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19-July-2000
00267

Episcopal General Convention finds new ways to deal with difficult issues

by James Solheim
Episcopal News Service

DENVER — As bishops and deputies gathered in Denver for the 73rd General
Convention of the Episcopal Church, there was a sense of expectation mixed
with a simmering hope that they could find a way to deal honestly with
difficult issues and still maintain the unity of the church.
	Over the 10 days of convention (July 5-14), their patience and
determination was tested, especially on sexuality issues, but also on
implementation of a canon opening all orders of ministry to women in all
dioceses of the church.
	And yet as the convention's theme of "Jubilee" seemed to permeate all
aspects of  the gathering, it appeared as though Episcopalians might have
found a more positive way to deal with their differences.
	As if they needed a reminder that sexuality was still the thorniest issue
they would face, bishops and deputies were welcomed to the Colorado
Convention Center on July 13 with a
demonstration by Soulforce, an ecumenical, gay rights organization that had
demonstrated at Presbyterian and Methodist conventions earlier in the
summer.
	But legislative committees and open hearings, not demonstrations, dominated
the first few days of the convention, as committees of both houses sifted
through almost 200 pre-filed
resolutions and another 50 filed during the first two days. Cognate
committees have been a crucial component in the legislative process for the
last few General Conventions, and seemed to be especially effective in
Denver.
	Most attention was focused on Special Committee 25, appointed by the
presidents of the two houses to deal with all sexuality resolutions. The
committee's open hearings, co-chaired by Bishop Arthur Williams of Ohio and
lay deputy Rebecca Snow of Alaska, were heavily attended and filled with
passionate conversation.

	A middle way

	It was clear from the beginning that there was considerable sympathy among
the bishops and deputies in the search for a "middle way," a more effective
and less confrontational way to
deal with the issues.
	Pamela Chinnis, finishing her term as president of the House of Deputies,
said in her last opening address from the chair that Jubilee was a time for
"stillness" but also a time of action.
	Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold wasted no time in reminding the
convention that many diverse understandings of sexuality were apparent in
the church. And he said that the Special Committee was not attempting to
manipulate the agenda but rather looking for the "best way forward." He
expressed a hope that the church would remember, in all its deliberations
and
decisions, but especially in recognizing one another's struggles, that they
were part of the much larger community of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
	"The middle ground is where the energy is going to be," predicted Herb
Gunn, a lay deputy from Michigan who served as one of the briefing officers
for the press. Others agreed, if
somewhat cautiously, that early signs indicated a different tone from
previous conventions.
	Bishop Clifton Daniel of East Carolina, also a briefing officer, said that
the bishops had worked hard over the last few years "to learn effective ways
of working together." He added
that "compared with previous conventions, I have approached this one with
eagerness and confidence."

	Signs of vitality

	Bishop Catherine Roskam of New York, another briefing officer, added that
it would be unrealistic not to expect some intense politicking but that it
was a sign of the church's vitality.
	In what some regarded as an early sign of a more conciliatory climate, the
House of Deputies in one of its earliest actions rejected a resolution that
would have brought sanctions against those dioceses that do not pay their
"fair share" in support of the national church and its programs. Some
deputies said that the sanctions would be too political.
	But Committee 25's first resolution, which called for a pastoral teaching
and study guide on the "sin of heterosexism" as well as continued dialogue
on human sexuality, seemed an early
test of Griswold's hope that the convention would move away from
confrontation. After several amendments, the deputies agreed to the
continuing dialogue but rejected a study of heterosexism.

	Church embarks on "20/20" evangelism

	"Whatever happened to the ‘Decade of Evangelism?' seemed to be the question
on many deputies' minds in the debate over concurrence with the House of
Bishops evangelism resolution. The resolution calls for the Episcopal Church
to double its baptized membership by 2020. Objections were raised to a
numerical goal, but other deputies argued that the lack of such a goal was
what "doomed" the Decade, which began with great fanfare in 1990 and
actually saw a decline in the number of Episcopalians for most of its
ten-year span.
	Still other deputies worried that concentrating on numbers would miss the
point of evangelism with Gen-Xers and following generations. The point, they
reminded the house, is relationship, not membership.
	"It's not just about inviting one person to church. It's about what happens
after that," warned the Rev. Michael Kinman of Missouri. "It's about saying
that our church is, yes, a great
gift to share, but that an equal gift is the Gospel that people who are not
yet in it can offer to us. It is the difficult but rewarding work of letting
the Spirit shape and change us in unexpected and painful ways."
	To make certain that vision is implemented, Executive Council is directed
to establish a "20/20" task force whose goals include "recruiting, educating
and training evangelists and  church planters who were born after 1964
and/or are people of color," and training leaders in second-language skills
and cross-cultural sensitivity. The task force has a year to report back to
Executive Council.
	Mindful that nothing gets done in the church without money, another
component of the plan is the establishment of the "Alleluia Fund: Build my
Church," a new initiative to provide
funding for new church planting and revitalization of existing
congregations. Money for the Alleluia Fund will be gathered during Easter
2002 and presented on the Day of Pentecost 2002, a
process to be continued for the next 10 years.

	A "census" of church membership will be conducted by Executive Council with
a target date of January 1, 2005. Another survey, by the Standing Commission
on Ministry Development, will be completed with an eye toward more closely
defining statistically who is and who isn't a "confirmed" Episcopalian.
Evangelism efforts are also to be extended to singles and children.

	Excitement over full communion

	Excitement over the proposal for full communion with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was building as a decision for the new
relationship loomed on the agenda.
	Griswold, who before convention opened had dedicated a Habitat for Humanity
house built in Denver by Lutherans and Episcopalians, shared his own
hopefulness at an opening press
conference.
	He said that the proposal, "Called to Common Mission (CCM)," was one that
"invites us to yield some of our sense of ourselves and the uniqueness of
our tradition, both by sharing some of ourselves and by making some
adjustments in our tradition for the sake of unity."
	The House of Bishops addressed the proposal in a special order of business
on July 7. Despite some lingering differences on how each church orders its
ministry, there were few serious objections among the bishops and it passed
easily, with only 19 hands raised in opposition.
	There was even less opposition among deputies, who lined up at the
microphones to describe the growing relationship with the Lutherans. "It is
not marriage or a merger of our two churches," said the Rev. Donald Brown,
chair of the house committee on ecumenical relations. "Each church will
retain its own liturgical, theological and organizational uniqueness and 
integrity." The final vote in favor was overwhelming.
	In response, the Rev. Lowell Almen, secretary of the ELCA, told the house
that "God has opened a magnificent door before us." Based on the experience
of full communion between Lutherans and three Reformed churches, "wonderful
surprises await us," he said.

	New common ground found on sexuality

	Halfway through the convention, the Committee 25 discharged all other
resolutions dealing with sexuality, except for an eight-part resolution
affirming traditional marriage while
calling for a liturgical rite to support "relationships of mutuality and
fidelity other than marriage." The resolution said that the church expects
all lifelong, committed relationships to be characterized by "fidelity,
monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful honest communication and
holy love."
	The committee was unanimous on the first seven resolves but split on the
eighth resolve's call for a rite, which presaged the resolve's similarly
mixed reception in both houses. The resolution intentionally did not refer
to blessing same-sex unions.
	The debate in the House of Deputies on the resolution was regarded as so
important that the bishops suspended business so that they could listen from
the gallery.
	After an emotional exchange, in which many deputies argued that an
affirmative vote would threaten the unity of the church, the House of
Deputies voted by orders. Clergy approved the call for a liturgical rite by
one vote, but the laity rejected it by two votes. The house, however, easily
endorsed the first seven resolves.
	Reaction after the vote seemed to center on whether the church was ready to
move toward blessing same-sex relationships. Even many of those who favor
such a move seemed to agree that the time is not right.

	Bishops agree with deputies

	When the amended resolution went to the House of Bishops it provoked an
even more heated debate, especially when Bishop Clark Grew of Ohio offered
an amendment that would restore the call for a liturgical rite to bless
faithful relationships outside of traditional marriage. It failed by a vote
of 85 to63 but not until it had been subjected to a vigorous and
occasionally
acrimonious debate.
	Opponents warned of serious damage to the church while advocates said that
the step was largely a question of justice. Others warned of the impact in
the rest of the Anglican Communion. In the end the bishops voted
overwhelmingly, 119 yes to 19 no with four abstentions, to concur with the
House of Deputies on the first seven resolves. A "mind of the house"
resolution committed the church to form a committee to continue the study of
human sexuality.
	Later the bishops also concurred with the deputies on a resolution that
encourages the Boy Scouts of America to allow adult leaders to serve
regardless of their sexual orientation.

	Women's ordination issue

	In the closing days of the convention deputies and bishops tackled an issue
almost as emotionally charged as the sexuality issue — implementation of the
1976 canon opening the ordination process to women in all dioceses.
	Despite threats of a walk-out, the deputies voted overwhelmingly to press
for implementation in the three dioceses that have not yet fully complied
with the canon. While noting some progress in San Joaquin and a "lack of
progress" in Ft. Worth and Quincy, the resolution calls for a task force to
visit the dioceses and monitor progress.
	In terse debate some deputies deplored what they called a "new spirit of
legalism," but others argued, 24 years after the canon was passed, that "the
time has come." Deputies from the three dioceses pleaded for tolerance,
pointing out that the tone of the resolution violated the spirit of Jubilee.
	The debate was even more difficult in the House of Bishops but, after two
grueling hours, the bishops concurred with the deputies on the resolution
seeking implementation of the canon. The task force will "visit, interview,
assess and assist" the dioceses in their efforts, making semi-annual reports
to meet a  Sept. 1, 2002 deadline for compliance.
	A substitute motion by Bishop John Lipscomb of Southwest Florida, calling
for a less adversarial approach under the direction of the presiding bishop,
drew strong support across
theological boundaries, including several women bishops. It was defeated
narrowly, but later passed as a "mind of the house resolution."

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