A reflection on the Statement by the Anglican Church of Canada House of Bishops

This blog post refers to the statement by the Anglican Church of Canada House of Bishops. 

There is great irony in the last paragraph of the statement. "Despite the pain and distress we feel at our own differences, yet we strongly affirm that we are united in striving for the highest degree of communion possible in the spirit of St Paul’s teaching of the nature of the body of Christ and our need for one another in Christ, where no one can say, ‘I have no need of you’ (1 Corinthians 12.21)."

Yet the statement issued by the bishops sends the message to same gender couples and to LBGTQ people:  We have no need of you.

Blaming the situation on a failure of enough people to continue to study the issue is ludicrous.  There are and always will be some who steadfastly refuse to engage in discussion and who will try and prevent others from doing so as well.  I've seen the same situation in The Episcopal Church for years.  Failure on the part of someone to learn more about their sisters and brothers in Christ is not an excuse for treating those same sisters and brothers as "less than."  Jesus provided no exceptions when he required us to love God and love each other as we love ourselves.

How much longer will this charade about changing the teaching on marriage go on anyway?  It's not like we have not seen changes in the past....remarriage after divorce comes to mind.  Jesus mentions marriage twice in the Gospels. Once is part of a discussion about adultery and the other in a discussion about divorce.  I don't find that a ringing endorsement of what we call marriage.  If He had greater concerns, I would have thought it would have been mentioned.  Jesus greatest concern was right relationship with God and with each other.   Marriage, regardless of the gender of the parties involved does not always represent a "right relationship."

If these bishops want to actually learn, why do they not just look at the lifelong, committed, monogamous and faithful relationships of hundreds of same gender couples over the years?   What better model could they have?  And remember, these couples have remained faithful despite continuing to be treated as second class citizens.

I laughed to myself recently when the daily office readings were from Genesis and included the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca and Leah, Jacob and the children born to him from three different wives.  We look to Scripture for models of marriage for today and we see nothing like even secular models.

Will we ever get over our fear and ignorance of what we don't know enough to learn from those who can teach us?  I'm not convinced.

May God continue to bless those couples who are forced to remain on the sidelines as others determine their marital fates.  May God give them the patience to endure.

Bruce Garner
President, Integrity USA

Archbishop Hiltz clarifies Canadian situation for fellow primates

SOLANGE DE SANTIS AND MARITES N. SISON
ANGLICAN JOURNAL
Jan 9, 2008

Saying that he hoped to "dispel rumour or misunderstanding,"
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has written to his fellow leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion explaining the developments around the blessing of same-sex unions, which has embroiled Canadian Anglicans in conflict.

In his four-page letter, which was sent to the other 34 Anglican primates and four moderators of the Anglican Communion's United Churches on Jan. 9, Archbishop Hiltz, who is the national archbishop, underscored that the Anglican Church of Canada has not yet agreed upon a definitive position on the issue. "It is important to note that the Anglican Church of Canada has not altered its doctrine of marriage as outlined in our prayer books and canons (church laws)."

Read the full story online at http://www.anglicanjournal.com

Ottawa synod to consider blessing same-sex couples

Anglican Journal
Staff
Sep 19, 2007

The diocese of Ottawa's regularly scheduled synod will decide Oct. 12-13 whether to request its bishop to grant permission for clergy to bless same-sex relationships.

It is the first diocese to consider the matter since the triennial General Synod, the Anglican Church of Canada’s national governing body, agreed in June that same-sex blessings are "not in conflict" with core church doctrine, but declined by a slim margin to affirm the authority of dioceses to offer them.

The Ottawa motion, moved by Ron Chaplin, a member of the diocese's branch of Integrity, a support group for gay Anglicans, and Canon Garth Bulmer, rector of St. John the Evangelist, reads: "Be it resolved that this synod requests that the bishop grant permission for clergy, whose conscience permits, to bless duly solemnized and registered civil marriages between same-sex couples, where one party is baptized; and that he authorizes an appropriate rite and guidelines for its use in supportive parishes."

Click here to read the rest.

Clergy test rulings on same-sex blessings

Marites N. Sison
Anglican Journal
Sep 4, 2007

Varying interpretations of the decisions made in June by General Synod about human sexuality have already led one Canadian parish to publicly offer blessings to same-gender unions, and another to say that it would not deny a parishioner’s request for a same-sex marriage.

Click here to read the rest.

Legal experts tackle same-sex questions

Marites N. Sison
Anglican Journal
Aug 20, 2007

Conflicting interpretations of the ramifications of General Synod’s recent decisions around same-sex blessings have led the bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada to consult with their chancellors.

Among the questions that have arisen: What does the approved motion stating that "the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the doctrine of the Anglican Church of Canada" mean? Can clergy and dioceses now conduct same-sex blessings? Some bishops have issued pastoral letters asking clergy not to conduct same-sex blessings – can priests be disciplined if they ignore this directive? How can clergy be disciplined if General Synod already declared that same-sex blessings are "not in conflict" with the core doctrine of the church? What does the defeat of the motion affirming the authority of dioceses to offer same-sex blessings mean?

And, for the diocese of New Westminster, which approved such blessings in 2002: Do the decisions mean an end to the moratorium on blessings? (In response to the House of Bishops' agreement in 2005 not to encourage nor initiate same-sex blessings "until General Synod has made a decision on the matter" New Westminster had voted to impose a moratorium on allowing any new parishes to permit same-sex blessings; those parishes which already received the bishop’s approval were permitted to continue.)

Click here to read the rest.

New human sexuality resources online

ALI SYMONS
GENERAL SYNOD WEB WRITER

AUGUST 17, 2007 -- Canadian Anglicans continue to study how human sexuality intersects with their faith, and new online resources now are available to support this study. The Faith, Worship, and Ministry department has reorganized and expanded their website's collection, including links, timelines, and downloadable studies.

"At General Synod 2007, one of the critical calls that we heard over and over again was that people wanted more time to study. I wanted to make sure that this material was readily accessible," said Rev. Canon Dr. Linda Nicholls, Coordinator for Dialogue, who organized the material and wrote the introductions.

Many resources address the topic of same-sex blessings. A quick primer of General Synod resolutions brings readers up to speed, and the resource guide from Faith, Worship, and Ministry is a way to venture further. Among the many resources online are a bibliography for independent readers and a PowerPoint presentation of General Synod 2007 resolutions prepared by the diocese of Huron.

But the topic of sexuality is more than just same-sex blessings. "One of the cries we have heard is that the same-sex blessings issue needs to be seen in the larger picture of human sexuality, which we have not, for the most part, talked about," said Canon Nicholls. A marriage study is one resource that begins these conversations with sessions on cohabitation and divorce.

"Every community has a doorway into talking about human sexuality," she explained, listing monogamy, singleness, and in vitro fertilization as issues that affect Canadian Anglicans. "I think there's the potential to really engage people in the church, from teenagers right through seniors, and really ask, 'so what does sexuality mean?'"

The Faith, Worship, and Ministry committee will discuss these broader questions of human sexuality when they meet in October 2007. Canon Nicholls said that one way to explore the topic is to sit down with people who have different opinions, perhaps members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, who are tackling similar issues.

Issues around human sexuality‹especially in the church‹often raise eyebrows and ruffle feathers, but Canon Nicholls wants your feedback on the resources. "There are real live people at the other end of those email addresses who are happy to respond and hear people's concerns and comments," she said. "Those comments feed into what we do as we prepare for the next General Synod. All comments are taken seriously."

Link: http://www.anglican.ca/faith/hs/index.htm

MCC Comments On Canadian General Synod

Remarks by
Rev. Nancy L. Wilson
Office of the Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches

July 16, 2007

On Sunday, June 24, 2007, the Anglican Church of Canada, acting as an independent province of the worldwide Anglican Communion, attempted to straddle an impossible fence: the divide between acceptance and action.

In consecutive votes that both affirmed the compatibility of same-sex blessings with "core doctrine" and denied priests and parishes the freedom to offer such blessings, the House of Bishops sent a clear message not about LGBT relationships but about their own unwillingness to fully honor their call as both prophets and pastors.

Whether we see marriage equality as the "civil rights battle" of our time or only a piece of a much more encompassing struggle for human equality, the Church Universal has a responsibility to lead the way in dismantling social prejudice, not upholding it. Many believe the Anglican Bishops who countermanded the supportive majority votes in both the lay and clergy houses, did so out of the fear of losing communion with churches in Latin America and Africa.

I am reminded of St. John's counsel: Perfect love casts out all fear. We cannot save our relationships with one another by acting on our fears of loss. Only by calling one another to accountability for the love we share in Christ, will our ties and affinities be strengthened.

As the leader of a worldwide communion that serves people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, I am compelled to address the racism that allows us to pit the Northern Hemisphere against the Southern, people of European descent against those of African or Latin descent, as justification for inequality, hatred, or violence. There are many, many people of African, Latin and European descent, to name a few, whose voices are represented by Metropolitan Community Churches, and who believe passionately in human equality within the Church and beyond its borders. There are many, many people of diverse heritages who have made tremendous sacrifices and taken great personal and professional risks to call for and ensure human solidarity and equality.

As denominational leaders, our common responsibility is to provide pastoral care for the people we serve as well as to lead our communities with prophetic vision and courage. While no one of us fulfills that call perfectly, love is our common calling. In service to that call, I ask that believers of all Christian traditions join in praying for courage for all people in leadership, that we might bridge the gap between acceptance and action in pursuit of the day when all our lives, and our many families, and our diverse ways of loving are acknowledged as equally holy and equally blessed in the eyes of God.

/signed/

+Nancy

Rev. Nancy L. Wilson
Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches


This statement prepared in conjunction with MCC's Global Justice Team, Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Chair.

Church can’t remain divided, say youth

Jul 11 2007
Oak Bay News

Churchgoers at St. Philip’s in north Oak Bay [British Columbia] – just like Anglicans around the world – are divided on whether same-sex unions should be blessed. Parishioner Ernest Morrow said polarization exists even among young adults.

The difference, he said, is the younger parishioners are more "socially acclimatized" to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights.

They are also interested in reconciliation, he said.

"There's a real sense of we’ve got to work this through together," Morrow said.

St. Philips parishioners with strong and unwavering opposition to the church blessing same-sex marriages have been part of a cautious dialogue with supporters of changing church doctrine. Those supporters include a married gay couple at the church.

Despite the possibilities for outright fighting in the congregation, Morrow said the conversations have been "very decent."

"Because these are matters of faith, it's been very, very intense," he said, but "there's graceful disagreement."

Click here to read the rest.

Anglican priests set to defy same-sex blessing ban

Richard Foot
CanWest News Service
Friday, July 06, 2007

Two weeks after the Anglican Church of Canada voted to maintain its ban on same-sex blessings, a pair of renegade parishes are publicly vowing to bless and even marry gay and lesbian couples, saying there are dozens of other Anglican parishes across the country defying the rules of the national church.

Clergy at Holy Trinity Church in downtown Toronto, and at St. Saviour's Church in Victoria, have each declared their intention to push ahead with blessing ceremonies despite a decision by their church's national governing body forbidding such acts.

"We also intend, when the opportunity arises, to take the next step which is a (same-sex) marriage ceremony," said Jim Ferry, one of the priests at Holy Trinity.

"And we're not the only ones," he said Friday. "There are other parishes across the country who have been quietly going ahead and doing same-sex blessings. They're in the major urban centres, wherever there's a significant population of gay and lesbian people.

"I think, for the most part, it will be tolerated."

One senior Anglican official, who did not want his name published, said he expects the Anglican bishops in Toronto and Victoria to discipline priests in those parishes in order to enforce the rules of the national church. Bishops have the authority to fire priests or withhold their licences to minister.

Click here to read the rest.

Photograph by : MALCOLM TAYLOR/CNS

Holy disobedience

Breaking the law for the sake of love.
by Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck
July 6, 2007

From June 18 to 25, members of the Anglican Church of Canada gathered from across the country to hear reports, to worship together, and to make decisions on some fairly important issues. The most controversial of the issues, of course, was the ongoing acrimonious debate about the place of queer folk in the church. As someone who has been in the thick of this particular battle for the past several years, I was watching closely (via internet coverage) to see where the chips would fall.

snip

It was almost a year ago when my own patience ran out. I found myself caught on the horns of a vexing ethical dilemma: as a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada, I had taken a vow of obedience to my bishop (yes, slightly medieval, I know), but now that vow was putting me in a position where I would be actively discriminating against GLBTT members of the church. As the chaplain for our local chapter of Integrity (a group within the church for queer folk and their allies), I had received a request from a gay couple to bless their relationship. Church law forbade me. My bishop forbade me. But the Spirit compelled me, and She trumps the others. There was no way I was going to turn this couple down.

So after a fair bit of soul-searching, I told my bishop that I would not be towing the line on this issue anymore. I called my position an act of ecclesiastical civil disobedience, but I don’t think he really got it. In any case, I soon found myself delicensed and out of a job, in exile along with the many who have been marginalized by the ecclesiastical powers that be. Interestingly enough, others in the church have picked up on my action, calling it “holy disobedience,” and it is not impossible that more clergy will follow suit in the months to come. In fact, recently Holy Trinity parish in downtown Toronto voted to do just that: clergy and people together, they are not waiting any longer for the full inclusion of queer Christians — the entire parish is prepared to break canon law. Holy disobedience indeed.

Click here to read the entire article.

Two Anglican parishes offer same-sex ceremonies

Priests say Synod resolution allows blessings
Marites N. Sison
staff writer
Anglican Journal
Jul 5, 2007

The dust has barely settled and already, different interpretations of the decisions General Synod made last month about human sexuality have led one parish to publicly offer blessings to same-gender unions, and another to say that it would not deny a parishioner's request for a same-sex marriage.

During its seven-day meeting in Winnipeg, the church's highest governing body approved a resolution saying that same-sex blessings are "not in conflict" with the church's core doctrine but defeated another that would have given dioceses the power to offer them in churches.

There is enough ambiguity in those decisions that it is left open to dioceses and churches to offer same-sex blessings, said Rev. Jim Ferry, who was fired for being involved in a homosexual relationship in 1991. He has since been given some duties at Holy Trinity church in downtown Toronto.

"I think at first there was some confusion (regarding the decisions on sexuality). But after having reflected on them, it seemed that the most important of the two resolutions (the one stating same-sex blessings are 'not in conflict' with Anglican core doctrine) had passed," said Mr. Ferry. "It's very positive. It moves us out of the realm of canon law into pastoral decision-making."

In Victoria, B.C., the rector of St. Saviour’s church, Rev. Antonio Osorio, invited lesbian and gay couples to be blessed in his parish during the Sunday service July 1. Four couples showed up to be blessed as a group and as couples, said Mr. Osorio.

"These were people in committed, faithful and long-term relationships," he said in a telephone interview. "They were there as friends, as members of our community and as volunteers of our church."

Click here to read the rest.

Church pours scorn on love

Jul 03, 2007 04:30 AM
Mark Abley
Toronto Star

A small miracle occurred two days ago across the nation: Hundreds of gay and lesbian Anglicans showed up to worship in churches that had just scorned them.

I know, that's not the official story. The official story is that by a narrow margin, the bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada voted to make it impossible for any parish in the country to bless same-sex couples. Warships and hamsters can be blessed, but not a loving pair of women or men.

The closeness of the Winnipeg vote inspired a lot of huffing and puffing about "pastoral generosity" – although Bishop Larry Robertson, more forthright than your average Anglican leader, promptly announced: "I don't and cannot accept homosexual behaviour."

Among traditional-minded Anglicans, the typical response to the vote was nervous relief. Their fear that the issue remains unsettled is understandable. But last week their blogs and websites also featured a smattering of hateful rhetoric of the kind that makes me wonder why I remained a church member for much of my adult life.

snip

In the face of such fulminations, most gay and lesbian members of the church kept their heads down last week. On Sunday they faithfully trooped into the uncomfortable pews. They still appear to believe their time will come.

I wonder how long they'll have to wait.

Click here to read the entire op-ed piece.

Anglican priest to bless lesbian and gay couples

Louise Dickson and Matthew Gauk, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, June 30, 2007

Father Antonio Osorio is inviting lesbian and gay couples to be blessed at St. Saviour's Anglican Church tomorrow.

"They need to know they are not second-class Christians," said Osorio. "I am going to bless them as a group because they are faithful and beautiful Christians. And if they want to be blessed as individual couples, I will do it too."

The blessing, which will take place at the 10 a.m. mass, is not a marriage ceremony. Osorio will also ask his gay parishioners to bless him. "It will mean in God's eyes they are equal to me," he said.

snip

"The Anglican Church, in my opinion, needs to stop playing games," said Osorio, who attended the national meeting and voted in favour of blessing same-sex unions.

"I am very pleased the national church has said blessing same-sex unions is not in conflict with the doctrine of the church," he said. "I believe blessing these unions is a justice issue. Now is the time to start blessing same-sex couples. I have done it and I intend to keep doing it."

snip

Archdeacon Bruce Bryant-Scott of the Diocese of British Columbia said Osorio is "pushing the envelope" but not crossing any lines. "He knows what the guidelines are. He knows what's acceptable."

The church does not want to discriminate against its gay members, said Bryant-Scott. "There may have been occasions when people were refused communion or when baptism was refused to children of same-sex couples -- and that's not on," said the archdeacon.

Click here to read the entire article.

Bishops narrowly overturn vote to approve gay unions

MICHAEL VALPY
Toronoto Globe and Mail
June 25, 2007

A razor-thin majority of Canada's Anglican bishops yesterday overrode the wishes of their laity and clergy and vetoed a resolution that would have allowed for blessings of homosexual unions.

The bishops' action will spare the Canadian church from censure by leaders of other branches of the global Anglican Communion, almost all of whom are vehemently opposed to blessing same-sex unions and permitting priests to be in open homosexual relationships.

But it will anger many Canadian Anglicans, particularly in large urban centres, and isolate the U.S. Episcopal Church, which alone in the worldwide Anglican Communion has approved a liturgy for same-sex blessings and appointed an openly gay bishop.

Click here to read the rest.

Anglican Church of Canada shies away from blessing same sex unions

Winnipeg Free Press
By Jen Skerritt

Some members of the Anglican Church of Canada were left in tears Sunday, after a motion to bless same-sex unions lost by only two votes.

The motion was supported by the majority of clergy and laity at the group’s national meeting, but two bishops who opposed the idea were the deciding factor. The motion was defeated by 21-19.

The decision shocked many same-sex supporters who thought the motion would pass since earlier in the day Anglicans voted same-sex blessings were not in conflict with the church’s doctrine.

Chris Ambidge, national spokesman for an Anglican group that supports same-sex unions, said the national meeting sent mixed messages to Anglicans across Canada and was confusing to everyone who voted.

"What is wrong with having rights of blessing when you’ve already said it's OK?" he said. "I just don’t understand that."

snip

Bishop Peter Coffin voted to support same-sex unions, and said he's going to have a hard time breaking the news to his congregation. Coffin said he's appalled the church is talking about gay and lesbian members without discussing the issue with them directly. "I'm just dreaming up what I'm going to say (to my congregation)," he said. "It's going to be hurtful."

Ambidge said the ruling that same-sex blessings aren't in conflict with the church's core doctrine was a bit of good news that proves the church will eventually change its mind on the issue.

"The head of the baby is out, so the rest is coming," Ambidge said.

Click here to read the entire article.

Synod narrowly defeats same-sex blessings

Solange De Santis
staff writer, Angican Journal
Jun 24, 2007
Winnipeg

Canadian Anglicans, meeting at their General Synod governing convention, voted by the slimmest of margins to defeat a proposal that would have permitted church blessing rites for gay couples.

However, on the same day, the synod – also by a narrow margin – agreed that such blessings are "not in conflict with the core doctrine" of the church. Much of the sixth day of the synod was taken up with debate on the two questions, with dozens of people approaching microphones in the plenary hall to voice emotional opinions.

Proponents of the measure said Bible verses that seem to condemn homosexuality do not address faithful, loving relationships and that God and Christ’s love includes gay people and their relationships. They also called upon the Canadian church to show leadership and give hope to gay people in countries where they are oppressed and they noted that gay marriage is a legal reality in Canada. Clergy and bishops wanting blessings talked of widespread disobedience of a "no" vote.

snip

"There is disappointment – a lot of pain. Some people will be saying 'How long, O Lord, how long?'" said Bishop Fred Hiltz of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, who is the incoming primate or national archbishop. When asked how he might maintain discipline among clergy and bishops who want to move forward, he said, "My sense is that, as painful as these realities are, we do have a responsibility to respect the decisions of General Synod. It’s not the last time this will come up."

snip

"I am not upset. The tide is moving (toward approval). The first motion (concerning doctrine) makes a theological space for gay and lesbian people in the church," said Ron Chaplin, a Synod observer who is a member of the Ottawa branch of Integrity, a gay Anglican support group.

Click here to read the entire article.

Canadian Synod Inches Towards Gay Blessings

By Guardian Unlimited
Published: 6/24/2007

Anglicans decide they are not breaching doctrine - Vote could worsen split in worldwide communion

Canadian Anglicans took a significant step towards endorsing gay partnerships at their synod in Winnipeg yesterday by voting after prolonged debate that they did not believe that they were in conflict with core church doctrine.

The move is likely to send waves through the worldwide Anglican communion, already teetering on the brink of schism over the third largest Christian denomination's attitude towards its homosexual and lesbian members.

Following hours of debate spread over two days, repeated attempts by Canadian conservatives to delay the move, or to change the size of the majority required under church rules to carry the motion, were headed off. Later yesterday the synod was moving on to debate whether dioceses could authorize services of blessing for committed same-sex couples.

Canada's Anglican bishops last night issued a statement saying: "While not all bishops can conceive of condoning or blessing same-sex unions, we believe it is not only appropriate but a Gospel imperative to pray with the whole people of God, no matter their circumstances ... to refuse to pray with any person is to suggest God is not with them."

Church leaders were pleased with the move. Among those voting in favor was the incoming primate, archbishop-elect Fred Hiltz, elected by lay and clergy synod members on Friday, largely because he was believed to be liberal on the issue.

Click here to read the rest.

Blessing of same-sex unions defeated

Winnipeg, June 24, 2007 -- The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada has narrowly defeated a resolution that would have allowed dioceses to decide for themselves whether or not to bless same-sex unions.

Lay delegates voted 78 to 59 in favor of the motion and clergy voted 63 to 53 in favor But the House of Bishops voted 21-19 against it. As a result the motion was defeated, since it required approval by each of the three orders to pass.

The motion read:

"That this General Synod affirm the authority and jurisdiction of any diocesan synod,

a. with the concurrence of the diocesan bishop, and
b. in a manner which respects the conscience of the incumbent and the will of the parish,

to authorize the blessing of committed same-sex unions."

Source: http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2007-06-24_ssb.news

Same-sex blessings not in conflict with core doctrine

Winnipeg, June 24, 2007 -- Members of the Anglican Church of Canada's General Synod in Winnipeg agreed Sunday that the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the church's core doctrine, in the sense of being credal.

Debate resumed Sunday morning after being suspended late Saturday.

The motion carried reads: "That this General Synod resolves that the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the core doctrine (in the sense of being credal) of the Anglican Church of Canada.

The motion was carried by a vote of 152 for, 97 against in the house of clergy and laity and by a vote of 21 for and 19 against in the house of bishops.

Source: http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2007-06-24_m.news

Sin or sacrament?

Anglicans divided on gay rites
Sun, June 24, 2007
Winnepeg Sun
By CP

WINNIPEG -- The question of whether to bless same-sex unions remained unanswered for Anglicans yesterday, so they will tackle it again today.

Instead of debating the issue last night, delegates at the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada spent hours wrangling over procedural issues.

Canada's outgoing primate, or church leader, seemed somewhat fed up after two hours of discussion about technical issues, and even joked the debate would go more smoothly after a good night's rest.

"It vexes me that Anglicans are prepared to spend more energy in process than substance," said Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, a comment that drew cheers and clapping from the delegates and observers.

snip

Archdeacon Karl McLean, a colonel with the Canadian Forces, said the church should bless same-sex relationships that are monogamous and committed.

"We need to consider and demonstrate God's character, God's love and justice," said McLean.

Rev. Andrew Asbil said about 30% of the people in the area surrounding his church in downtown Toronto identify themselves as gay or lesbian. He urged delegates to accept everyone into the church.

"The time is coming and it is now," said Asbil. "Put sandals on your feet, a staff in your hand and let's go."

Click here to read the entire article.