Chicago Consultation Rejects False Choice of Primates' Communique

Faithful Mission and Inclusion Both Possible For Episcopal Church

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact: Rebecca Wilson, 330-524-2067, rebeccaswilson@sbcglobal.net

CHICAGO, February 5, 2009—The Chicago Consultation issued this statement
from its co-convener, Ruth Meyers, in response to the communiqué of the
Anglican primates on the final day of their meeting in Egypt:

"Christ calls us to practice both compassion and justice. We reject the
false choice suggested by the Primates communiqué that God asks
Episcopalians to deny either faithful mission with the worldwide Anglican
Communion or full inclusion of our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
sisters and brothers," said Meyers, who is professor of liturgics at
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.

"We look toward General Convention 2009, where we will work with a broad
coalition of allies to achieve full inclusion of all the baptized in The
Episcopal Church and to be a voice of witness with gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgendered people across the Anglican Communion," continued Meyers.

"The Chicago Consultation believes that the Anglican Communion is, at its
best, a manifestation of the body of Christ in which the Holy Spirit blesses
members from different cultures and contexts with various gifts. As
Christians, we are called to live in communion with one another, but also to
embrace all of the Spirit's gifts—graciously and fearlessly."

The Chicago Consultation, a group of Episcopal and Anglican bishops, clergy
and lay people, supports the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered Christians in the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican
Communion. We believe that our baptismal covenant requires this.

The Chicago Consultation believes that, like the church's historic
discrimination against people of color and women, excluding GLBT people from
the sacramental life of the church is a sin. Through study, prayer and
conversation, we seek to provide clergy and laypeople across The Episcopal
Church and the Anglican Communion with biblical and theological perspectives
that will rid the church of this sin.