General Convention 2006  |  Anglican/Episcopal News

RESOLUTION ON ELECTION OF BISHOPS PASSES BOTH HOUSES
 By Sarah Dylan Breuer
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
 

Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold made use today of a privilege of his office to call a joint session of bishops and deputies, at which he urged them to adopt a resolution the Rt. Rev. Dorsey Henderson, co-chair of the Special Committee, is proposing -- Resolution B033. It has passed the House of Bishops, and is now being considered by the House of Deputies. The text of the resolution as passed by the House of Bishops is as follows:

Resolved, the 75th GC, receive and embrace the Windsor Report's invitation to engage in a process of healing and reconciliation; and be it further

Resolved that this convention therefore call upon standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint by not consecrating any bishop whose manner of life poses a challenge to the church and would lead to further strains on communion.

Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori has addressed the House of Deputies at the invitation with these words:

Yesterday afternoon, the bishop of Louisiana spoke eloquently in our House about living in a church with two minds -- one church, two minds. As he was speaking, an image was rising in my mind. It is a challenging image.

We have read many stories in the news about conjoined twins -- two bodies or parts of body united in one being. .... Some parents have to wrestle with the decision of trying to separate or not trying to separate those twins. They operate with the assumption that it is wrong to attempt to separate those twins unless both can live full lives.

I think we are in a church much like that. this creature, this Body of Christ, is not wholly one and it is not wholly two. The resolution which stands before you is far from adequate. I find the language exceedingly challenging, but my sense is that it's probably the best we're going to do today, and at this convention. I am fully committed to the inclusion gay and lesbian Christians in this church. I certainly don't understand adopting this resolution as slamming the door, and I do think that if you pass this resolution, you have to keep working with all your mind at finding a common mind in this church. I don't find this an easy thing to say to you, but I think this is the best we're going to manage at this point in our history.

Thank you.

Members of the House of Deputies are currently debating the resolution. More news will be posted as it develops.

Update 1:02 p.m.:

The Rev. Becky Clark of the Diocese of Newark has proposed an amendment that would add the text "until General Convention 2009" to the text of the resolution to provide an explicit point at which the church's approach may be reconsidered. The House of Deputies is debating the amendment.

The Rev. Frank Wade of the Diocese of Washington, who was co-chair of the Special Legislative Committee, has noted that no action of General Convention can bind future conventions, and therefore the amendment is unnecessary.

Update 1:37 p.m.:

Vote on Resolution B033:
144 dioceses voting.
Lay order:
Yes: 72 (77.4%)
No: 21
Divided: 11
No + Divided = 32
B033 carried in the lay order.

Clerical order:
109 dioceses voting.
Yes: 75 (75.8%)
No: 24
Divided: 10
B033 carried in the clerical orders.

RESOLUTION B033 CARRIED.


Sarah Dylan Breuer is editor of The Witness. In her spare time, she maintains a website with a lectionary commentary series and a blog, and works throughout the church on issues of liturgy and faith. Dylan may be reached by email at editor@thewitness.org.