wfn.org | [ENS] Presiding bishop holds up church's 'diverse center'

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

July 30, 2003

Presiding bishop holds up church's 'diverse center'

By David Skidmore

[ENS] On the eve of what promises to be historic debate on the Episcopal
Church's doctrine and order, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold emphasized
the importance of listening to the church's "diverse center" in the
convention's opening news conference.

"One thing I am deeply aware of in our churches is what I like to call
the 'diverse center' in which different perspectives, a presence of the
overarching sense of, like it or not, we are members of one body and
that is our larger value," said the presiding bishop. "It is unfortunate
that most of the air time is claimed by those on either extreme."

In the airing of these polar views, the church's moderate yet diverse
center is forgotten, he said. Yet, he said this center "is the
fundamental reality of the church." Although holding different opinions
on issues facing the church, these lay members and clergy are able to
stay in fellowship, grounding their identity through their baptism.

With rhetoric building in the church and media over consent to the
election of the Rev. Gene Robinson as bishop coadjutor of New Hampshire,
the church's first openly gay bishop-elect, and over consideration for
developing rites for blessing same-sex unions, the presiding bishop's
role and views on these matters is under intense scrutiny. Asked
repeatedly by reporters on how he might vote on the Robinson consent,
Griswold said to do so would be "premature and singularly
inappropriate."

He does not want to shortchange the work of the Holy Spirit which often
can move people to surprising changes, he said, recalling a Dallas
deputy coming to the 1976 convention opposed to revising The Book of
Common Prayer and ending up the one making the motion to adopt the
revision.

Griswold, acknowledging that he is among the bishops voting on the
bishop-elect consents because he oversees the Convocation of American
Churches in Europe, also cited the influence of his office as a reason
to keep his views private. "I am the overseer of a process. I will have
my own perspective and my own opinions," he said. "But I think it would
be singularly unhelpful to my brothers and sisters in the House of
Bishops to state my position."

His statement was in stark contrast to the nation's leader, President
George W. Bush, who just hours earlier during a White House news
conference expressed his hope for legislation defining marriage as
limited to a man and a woman. "I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I
believe a marriage is between a man and a woman. And I think we ought to
codify that one way or the other. And we've got lawyers looking at the
best way to do that," said Bush after a reporter asked him on his
opinion on homosexuality.

As to the possibility of a rift or schism in the Anglican Communion were
the convention to consent to Robinson's election or authorize the
development of proposed rites for same-sex blessings, Griswold echoed
some of the same points he made in a letter to Anglican primates before
the convention. Each province must interpret the Gospel in light of its
own context and culture, he wrote the primates, and interpret scriptural
passages in light of its particular reality.

In his response to reporters at the news conference, Griswold noted that
the role of gays and lesbians in the church's life is perceived through
different filters. One perspective is "a deep sense that these people
are part of our reality" and "co-ministers in the mission of Christ."
For others, the notion of having affections for a person of the same sex
runs contrary to Scripture. Yet, it is important to note, he said, that
scripture "is never read neutrally. All readings of Holy Scripture
encompass interpretation."

On the matter of same-sex blessings, Griswold corrected what he termed a
consistent misrepresentation in the press over the California resolution
on developing rites for blessing committed relationships of two people
living outside holy matrimony. It is not a resolution on blessing
same-sex unions, as reported in the media, he said. The resolution calls
for the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) to develop rites
for consideration at the next General Convention in 2006, and until that
decision three years from now "all of this is open to debate and
discussion."

Joining the presiding bishop were Bishop James Jelinek of Minnesota,
host bishop for the convention; the Rev. Canon George Werner, president
of the House of Deputies;  and the Rev. Rosemary Sullivan, the
convention's executive officer.

Asked about the impact of the landslide vote for Robinson in New
Hampshire, Griswold said the church has historically tended to honor the
persons chosen by dioceses for their bishops, citing the example of
bishops receiving consents who are opposed to the ordination of women.
Despite opposition to their views, "their elections were not
undermined."

In response to a question on the few women preaching and presiding at
the convention Eucharists, Griswold noted the number of slots were
limited since he would be preaching at four services and had also asked
Werner and Sullivan to preach. By tradition he also presides at the
opening and closing Eucharists. Two women are presiding in addition to
Sullivan preaching, he added.

Sullivan said her office strove to ensure there was diversity of gender,
age and order in liturgical ministry and thought the mix "will work very
well given limitations of a 10-day process."

Werner, who has attended conventions since 1970, noted that it can be
difficult to predict how the convention may act on crucial issues. At
the 1976 convention, the resolution opening priesthood to women nearly
failed by just three votes in the House of Deputies, he said. Admitting
the process can be frustrating and "many times sinful," it is also often
graceful, he said, and much preferable to a system where a presiding
bishop or pope is vested with sole authority.

"We will enjoy our house," said Werner. "We are the house of passion and
fun and unexpected things."

-- David Skidmore is Director of Communications for the Diocese of
Chicago, and a volunteer reporter for ENS General Convention news
coverage.