate hearings. "Know that none of us there took it lightly, no matter how we voted," Bishop Chane said. "I must tell you, it was a very humbling experience." To address concerns and answer questions about these actions, Bishop Chane has scheduled two open meetings. These will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 17 at St. Alban's Guild Hall, Washington, D.C. and from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 24 at St. Barnabas' Leeland Hall, Upper Marlboro. Members of the deputation and others who attended the convention will be on hand to talk about the experience. "I think what we need to do is get away from the inflammatory rhetoric and take some time to reflect on the decision," Bishop Chane said. "I think what is extremely important to remember is that this convention, above all others, was truly grace filled. I don't think I've ever prayed this much in my life with my brothers and sisters." Bishop Chane expressed his hope that this diocese will find its way forward as one body, as will the rest of the Anglican Communion. "We need everybody at God's table to do the mission of the church today," he said. Contact Lucy Chumbley at lchumbley@edow.org [ Back to index of September articles ]
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