July 2, 2006

Dear Members and Friends of Holy Apostles:

I am writing to let you know of a very significant action our vestry has taken in the light of the approval of a resolution on the last day of General Convention to withhold consent for the consecration of any bishop-elect “whose manner of life represents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.” Our three bishops voted for that resolution—whose passage was almost instantly repudiated by many across the Anglican Communion who wanted nothing less than the a full-scale disavowal of Bishop Gene Robinson. That vote for this resolution by our bishops has caused a great consternation for many in our parish and in our whole church.

If you were not present at Holy Apostles on either June 26 or on July 2, might I suggest you either listen to or read the sermons by Mother Liz and by me that are on our website. Each of us goes into the issues involved in some detail. And if you are interested in following more closely or getting involved yourself, let us know that you would like to join the Social and Economic Justice Committee listserv by indicating your interest and supplying the church office with your name and email address.

The following resolution was passed unanimously by our wardens and vestry this afternoon, and it has been endorsed by all six clergy of our parish. Here is the resolution:

Whereas the General Convention of The Episcopal Church has held that “there should be no barrier to the ordination of qualified persons of either heterosexual or homosexual orientation whose behavior the Church considers wholesome,” [1979] and that the General Convention “intend[s] for this Church to provide a safe and just structure in which all can utilize their gifts” [2000];

And whereas the Conventions of the Diocese of New York are on record as recognizing that “all baptized, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ,” [1999] and that “the Standing Committee and Commission on Ministry ought not raise the issue [of the sexual preference of a candidate for ordination] in their consideration of a candidate’s fitness” [1978];

And whereas many members of this parish, both gay/lesbian and straight, have experienced the passage of Resolution B-033 at the 2006 General Convention with a feeling of betrayal of the support and welcome of all the baptized faithful previously declared by this Diocese and The Episcopal Church;

And whereas the affirmative votes of our own bishops for this resolution have left our parish with a deep sense of unease with our chief pastors and in need of clarification from them;

Therefore be it resolved that we, the vestry of the Church of the Holy Apostles in the Diocese of New York, call upon Bishops Sisk, Roskam, and Taylor to demonstrate, before the 2006 Diocesan Convention, their leadership in celebrating the gifts of gay and lesbian people in this diocese and The Episcopal Church, and to declare their intended actions to further the full inclusion of baptized gay and lesbian people in all aspects of the life of the Diocese of New York and The Episcopal Church, including the episcopate in this Diocese and throughout The Episcopal Church.

We are planning on publishing this resolution along with the names of our wardens, vestry members and clergy unanimously endorsing it in a full page ad in the Episcopal New Yorker that is to appear on August 1, 2006.

I want to assure you that this resolution was not undertaken lightly or without careful consideration of its every word. But you also need to know that all fourteen vestry members and six clergy were clear that this was what this parish needed to do to be faithful to our calling, and all were willing to have their names publicly attached to it.

It is unclear as I write this what will unfold in the days ahead, but there is no doubt that they will be both interesting and challenging and many members of this parish seek to engage these issues in our church. I am very proud of them.

I ask your prayers for the Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori, for our Diocese and our Bishops, Mark, Catherine, and Don, and for this parish, its clergy, wardens and vestry, and people.

Faithfully yours,

Bill

The Reverend William A. Greenlaw