DWTX from Anaheim – In an unusual move, the House of Deputies suspended its own rules on Thursday, July 9, to allow deputies time for one-on-one conversations regarding several resolutions having to do with Resolution B033 passed by the General Convention three years ago.
Giving the background on the conflict that has divided the Anglican Communion for the past six years, the Rev. Gay Jennings reminded deputies that Resolution B033 was passed in the waning hours of the 75th General Convention as a response to The Windsor Report. The resolution called for the church 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 Windsor Report was commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2004 following the 2003 election of V. Gene Robinson, a partnered gay man, as bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. The Report called for moratoria in three areas: on the election of openly gay persons to the episcopate, on the creation of rites of blessings of same-sex unions, and on the intervention of bishops in dioceses not their own.
As recently as September 2007, the House of Bishops, meeting in New Orleans, reaffirmed its support for resolution B033 and pledged not to authorize the blessing of same-sex unions.
In asking for reconsideration of B033, some 16 resolutions have been submitted to the 2009 General Convention. Typical of them is resolution C010 that says the usefulness of B033 has run its course and should be repealed. In its explanation, resolution C010 states that B033 was an attempt to “help continue discussions” and “did little to achieve those goals.” At the same time, B033 “did extreme damage to the spiritual well-being of the lesbian and gay members of The Episcopal Church.”
West Texas deputies found, in one-on-one conversations with deputies from other dioceses, very different understandings of the purpose of B033. “I think B033 has to do with our relationships with the rest of the Anglican Communion,” said Deputy Nancy Coon. “But the person I talked with came from the point of view that B033 is unfair to an entire category of people. I was seeing it from a more pragmatic perspective, that passing B033 kept us in conversation with the rest of the communion.”
Deputy Thurma Hilton found a similar reaction. “The person I talked with was cordial, but she said she had left the 75th General Convention very angry because she had felt The Episcopal Church was being bullied by Primates from other countries.”
Deputy Susan Hardaway said the conversation gave her the opportunity to listen to someone with a different perspective than her own. “Being gracious and listening is part of this whole process,” she said.
The House of Deputies will have another opportunity on Friday to carry on their conversations. Meanwhile, committee hearings continue with no indication of when the resolutions will come to the floor of the houses.
Tags: House of Deputies
I will repeat what I have said in the past.. If we can bless animals, buildings, etc.. surely we can bless dedicated, monogamus unions between two persons!!
Marriage may not be the correct word for it, but surely, Holy Union with all the rights of marriage can be blessed.
Please stand firm on resolution B033. That resolution includes the wisdom and experience of out wider communion and countless earlier generations.
Stay firm in your support of resolution B033. That resolution contains the collected wisdom of our much wider communion and the experience of countless generations.