D025: An Honest Statement

Yesterday, both Houses passed D025: Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion. As I suppose one might have expected, the media, hungry for some story, any story, coming out of Anaheim, quickly moved in and have been busy spinning this bit of legislation as fast as they possibly can. The results, for the most part, have been less than helpful.

So far, most of the press reports seem to have leaped to the conclusion that this is a sensational statement. The headlines (with such provocative titles as "Schism Inevitable") suggest to me that either most of the reporters writing these stories did not do their homework, or they were terribly misinformed. Thinking Anglicans has a good roundup of the press reports. I urge you to read the resolution first before looking at the news reports.

The resolution's title alone should have drawn some attention to the intent of the authors. This is a couragously honest statement of exactly where the Episcopal Church currently stands on these matters. The willingness to be so vulnerably honest is an attempt to strengthen the bonds of affection within the Anglican Communion. No double talk. No false promises. Just a clear picture of the situation.

Here's the part that seems to have caught the attention of some of the reporters:

...Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm the value of "listening to the experience of homosexual persons," as called for by the Lambeth Conferences of 1978, 1988, and 1998, and acknowledge that through our own listening the General Convention has come to recognize that the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships "characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God" (2000-D039); and be it further

Resolved, That the 76th General Convention recognize that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relationships have responded to God's call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and are currently doing so in our midst; and be it further

Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm that God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church, and that God's call to the ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge that members of The Episcopal Church as of the Anglican Communion, based on careful study of the Holy Scriptures, and in light of tradition and reason, are not of one mind, and Christians of good conscience disagree about some of these matters...

The above is nothing new. It was our stance in 2000, 2003, 2006 and it is our stance in 2009. Let's cut this down even further to the critical bit:

...God's call to the ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church...

It is God's call, folks. Not the Church's. Not yours. Not mine. In what way is this a shocking declaration?

Also note that resolution B033 from GC2006 is not even mentioned. To yoke this resolution to that one is a pairing that might be obvious to some people. It sure isn't obvious to me, and I would assume it isn't obvious to anyone else who reads those two resolutions with even an ounce of objectivity.

Does D025 remove the call for restraint found in B033? Where is that said in the language of D025? Please point out the text that accomplishes that purpose, because I don't see it. The call is from God, discerned through our process. B033 did not change that process. No changes were made to our constitution or canons. D025 introduces nothing new.

But, try telling that to a reporter with a deadline, or a fanatic with an ax to grind.

You may recall that Bp. Tom Wright of Durham weighed in with his opinion on what the Episcopal Church should and should not do in the eleventh hour of General Convention 2006. Well, he's done it again. This time it's an embarrassingly inaccurate portrayal of the situation by a bishop who has earned a well deserved reputation as an excellent scholar in regards to other matters. If you want the errors in Bp. Wright's essay spelled out for you, take a look at Scott Gunn's response; When Tom Wright Gets It Totally Wrong.

I am quite pleased that the Episciopal Church has decided it is time to deal with the "h" word...which stands for "honesty" of course. Now maybe we can move on to other pressing matters?

Pray for the Deputies and Bishops at General Convention.
Pray for the Church.

T.

UPDATE: It appears that my perspective is not that unusual. Mark Harris has a similar take on D025. According to Episcopal Life, some bishops and deputies also share this perspective. As that last article reveals, there are a few other opinions out there as well.