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 | Developments leading up to the year 2000
General Convention |
| General Convention for the Year 2000 |
Developments leading up to the 2000 General Convention:
| 1999-SEP: U.S. Conference: The Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) concluded in Dundee, Scotland on 1999-SEP-24. An announcement was made at the Council that a group of Anglican bishops will meet in New York later in 1999 for a "consultation" on homosexuality. They expect to have bishops at the meeting who represents "all shades of opinion" on the matter. |
| 1999-OCT-8: Gay rights in parts of Africa: The Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church in the USA, Frank T Griswold, issued a statement in his capacity as the Presiding Bishop on Human Rights for Homosexual Persons. He "read with alarm and deep concern accounts of statements by the presidents of Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe which have become a provocation for the harassment and persecution of homosexual persons...Within the Anglican Communion we are seeking to discern a common mind on the issue of homosexuality in the life of the church. However, regardless of one's views on the matter, there should be no debate among us about human rights for all people - which are enshrined in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights." |
| 2000-FEB-9: Irregular ordination of two bishops: According to PCUSA News, a group of conservative
Anglicans from around the world have become increasingly concerned
about the liberal drift of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. They are
distressed at the 30% decline in U.S. church membership over the past
three decades. A main sticking-point is the belief among some
Episcopal bishops that gays and lesbians be given equal rights. On
2000-JAN-29, two U.S. priests, John H. Rodgers and Charles H. Murphy,
were consecrated as bishops in St. Andrew's Cathedral in Singapore.
The ritual was performed by two archbishops from Rwanda, an archbishop
from South East Asia, and two retired U.S. bishops from Tennessee and
South Carolina. The new bishops intend to start "Anglican
missions" in the U.S. -- in effect create a duplicate Episcopal
Church. Within the Anglican tradition, the world has been divided into autocephalous [self-governing] provinces, each consisting of a country, or group of countries. Provinces are then divided into individual dioceses -- each under the control of a single bishop. Having two bishops attempting to exercise control in a single geographical area is to invite chaos. A spokesperson for George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the move was a cause of "grave disappointment...it is his [Carey's] view that such consecrations are irresponsible and irregular, and only harm the unity of the communion." The conservative group, the American Anglican Council (AAC), was not directly involved in the consecration. On 2000-JAN-31, they said that the creation of the two bishops is "the beginning of a new reality for the Episcopal Church...The leadership of the Episcopal Church had utterly failed to recognize the magnitude of the crisis that is tearing apart our church." 4 |
| 2000-FEB-14: The Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music issued a report dealing with same-sex unions. Ironically, it was released on St. Valentine's Day. It includes essays on Scripture, decision-making, church tradition, and blessings. The report says, in part, "We are not ready, theologically or scientifically, to say a defining word about the life of homosexuals in the church...In the context of reverence - and humility - it seems best not to take absolutist positions on a national level." It recommends a form of local option in which area dioceses would "find their own way in the matter." 5 This recommendation is only a suggestion; local dioceses are not at this time free to follow this advice. |
| 2000-FEB-21: Bishops' meeting in Portugal: A week-long meeting of bishops from around the world will be held in Portugal, starting on 2000-MAR-22. The leader of the Anglican church worldwide, George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, issued a letter on FEB-17 to Anglican bishops. According to a ReligionToday news summary, Carey said that he holds traditional view of human sexuality and the family. He believes that "a vast majority" of bishops worldwide do so as well. However, he wants to consider the ideas of "faithful Christians, some of whom are homosexual themselves," who are challenging the Church's teaching on human sexuality because "they have felt excluded from the Church for many years." He called the ordinations of two American Episcopal priests as bishops "illegal." He wrote that they "breach Anglican rules and practice." The ordinations in Singapore were done "unilaterally, without consultation, and in secret." Carey expects that the unauthorized ordinations and homosexuality will be the main topics for discussion at the Portugal meeting. |
| 2000-FEB-20: Irregular consecration of two bishops: The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, issued a letter to the primates of the Anglican communion which described "the recent consecration in Singapore of two priests of the Episcopal Church of the United States as bishops by the Archbishop of South East Asia and the Archbishop of Rwanda." He stated that: "neither the constitution of the Province of South East Asia nor that of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda, to whose primates John Rodgers and Charles Murphy have sworn an oath of canonical obedience, have been followed. In addition, Anglican polity requires that ordained ministers should be properly authorised to pursue their ministry in the Province within which they wish to work, and according to the Canon law of that Province. It appears that this is not the intention in this case, and it is doubtful in the present circumstances whether such authorisation would be forthcoming." Archbishop Carey is withholding recognition of Rodgers and Murphy as bishops. 6 |
| 2000-MAR-20: The American Anglican Council, a conservative reform group from Dallas TX issued a statement stating that they believe that the worldwide Anglican Communion faces "a grave moment" in which "nothing less than the integrity of the Gospel and the future of the church is at stake." Their concern centers around ordination of sexually active homosexuals, and the blessing of homosexual unions in the U.S. However, they feel that these are symptomatic of a much deeper problem. A second conservative group, Georgia-based Concerned Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal Church, states: "Today, there are two religions in the Episcopal Church. One remains faithful to the biblical truth and received teachings of the Church, while the other rejects them." The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. (ECUSA), Frank Griswold, disagrees. He feels that the church is in crisis; a recent survey shows member satisfaction. He criticizes conservative elements within the denomination of pushing an anti-homosexual agenda. 7 |
| 2000-MAR-22: Follow up: Irregular consecration of two bishops: Bishop John Rodgers now heads an Association of Anglican Congregations on Mission in Chicago IL. He now oversees about six churches. Bishop Charles Murphy heads First Promise and oversees a few American churches that he has aligned with the Province of Rwanda. 7 |
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General Convention, 2000
The Episcopal Church held its 73rd General Convention in Denver, CO. Some developments were:
| 2000-JUL-7: Judy Collins cancels concert: According to the Episcopal
News Service, Judy Collins cancelled a concert to be held in
conjunction with the 73rd General Convention of the
Episcopal Church. She allegedly did this to
protest what she regards as the church's discriminatory policies
against homosexuals. Collins said that she was "shocked"
to learn that "the Episcopal Church, of which I'm a member and
in which I was married, does not have an official national church
policy allowing ministers to officiate at same-sex unions or ordain
openly gay people." Her cancellation is to protest the "indecision
of the Episcopal Church to fully accept all persons into the Christian
faith." Michael Hopkins, president of Integrity (a national Episcopal group of gays and lesbians) said that his group respects Collins' "right to make this decision." They appreciate "the message of the full inclusion of lesbian and gay persons that she intends to send to the church...the Episcopal Church, we believe, is on a journey to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people, a journey we, as Episcopalians, are proud of -- despite the fact that it remains incomplete. We especially regret that this action affects the Presiding Bishop's Fund, one of the church's finest organizations, which helps countless thousands of people throughout the world, including gay and lesbian persons." Bishop Steven Charleston, dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA delivered a sermon in Denver CO, at an Eucharist for Integrity. He asked: "When is it time for the church to stand up and say, 'Enough is enough?' The time is now!" He stated that the church's fundamental issues in the field of human sexuality "can be named in two words: It is power and it is fear. That fear must be expunged from our church once and for all, and that power must be shared." 1 | ||||||
| 2000-JUL-10: Committee approves sexuality resolution: Special Committee 25 was established to handle all of the resolutions that involved human sexuality. According to the Episcopal News Service, the Committee prepared a "compromise measure that acknowledges traditional teaching on marriage while supporting 'relationships of mutuality and fidelity other than marriage.'" The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) will be asked to draft rites that express support for "lifelong committed relationships" the next General Convention to vote upon. The rites are to be prepared for inclusion in the Book of Occasional Services, as opposed to The Book of Common Prayer. Some members of the committee felt that the Church should have first developed a rationale and theological basis for recognizing and blessing same-sex marriages before suggesting that ceremonies be written. The terms "homosexual," "gay," "lesbian," and "same-sex" do not appear in the resolution. 2 | ||||||
| 2000-JUL-10: Over 70 gay protestors arrested: According to the Episcopal
News Service, Soulforce staged a protest in front of the Colorado
Convention Center. Some of the speakers that day
were:
| ||||||
| 2000-JUL-10: American Anglican Council says gays can be "healed": According to the Episcopal News Service, the American Anglican Council (AAC) announced a new advertising campaign. The AAC is a conservative reform movement within the denomination. Their ads will feature a man and a woman who consider themselves healed of homosexuality. The series is called "God's love changed me." James Stanton, bishop of Dallas and the president of the AAC, said the campaign consists of "compelling stories of change -- living proof of God's power to change lives." The program included the testimony of a church member who said that, through God's power, he was able to overcome homosexuality. [Editor's note: The ads are deceptive, because they imply that persons with a homosexual sexual orientation can change to a heterosexual orientation. There is a near consensus among gays, lesbians, bisexuals, human sexuality researchers and mental health professionals that a person's sexual orientation cannot be changed. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and heterosexuals can change their behavior; they can decide to become celibate; bisexuals can decide to stick with the opposite sex. But sexual orientation is fixed. The only change that a homosexual or heterosexual can make is to become celibate.] | ||||||
| 2000-JUL-14: Committee 25 prepares two resolutions: The
committee distilled many resolutions down to
two -- each of which contained multiple parts:
| ||||||
| 2000-JUL-25: Reactions to the convention:
| ||||||
| 2000-OCT-4: Aftershock: Conservative congregations leaving Episcopal Church: According to ReligionToday: A total of 24 congregations have left the Episcopal Church and joined the new Anglican Mission in America, led by two irregular bishops: Charles H. Murphy of South Carolina and John H. Rodgers of Pennsylvania. Murphy predicts that as many as 80 congregations could be aligned with the AMiA by early 2001. 8 |
References:
- J.H. Thrall, "Singer, an Episcopalian, protests 'discriminatory' policies," Episcopal News Service, 2000-JUL-7 #00245
- David Skidmore, "Committee send sexuality resolution to deputies," at: http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/ens/GC2000-048.html
- Tom Beckwith, "Dozens arrested in gay group protest at Episcopal convention," Episcopal News Service, 2000-JUL-10, #00246
- Chris Herlinger, "Consecration of dissident Americans as bishops called an 'affront' ", Ecumenical News International, distributed by PCUSA NEWS on 2000-FEB-9.
- Religion Today news summary for 2000-FEB-15
- George Carey, "Letter to the primates of the Anglican communion," ACNS 2037, issued 2000-FEB-20
- "Anglicans confronted with fractured American church," Maranatha Christian Journal, 2000-MAR-22, at: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/00/20000322b.htm
- "More conservatives abandon Episcopal church," at: http://www.religiontoday.com/
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Latest update: 2003-JUL-25
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