I struggled with how to title this post and what exactly I wanted to focus on, but decided just to start by talking about my church, the Episcopal Church, before getting on to the issue at hand. I grew up in a variety of conservative fundamentalist evangelical churches. If that’s not enough labels for ya, some of them were also Pentecostal. It was a decent amount of variety within a basically fundamentalist Biblical literalism framework. I’ll save my struggles and questions for another post, but the point of this post is that almost 3 years ago I started attending an Episcopal church and 2 years ago I was confirmed in that church in a lovely ceremony. Also sitting next to me and joining me as confirmands (actually, I think at least one of them was only being received from another church) were two lesbian women in a committed relationship. These women (and other gays and lesbians) are openly welcome in my particular church and (as far as I can tell) no one bats an eye. To me it’s lovely, coming from churches where they would be condemned as the worst kind of sinners and at best given the opportunity to repent and go through some sort of homosexuality rehab (as if it’s something that can and should be “cured”).
So part of the appeal of the Episcopal Church was this open acceptance regardless of sexual orientation. There were other reasons of course–I love the traditional liturgy and the observance of church seasons. I also love the focus on social justice and fighting poverty. And of course I was also excited about belonging to a church which regularly ordains women for service and is currently led by a woman (presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori). While in the churches of my childhood women are still often not allowed behind the pulpit (or many times even in front of a Sunday School class that includes men or even teenage boys), it seems to be a non-issue in the Episcopal Church (though I could be wrong as I’m still a newbie). Meanwhile the real issue Episcopalians are struggling with is how to deal with gays and lesbians.
This week is the 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church and it seems to be a big deal. I’ve been eagerly following events as well as I can, at least hanging out reading #ecgc tweets on Twubs.com and then clicking on links like crazy trying to wrap my brain around whatever is going on out in Anaheim. One apparently big deal involves a resolution DO25. From what I can tell, the point of DO25 is to affirm that the Episcopal Church wants to remain within the Anglican Communion but it also acknowledges the presence of gays and lesbians in committed relationships within our church. It’s actually a bit confusing because it also says: “The acceptance of the ministry of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons is not settled in The Episcopal Church or in the Anglican Communion.“ This baffled me a bit, but further research seems to show that the purpose is to overturn another previous resolution–BO33 which established some kind of moratorium on ordaining gay bishops (presumably that came about some time after Bishop Gene Robinson was ordained). Another source says it is means the Episcopal church is affirming gay clergy. It seems to be kicking up a bit of a fuss with the more conservative elements of the Anglican Communion and it also seems to be welcomed by GLBT tweeters and bloggers. So perhaps it is more radical than it appears to me and I’ll take it as a positive sign. The best explanation of its purpose that I’ve read comes from Twitterer (no idea what to call Tweetheads) and fellow Episcopalian Sarah G. Bennett. She wrote: “What I understand is D025 is a snapshot of the reality of our church, today. A “this is who we are” so to speak. No more, no less.” I like that.
Anyway, as for DO25, it passed the House of Deputies (which is made up of clergy and laity, I think) yesterday and today it passed the House of Bishops, but with amendments. Now it seems it will go back to the House of Deputies for approval again because of the amendments. Here are some details and here is the text of the amended resolution.
Meanwhile the rest of the Anglican Communion may not be so pleased with us. Apparently, Archbishop Rowan Williams has already expressed “regrets” about DO25 and from what little this newbie knows, the more conservative elements of the Anglican Communion (some within the U.S. but many more in other nations) will no doubt have a lot of negative reactions. There’s already been some kind of schism within the Episcopal Church as some churches have apparently declared themselves the Anglican Church of North America. Oy, it’s really confusing for a newbie Episcopalian. All I know is I embrace the warm and inclusive church that has welcomed not only my family and me (a heterosexual mother and housewife) but also those who don’t fit the traditional churchy mold. I think it’s wonderful that there are churches like mine who reach out with open arms where other churches would reject and condemn. I also spent a couple years in England attending an Anglican church, so I also hope that the Episcopalian open arms don’t lead us out of communion with the rest of the Anglican Communion. I wish they would embrace us as with open arms as well.
