Live Out Loud: An Interview with the Rev. Stephanie Spellers

If you, or your parish leadership, is not sure why Integrity is asking you to consider becoming a Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation, we commend to you this short (12 minute) interview between Neil Houghton, our former Vice-President for Local Affairs and an ongoing collaborator on the Believe Out Loud workshop curriculum, and the Rev. Stephanie Spellers, a prophetic voice for radical inclusion.

Stephanie helped found the Crossing emergent-church community which is resident at St. Paul's Cathedral in Boston, and is now on the staff of the Diocese of Long Island.  She's also the author of Radical Welcome: Embracing God, The Other, and the Spirit of Transformation, described as "at once a theological, inspirational, and practical guide for congregations that want to move beyond diversity and inclusion to present a vision for the church of the future: one where the transforming gifts, voices and power of marginalized cultures and groups bring new life to the mainline church."

In her conversation with Neil, Stephanie counters common questions like "We're afraid if we do this, they'll call us 'the gay church!'"  We hope her message leaves you inspired and energized to explore the welcoming church movement and what it can mean for your congregation.

My brother speaks!

My brother comments to the NY Times on this book review of the new book Thine Is The Kingdom.

To the Editor:

Jon Meacham’s review of “Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years” (“Thine Is The Kingdom,” April 4, 2010) fails to acknowledge an active groundswell of serious progressive theologians, ministers and congregants who wholeheartedly take the Bible seriously but not literally. Meacham’s statement that “a foundational belief” of Christianity is that Jesus’ death was substitional atonement for the sins of humankind flies in the face of scholarly research into first-century Christianity by such noted academics as Elaine Pagels, Richard Horsley and John Dominic Crossan. As an active member of the United Church of Christ, I can assure you that I embrace the wisdom that Jesus brought into the world and recognize its power to save (that is, to redeem our humanity and to bring us into alignment with Creation). I can do this without checking my twenty-first century brain at the church door. To assert that knowledge and faith are at odds is to diminish our God-given attributes in service of nothing.

Reed Price
Bainbridge Island, WA

Inclusive Church UK writes to the Presiding Bishop and Bishop Jon Bruno

Thank you to Scott Gunn at Seven Whole Days and to Giles Goddard, Chair of Inclusive Church UK for passing along this correspondace. We think you should share and share widely!

Scott writes:

I received this message today from my good friend Giles Goddard, writing as Chair of Inclusive Church. This open letter is addressed to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Bishop Jon Bruno of Los Angeles. It’s important for Americans to know that not all clergy in the Church of England are monolithic in their resistance to creating a church where all are welcome. Since it’s not yet on the IC website, I have included the entire text of the letter. I’m grateful for this voice from the UK. Please read it and pass it along!

Dear Bishop Katharine and Bishop Jon,

We congratulate you and the people of the Episcopal Church on the electoral process which has led to the election of the Revd Canon Diane Jardine Bruce and the Revd Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool as Suffragan Bishops of the Diocese of Los Angeles. We are aware that the process was carried out with great care and prayer, as will the decisions of Bishops and Standing Committees who consider whether to confirm the elections. We wish the elected candidates all joy in their ministries and assure them of our prayers.

The Anglican and Episcopalian tradition is, at its best, one which celebrates the breadth of human experience and welcomes the many ways in which we, as Christians, try to live out our vocations under God. We are therefore deeply sorry that the reaction from the Church of England to the election of Mary Glasspool has been at best grudging and at worst actively negative.

While it gives us no pleasure to dissociate ourselves from the sentiments expressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose wisdom in so many areas we deeply respect, we greatly regret the tone and content of his response, particularly in the context of his failure to make any comment on the seriously oppressive legislation being proposed in Uganda.

We wish you to know that there are a great many within the Church of England who like us are unequivocally supportive of TEC in being open to the election of bishops without regard to gender, race and sexuality. We pray that the Communion at large will grow in confidence and maturity, so that it can learn to celebrate both those things which hold us together and those things over which we disagree. In that context we greatly welcome the Theological Round Table on Human Sexuality recently announced by the Churches in India.

We urge you and your fellow Bishops and diocesan Standing Committees therefore not to be persuaded by responses from outside your province in considering the request to confirm these elections, and urge those who disagree to approach the Episcopal Church with a renewed and reinvigorated sense of trust in the actions of the Holy Spirit. As a Communion we are called to be an example to other Christians and those who have no belief. In a diverse and global world threatened by much, it is time now to move on from these questions which divide us and focus on responding to the huge challenges we face together.

Yours sincerely,
Giles Goddard
Chair, Inclusive Church