DWTX from Anaheim - The Episcopal Church’s 76th General Convention officially opened Wednesday morning, July 8, but by this past Sunday area hotels and the Anaheim Convention Center were already awash with the familiar blue-and-red Episcopal Church logo.
Deputies, bishops, visitors, and exhibitors began arriving Sunday, and by Monday lines were long at hotel registration desks. The Convention began Wednesday with a legislative session at 8 a.m. and a 9:15 a.m. Eucharist at which Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori officiated.
Clearly, the issues over human sexuality have not abated in the three years since the 75th General Convention, held in Columbus, Ohio. More than a dozen resolutions on the table at the 76th Convention deal with sexuality issues, including several that call for the repeal of a resolution passed three years ago that asked The Episcopal Church to “exercise restraint” by not consenting to the election of any bishop whose lifestyle presents a “challenge to the wider Church.” The resolution, titled B033, was widely acknowledged to apply to those in homosexual relationships.
As these resolutions began to surface, President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson asked that two special sessions be convened “to exchange information and viewpoints among the deputies” and to “inform” the committee to which the resolutions have been assigned, the Committee on World Mission.
Those hearings are tentatively scheduled for either Thursday or Friday of this week.
Eight resolutions call for the inclusion in the Prayer Book of some sort of blessing for same-gender marriages. The resolutions go first to the Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy, and Music where they could be combined or amended, or sent forward to one of the Houses with or without a Committee recommendation.
The diocesan deputation will be closely watching both of these topics; Deputy Susan Hardaway serves on the World Mission Committee, and Deputy Drew Cauthorn has been assigned as the chancellor to the Prayer Book, Liturgy, and Music Committee.
I have been an Episcopal since 2003. I don’t know all the history of the church, just that it was started when Henry the 8th broke with Rome. I do know that Henry the 8th was very Catholic and only wanted to run the church himself, not to change much and that the church of England evolved into what it is now over many years. Having said this, I don’t believe the church ever meant to teach that Homosexiality was ok. It is Biblical. You can say what you want, that Paul and the early Christians didn’t know what we know today. I say, what was right then is right now. You can’t change Gods Heart. I feel that if the church continues with these changes we will be punished as a church by God. It is Biblical. What part of Sodom and Gomorrah did you not understand? Are you trying to kill the church?
Oh, and it will be called marriage…if not this time, then the next.
This move will no doubt be the final straw for our participation in the Anglican Communion, and will result in an even greater exodus from the Episcopal Church.
The BCP supposedly reflects the theology of the church. It is not important what “I” believe ought to be contained in it. If this is what the “Church” teaches and believes, then it should be done. If it is not what the Church teaches and believes, then it should not be done. Personally, I don’t think the Church knows what it believes on this subject, at this point in our history. It certainly isn’t what our Church has ever taught as official teaching of the Church. If added, this will be a new teaching.
BTW, blessings of animals, homes, etc are found nowhere in the actual BCP.
I believe that blessing of a committed union should be enclosed in the Prayer Book.. Surely, if we can bless animals, homes, etc., we can bless a relationship. I don’t think it should be called marriage.