wfn.org | Episcopalians: For the Primates of the Anglican Communion

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

July 22, 2003

2003-163

Episcopalians: For the Primates of the Anglican Communion

My dear brothers in Christ:

I write you on the eve of the General Convention of the 
Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to let you know some 
of what is on my mind and heart during these days of prayer and 
preparation.

I am aware that earlier this month a letter was sent to 
"concerned primates" from a number of bishops of the Episcopal 
Church, USA outlining what they called a "deteriorating 
situation within the Episcopal Church and elsewhere."  They 
particularly pointed to two matters that will be before our 
General Convention: one pertaining to the confirmation of the 
bishop-elect of the Diocese of New Hampshire and the other 
dealing with the authorization of the development of rites for 
the blessing of same sex unions which would then be brought to 
the General Convention of 2006 for debate.

The polity of our church places the election of a bishop and the 
nomination process which precedes it entirely in the hands of 
the electing diocese. The election then must be confirmed by a 
majority of the diocesan standing committees (made up of clergy 
and laity) and by bishops with jurisdiction, each voting 
separately.  When an election occurs within 120 days of a 
General Convention, the General Convention becomes the 
consenting body.  Each bishop-elect must first gain the consent 
of a majority of the dioceses in the House of Deputies, which is 
comprised of elected clergy and lay members from each diocese.	
Next, ballots will be received from bishops with jurisdiction 
and the bishop-elect must receive a majority of those votes, as 
well.

At this General Convention ten dioceses will present 
bishops-elect for consent.  The Diocese of New Hampshire and 
their bishop-elect are the focus of attention, not because of 
the competency and gifts of the Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson, or 
because he was elected overwhelmingly by the clergy and laity of 
a diocese in which he has served for 28 years, but because he 
shares his life with a partner of the same sex.  As Presiding 
Bishop and chief pastor, my concern, as I said in a letter to 
our bishops, is "how we move with grace through this time."  I 
am including a copy of this letter for your information. 

This election, though profoundly disturbing to a number of 
Episcopalians, is not surprising given that increasingly in our 
part of the world there is an acknowledgment that some men and 
women find that their deepest affections are ordered to members 
of the same sex.  Our church has a number of lay persons and 
clergy for whom this is true.  Some have chosen the path of 
celibacy and others live within the context of a sustained 
relationship.  In this latter case we are not talking primarily 
about sexual behavior which in both its heterosexual and 
homosexual manifestations can be profoundly sinful and little 
more than the compulsive pattern of lust so soundly condemned by 
St. Paul.  What we are talking about is the core of the personal 
identity of men and women who share with us in the risen life of 
Christ.

I, perhaps more than anyone else, realize how very problematic 
this election is for some of you, as well as for some members of 
my own church, including the bishops who wrote to you.	I am 
also aware of the efforts that have been made to draw you into 
this impending debate.	Because we are members one of another in 
the body of Christ through baptism and are called to share each 
other's burdens, your concern is appropriate and welcome.  And 
may I say that I am always grateful when one of you contacts me 
directly to express your concerns. 

Over these last five years I have continually reminded our 
church that we are part of a larger reality called the Anglican 
Communion, and that what we do locally has ramifications both 
positive and negative in other parts of the world. At the same 
time I am mindful that each of us has to interpret the gospel in 
our own context and within the particular reality of our own 
Province; there is no such thing as a neutral reading of 
Scripture. While we all accept the authority of Scripture, we 
interpret various passages in different ways.

I believe that the report of the House of Bishops Theology 
Committee, which was shared with you, can be helpful here.  In a 
section entitled Living In Disagreement it states: "Our present 
conclusion is that equally sincere Christians, equally committed 
to an orthodox understanding of the Faith we share, equally 
looking to Scripture for guidance on this issue, are deeply 
divided regarding questions with respect to homosexuality.  It 
will be crucial for all parties in this debate to ask God's 
blessing on their ever-deepening conversion in Christ, and to 
pray for God's love and forgiveness to be granted to all.  
Faithfulness and the courage to offer love and acceptance to 
those with whom we disagree is the great need of the moment."

As Professor David Ford told us several years ago during one of 
our primates meetings, we are in the process of becoming a 
communion.  I have reflected often upon his words and come to 
see more and more that communion is not a human construction but 
a gift from God.  Communion involves not only our relationships 
to one another on earth but our being drawn by the Holy Spirit 
into the eternal life of communion which belongs to the Holy 
Trinity.  Communion on this earth is always in some way 
impaired, both because of our limited understanding of God's 
ways and our own human sinfulness.  Because we have been 
baptized into one body through the death and resurrection of 
Christ, we cannot say to one another "I have no need of you."(1 
Corinthians 12:21)  This means that maintaining communion is a 
sacred obligation.  It is not easy and involves patience with 
one another, ongoing conversion, and a genuine desire to 
understand the different ways in which we seek to be faithful to 
the gospel.  Declarations of being "in" or "out" of communion 
with one another may assuage our anger or our fear, but they can 
do little to show our broken and divided world that at the heart 
of the gospel is to be found a reconciling love that can embrace 
our passionately held opinions and transcend them all.

Please know how deeply I value each one of you as fellow 
pilgrims on a continuing journey into the ever unfolding truth 
of Christ.  Grounded in Scripture, the historic creeds, the 
councils of the church and the sacraments of the new covenant, 
it is my prayer and deepest hope that our General Convention 
will reflect the mind of Christ such that our church can be an 
authentic sign of God's reconciling love. 

Yours sincerely in Christ's love,

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold

Presiding Bishop and Primate

The Episcopal Church, USA

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