St. Deiniol's Postcard #4

by John Clinton Bradley

Michael

The Rev. Michael Hopkins, past-president of Integrity USA, presented the 5th paper, "Paying the Price--A North American Perspective." He made the following key points...

• He was at Lambeth 1998. The night after resolution 1.10 was passed he wandered the streets of Canterbury deeply wounded. Despite the rejection he felt, he decide to stay within the church and work for its change.
• The next day he wrote (prophetically) that resolution 1.10 would not be accepted by the Episcopal Church--that ordinations of gay and lesbian priests and same-sex blessings would continue.
• The last 9 years have been a roller coaster ride for the LGBT faithful in both the United States and Canada as they have struggled to end "sacramental apartheid" (to quote current Integrity president Susan Russell).
  
• LGBT clergy have often been called to dying parishes that no one else wanted--and helped them live again.
• Most LGBT Episcopals are saddened by the ongoing schism within our own province and the Anglican Communion as a whole.
• Despite Resolution 1.10, the Episcopal Church is increasingly attractive to unchurched LGBT people. Nevertheless, the ongoing controversy within our province has damaged our evangelistic efforts.
• It is simple impossible for the Episcopal Church to turn back the clock as some in the Anglican Communion would like.
• Resolution B033, passed by General Convention 2006, has had a chilling effect on LGBT clergy running in episcopal elections.