Requiescat in Pace: The Rt. Rev. Marvil Thomas Shaw III, SSJE

Integrity joins the church in mourning the death of the Right Rev. Marvil Thomas "Tom" Shaw III SSJE, recently retired bishop of Massachusetts.

Born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1945, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1971 and joined the Society of St. John the Evangelist, an Anglican religious order for clergy and laity, in 1975. He served a term as its leader beginning in 1983.  He was consecrated a bishop in 1994 and assumed the diocesan seat the following year.

Bishop Shaw Visiting St. Paul's: Newburyport in January
PHOTO CREDIT: Ollie Jones (flickr.com/joebackward)
Used by Creative Commons License.  Some rights reserved

Bishop Shaw's advocacy for the LGBT community is significant.  He came out in 2012 and described his experience as a gay, celibate monk at the 2008 Lambeth Conference (a worldwide gathering of Anglican bishops that was fraught with controversy over the consecration of the Right Rev. Gene Robinson) in the documentary Love Free or Die.

The Rt. Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles, met Shaw over thirty years ago while a student at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge. "He committed himself when he became bishop, that he would make it a priority for LGBT families to feel safe, loved and included before his retirement."

"When I first came into the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts right out of college in 1995, Bishop Shaw was near the beginning of his episcopate. As I got to know this diocese, I was struck by the tone he set-- one of prayer, commitment, public advocacy and proclamation, innovation, discipline. LGBTQ people should remember his early, strong support for HIV/AIDS ministries, of openly gay and lesbian ecclesial leadership, and of marriage equality here in Massachusetts over two decades ago," said the Rev. Cameron Partridge, Co-Convener of TransEpiscopal and Chaplain at Boston University. "His support of transgender equality and leadership is particularly noteworthy, from his quiet support of my ordination process after I came out in 2001, to his public advocacy for trans non-discrimination legislation in MA and at the 2009 and 2012 General Conventions, to his memorable words of welcome at Boston's Trans Day of Remembrance observances from 2010-2013. All of this was so clearly the fruit of his ongoing conversion, of growth into the heart of God to which he always issued an open invitation. For me, that prayerful engagement of transformation -- including the opening of his own heart-- is +Tom's lasting legacy."

"In 2008 Bishop Shaw confirmed me into the Episcopal Church," said Vivian Taylor, executive director of Integrity USA. "His strong, wise leadership created an environment in the Diocese of Massachusetts where I could come out, where I could transition. He is a great leader and his work will live on both here in Massachusetts and throughout the Episcopal Church."

"Tom was a kind, contemplative man, and willing to learn and grow," added Marie Alford-Harkey, Integrity's Province I (New England) Coordinator, a graduate of Episcopal Divinity School and Deputy Director of the Religious Institute.

Bishop Shaw's advocacy did not start or end on human sexuality.  Bishop Glasspool cited his dedication to reforming the structures that lead to poverty, as well as immigration policy and gun laws. He also campaigned for peace in the Middle East and led numerous pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Africa, and South America, to bring about better understanding of global social issues.  Locally, he founded a middle school and other programs for disadvantaged Boston youth, and -- in 2003 -- helped launch the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, a facility in Greenfield, N.H. that is operated by the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Christian Paolino is the Chair of the Integrity Stakeholders' Council.  This is a revision of the original breaking story.

This Far By Faith: Integrity at 40

"Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult 

with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!" 

ZEPH. 3:14

Forty years ago this fall, a young English professor from Georgia named Louie Crew phoned Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, inquiring how he and his partner might find other gay Episcopalians in the city. The response was less than hospitable, but -- rather than concede or walk way -- he decided that if gay and lesbian people were going to have a home in the church, they would just have to create that community themselves.

A monthly newsletter was launched, and within a year, groups of men and women were organizing themselves into chapters across the city. Their efforts quickly drew the attention of the current Presiding Bishop, and -- before long -- it became clear that the church was not going to be making decisions about us without including us in the conversation.

We have made tremendous progress in the years since, stepping from the fringes into the heart of congregations, dioceses, and all facets of church life and leadership. As secular culture began debating about and evolving on matters like marriage equality, bullying and transgender identity, we were pleased and proud to find allies from all walks of life -- from the Presiding Bishop to heterosexual teenagers from the Midwest -- speaking out on our behalf.

As such, Integrity is gearing up to celebrate forty years of ministry in a big way. Our theme is This Far By Faith, and we will be celebrating our progress to date, taking a realistic look at where we stand, and planning for our role as the church and the world continue to change.We want to include as many of our constituents, members, allies and friends as we can, so we plan to keep the party going for a whole year!

To start, we are thrilled to announce that the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, will celebrate the Eucharist and preach at our kickoff on Thursday, November 6 at The Church of the Good Shepard in Raleigh. If you have never heard Bishop Curry preach, we are confident that his sermon from the 2012 General Convention in Indianapolis, entitled "We Need Some Crazy Christians" will have you ready to plan your travel to this event:

This will also formally launch a local campaign we are conducting with the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and local leaders, in partnership with the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.

Over the course of the year that follows, we will sponsor additional activities (some of which will be on-line), and we encourage our chapters and partner congregations to plan events of their own. All our local activities will be featured on our new web site, which will be launched prior to the Nov. 6 event.

The celebration will culminate at the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, coming up next summer in Salt Lake City, UT. The spectacular Integrity Eucharist, which has become a "must-do" for many convention goers, will feature the Right Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, Suffragan Bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles, as the preacher.

For 40 years, Integrity has served as the Episcopal voice for LGBTQ Christians. We will
be honoring Integrity's past, present, and future, and we hope you'll be a part of it.

The Board and Staff of Integrity