wfn.org | Episcopal Colorado bishop blocks gay clergy

[ENS@ecunet.org]

2001-76

Colorado bishop blocks call of openly gay clergy

by James Solheim
jsolheim@episcopalchurch.org

      (ENS) Bishop Jerry Winterrowd of Colorado has issued 
guidelines blocking the call of openly gay clergy in the 
diocese, prompting the resignation of the search committee 
of a Denver parish in protest over the limitations of its work.

     After an 18-month search, the committee presented "two 
highly qualified candidates" to the vestry of St. Thomas 
Church but the bishop said they did not conform to new clergy 
deployment guidelines. In an interview with the Denver Post, 
Winterrowd said that he had heard the committee chose "a gay 
man from Chicago but they never submitted the name to me."

      "We never rejected a candidate," said the Rev. Bob 
Franken of the bishop's staff in an interview. He said that 
background references had revealed that the parish's choice 
was an openly gay man and that the bishop sent a signal that 
the choice did not conform to the guidelines. "The congregation 
took major offense," he said, and the issue became public. "We're 
trying to be clear about our expectations of our clergy," he 
added, "trying to create a different mode."

     Winterrowd told the Post that he doesn't have veto power 
if the priest chosen is in good standing, but he interprets the 
tradition and teachings of the church to mean that priests 
should lead wholesome lives, which means "married and faithful, 
or single and celibate." He said, "Every bishop has the right 
to establish parameters concerning the selection of clergy." 

     A letter to the clergy from the Rev. Kelsey Hogue, who 
is coordinator for the deployment of clergy in the diocese, 
said that the bishop had consulted with the Standing Committee, 
regional missioners and other clergy before issuing the guidelines 
for all who might seek a position in the diocese.

Expectations of clergy

     The guidelines state that, in seeking "to restore all people 
to unity with God and each other in Christ, the diocese depends 
on "mutual adherence to certain uniform expectations," including:

     *An ability to "articulate a personal relationship with 
Jesus Christ," with a "knowledge and application of Holy 
Scripture" and a regular prayer life;

     *An expectation "to conform to the doctrine, discipline 
and worship of the Episcopal Church" and to "refrain from 
performing liturgical or sacramental actions beyond those 
authorized" by the church;

     *An attempt to "exhibit lifestyles consistent with the 
Episcopal Church's teaching regarding appropriate physical sexual 
expression...married and faithful or single and celibate;

     *An expectation of clergy "to exhibit a willingness to 
serve collegially in ways that draw individuals and congregations 
into community with the larger church...." and to "be guided by the 
pastoral direction and leadership of the bishop."

Blow to integrity

     In announcing their reasons for their resignation, committee 
members said in a February 22 letter that the bishop's guidelines 
"hit with a fatal blow to our integrity, consciousness and truly our 
spirit. We have labored hard to find priests who would uphold the 
strongly held principles at St. Thomas for diversity, social justice, 
dynamic spirituality/preaching and inclusivity," they said.

     Committee members said that the bishop's position "strikes 
hard at those principles and the search committee feels that we 
are no longer able to do the job we were asked to do by our vestry 
and congregation."

     According to the committee's letter, Winterrowd told the 
committee in a February 15 meeting that he would like the parish 
"not to search/call for a candidate who is gay or lesbian and who 
is non-celibate." Committee members said that was "philosophically 
unacceptable" and would force them to "collude with institutional 
homophobia/heterosexism since it is not possible for gays and 
lesbians to choose marriage."

     In urging the parish to maintain its inclusivity as "a primary 
principle," the letter concluded, "We are simply too tired and too 
damaged to continue."

--James Solheim is director of the Office of News and Information for the
Episcopal Church.