June 20, 2006
Dear Members of Anglicans United and Latimer Press,
The House of Deputies took up the project of working on the Windsor resolutions yesterday at 4:00 PM. By 6:00 they passed Resolution 160: Expression of regret.
CURRENT TEXT
Resolution A160
Title: Expression of Regret
Topic: Anglican Communion
Committee: Special Legislative Committee
House of Initial Action: Deputies
Proposer: Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church join the House of Bishops’ March 2005 “Covenant Statement” in expressing “our own deep regret for the pain that others have experienced with respect to our actions at the General Convention of 2003 and we offer our sincerest apology and repentance for having breached the bonds of affection in the Anglican Communion by any failure to consult adequately with our Anglican partners before taking these actions.”
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, mindful of “the repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation enjoined on us by Christ” (Windsor Report, paragraph 134), express its regret for [breaching] STRAINING the proper constraints of the bonds of affection in the events surrounding the General Convention of 2003 and the consequences which followed; offer its sincerest apology to those within our Anglican Communion who are offended by our failure to accord sufficient importance to the impact of our actions on our church and other parts of the Communion; and ask forgiveness as we seek to live into deeper levels of communion one with another.
Although the resolution was modified from its original form by substituting “ strained” for “breached” in reference to the bonds of affection, the resolution did pass.
The majority of discussion focused on two points:
1) We did this; actions have repercussions; we must express regret;
2) we did what any autonomous, sovereign church would do with its own polity and no one has the right to criticize us or object to what we have done
There was a great deal of wrangling with Robert’s Rules of Order. And, the electronic signaling devices at the microphones, showing which deputy arrived at which mike in which order – determining order of speaking, proved to be faulty. The time for discussion was lengthened once and refused a second time. The House voted to say in session until they finished preliminary discussion on A161: an omnibus resolution on election of gays to the episcopate and authorizing same-sex blessings.
Title: Election of Bishops
Topic: Anglican Communion
Committee: Special Legislative Committee
House of Initial Action: Deputies
Proposer: Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church regrets the extent to which we have, by action and inaction, contributed to strains on communion and caused deep offense to many faithful Anglican Christians as we consented to the consecration of a bishop living openly in a same-gender union. Accordingly, we are obliged to urge nominating committees, electing conventions, Standing Committees, and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise very considerable caution refrain from the nomination, election, consent to, and consecration of bishops whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.; and be it further
Resolved that this General Convention not proceed to develop or authorize Rites for the Blessing of same-sex unions at this time, thereby concurring with the Windsor Report in its exhortation to bishops of the Anglican Communion to honor the Primates’ Pastoral Letter of May 2003; and be it further
Resolved that this General Convention affirm the need to maintain a breadth of responses to situations of pastoral care for gay and lesbian Christians in this Church.
Resolved that this General Convention apologize to those gay and lesbian Episcopalians and their supporters hurt by these decisions.
EXPLANATION
The Windsor Report has invited the Episcopal Church to "effect a moratorium on the election and consent to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate who is living in a same gender union until some new consensus in the Anglican Communion emerges" (Windsor Report 134). Within the parameters set by our Constitution and Canons, this resolution frames a response encouraging caution regarding "nomination, election, consent to, and consecration of bishops whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion." The resolution does not specify what constitutes a "manner of life" that "presents a challenge to the wider church;" we leave this to the prayerful discernment of those involved in nominating, electing, and consecrating bishops. Concerns we discussed were by no means limited to the nature of the family life; for example, the potential of bishops to serve effectively as pastors for all within their diocese, and their level of commitment to respect the dignity of and strive for justice for all people are also relevant. Finally, the Special Commission was not of one mind on the use of the words "exercise very considerable caution in," with some instead recommending the words "refrain from." As a group and in a spirit of cooperation and generosity, however, we decided to offer the resolution as it stands for debate at the 75th General Convention.
So, on Tuesday morning, after being in session until 8:00PM last night, the HOD met again at 10:45 and voted on three significant things: they will only consider resolutions today (no introductions and speeches from special guests and visitors; they will be in session until 9:00 tonight and ; parliamentary rules will be used only when necessary. This is an attempt to now get to the almost 200 pieces of resolutions that the HOB has passed and are now at the HOD for action.
The Special Piece of Legislation scheduled for 11:00 this morning was the consideration of the Canon Barry Beisner, bishop coadjutor elect of Northern California. All of the other bishops-elect were certified last Thursday. Beisner was held over because he has been divorced twice and is in his third marriage. It is clear that he would not be a candidate for ordination in 90% of the dioceses, and the suggestion that he should be made a bishop has made the HOB very nervous and the HOD the scapegoat.
The Chair tried to get the HOD to consider the Beisner election at the top of business. But, it was moved and seconded that this situation presents –in Windsor wording – the election of someone who would be considered unacceptable in other parts of the Communion. So, the HOD will vote on A161 first and then consider his election.
At the very close of business last night, a female lesbian priest[yes, this is how they identify themselves here. Sometimes they say this before they say their name.] from Newark approached a mike and called into question the constitutionality of the General Convention’s ability to express or enact moratoria, as suggested by Windsor. She suggested that this resolution was a violation of the Constitution and requested the Chair talk with Constitution and Canon people over night and make certain that we can vote to effect a moratoria.
The Chair ruled that the vote was in order because the resolution urges all dioceses to enact a moratoria. It is clear that the General Convention cannot force its will/rulings on any diocese. It can only suggest.
A substitute amendment to A161 was introduced at 11:30 AM. It mimics Windsor language and calls on the GC to “effect a moratoria on consents to same-sex persons in the episcopacy; and refuses to authorize rites for same-sex blessings; and asks those bishops and priests still doing same-sex blessings to express regret for “breaching the bonds of affection.”
Shortly before noon, a vote by orders was called. Twice, time to extend debate on either the substitute or the original was voted down.
Stand for Noon Day prayers. Everyone did but it became tense, especially when the chaplain couldn’t find the page to start the responsorial readings.
Everyone just wants to get on with this. The female clergy are becoming more shrill in their objections; one lesbian from Newark said that they gay and lesbian community thought they had a place in this church and now we are voting to limit their job potential and future happiness; this was not fair. Who are these people demanding this apology? Why didn’t they have the courage to come and face us with their accusations? She was near hysteria when she finished.
And then the bombshell: Chancellor from the diocese of Georgia addressed the chair, saying that in his considered opinion, the HOD did not have the authority in canon law or the Constitution to “effect” a moratoria, which is what Windsor requested. He cited chapter and verse, gave his interpretation and called for a meeting of the Constitution and Canons committee over lunch to ascertain if the debate should even proceed.
George Werner, President of the House of Deputies, put the House is recess so this can be resolved. If it is true, then no one in the Episcopal Church has the authority to issue/”effect” a moratoria. The Presiding Bishop declared in Nov, 2004 that he had no authority over any issues such as these. The House of Bishops said in Jan, 2005 that they did not have the authority; the Executive Council said in April, 2005 that they did not have the authority. And now the House of Deputies and, by inference, the whole General Convention is about to find out if THEY should even bother to continue discussion.
I am sending you this post now and I ask that you stop and pray for the future of this church. We already know that nothing is binding and dioceses do not have to obey GC rulings; but to find out that no one can legally “effect” a moratorium means that we have gone way over the edge in our government. We have truly become a body that refuses to be governed by any one for any reason. Please pray that this is not so.
Cherie Wetzel for Anglicans United & Latimer Press
