L.A. Diocese receives majority of Standing Committee consents to elections of Mary Glasspool and Diane Bruce as bishops suffragan

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Los Angeles has received the necessary majority of Standing Committee consents to the December 2009 elections of the Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce and the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool as bishops suffragan to serve the six-county Los Angeles diocese.


The Los Angeles Standing Committee reported March 10 that within the last 64 days it has received 61 consents needed to the election of Glasspool, and 78 consents to the election of Bruce. In each election a majority of 56 consents was needed from the counterpart Standing Committees of the 110 dioceses of the Episcopal Church.

The consent process to Glasspool’s election is not complete until the Presiding Bishop’s Office in New York confirms that it has received the necessary majority of consents from bishops with jurisdiction in the dioceses of the Church. Meanwhile, the Presiding Bishop’s Office has notified the Los Angeles Standing Committee that 58 of the 61 Standing Committee consents received have been verified to date.

Read the rest of the story here.

The total of votes from bishops with jurisdiction is still pending.

The Rev. David Tarbet remembered for seeking 'the Gospel in people' and ways to serve

By Pat McCaughan, March 08, 2010

[Episcopal News Service] Colleagues, family and friends celebrated the Rev. David Tarbet's life by attending a March 6 party already planned for what would have been his 69th birthday.Tarbet, who died March 4 at his Houston home, was remembered by friends and colleagues as a gentle warrior who, despite dogged health problems and other adversities, stood up for what he believed in and never failed to honor the good in others.

"It was a lovely evening albeit more sad because of David's death," said Carol Barnwell, director of communications for the Diocese of Texas. "My kids grew up with David at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston as their acolyte coach. I have a picture of him holding my daughter, Elli, at our house following her baptism. She's now 24," she added.

Tarbet was also known for his wit, sense of humor, administrative abilities and wisdom, said the Rev. Jeffrey Walker in a March 8 telephone interview. "One of the jokes we've been saying, as I'm getting ready to preach for his funeral on Thursday, is that the planning would have been done a lot better if David could do it," Walker said.

"David was a very quiet person, quiet but steadfast. He just never gave up on anyone, which was one of the things really beautiful about him," said Walker, a former rector of Palmer Church, where Tarbet served as associate rector.

"David was so devoted to what the priesthood meant to him and to our sacramental life. It was an honor to stand at an altar with him for 14 years," Walker recalled.

"There were people in the church … for whom it was hard to see love, but David would find it, he would find the Gospel in that person. I was almost ashamed because he was better at it than I was. If people did not love him that did not stop him from finding what was godly about them."

Walker said he planned to talk about "how much he loved this church of ours. There are people that, when something's disagreeable they simply turn their back and walk away, but David did not do that.

"It was the gospel for everybody or for nobody, according to David … and in the Diocese of Texas that was not always an easy place to stand. I am going to miss him so much."

He said that Tarbet had long been plagued with crippling arthritis and two years ago had developed heart problems. "While his death did not come as a surprise to anyone, it came as a sadness," he said.
He said that Tarbet was a remarkably witty person, but quiet and "would want to be remembered as a steadfast priest of this church who was humble to be a priest but who was grateful to be a priest. That was his identity."

Tarbet had attended the very first convention of Integrity, a national support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Episcopalians, said Louie Crew of the Diocese of Newark.

"David was never looking for the camera, always looking for quiet ways to serve," Crew said in a telephone interview March 8.

"He was never a rector, except as an interim and that was by his choice. He didn't seek any kind of limelight. He was enormously generous, extremely competent. He suffered a great deal from chronic arthritis," he added.

He remembered Tarbet as having "a marvelous smile and a mischievous sense of humor, but was never bitter when many other people might have been," given his illness and other challenges.

He said Tarbet had served as a regional vice president of Integrity, and had attended the founding convention, held at St. James Cathedral in Chicago in 1975.


He described Tarbet as someone with a great deal of personal dignity who was also "very generous, particularly toward gay and lesbian youth, and for many years he gave a life membership to the youngest person who came to the convention to encourage support for young people.


"It is important to stress that he was an out gay priest in a diocese that doesn't ordain gay priests," Crew added. "He was already ordained before he came out and bore witness there. It takes a great deal of courage to do that in a way that lasts 36 or more years with that kind of openness."

Tarbet was born in Fort Worth on March 6, 1941 to Robert Morgan and Edith Tarbet. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas in 1963 and a master of divinity degree from the General Theological Seminary in 1966. He also earned a master of arts degree from the University of Texas at Houston in 1979.

He was ordained to the diaconate June 15, 1966 and to the priesthood in Dec. 21, 1966.
He had served as a curate (1968-1970) and as an interim rector (2002-2003) at Grace Church in Galveston. He also served as associate rector of Palmer Memorial Church in Houston from 1970-1996 and on the staff of Trinity Church, Houston from 1997 to 1999 and St. John's, Fort Worth, from 1966 to 1968.

Active on a diocesan level, he served as historian from 1998 to 2005; a member of the AIDS Commission, 1982 to 2005; a member of the liturgical commission from 1982 to 2005 diocesan In Galveston, he was interim rector of Grace Church from 2002-2003.

Survivors include a brother and sister-in-law, the Rev. Robert and Beverly Tarbet; a niece, Jennifer Johnson, a nephew, Chris Tarbet and their families.

A requiem Eucharist will be celebrated at Trinity Episcopal Church, Thursday, Mach 11, at 2:00 p.m. with Bishop C. Andrew Doyle officiating.

Donations in lieu of flowers should be made to Trinity Episcopal Church, 1015 Holman St., Houston TX 77004-3810 or to Lord of the Streets, 3401 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77004.

-- The Rev. Pat McCaughan is a national correspondent for the Episcopal News Service.

TIME MAGAZINE: Being Gay in Uganda: One Couple's Story

Postcard from Kampala

By Glenna Gordon,
 Monday, Mar. 08, 2010


Pepe Julian Onziema looks great in a suit. Tall and lanky, she doesn't slouch to hide her height and doesn't apologize for her boyish figure. Or for anything. She's got at least 10 suits: pinstripes, white linen, black, gray, navy and others. She buys them from a guy who runs a shop on Entebbe Road, a major Kampala thoroughfare. He knows her build, and he knows what she likes.


These days, though, Onziema doesn't wear suits nearly as often as she used to. As one of a dozen or so publicly out Ugandan homosexuals, Onziema knows that even a trip to a local shop is risky. Wearing a suit can be a death wish.

(See a gay right's timeline.)
Last year, a member of Uganda's parliament, David Bahati, introduced a bill that, if it becomes law, will further criminalize homosexuality in Uganda. "Aggravated homosexuality," according to the bill, will become a capital offense. Anyone who doesn't report a known homosexual within 24 hours will be subject to punishment of up to seven years in jail.

No matter how many precautions homosexuals in Uganda take, it doesn't mean they'll be safe, says Onziema's partner, who did not want her name used for fear she will be persecuted. "When you're just walking, someone will turn and look, and have a second look, and a third, and a fourth." That's not surprising in a country where newspaper polls show 95% of people support the bill.

(Read: "Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill: Inspired by the U.S.")

Onziema and her partner met playing rugby at a local Kampala club a couple of years ago. Onziema knew "within five seconds" that she had met the one, she says. It took her partner a bit longer. Onziema has known she's gay her whole life but her partner is not out publicly, and the process of coming to terms with who she is took a little longer.

Read the rest of the article here .

Latin America's 1st gay marriage law takes effect

MEXICO CITY — Throngs of Mexico City gay and lesbian couples registered for marriage licenses Thursday, the day Latin America's first gay-marriage law took effect.

The first gay weddings will take place within a week to 10 days, after the paperwork is processed.

Mexico City's legislature approved the first law explicitly giving gay marriages the same status as heterosexual ones in December. The change will allow same-sex couples to adopt children, apply for bank loans together, inherit wealth and be included in the insurance policies of their spouse, rights they were denied under civil unions allowed in the city.

Read the rest from AP here: http://tinyurl.com/ybby6al

ACTION ITEM: CALL FOR DON'T ASK DON'T TELL

Call your Senator: Ask them to co-sponsor the new bill repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Senator Joe Leiberman just introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act -- which would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and put in place a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It's crucial that we keep up the pressure on our Senators to cosponsor this bill and end DADT this year.

Call the Senate switchboard now at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak with each of your Senators.

Example Script for Your Call:


Hello, my name is __________ and I'm calling from __________ (city, state).I'm calling to urge the Senator to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and cosponsor the Military Readiness Enhancement Act. This discrimination is wrong. Firing qualified service members simply because they're gay needs to stop in 2010. Will the Senator cosponsor the Military Readiness Enhancement Act?


Thank you.

Not sure who your Senators are? Click here to find out. If you live in Washington, D.C., please call Sen. Carl Levin, thank him for cosponsoring the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, and tell him to include DADT repeal in the defense authorization bill.

UK LIFTS BAN ON SAME SEX CIVIL PARTNERSHIP CEREMONIES INSIDE CHURCHES

From the BBC
LONDON - March 3, 2010


The House of Lords agreed an amendment to the Equality Bill which would allow, but not compel, religious organisations to host the occasions.

Gay rights campaigners celebrated the change, but opponents said it could be impractical and undermine marriage.

Peers voted by a majority of 74 in favour of the amendment, which was not backed by the government.

It is yet to be approved by the Commons, but it is thought to be unlikely that MPs would make any significant changes.

'Religious freedom'

Labour peer Lord Alli proposed the amendment, telling the Lords: "There are many gay and lesbian couples who want to share their civil partnership with the congregations that they worship with.
"And there are a number of religious organisations that want to allow gay and lesbian couples to do exactly that."

We, like the government and the courts, have been quite clear ever since civil partnerships were introduced that they are not the same as marriage

Bishop of Bradford

He said: "In the end it comes down to an issue of religious freedom."
It was not an "attack" on the Church of England or the Catholic Church, he added.

Lord Alli said: "Religious freedom requires us to let others do things that we ourselves would not do. Religious freedom cannot begin and end with what one religion wants."
Read the rest of the story here.

Supreme Court Refuses To Block Same Sex Marriage in DC

From the Huffington Post  March 2, 2010

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block the District of Columbia's gay marriage law, freeing the city to issue its first marriage licenses to same-sex couples the following day.

Opponents of gay marriage in the nation's capital had asked Chief Justice John Roberts to stop the city from issuing the licenses on Wednesday while they appealed. They argued that D.C. voters should have been allowed to vote on the issue. Local courts have rejected the opponents' arguments.
"It has been the practice of the court to defer to the decisions of the courts of the District of Columbia on matters of exclusively local concern," said Roberts, writing for the court.

He also pointed out that Congress could have voted to stop the city government from putting the law into effect and didn't.

Opponents have also asked city courts to allow a voter referendum on gay marriage, and they "will have the right to challenge any adverse decision ... in this court at the appropriate time," Roberts said.

The city has said Wednesday probably will be the first day same-sex couples can apply for marriage licenses. Couples still will have to wait three full business days for their licenses before exchanging vows.

Same-sex marriages are also legal in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa

INTEGRITY LEADER FOCUSES ON NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

In keeping with Integrity USA's new strategic plan, the Vice President for Local Affairs, Neil Houghton, will meet with Integrity Province Coordinators across the country to develop and implement plans to strengthen local leadership and chapters.  "The next steps for Integrity are to work at provincial and diocesean levels to make the legislative victories at GC2009 a reality everywhere," said Houghton. "This means working directly with dioceses and congregations for the full inlcusion of all the baptized into the sacraments of the church."

This month, Houghton travels to Connecticut.  Neil and Integrity Province 1 Coordinator, John-Albert Moseley of Hartford, will hold a joint meeting with the leadership and members of Integrity/Connecticut (Hartford) and Integrity/Waterbury. 

"I look forward to my trip to Connecticut and want to issue an invitation to all the LGBTQ faithful in the area, our straight allies and friends and everyone who champions inclusion in the Episcopal Church to join us on March 16th for a Eucharist will be celebrated by the Rev. Michelle Hansen at St. John's Parish,"

St. John's Parish is located at 16 Church Street,in Waterbury, CT. The Eucharist begins at 5:30pm and the meeting will follow and is open to all.

Houghton will deliver his "FAQs" presentation. He will answer those commonly asked questions that inquiring minds want to know including why do we need Integrity when LGBTQ people are more welcome now than ever before in the Episcopal Church? What are Integrity's goals? Where do we go from here in Connecticut?

"Connecticut is an exciting place for the LGBTQ faithful right now," said Houghton,  "It is a state where Civil Marriage Equality is a reality and where C056 can be modeled, like Massachusetts, with regard to 'generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church.'  Also, God willing, the election of Bishop-Elect Ian Douglas will receive the requesite cpnsents and hewill be consecrated on April 17, 2010. Integrity looks forward to an continuing its active presence in the state."

SAVE THE DATE
Eucharist & Meeting: March 16th, 2010
St. John' Parish
16 Church St.
Waterbury, CT
5:30pm

For more information contact: neil@integrityusa.org

OUR OBLIGATION TO LGBT UGANDANS

21 February 2010

By The Rev. Patricia Ackerman
LGBT/SOGI Human Rights Program Officer
Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office

The LGBT community in Uganda is part of a global minority, a family, a tribe.When one part of the community is under threat of state and extra-judicial violence as we witnessed here in Uganda, the global LGBT community is called to act. What we do should be directed by the Ugandan LGBT community, but all the LGBT citizens of Uganda we saw, in the hundreds, asked for international support.

In proposing to imprison LGBT their friends families, doctors, and teachers, the state of Uganda threatens to be in violation of multiple treaties. If the anti-homosexuality bill should pass, all treaties and UN instruments related to sexual violence, violence against minorities, human rights, human rights defenders and others will be violated by this bill. Under "The Responsibility to Protect", the state of Uganda will be in violation. Under RTP, a state is bound by the UN to protect vulnerable populations, not to rid themselves of a minority.

I witnessed Martin SSempa's hate filled rhetoric first hand. It is a xenophobic hatred calling for the extermination of the gays. It was chilling and terrifying. Though he is said to be a consummate showman, the crowd he inflames is extremely impoverished and disenfranchised. Should the bill pass, crowds will hunt and kill LGBT people on the streets of Kampala. This is being stated by the the dozens of LGBT people we have spoken to here in Kampala, the media, and even US Embassy personnel who have no plan in place to help the LGBTI.

I witnessed Ssempa and a dozen pastors place their hands on the head of David Bahati, the MP who introduced the bill. I watched as they "consecrated" him to "rid Uganda of homosexuals." Calling feverishly for Jesus to save the world from homosexuality, Ssempa projected bizarre pornographic images on a screen in the church. He described and demonstrated the pictured s & m acts in great detail before an audience of several hundred, causing women to fall off their chairs weeping and clawing the air, and children sitting stone like in their chairs. During his demonstration which depicted the eating of feces, penises, bondage and fisting, children in the church were forced to watch. Ssempa demonstrated the acts with his hands and mouth.

Ssempa is a permanent resident of the United States of America. He worked directly for "Pastor" Rick Warren for years, perhaps planning his anti-gay crusade. He is said by LGBT Ugandans to have had "another life in the USA" - you guess. He has a blonde wife, one LGBTI Ugandan told me.

My experience of Martin Ssempa is that he is wily and strategic. At times he makes reference to colonialism and donor interference, all from the pulpit of a perverted Christianity - the ultimate western import. At one point during the crusade event he was laid out on the stage pounding his feet screaming for Jesus to "save us from the homosexuals." He looked like a toddler having a tantrum except that he had a huge phallic like horn which he occasionally trumpeted. What is most frightening is that he is often on the nationwide radio inciting hatred and violence against gays.

Ssempa has poisoned the hearts of Ugandans toward their LGBT community. It was bad before but now it is criminal and genocidal. He pronounces warped statistics about gays being pedophiles terrifying parents that their children at boarding schools will be attacked and converted by gays. His network of support reaches far into the parliament. A representative at the US Embassy here claims that 75% of the parliament will vote for the bill. We have heard as much as 90%.

In the crusade, there were posters of Rick Warren labeling him a betrayer. In discussions with the LGBT community, the names of Americans Scott Lively, Caleb Brundidge and Don Schmeirer came up. During an interview with a Trans activist here, I asked what he would like to see happen to change the current situation. Not missing a beat he said, "I would like Scott Lively to come back to Uganda to apologize. It is right that he should return here and recant about what he has done." Scott Lively lives in Springfield, Mass. He was one of the masterminds of the current Anti-Homosexual emergency and a drafter of the bill. I hope we can plan an action to visit him and convey the content of this request.


















LGBTI Ugandans are strong, smart, and strategic but they are exhausted and have few resources. When asked what we can do to support them back in the states one man, John Wambere, a leader of a LGBT grassroots org said, "Literacy. You can send us computers and help LGBT people learn to write so they can get jobs." Literacy is at 65% here in Uganda, and lower in the LGBT community as people are often harassed and bullied out of school for being gay. They also need legal support and assistance. If the bill passes they plan to sue the government. There is also the possibility of prosecuting Ssempa for inciting genocide, through international channels.

I asked LGBTI activists if in the event of a pogrom they have a plan. Currently there are few safe houses and LGBT move addresses, are on the run, and are constantly changing their phone numbers. They simply do not have the funds to go on this way. If the bill stays tabled or even if it is debated in the near future, LGBTs will continue to have an ax hanging over their heads. And we will continue to have an obligation to witness and act on their behalf.

The Rev. Patty Ackerman is a former Director of Communications for Integrity USA.

INTEGRITY PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL MESSAGE 2010

Dear Members, Partners, and Friends:

This is the first in a series of Annual Messages I expect to make during my three year term as Integrity’s President. It is one of several ways by which I plan to keep the members and partners of Integrity informed about the organization’s mission and ministry.

The Board of Directors that was elected last May and seated in October held its first full face-to-face meeting in January and I am pleased to report that it was enormously productive. We set out plans that, as implemented, will have an impact on the rest of the entire triennium.

To provide some context, though, let me recount briefly the events of 2009. It was quite a year. Looking inward, Integrity’s leaders recognized a need for change in the organization itself in order to minister more effectively in the years ahead. A thoughtful review of various options eventually resulted in a new structure for the Board of Directors, for leadership positions throughout the organization, specifically Provincial Coordinators and Diocesan Organizers, and for a commitment to seek new leadership in the office of an Executive Director.

Of greater consequence with respect to our fundamental mission, however, were the actions taken at General Convention. At Anaheim, the Episcopal Church at long last took an unequivocal stand in favor of welcoming and recognizing the ministry of LGBT persons in all orders of ministry, including especially the episcopate. And it moved forward toward recognizing and blessing same-gender relationships. Anyone and everyone who has ever belonged to, financially supported, or otherwise been affiliated with Integrity over the past 35 years has reason to rejoice for, indeed, Integrity’s unflagging encouragement and counsel has been critical to the Church’s progress in its journey toward these historic shifts in understanding.

What can anyone say to this? The Psalmist says it best: “No good thing will God withhold from those who walk with integrity.” (Psalm 84:11)

Yet now we are faced with a new challenge. We need to play an equally vital role in turning these legislative victories into living realities from the Diocese of Alaska to the Diocese of Southeast Florida, from the Diocese of Maine to the Diocese San Diego. And this means that we need to focus on building relationships that transform communities at the diocesan and state levels. This work, I firmly believe, represents both our mission over the next several years and where we can be most successful in advancing it. It will require three things: people, money, and coordination.

Concerning coordination, the Board of Directors adopted a Strategic Plan for this triennium that touches upon all facets of our life and work – program, administration, development, and governance. The centerpiece of Integrity’s program over the next three years (the heart of it all really) will be Believe Out Loud and I will leave it to our Acting Executive Director, John Clinton Bradley, to describe this unprecedented new initiative in his letter. If you are interested in reviewing the complete Strategic Plan 2010-2012, e-mail me and I will be glad to send you a copy.

Concerning money, we have also adopted a Development Plan for the next three years. It starts with the 100,000 Blessings Campaign currently underway. Through this campaign, we are inviting one and all to share a story of how Integrity has been a blessing to them or their church over these past 35 years, in light of the historic decisions made at Anaheim. We are also asking financial support for Integrity’s work and witness moving forward. (I hope everyone will participate with both a financial gift and a story.) The development plan also outlines several new ways by which we will be inviting support. To name just a couple of these, we are now prepared to receive and appropriately recognize memorial and tribute gifts as well as bequests…and we are becoming more adept at inviting everyone – fellow parishioners, straight allies and friends, diocesan leaders, and churches – to join us as members or partners. (Do you have a friend who cares about the LGBT community and the Episcopal Church? Send him or her an Integrity membership brochure right now!)

Beyond the money and the coordination, as with any community’s vision, people, ultimately, are what move it from dream to reality. To truly accomplish the work of making the legislative victories of 2009 into living realities, it is clear that we need to have an active presence in every diocese of the Episcopal Church. Toward that end, we have redefined the role of our Diocesan Organizers (formerly Network Coordinators) and will be starting to identify competent and committed leaders wherever such individuals are not already in place. The new office of Provincial Coordinator will be coordinating these and other Integrity initiatives on the provincial (i.e. regional) level.

The time has come when Integrity also needs an Executive Director. John Clinton Bradley, our Acting Executive Director, has served us nobly for a long while and for his extraordinary service we are most grateful. He has communicated to the Board of Directors, however, that he is not “the one.” We must look for another to fulfill the role on a permanent and full-time basis. And so the search is already underway. We anticipate announcing our selection before the end of June.

Finally and most importantly, there is every one of you. Integrity has a glorious history, replete with heroes and heroines and stories of challenge, sacrifice, and achievement despite few resources and great odds. It also has a future mission, important and urgent. There are still many places where the simple yet profound message of welcome to all is not yet ringing clear and true. There are places where the very news of what happened in Anaheim has been deliberately obscured or ignored or rejected.

And so there is indeed more for us to do – together. If you can give, give generously. If you can identify possible leaders or church partners in your diocese, call quickly. If you yourself can step up to new service, step lively. You are needed – welcomed – appreciated – anticipated in this ministry. Friends, let there be no mistake. We have come a long way toward where we want to go AND there is still purpose in our walk together.

On a personal note, I want you to know that in my 25 years of ordained ministry, I have never felt more privileged to be of service. I am thankful for all that has been and I say “yes” to what will be. Integrity has given countless people a new perspective on themselves – liberating, strengthening, inspiring. We have given people a new perspective on their sons or daughters or fellow parishioners too – one of respect and dignity and grace. And in such new perspectives lie always – always – the seeds of a more just and gracious community. I hope you will join me with enthusiasm and generosity in the adventure still ahead.

Peace,
The Rev. David Norgard President


Integrity’s Mission StatementThe mission of Integrity is to be a witness of God’s inclusive love to the Episcopal Church and to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities.

Integrity’s Vision StatementAdopted by the Board of Directors, 15 January 2010 The Episcopal Church truly makes all the sacraments available to all. Every diocese engages in discernment processes for bishops and other clergy that include LGBT candidates. Every diocese recognizes and celebrates same-sex unions in a manner consistent with national liturgical canons.

Integrity’s Strategic Priorities 2010 – 2012 Adopted by the Board of Directors, 15 January 2010 PROGRAM: Implement Believe Out Loud in the Episcopal Church and transform the legislative victories achieved at General Convention in 2009 (D025 and C0560) into living realities throughout all the dioceses of the Episcopal Church.

DEVELOPMENT: Increase membership and church partnership.

ADMINISTRATION: Ensure that broad-based income is sufficient to fund staff and programming. Ensure that the organization has the appropriate quantity and quality of staff to fulfill its programmatic, developmental, and administrative needs.

GOVERNANCE: Adapt to the new organizational structure and create effective leaders at national, provincial, diocesan, and local levels.

INTEGRITY PRESIDENT NORGARD TO SPEAK AT VTS

SAVE THE DATE!!

The Rev. David Norgard, President of Integrity USA, will speak at Virginia Theological Seminary on Thursday, March 4, 2010. Virginia Theological Seminary is the largest of the 11 accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church and was founded in 1823. The graduate seminary school prepares men and women representing more than 50 different dioceses and 9 different countries for service in the Church, both as ordained and lay ministers. The newly elected President of Integrity was invited to VTS by its Dean & President, the Very Rev. Ian Markham.

Norgard will lecture on The Future of Inclusion in the Episcopal Church. “Integrity USA has been an advocate and powerful witness for full inclusion of all the baptized for 35 years. And, I can proclaim with certainty that inclusion will play a large part in growing the Episcopal Church in the future, said Norgard. He will speak to both the challenges and the opportunities that face the church of the future in view its recent movement toward greater diversity.

The lecture begins at 7pm in the Lettie Pate Auditorium. There will be a reception before the lecture begins and Norgard will take part in a Question & Answer session afterward. The lecture is open to faculty, students, and the general public.

Virginia Theological Seminary is located at 3737 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304

For more information contact:
Susan Shillinglaw, Director of Public Affairs
703-461-1764 or sshillinglaw@vts.edu

Integrity’s Gratitude to Bishop George Packard - our Beloved “Warrior Bishop”

By The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle
As the Church of England had its last “Warrior” Archbishop of Canterbury in Robert Runcie, (the last Archbishop to have seen military service) so the Episcopal Church recognizes the contribution of our own “Warrior” Bishop, George Packard. For the past decade, the Episcopal Church’s ministry to the men and women of our brave armed forces has emanated from the soul of Bishop George Packard. He celebrated his final Eucharist at the Pentagon on Ash Wednesday.

As Bishop Suffragan for Federal Ministries, Packard was responsible for the care of 19,000 Episcopalians in the armed forces, federal prisons and veterans affairs facilities. As a decorated Vietnam veteran he has served in the midst of some of the most difficult events in the history of this country, from relief efforts following 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina. Bishop Packard leaves a legacy of what it means to be pastor and an advocate in the midst of human suffering and disaster.

It must also be noted Bishop Packard served his church and nation during one of the most unethical periods in the history of modern warfare: the invasion of Iraq, the failure of the Bush Doctrine of Pre-emptive Strike, the prisoner abuse and torture of recent times and the unworkable policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” Military policy and practice has been highly criticized for its failure to address complex domestic and international situations. These failures undermined our nation’s confidence in our military leadership, moral authority and foreign policies, including questionable challenges to the Geneva Conventions themselves.

While Bishop Packard served his church he saw this country’s largest employers, the US Government and Military, begin a campaign of deliberate discrimination of gay and lesbian employees that has affected 14,000 people since the creation of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. We give thanks for Bishop Packard’s consistent efforts to share the values and polity of the Episcopal Church under these very difficult conditions.

Integrity continues to advocate both within and outside the church for full inclusion and calls for the end of all employment discrimination, particularly by our government. Brave men and women, many of whom are highly skilled and decorated veterans, are still excluded from serving their country. Thousands more live in constant fear or intimidation because of these senseless and cruel policies and practices. Half the states in the Union still allow employers to fire someone merely based on their sexual orientation. It is time to end this discrimination.

Bishop Packard’s successor will continue to have a challenging ministry and deserves the full support of our church. It is our hope that his successor will continue to be a pastor and advocate for the marginalized. This is not a time to settle for “the status quo”, particularly as we seek to repair failed policies of the past decade that have caused so much suffering to thousands of people, including members of our own church community.

With the election of the Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool as Suffragan Bishop of Los Angeles, the Episcopal Church is one step further in removing all obstacles that have prevented the LGBT faithful from fulfilling their God-given vocations. Likewise, the appointment of the new Bishop Suffragan for Federal Affairs offers the Episcopal church a new opportunity to move outward and to share our experience, theology and polity of inclusion with our military and federal institutions.

Integrity remains committed to working with the new bishop to advocate for ending, once and for all, this blatant discrimination that hurts our church and shames our country.

Rev. Canon Albert Ogle is Vice President for National and International Affairs with Integrity.

Bishop Christopher Reports From Uganda

Dear Canon Ogle,

I am glad to inform you that Pastor Martin Sempa's rally in Kampala was blocked and he held one in another town of Jinja on Feb.15.

On Valentine Day Feb.14,2010 I was invited by some Christians and we held a big conference in GBK Hotel in Kampala in opposition to the anti-gay bill. The theme of the conference was on 'STANDING ON THE SIDE OF LOVE'. I was asked to present a paper entitled; Re-imagining Valentine Day. My approach was that St.Valentine died for his obedience to God, for supporting the young men who had fallen in love and wanted to marry, he also preached the gospel of caring for the poor and the sick. So Valentine Day should remind us on an inclusive love [agape] that does not stop with only romance from us.

Then on Feb.19 another conference was convened at the Imperial Royal hotel by the Coalition on human rights and constitutional law with special focus on the question of sexual orientation.

The Guest speaker was prof. Makau Mutua, Dean of Buffalo Law School, the State University of New York.

The ant-gay bill was hotly discussed. Some members of Parliament were in attendance and contributed to the discussions. It was made clear to the law maker that the bill was inhuman.

Best regards,
Bishop Christopher Senyonjo

The Rt. Rev. Christopher Senyonjo is the Chairman of Integrity Uganda.  The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle is Integrity USA's Vice President for National & International Affairs.

Want To Converse On Religion? CONTACT ARIANNA and HuffPost Religion

Arianna Huffington February 24, 2010 03:18 PM

I've always been fascinated by religion.

Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of my family's summer holidays on the island of Corfu. August 15 is when all of Greece pays homage to the Virgin Mary. I remember going to church on that day every year, and sitting quietly among widows in black kerchiefs and younger women smelling of summer wool and candle smoke. I would watch, enthralled, as deep faith and memories moved them to tears of grief and hope. And, in my childish way, I shared their love for her.

I believe that we are all hardwired for the sacred, that the instinct for spirituality is part of our collective DNA. I wrote about this instinct 15 years ago, and called it the fourth instinct, the one beyond survival, sex, and power. It propels us to find meaning and transcend our everyday preoccupations.

For some, it involves organized religion. For others, it's a personal spiritual quest. Seventy percent of Americans belong to a religious organization and 40 percent attend services once a week.

Yet, despite the central role religion plays in American life, all too often, when talking about it, we end up talking at each other instead of with each other. This is a shame -- especially at a time like this, when the economic struggle in so many people's lives has led to a deeper questioning of our values and priorities. Whether you are a believer or not, this is an essential conversation to have...which is why I'm delighted to announce that we are launching HuffPost Religion -- a section featuring a wide-ranging discussion about religion, spirituality, and the ways they influence our lives.

Like all our sections, HuffPost Religion will bring you the latest news -- in this case about all things religion-related -- served up in the HuffPost style. It will also be home to an open and fearless dialogue about all the ways religion affects both our personal and our public lives. And it will do so in a way that moves beyond the pigeonhole depictions of both the faithful and the agnostic we see so frequently -- and also beyond the tired assumption that God is a card-carrying member of one political party or another.

HuffPost Religion is being edited by Paul Raushenbush, an Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University and an ordained Baptist minister. As a passionate and brilliant religious thinker, pastor, writer and college dean, Paul is ideally suited to the challenge of presenting multiple viewpoints and insights, as well as the real-world implications of religion for American life.

So, among other things, you can expect discussions about the relationship between religion and science; the role religion can play in overcoming personal obstacles and attaining a sense of well-being; the ways religion is portrayed in pop culture; how religious commitments influence politicians and key domestic policy debates; and the effect of religion on foreign policy issues and international relations.

The bloggers who will be posting on HuffPost Religion will be a great mix of religious heavyweights and up-and-coming voices in the field. Today's thought-provoking lineup includes Rev. Jim Wallis on the spiritual crisis of the recession; Deepak Chopra on the continued importance of spirituality; Eboo Patel on the crucial importance of interfaith relations; Sister Joan Chittister on the future of the Roman Catholic Church; Rabbi Or Rose on the role of religion when it comes to the environment; Dr. Eddie Glaude on the declining power of the Black Church; Sharon Salzberg on Buddhism's "middle way"; Brian McLaren on 'new Evangelicals'; and Steven Barrie Anthony on technology and spirituality.

"Ask your soul!" pleads Herman Hesse in My Belief. "Your soul will not blame you for having cared too little about politics, for having exerted yourself too little, hated your enemies too little, or too little fortified your frontiers. But she will perhaps blame you for so often having feared and fled from her demands, for never having had time to give her..."

So give a little time over to explore these questions and concerns that are at the heart of HuffPost Religion. And let us know what you think. The conversation starts now

BREAKING NEWS: BISHOP ELECT BRUCE RECEIVES CONSENTS IN DIO OF LA!

The Diocese of Los Angeles has announced that the Reverend Canon Diane Jardine Bruce has received the consents necessary to confirm her election as the first woman bishop in the diocese's history.

Bruce is the 16th woman to be elected to the House of Bishops. She has always been a staunch supporter of Integrity and an advocate for LGBT issues

Integrity looks forward to working with Bishop-Elect Bruce in the future.

One down and one to go!