Diocese Of Idaho Moves Forward On Blessings

The June 2008 edition of the "Idaho Messenger" reports that a group of 75 people from all corner of that diocese recently developed a set of "provocative propositions" and "first action steps" for fulfilling them. Under the theme of "Inclusivity" they said:

We are a diocese whose leadership encourages and provides opportunities for all parishes to inspire, educate, and empower all members to love our neighbors as ourselves; respecting the dignity of every human being.

• Every parish will do an assessment to see how their membership compares with the demographics of the larger community. This will lead to implementation of necessary changes.
• Request permission from the bishop for clergy to perform same sex blessings/unions.
• Integration of all aspects of diversity at every level of the parish, not only separate training, but also other activities such as, Sunday School, adult ed., outreach, sermons, music, committee/leadership appointments, youth and liturgy.

The provocative propositions and the next steps forward will be reviewed by the Diocesan Council on June 21, when strategies for implementation will be adopted.

Click here to read the complete article as a PDF.