wfn.org | Greenwich parish provides `warm' welcome

[John Rollins <rollins@intac.com>]

for archbishop of Canterbury

98-2227
Greenwich parish provides `warm' welcome
for archbishop of Canterbury

by James Solheim
     (ENS) Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and his
wife Eileen, and  Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold and
his wife Phoebe, broke their vacations to attend  a
fundraising dinner and a morning Eucharist at a
Connecticut parish that has provided  generous support
for the Anglican Communion.
     A Saturday night, black-tie dinner produced $170,000
for the Anglican  Investment Agency, a new attempt to
fund common work in the Anglican Communion.  Most of the
seed money for the initiative came from members of Christ
Church in  Greenwich. Carey originally accepted an
invitation to spend a few days with the parish as  a way
to express his gratitude for their leadership. Marnie
Carr, who helped organize the  dinner and the funding
initiative, said that Carey had often expressed
frustration that the  Anglican Communion was not able to
help the suffering churches he encountered during  his
travels. "The parish felt uplifted and renewed after
spending a few days with the  Careys," said Mrs. Carr,
former director of the Episcopal Migration Ministry.

Committed to listening
     Members of Integrity, a ministry with gay and
lesbian Episcopalians, joined a  packed congregation at
a steamy morning Eucharist August 30, celebrated by
Griswold.  He urged the congregation to welcome the
Integrity members, identified by pink  triangles, a
symbol used by the Nazis during World War II to identify
homosexuals in  prison camps.
     Carey began his sermon with thanks for the support
he received at the dinner. "It  is the sort of generous,
practical expression of faith for which the American
church is  rightly famous," he said.
     Expressing gratitude for being in "the original
diocese of the Episcopal Church of  the United States,"
Carey also invoked the name of its first bishop, and
first presiding  bishop, Samuel Seabury. When he became
bishop in 1784, "He found a divided church  and he worked
unceasingly to bring unity between the high church,
loyalist New England  churches and the Protestant, more
pietistic churches of the South," Carey pointed out.
     Citing the encounter of Jesus with the woman taken
in adultery and on the verge  of being stoned, Carey said
that "it is so important for us to learn the lesson of
being that  kind of church which maintains its principles
but in a non-judgmental way as we wrestle  with complex
issues in our day."
     "I know that there are some here today who feel that
I am on the opposite side  from them on the issue of
practicing homosexuality," Carey said. Admitting "that
may  well be the case," Carey went on to say, "My
integrity too calls me to stand out for what I  believe
to be orthodox sexual morality. But is it not possible
for us to show the way in  our divided societies how
strong positions can be held in tension without
demonizing one  another?" he asked. "Let me assure you
that the resolution from the Lambeth Conference
[asserting that homosexual activity is contrary to
Scripture and advising against the  ordination of active
homosexuals or the blessing of same-sex relationships]
calls upon us  all to listen to one another and I am
committed to that.."
     Carey concluded, "The church and all churches will
grow, when we allow our  differences not to be cause of
separation which drive people apart and away, but as
differences through which we see the gentleness of Christ
and his call to each of us to  follow."

Lambeth a watershed
     Carey  paused for almost an hour after the Eucharist
to autograph the service  booklet, and some of his books
on sale at the parish bookstore. Carey stopped to greet
a  small group of Integrity members, before joining
Griswold in the parish hall for an open  forum.
     Most of the questions dealt with the Lambeth
Conference, which Carey called "a  watershed." It was the
first time the bishops had addressed the sexuality
issues, "the first  time that the Anglican Communion
addressed the issue [of homosexuality] together,
providing an opportunity for some listening. We need to
speak honestly to one another  and travel together," he
said. But he said that holding the church together "can't
be done  by confrontation, which only polarizes."
     The Anglican tradition has "variety, lots of room,
inclusivity," Carey said. "I want  to bring life into our
tradition and integrate the different streams and let joy
and life flow  through it all." And he said, "Anglicans
are marvelously positioned to respond" to the  issues of
the day.
     Phil Nicholson, a regional officer of Integrity,
presented Carey with a handful of  letters from gays and
lesbians telling their stories, and Carey expressed his
gratitude,  promising to read them carefully.
     Later Carey sent a warm personal letter to Louie
Crew, thanking him and  members of Integrity for joining
the services in Connecticut. "I was sorry that I didn't
have the opportunity of a personal conversation with you,
but I do want you to know that  I am committed to
dialogue with gay people, and I have already had a
discussion with the  presiding bishop of the Episcopal
Church about how we can ensure that the Lambeth
Conference resolution is pursued in this respect."
     Carey said that he was trying to write each of those
whose letters he received at  Greenwich, "recognizing the
pain which they are feeling and inviting them to
recognize  the positive elements of the resolution." He
added, "To be truly the church, we must stay  together
and wrestle with the issues over which we disagree. Each
one of us is  challenged by new insights and new
experiences to confront deeply held beliefs and test
them, and that is painful. I am sure, however, that out
of the apparent confusion will  eventually come a fresh
sense of unity as we allow the Holy Spirit to work
amongst us."

--James Solheim is the Episcopal Church's director of
news and information.