Gene Robinson in Florida

The Miami Herald reports on Gene Robinson's talk in Florida.

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ
People must ''rescue the Bible from the religious right'' and fight for civil rights to be extended to everyone, including gays and lesbians, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop said Tuesday night.
Gene Robinson, the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, told a crowd of about 150 people at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center in Davie that society suffers from a system set up to benefit heterosexual couples, which he called ``heterosexism.''

Only straight couples can marry in most states. In the military, gays and lesbians work under a ''don't ask, don't tell'' policy.

And that system needs to end, Robinson said.

''We have lost the distinction between what the state does and what the church and synagogue does,'' Robinson said.

Read it all here.

AP: Anglican leader blasts US over Iraq

By THOMAS WAGNER
Associated Press Writer

LONDON (AP) -- Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, criticized the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in an interview published Sunday, saying it was worse than the British land grabs of the colonial era.

"It is one thing to take over a territory and even pour energy and resources into administrating it and normalizing it," said Williams. "Rightly or wrongly, that's what the British Empire did - in India for example...." he told the Muslim lifestyle magazine Emel.

Read it all here.

Faith In America campaign

Faith in America group ended its campaign in South Carolina earlier this month with a town hall debate in Greenville between Christian evangelicals [sic] and the campaign's organizers.

PBS video: qurl.com/s3zwb

More:
www.faithinamerica.info/
www.callingfortruth.org/cft/

NY Times: Gay Pastor in the Bronx Could Lose Her Collar

By TIM MURPHY
Published: November 25, 2007

In 1994, when the Rev. Katrina D. Foster became pastor of Fordham Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Bronx, she threw herself into ministering to her small, mostly Caribbean-born congregation. She not only preached to them on Sundays but lived in the neighborhood and showed up to support them in everything from surgeries to legal matters.

But Pastor Foster was keeping a secret from her congregation. She held onto it even after a woman came to live with her in the parsonage, then joined the church choir.


Read it all here.

Come Ye Thankful People Come!

620 Park Avenue #311 Rochester, NY 14607-2943
800-462-9498 info@integrityusa.org http://www.integrityusa.org/

November 21, 2007

In this season of Thanksgiving, Integrity is grateful for the dedication, commitment, and generosity of all those who help make our witness to God’s inclusive love both possible and powerful. In particular…

• We give thanks for the gift of a new partnership with the Arcus Foundation—whose generous grants will enable us to expand our work within the councils of the Episcopal Church—advocating for the full inclusion of the LGBT baptized into the Body of Christ.


• We give thanks for the addition of Jan Adams to our staff as a field organizer leading up to General Convention 2009. A cradle Episcopalian, Jan brings decades of experience as a political organizer and educator—as well as a deep commitment to the Good News of God in Christ Jesus and the Episcopal Church.


• We give thanks for the appointment of Randolph "Randy" Kimmler as chaplain to Integrity's national board of directors. A long-time member of Integrity, Randy brings to the board his gifts as a lay pastor, liturgist, and activist. We are deeply grateful for his willingness to serve.

Above all, we give thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; to him be praise and glory, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

(Photos and contact information for Jan and Randy can be found at www.integrityusa.org/board.)

Tutu: Williams should tackle Anglican homophobia

Nobel Peace Laureate and South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu says that Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams should be tackling homophobia in the church and making it a welcoming place for lesbian and gay people.

In a BBC radio interview to be broadcast next Tuesday, 27 November 2007, Archbishop Tutu says that he is depressed by the Church's "obsession" with the issue of gay priests, and believes that its Gospel message is being undermined by "extreme homophobia".

[snip]

Of Dr Rowan Williams...Dr Tutu says: "Why doesn't he demonstrate a particular attribute of God's which is that God is a welcoming God?"


Read it all here.

N. California Takes 'Huge' Step for Blessings

The Rev. James Richardson, interim rector, All Souls Berkeley, writes to emphasize that the Diocese of Northern California's recently passed resolution calling for same-gender union rites "was a HUGE step for our otherwise conservative, mostly rural diocese....no one, including the bishop, expected it to pass." Sounds like the Holy Spirit had expectations of her own. Thanks be for one more sign that "conservative" dioceses are getting just as fed up with the "fast" from blessings as the progressives are. Here's the resolution:

RESOLVED:
That this 97th Convention of the Diocese of Northern California, desiring to support our sisters and brothers in Christ who are in same-gender relationships of mutuality and fidelity, and desiring to provide clergy with appropriate pastoral tools for ministering to persons in same-gender relationships, calls upon General Convention of the Episcopal Church to develop and authorize same-sex union blessing rites.

Niagara diocese approves blessings for gay couples; bishop assents

Anglican Journal

Solange De Santis
staff writer
Nov 17, 2007

Hamilton, Ont.

The southern Ontario diocese of Niagara, meeting at its annual synod, on Nov. 17 voted to allow civilly-married gay couples, “where at least one party is baptized,” to receive a church blessing.

Bishop Ralph Spence, who had refused to implement a similar vote three years ago, this time gave his assent, making Niagara the third diocese since the June General Synod convention to accept same-sex blessings.


Read it all here.

Notable Event: Archbishop of Mexico to Speak in NYC

This just in from St. Luke in the Fields:

"On Thursday, November 29, at 7:00 pm in Laughlin Hall (The Church of St. Luke in the Fields (Episcopal), 487 Hudson Street, the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church of Mexico, The Most Rev. Carlos Touche-Porter, will speak on “Latin American Anglicans and the Global Center.” Archbishop Touche-Porter is one of the Patrons of the Inclusive Church movement which he connects to the history of the Mexican Church....Join us! All are welcome. A reception will follow. Free will offering."

INTEGRITY COMMENTS ON DIOCESE OF CHICAGO ELECTION

620 Park Avenue #311 Rochester, NY 14607-2943
800-462-9498 info@integrityusa.org www.integrityusa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2007

Integrity congratulates Jeffrey Lee on his election as the next Bishop of Chicago. "We look forward to working with Bishop-elect Lee in continuing Chicago's long history of working for the full-inclusion of the LGBT faithful in the life and witness of the diocese," said the Rev. Susan Russell, President of Integrity.

"Integrity also commends the Search Committee of the Diocese of Chicago for including the Very Rev. Lind as a candidate despite the chilling effects of Resolution B033—and Dean Lind herself for standing for election in spite of the House of Bishops' recent statement in New Orleans," continued Russell. "We may never know how significant a factor Resolution B033 was in the outcome of the Chicago election. However, we do know that Resolution B033 is noncanonical and discriminatory. Two dioceses—California and Rochester—have already passed resolutions to General Convention 2009 that will nullify B033. We strongly urge all bishops and deputies to support such resolutions and their intent to end B033's inequity when we get to General Convention 2009 in Anaheim."

PRESS CONTACTS

The Rev. Susan Russell, President
president@integrityusa.org
714-356-5718 (mobile)
626-583-2741 (office)

Mr. John Gibson, Director of Communications
jhngb@aol.com
917-518-1120 (mobile)

Hands Across the Aisle: TransEpiscopal Supports Rev. Pheonix

Friday, November 2, 2007

TransEpiscopal, an organization made up of Episcopalians who are transgender, as well as allies and family of transgender loved ones, extends its support and congratulations to the Reverend Drew Phoenix [on the reaffirmation of his ministry by the United Methodist Church's highest judicial body]. Rev. Phoenix, by all accounts, is doing an outstanding job at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Baltimore, Maryland. As several members of TransEpiscopal are also ordained clergy who are transgender, and as we serve in various ministries throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, we know something of the struggle Rev. Phoenix is going through, and we offer thanks to God for his ministry and the opportunity he has to engage in it.

Read more here.