No Outcasts

The Most Reverend Edmond Lee Browning, 24th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church died today. His death is a loss to Integrity USA as an organization and to me personally. Bishop Browning’s stance that there would be no outcasts in The Episcopal Church was a costly position for him to take. He was criticized by those in our church who considered themselves to be of a more traditional bent. His ministry is summarized here: RIP: Bishop Edmond Lee Browning, 24th Presiding Bishop He made room in The Episcopal Church for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people who found their way to a faith community where they could be who God created them to be.

Presiding Bishop Edmond Lee Browning with Integrity leaders
L to R: The Rev. Elizabeth Kaeton, The Most Reverend Edmond Lee Browning, The Rev. Michael Hopkins, The Rev. Canon Susan Russell

Bishop Browning’s vision of no outcasts was a broad vision. In addition to including those who were LGBT, he also embraced those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. He was the chief consecrator of the first woman bishop in the entire Anglican Communion, The Right Reverend Barbara Harris. As an African-American, Bishop Harris would break even more boundaries to the full inclusion of all in our church.

I met Bishop Browning during the General Convention of 1991, held in Phoenix, Arizona. Ours was an "official/unofficial" meeting brought about by some of the nastiness being directed at LGBT folks at that convention. My “poker face” proved to be more revealing than I thought at one of the morning Eucharist’s and a bishop at our “table church table” shared his concerns about me with my bishop who got in touch with me. Out of all of that I found myself in a meeting with Presiding Bishop Browning, my bishop, and the officers of the House of Bishops. When asked what was wrong and what we wanted, I had a few simple requests on behalf of my kindred LGBT souls. We were weary of the nastiness being directed at us by clergy and laity alike who really did not want us included in the life of The Episcopal Church. The world and the church were very different then. We wanted to be treated with the respect accorded us in the vows of our baptismal covenant. Progress had begun and with it came some of the first positive legislation about LGBT issues, not to mention the fact that the first openly LGBT Deputy to General Convention came out on the floor of the House of Deputies. This was also the General Convention where the first true public hearing on LGBT issues was held. We had as a church begun talking about who we were. The speakers were The Reverend Sam Candler and The Rev. Kendall Harmon. Sam was our champion.

Some months later I would become the first President of Integrity to meet with a Presiding Bishop. I traveled to New York and proceeded to 815 Second Avenue and was escorted to the Offices of the Presiding Bishop. I was a little nervous, but I need not have been. Bishop Browning embraced me with his loving aura and sat with me on a sofa in his office as we talked. It was not unlike carrying on a conversation with one’s grandfather. (Although I realized later that he was only twenty years older than I….it must have been the trappings of his office that made me think he was older than he was.)

Subsequent to that meeting would happen the first and historic meeting of an Integrity Board of Directors with The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. He was, at least at first, a bit hesitant to have the meeting publicized, but we were clear that it would be documented in "The Voice of Integrity" which was our official publication at the time.

Another first and an expression of his vision of no outcasts was his acceptance to be our speaker and guest at our next Integrity Convention (yes, we used to have those regularly!). When he stated from the pulpit at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, that he really didn’t care what the press thought, we got a glimpse of his ardent support for us and his refusal for us to be outcast by the church.

We (and I) have lost a great friend and ally with the death of Bishop Browning. The Episcopal Church has lost one of its giants. Edmond L. Browning now rests in the bosom of the God who created, redeemed and sustained him throughout a long and productive ministry. By now he has heard the words “well done, good and faithful servant.” May he rest in peace and rise in glory. May we ponder our loss even as we celebrate a ministry from which we received innumerable benefits.

Bruce Garner, President
Integrity USA

The Installation of the 27th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church

The Most Rev. Michael Curry installed.

This past Saturday and Sunday were amazingly remarkable days in the life of The Episcopal Church. It was my good fortune to be able to attend both the Vigil at the DC Armory on Saturday and the Installation of The Most Rev. Michael Curry at the National Cathedral on Sunday, the Feast of All Saints. The presence of the Holy Spirit was evident!

Saturday’s event was sponsored by the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE).  They turned the DC Armory into church for the day, creating wonderful worship space from a building which the preacher, The Rev. Sandye Wilson, noted had been used for a horse show just a few weeks ago!  As she shared, if you smell something, it’s legitimate!

The liturgy was on the “high” side of the spectrum with no less than three thurifers swinging the smoke in the processions in and out. Joyful music and laughter were a big part of the service, clearly a celebration in every sense of the word. I sat next to former Integrity USA Treasurer Lis Jacobs. She was delightful company. Bishop Michael and I hugged and spoke briefly.

Sunday began with some rainy weather but that would prove not to dampen anyone’s spirits. I arrived at the National Cathedral early enough to be fourth in line! I was fortunate enough to be in a seat about twenty rows back from the altar and next to a large screen monitor. Between my location and the monitor, I missed very little of a powerful and joyful service.

The procession was in multiple parts/sections involving Native Americans drumming in a rhythmic and almost hypnotic cadence. Bishops of our church were seated in the first chair of each row along the center aisle. A double row of bishops occupied the fore and aft rows of the crossing where the Gospel was read. An aerial view provided the reason for this unusual seating pattern:  The red of the bishops’ vestments formed a gigantic and dramatic red cross!

Then came the knock on the great center doors of the west entrance by still Presiding Bishop-elect Curry. He was welcomed with thunderous responses from the congregation of some 2,500. We renewed our Baptismal Covenant and were asperged by Bishop Michael and The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, who clearly enjoyed themselves in the process.

The Primatial Staff was then given to Bishop Michael by Bishop Katharine and he became the 27th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. He was then seated in the stall of the Great Choir designated for the Presiding Bishop.

The Liturgy of the Word continued with prayers for the Presiding Bishop offered by representatives of four faith communities, followed by the Gloria and the appropriate collects and readings for the Feast of All Saints. Bishop Michael’s sermon was next.

It was clear for ears that would listen that our new Presiding Bishop’s vision for The Episcopal Church is one that includes welcome for ALL at the table.  He intends to exclude no one. He specifically mentioned sexual orientation in his sermon. I’m not sure I had ever actually heard those words at such an occasion before. Code words perhaps, but not the exact words; references perhaps, but not such specific words.

I found myself thinking back to another Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Edmund Browning. He proclaimed that there would be no outcasts in The Episcopal Church. That was his intent and his vision and he paid a price for such forward thinking in the early 90’s. Yet he stayed the course as much as anyone could in such stormy seas. I will always be grateful for his extraordinary leadership.

From my perspective, Bishop Michael will indeed move us forward to the realization of the goals that there will be no outcasts in our church and that all will be welcome in it. The task is not his alone, however. Each of us must do our part in bringing into being the beloved kingdom where all are equal in God’s eyes.

The presence of the Holy Spirit was most evident to me at two times in the service.  The Cathedral Choir of Men and Girls sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” during the offertory.  On the last chorus, as the oblations and offering came down the aisle, the congregation stood and joined in the singing.  It was an emotional moment.  Then when Bishop Michael said: “Let us join hands and sing the prayer our Savior taught us” it was remarkable to watch everyone take a hand and even more moving to see the bishops seated on the aisle to step out into the aisle to take the hand across from them.  Then at the closing words of the Lord’s Prayer, all hands were raised together.  I choked up and could not sing.

The service continued with the Eucharist, something ordinary for us but extraordinary in this time and place. I have rarely heard a congregation be so forceful in responding in the liturgy and in singing.

The closing hymn was “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and earth and heaven did truly ring! I was blessed to have been present.  It was an experience of a lifetime. Yes, indeed, the presence of the Holy Spirit was evident, almost palpable.  And yes, God is good... all the time!

Bruce Garner, President
Integrity USA

Congratulations to the Presiding Bishop-Elect Rt. Rev. Michael Curry

IntegrityUSA applauds the wisdom of the House of Bishops in their election of the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry as the Presiding Bishop-elect of the Episcopal Church, and the House of Deputies in their wisdom in confirming the election.  Bishop Curry has a long-standing history of supporting LGBT Episcopalians, and specifically of supporting IntegrityUSA in our efforts at making the Episcopal Church a beacon of love, justice, and compassion, where ALL people are equally embraced and empowered.  Most recently IntegrityUSA has collaborated with Bishop Curry as we began our 40th anniversary celebration in the Diocese of North Carolina last November with the now-Presiding Bishop-elect preaching a rousing and inspiring sermon renewing us all in our call to compassion and mission.  We are eager to continue working with Presiding Bishop-elect Curry as he answers this call to renewed ministry serving the wider church.  The Episcopal Church now has a record going back to Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning of electing talented and thoughtful leaders who have joined IntegrityUSA in our mission and ministry.  We are delighted that we will have in the 27th Presiding Bishop another advocate as strong, as faithful, and as steadfast as Presiding Bishop-elect Curry.

On World Refugee Day, Integrity Remembers LGBT Asylum Seekers

Friday, June 20th, is World Refugee Day, when the plight of displaced persons around the world is upheld for advocacy and prayer.  The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts-Schori, issued a statement which says, in part:

"Remember in prayer all who flee persecution and suffering in search of security and peace, remember the baptismal promise to strive for justice and peace, and reaffirm our commitment to welcoming the stranger as Christ himself."

Throughout 2014, Integrity has shared messages from the LGBT Faith Asylum Network, an organization led by our former Executive Director, Max Niedzwiecki.  Max also addressed the April meeting of the Integrity Stakeholders' Council.

LGBT-FAN helps connect LGBT asylum seekers with individuals and groups who are willing to help with housing, job placement, the asylum/immigration process, and spiritual care.  Where possible, they help to foster a community for these displaced people by guiding them to places where others share their cultural/ethnic experience.  In addition, LGBT-FAN seeks to educate faith communities about the struggles LGBT asylum seekers face, in the hope of building much-needed additional support and outreach.

The situation for LGBT people in many countries throughout the world is dire.

• There are laws against homosexuality in over 80 countries around the world.
• In over 70 countries, you could be imprisoned if you are part of the LGBT community.
• In 7 of those countries, the punishment is the death penalty
• In some of those countries "corrective rape" is common and sometimes committed by government officials.

In the past year, Nigeria, Uganda, India and Russia all created new anti-homosexuality laws.  Violence has increased against LGBT people, often with the tacit approval of government officials and church leaders.  The Anglican archbishops of Uganda and Nigeria, along with their backers in the West, have voiced their approval for the new legislation in those countries.

Once here, asylum seekers are not eligible for government social services nor permitted to seek employment for at least six months, while they are trying to sort through the immigration/asylum process, often without the funds to pay for legal help.

On this World Refugee Day, we ask that you learn more about the work of LGBT-FAN and consider whether you are being called to assist their work in some way.  We ask that you speak about the plight of LGBT asylum seekers within your faith communities; there is a good deal of information available on the organization's web site for sharing.  You can read first-person accounts from some of the people they have been able to help, learn about the innovative ways different groups are providing assistance, and consider whether a program might be possible in your area.

Some LGBT groups have elected to dedicate part of their presence at Pride events toward building awareness of the LGBT refugee community.  Reflecting the need for anonymity or their "facelessness" situation, asylum seekers or those representing them wear masks or even bags over their heads, carried placards, etc.

Please hold LGBT asylum seekers and those working to assist them in your prayers as they attempt to find a safe home where they can live authentically without fear.

Christian Paolino is the chair of Integrity's Stakeholders' Council

Presiding Bishop Issues Statement on Criminalization of Homosexuality

The leadership of Integrity read with gratitude the statement issued January 30th by the Most. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, regarding the recent efforts to criminalize homosexuality by several countries in recent months.
The statement reads:

"The Episcopal Church has been clear about our expectation that every member of the LGBT community is entitled to the same respect and dignity as any other member of the human family. Our advocacy for oppressed minorities has been vocal and sustained.

The current attempts to criminalize LBGT persons and their supporters are the latest in a series, each stage of which has been condemned by this Church, as well as many other religious communities and nations. Our advocacy work continues to build support for the full human rights and dignity of all persons, irrespective of gender, race, national origin, creed, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability or inability. To do less is effectively to repudiate our membership in the human community.

No one of God’s children is worth less or more than another; none is to be discriminated against because of the way in which she or he has been created. Our common task is to build a society of justice for all, without which there will never be peace on earth. Episcopalians claim that our part in God’s mission is to love God fully, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That means all our neighbors."

The Most Rev.
Katharine Jefferts Schori

Photo Credit:
Flickr user kirkamunga

Used under Creative Commons

"I am deeply grateful to the Presiding Bishop for adding her voice to the others around the church who are beginning to speak out against the inhumanities being endured by LGBT people around the world," said the Rev. Jon M. Richardson, Integrity's Vice President for National Affairs, who -- as our liaison to the Chicago Consultation -- traveled to Africa several times to meet and pray with LGBT Anglicans there. "It is especially heartening that she has set her words in the context of the larger vision that has been emerging in the Episcopal Church over the past few decades - we are not a church that will tolerate oppression against anyone. God has given us a higher calling: to respect the dignity of every human being."

Reports of violence against LGBT people in Russia, Uganda and Nigeria have been publicized since their governments enacted or considered laws intended to punish either those who are LGBT, provide assistance or support to LGBT people, distribute pro-LGBT "propaganda"  participate in a same-gender wedding, or even express same-gender affection.

Integrity president, the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall commented that "these new laws and the consequent violence are in part due to a sustained campaign by Americans acting in the name of Christ. I am grateful that the Presiding Bishop has made it clear that The Episcopal Church has no truck with such homophobic activities."
The Presiding Bishop's statement follows commentary from the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, President of the House of Deputies, published widely earlier the same week. She acknowledged the western church's role in creating the intolerant climate many African LGBT people now face.

A petition by Davis Mac-Iyalla of the UK-based Changing Attitude calls for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, to speak to his Ugandan and Nigerian peers about their enthusiastic endorsement of the laws.  Archbishop Welby and the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev. John Sentamu, published a joint letter to the primates reminding of the commitment made in the Dromantine Communiqué of 2005 to "the pastoral support and care of homosexual people" but referring only vaguely to the situations currently unfolding.

Integrity urges all our members and partners to speak to your congregations and loved ones about the persecution of LGBT persons abroad and the plight of those who seek asylum in the United States.  Please contact us if you would like more information.

Christian Paolino is the Chair of the Stakeholders' Council of IntegrityUSA

Our Prayers for Boston

The Board and Staff of IntegrityUSA extend our prayers for all those affected by the incidents unfolding in Boston.  As we write this, two people are known dead and at least 80 are being treated for injuries.

There is a good deal of confusion at the scenes of multiple explosions, with reports of additional devices being found and dismantled.  Local officials are urging people to stay indoors and not congregate in large groups in the street.  Google created a people finder if you are trying to get or share news about loved ones.  In an evening address to the nation U. S. President Barack Obama urged calm and pledged that the perpetrators would be found.

Episcopal News Service reports that seven runners from Trinity: Copley Square who were  participating in the marathon to raise funds for an anti-violence initiative were uninjured, and that the church -- which is very near the finish line and one of the explosion sites -- is undamaged.

The Right Rev. Gayle E. Harris, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts, will preside at a prayer service with Eucharist tomorrow April 16th at 12:15 p.m. at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont St., assuming security conditions permit.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, offered the following prayer:

"Gracious God, you walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death. We pray that the suffering and terrorized be surrounded by the incarnate presence of the crucified and risen one. May every human being be reminded of the precious gift of life you entered to share with us. May our hearts be pierced with compassion for those who suffer, and for those who have inflicted this violence, for your love is the only healing balm we know. May the dead be received into your enfolding arms, and may your friends show the grieving they are not alone as they walk this vale of tears. All this we pray in the name of the one who walked the road to Calvary."

The Episcopal Cafe offers the following prayer resources:

• Prayer for Victims of Terrorism

Loving God, Welcome into your arms the victims of violence and terrorism. Comfort their families and all who grieve for them. Help us in our fear and uncertainty, And bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love. Strengthen all those who work for peace, And may the peace the world cannot give reign in our hearts. Amen.

• A Prayer for First Responders

Blessed are you, Lord, God of mercy, who through your Son gave us a marvelous example of charity and the great commandment of love for one another. Send down your blessings on these your servants, who so generously devote themselves to helping others. Grant them courage when they are afraid, wisdom when they must make quick decisions, strength when they are weary, and compassion in all their work. When the alarm sounds and they are called to aid both friend and stranger, let them faithfully serve you in their neighbor. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

- adapted from the Book of Blessings, #587, by Diana Macalintal

• For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of Massachusetts, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

• For Peace

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

• A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

• A Hymn

Presiding Bishop Will Convene Special Fort Worth Diocesan Convention

By Mary Frances Schjonberg, January 08, 2009

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said January 7 that she will convene a special meeting of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth convention on February 7.

Jefferts Schori will ask the convention to elect a provisional bishop for the diocese. The agenda will include the election of lay and clergy representatives for various diocesan leadership positions and adoption of a budget. It will also include approval of governance and organizational resolutions, including ones that would declare null and void certain amendments to the diocesan constitution and canons that were advocated by former diocesan leadership as a means to take the diocese out of the Episcopal Church.

Jefferts Schori said that she would call the meeting because there is "no bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, or any qualified members of the Standing Committee." She said in the announcement that she had consulted with "faithful Episcopalians" who form the Steering Committee of North Texas Episcopalians, the group that has led the effort to keep the diocese aligned with the Episcopal Church.

See the Presiding Bishop's Letter here.

Read the rest of this article here.

Quarreling Anglicans

By DAVID YOUNT
Scripps Howard News Service
2008-07-16 00:00:00
www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=YOUNT-FAITH-07-16-08

Even before Christianity was institutionalized, there were churches -- local Christian communities within the far-flung Roman Empire connected only by the faith they shared.

We know some of their names from the letters that St. Paul wrote to them -- Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica, and Rome itself. In each case, Paul instructed the Gentiles in the Christian faith and was not above admonishing them to put an end to their quarreling.

...

Despite bickering, heresies, and schisms, such has been the vigor of Christianity that the Church has endured.

But quarrels continue. This month, just as the leaders of the 80 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion assemble in England for the Lambeth Conference, the denomination risks self-destruction.

...

The Anglican dispute sharpened this month when the Church of England agreed to the future appointment of women as bishops. Traditionalists claiming to represent 1,300 English clergy threaten to abandon the church altogether rather than accept women as leaders. It is not an idle threat. Years ago, when the Church of England approved opening the priesthood to women, 500 clergymen broke away to join the Roman Catholic Church.

The current presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church happens to be a woman. Katherine Jefferts Schori says the quarrel is "another chapter in a centuries-old struggle for dominance by those who consider themselves the only true believers."

Presiding Bishop says "same sex union ceremonies" in our lifetime

The Dallas Voice reports:

Speaking at the predominantly gay parish that was the site of her first official visit to Dallas, the leader of the Episcopal Church said Monday, April 28 that she expects the denomination to sanction same-sex union ceremonies “in our lifetimes.”

Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the U.S. branch of the 80-million-member worldwide Anglican Communion, also said she believes openly gay bishop Gene Robinson’s exclusion from the upcoming Lambeth Conference will only serve to increase his impact on the event.

Read it here.

Katharine Jefferts Schori for President

She's among our most committed allies in the battle for LGBT inclusion and equality -- and she happens to wear a clerical collar.

By Teresa Morrison

An Advocate.com exclusive posted December 19, 2007

snip

We never asked Episcopalians to take up our fight. Rather, it seems, their spiritual path has led them to believe that we aren’t any less deserving of ministry or recognition or even consecration simply because we happen to be unpopular sexual minorities. I wish that weren’t an extraordinary concept in 2007, but it is. And Bishop Jefferts Schori has hardly blinked in a year of denominational strife that has seen her character and her commitment to her religious office questioned, challenged, dismissed, and maligned.

In this age of gay bashing from all sides, it isn’t often we encounter a religious leader—or any leader—willing to bulldog for our rights, especially when faced with such a potentially high cost to herself and the institution she represents. What I wouldn’t give for such genuine representation in our elected officials.

snip

Click here to read it all!

A Conversation with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori talks with the Episcopal Church via this live webcast from Trinity Wall Street.

Click here to watch the video archive.

HoB Photos From Sunday, September 23rd

The Presiding Bishop preaching at Christ Church Cathedral.


The Presiding Bishop dedicating the Elysian Trumpet in memory of Irvin Mayfield, Sr., and all who died in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.


Irvin Mayfield playing the Elysian Trumpet.

The Presiding Bishop celebrating at Christ Church Cathedral.

Bishop Tom Shaw (Diocese of Massachusetts) during his interview with John Gibson.

All photos © 2007 by Integrity.

Episcopal leader joins roster of Dodge City's honorary marshals

By Eric Swanson
Dodge City Daily Globe

The first woman to head the United States Episcopal Church can now add another title to her resume: honorary marshal of Dodge City.

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori received the honor Tuesday afternoon in front of a small group of observers at Boot Hill Cemetery.

"I'm deeply honored and privileged, and I have to tell you, this is the first in my ordained career," she said as the group laughed and applauded.'

snip

When Jefferts Schori became the national leader of the Episcopal Church last year, she inherited a denomination that was rocked by controversy over support for gays, according to the Associated Press. Conservative congregations upset by the denomination's support for gays threatened to leave if the church did not change its position.

In a short interview after the ceremony, Jefferts Schori said the denomination is still wrestling with that issue, but she believes many congregations are moving toward full sacramental inclusion of their gay and lesbian members.

"The long history of the church has been about inclusion," she said. "The very earliest church had arguments and controversy about whether or not gentiles could be Christians and followers of Jesus. That was answered positively."

Click here to read the entire article.

Presiding Bishop, Bonnie Anderson review Executive Council meeting

[ENS] Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson offer an overview of the recent Executive Council meeting, held June 11-14 in Parsippany, New Jersey. The Rev. Jan Nunley, deputy for communication for the Episcopal Church, reports.

Click here to watch the video.

Executive Council prepares for communiqué response

By Mary Frances Schjonberg, June 11, 2007

[Episcopal News Service] The Executive Council, the Episcopal Church's governing body between General Conventions, began its four-day meeting June 11 in New Jersey learning that a draft of a response to the Anglican Communion Primates' latest communiqué was ready for their consideration.

In a public plenary session, House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson said that Executive Council members would discuss during private conversation later in the day a draft report of the EC008 Task Group, requested by the Executive Council (via Resolution EC008) during its March 2-4 meeting in Portland, Oregon. (Council normally spends some time during each meeting in such private conversation.)

The EC008 Task Group document suggesting a Council response to the communiqué issued by Primates of the Anglican Communion at the end of their February meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania will be discussed during an open plenary session on June 14.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Anderson appointed the EC008 Task Group. Resolution EC008 named Anderson, who is vice president of Council, to chair the work group. (Jefferts Schori is president of the Council.)

The Executive Council meeting, at the Sheraton hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey, began with three hours of committee meetings on the morning of June 11 and another two hours in the late afternoon with the plenary session in between. Council had dinner with representatives of the host Diocese of Newark.

Click here to read the entire article.

Individual bishops respond to Lambeth Conference invitations announcement

By Mary Frances Schjonberg, May 24, 2007

[Episcopal News Service] Some Episcopal Church bishops have responded to the May 22 announcement that a small number of bishops have not been invited to the 2008 Lambeth Conference.

snip

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori issued a brief statement that same day calling for "a calm approach" to the announcement and noting that aspects of the matter could change in the 14 months leading up to the July 16-August 4, 2008 gathering at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. She said that "the House of Bishops' September meeting offers us a forum for further discussion." Williams and members of the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council will attend that meeting.

snip

Ohio Bishop Mark Hollingsworth wrote in a letter to the diocese on May 22 that Minns and the Bishop of Bolivia were in the Diocese of Ohio the previous week to participate in an ordination in Akron. Neither bishop had "sought or received my permission to perform episcopal acts within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction for which I am responsible," Hollingsworth added.

Robinson's presence at the Lambeth Conference "might be awkward or difficult for some of the other participants, but that is hardly uncommon in Christian community," he said. "There are plenty of bishops whose presence in the councils of the Church I find difficult, and doubtless plenty who find mine the same. However, Bishop Robinson, throughout his ministry, has been unfailingly honest and open, consistently establishing and maintaining trust within the diocese he has faithfully served and throughout the Church. Time and time again he has been an instrument of reconciliation and resolution."

Hollingsworth wrote that he concurred with both Jefferts Schori's "sense of patience and her hope for productive conversations with the Archbishop of Canterbury in New Orleans this autumn."

Hollingsworth, who became a bishop the same year as Robinson, is meeting with him and the other members of that class this week in a previously scheduled gathering.

"Of course we will consider this recent news thoughtfully and prayerfully...seeking not to be reactive, but faithfully responsive," he wrote.

The complete text of Hollingsworth's letter is available here.

Washington Bishop John Chane wrote in a May 23 letter to his diocese that he was "saddened" by the news that Robinson would not be invited to the Lambeth Conference in his status as
Bishop of New Hampshire.

Chane wrote that Williams' failure to invite Robinson "will be a high priority in our time together" when the House of Bishops meets with Williams in New Orleans in September.

Chane wrote that the "real issue" facing the Communion is leadership.

"Until we are able to separate ourselves from our fixation on human sexuality as the root of our divisions and address the dynamics of power and leadership in the Communion, we are doomed to fail in Christ's call to engage the world in the act of inclusive love and a mission-driven theology that claims justice, the rule of law and the respect for human rights as the core of our work as a Communion," Chane wrote.

The complete text of Chane's letter is available here.

Click here to read the entire article.

Decision on Lambeth Conference invitations draws reaction

By Matthew Davies and Mary Frances Schjonberg, May 22, 2007

[Episcopal News Service] The Archbishop of Canterbury's decision to withhold a small number of invitations to the 2008 Lambeth Conference of Bishops drew reaction as soon as the announcement was made public May 22.

snip

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori sent a short e-mail message to the House of Bishops urging "a calm approach to today's announcement regarding 2008 Lambeth Conference invitations, a subject on which I plan to make no formal statement at this time. It is possible that aspects of this matter may change in the next 14 months, and the House of Bishops' September meeting offers us a forum for further discussion."

House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson also issued a short statement saying that "the Episcopal Church elects bishops and consents to the election of bishops in a democratic and participatory manner. The process is carried out within our Constitution and Canons, both at the General Convention and in our dioceses. The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson is a duly elected and consecrated bishop of this Church. Not inviting him to the Lambeth Conference causes serious concern to The Episcopal Church."

snip

Meanwhile, according to a posting on the website Anglican Mainstream, Archbishop Peter Akinola, primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, said that withholding an invitation to Minns "will be viewed as withholding invitation to the entire House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria."

snip

The Rev. Susan Russell, the president of IntegrityUSA, said that her organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Episcopalians and their supporters, is "outraged and appalled" at Williams' decision not to invite Robinson. She suggested that the Episcopal Church's bishops ought "to think long and hard about whether they are willing to participate in the continued scapegoating of the gay and lesbian faithful as the price for going to the Lambeth Conference."

"This is not only a snub of Bishop Gene Robinson but an affront to the entire U.S. Episcopal Church," Russell said in part. "The Archbishop of Canterbury has allowed himself to be blackmailed by forces promoting bigotry and exclusion in the Anglican Communion. This action shows a disgraceful lack of leadership on Williams' part."

The complete IntegrityUSA statement is available here.

Click here for the entire ENS article.

Katharine Jefferts Schori on the future of the Episcopal Church

First woman to preside as bishop talks with Statesman religion reporter
By Eileen Flynn
American-Statesman Staff
Saturday, May 19, 2007

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, addressed the graduates of the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest on Tuesday in Northwest Austin. After the commencement, Jefferts Schori, the first woman to lead the national church, sat down with an American-Statesman reporter to talk about her denomination's challenges, including tensions within the 2.4 million-member American province and with Anglicans worldwide and her recent public row with Nigerian bishop Peter Akinola. Jefferts Schori, 53, also touched on her view of smart church growth and why this is the "most exciting time to be an Anglican in generations." She's most passionate about what her church is doing that doesn't make headlines: feeding the hungry, empowering the poor, educating children.

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[AMERICAN STATESMAN:] Let's talk about Bishop Akinola. You sent a letter to him asking him not to come to the U.S. and set up alternative episcopacies that would not recognize the Episcopal Church. He replied that it's ironic that you would ask him to follow custom when in fact your province has violated scriptural teachings on issues like homosexuality. Is there possibility for dialogue beyond this?

[PRESIDING BISHOP:] I think the possibility for dialogue with him in particular is a challenge. The reality is that we have changed our scriptural understandings about all sorts of things, including sexual ethics. We teach something different about contraception than we did 50 years ago. We permit remarriage after divorce, despite what Jesus said about it. Homosexuality is the most recent in a long series of challenges. Bishop Akinola is arguing that we've changed our understanding. Yes, we have, but not wholly. It's a challenge to many people who don't want to talk about sexuality in public. If you look at attitudes toward sexuality in general, and homosexuality in particular, what they were like in this country 50 years ago, and compare it to what they're like in Nigeria today — pretty similar.

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[PRESIDING BISHOP:] I think some people expect that the church should look like the church did when they were 15. The reality is, the church doesn't live unless it continues to change. And it's struggled with who's in and who's out from the very beginning. The first great controversies were about whether or not gentiles could be followers of Jesus. Do they have to be circumcised? Do they have to follow the dietary laws? We have struggled over and over again in this country with the place of slaves, African Americans, the place of immigrants, the place of women in the church. Today it's about the place of gay and lesbian people. There will be another group next. I don't know who it will be, but it's our human nature to say (we want) people like us.

Click here to read it all.

Nigerian Primate responds to letter from Presiding Bishop

By Staff
Episcopal News Service
May 03, 2007

Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola has responded publicly to an April 30 emailed letter from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, asking him to reconsider plans to install Nigerian Bishop Martyn Minns as head of the Nigerian-based Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).

The installation service is set for May 5 at the Hylton Memorial Chapel, a nondenominational Christian event center in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Jefferts Schori said the installation "would violate the ancient customs of the church" and would "not help the efforts of reconciliation." Such action, she said, "would display to the world division and disunity that are not part of the mind of Christ.

Click here to read the full ENS article.

Click here to read Archbishop Akinola's entire letter.

Episcopalians plan summer dialogue

Congregations, bishops to discuss gays' role in church
Saturday, April 28, 2007 6:30 AM
By Meredith Heagney
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Rank-and-file Episcopalians will have the chance to talk to their bishops this summer on the role of gays and lesbians in the church, Presiding U.S. Episcopal Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said yesterday in a visit to Columbus.

snip

The summer discussions between bishops and their congregations will help inform a September meeting of the bishops in New Orleans, Jefferts Schori said. The Archbishop of Canterbury and other Anglican Communion leaders have agreed to attend, she said.

"We'll have some more conversation," Jefferts Schori said. "I can't tell you what's going to happen."

snip

A task force of the church's executive council has been assigned the job of developing a response to the Anglican leaders' concerns, which should be complete in June, House of Deputies president Bonnie Anderson said.

The document primarily will be for the Episcopal Church and its bishops, Anderson said, though she hopes it "will be circulated and understood and received by others in the Anglican Communion."

Breidenthal, 56, said he already has been in touch with gay and lesbian members of the diocese, which is based in Cincinnati and includes Columbus.

He has said that he is "convinced that a faithful same-sex union, like any covenanted relation, is a way of following Jesus."

Click here to read the entire article.